Starting a business is difficult, it requires a lot of hard work over a long period of time, and according to the statistics, you are doomed to fail. But getting a business off the ground is only a challenge you’ll face if you can think of a small home business idea to start with in the first place. I was the sole proprietor of my own business for close to two years, but before we could settle on a course of action, it took us three weeks and a lot of “meetings” in bars and restaurants to figure out what we were interested in doing.
Here is a massive list of business ideas broken down into four key categories: whether you want to make some extra money on the side, run something while the kids are at school, or create the next Facebook, here are some ideas for you to consider.
- Small Home business ideas
- Best small business ideas
- Self-employment ideas
- New small home business ideas for 2022
For each entry, I have discussed the business idea or model, what you’ll need to get started, and where you should concentrate your efforts to market and grow your new business. I did this to make it a little bit simpler for you to get things rolling.
Small Home Business Ideas
1. Blogging
Blogging was one of the first business concepts to emerge as a direct result of the emergence of the internet. Blogs are an online form of specialty periodicals that people read for the purpose of obtaining guidance, information, and resources. Buzzfeed and Entrepreneur Handbook are two examples of popular blogs.
Buzzfeed focuses on news and topics that are trending among millennials, while Entrepreneur Handbook offers advice on starting, managing, and running a business in the United Kingdom (sorry, we couldn’t resist). Techcrunch began as a hobby but eventually turned into a business that was acquired for approximately $25 million.
There are over 4.4 million new blog entries written every single day, and this number is only expected to continue to rise as the publishing business as a whole shifts toward a paradigm that is based entirely online. The blogging space is incredibly competitive as a result of this, but there is still room for new entrants.
Before you can begin blogging, you will need to settle on a certain topic or area of expertise to write about (popular areas include business, beauty, lifestyle and finance, although there are many more). In addition to this, you will need to have a strong understanding of search engine marketing, design, content marketing, writing, editing, and the use of the majority of the major digital marketing strategies (social, email and notifications).
Next, you’ll need to make a purchase for a domain name, set up web hosting, and utilise a website builder or WordPress to create a website in the style of a blog (you can also use platforms like YouTube or Vimeo if your video blogging). It is important that your website is mobile-friendly (has a responsive design), as more than half of your audience will be reading your blog on mobile devices.
After that, configure Google Analytics to view readership statistics and ensure that your website is GDPR compliant (blogs by default have massive exposure when it comes to processing and storing personal data).
At this point, you are going to need to put together a content plan (use keyword planner for basic keyword research). At a minimum of two to three weeks of your time will be required to develop a solid content plan, which is essential to your success. Now is the moment to develop your social profiles, newsletter templates, and captures, and to put together a continuous marketing plan to grow and keep your audience through these channels.
Display advertising is still the primary method by which blogs are monetized. If you want to get started with this method, the simplest way to get started is to apply to join Adsense (which pays per click and per thousand visitor impressions) and place relevant ads in the best performing positions on your blog (in content, header, footer and sidebar). Affiliate marketing is the practise of marketing the products of a third party company in exchange for a commission on any sales made.
Affiliate marketing is an effective method of monetization for blogs that focus on a specific field or niche in which the content is aligned with specific products or services. Lead generation is another option that can be explored for blogs that are relevant to B2B. Lead generation is collecting information and interest from readers in purchasing a certain product or service, and then selling those details to either a direct supplier or a third-party provider.
It’s not a fast way to earn money online, but it’s a reasonably low cost way to start and expand a business, and blogging, as we’ve shown, is an extremely competitive game. However, new blogs are started every day that end up becoming successful and profitable.
2. Buy And Sell On EBay
eBay is an online marketplace and auction site where you can buy and sell almost any new or used item you can imagine. On eBay, savvy buyers and sellers have made and are continuing to make a lot of money (if you want to hear an excellent example of this, look up the tale about the red paperclip).
There are a lot of deals and things that are underpriced that you can find on eBay, correctly re-list on the site, and earn a profit from. Buying and selling on eBay is an art form. You can also make a fortune by purchasing products from other marketplaces (like Alibaba), then reselling them on eBay. If, on the other hand, you do not have the cash available to make an initial inventory purchase, dropshipping on eBay can be the better alternative for you because you will not be required to make any purchases or keep any stock.
To get started with eBay, you will need to create a business account for both eBay and PayPal (you will need to go through verification, which can take some time). The next step is to decide what specific category of items you intend to stock in your eBay store and afterwards sell to customers. At this point, the most important thing is to look for offers both on and off the platform, so that you may later resale the items for a profit. Because of the rapid pace at which the market can shift, maintaining a profitable purchasing and selling strategy across the majority of your niches will require regular adjustment.
When it comes to making sales, the presentation of an eBay listing is extremely important to both the amount and price of those sales. Make sure that you have images of a high quality and include a detailed description of the item (condition, delivery times, and so forth). In many instances, proper presentation can result in an increase of up to twenty percent in the final auction price. Aside from that, you need to make sure that your products are categorised appropriately and have appropriate titles so that customers can find your product through eBay and have a reason to click through to your product listing.
Begin on a small scale, purchase things, and then repackage or improve them before selling them for a profit. Because of the large number of sellers on eBay, being successful as an eBay merchant can be a long and difficult process. If you are able to endure and make decisions that are in line with your goals, there is a possibility that you may be able to develop an incredibly profitable business despite the fact that, statistically speaking, your company will fail just like the vast majority of other enterprises.
3. Become a Youtuber
The advertising revenue generated by popular users on YouTube can amount to an absurd amount of money. YouTubers can become overnight celebrities and amass enormous amounts of income (YouTube pays out an average of $1,750 for every million views), all because to a single video that goes viral.
To begin started, you’ll need to make a decision about the kind of video content that you’re going to generate. Some of the most popular areas include fashion and beauty, as well as health and lifestyle. After that, you’ll need to sign up for a YouTube account and familiarise yourself with the features of the platform (how to write titles, what contents popular and how you can grow).
It is essential to keep in mind that although some YouTubers achieve overnight success, for the vast majority of users, it takes several years of consistent effort spent developing and publishing original content in order to amass a significant subscriber base that is capable of generating stable income from advertising.
Once you have built up a subscriber base large enough, there is another another money stream that you may capitalise on to increase your earnings. Many companies have begun paying YouTube stars (influencers) directly for advertising their products and services (reach).
4. Freelancer
One in three people who work in the United Kingdom do so on a freelance or contract basis. This means that they are paid on an hourly or project fee basis and provide their skills (time and knowledge) to other firms in exchange for a fee.
To be successful as a freelancer, you need to have a specialised expertise that is in demand and can be financially compensated for. Web development, graphic design, copywriting, software development, company development, and virtual help are all examples of in-demand abilities that cost hefty rates (you can do pretty much anything from logo design to writing press releases).
After that, you sign up for UpWork and PeoplePerHour and start taking on as many independent contracting jobs as you possibly can. In order to build a name for oneself and find work, you should put together a solid portfolio and accumulate a sufficient quantity of good testimonials (you can price yourself cheaply on quick pre-set jobs to get this in place).
5. Dropshipping
Dropshipping refers to the practise of listing products from a supplier on your online shop or other selling platform without first purchasing the stock from that source. You have reached an agreement with this supplier that states, in the event that one of your customers places an order, you will buy the product from the supplier, and the supplier will then agree to deliver the product to the client (also usually deal with any returns).
Comparable to an affiliate, except that the user can continue to browse your website. You continue to sell things despite not being required to keep inventory, and you retain control over the purchasing process.
With this particular approach to eCommerce, you won’t require any storage or warehouse space, and you won’t have any cash stuck in product that’s just sitting there (which is typically a big cause of cashflow problems for retail businesses). When compared to buying goods up front, dropshipping typically results in a profit margin that is between 20 and 30 percent, but purchasing stock from a wholesaler typically results in a margin that is between 60 and 70 percent (the margin is lower but the risk is much less).
Focusing on a particular market segment or keeping an eye out for emerging trends that you can use to your advantage in order to turn a profit is essential to the establishment of a lucrative drop-shipping enterprise (i.e. Fidget spinners would be a good example of this). You will now need to establish an online store and create accounts on the various selling platforms after reaching this point (i.e. Ebay).
When it comes to marketing, you can communicate with customers using the typical channels offered by digital marketing (such as social media marketing, email marketing, sponsored search marketing, etc.). If you are doing your marketing on a platform like as eBay, make sure that your listing stands out by using great photographs, detailed descriptions, and positive feedback from customers.
In conclusion, finding the correct drop shipping supplier or suppliers is very important. You need to make certain that they are dependable and that the delivery periods are reasonable; you don’t want clients to cancel their purchases before they arrive (many drop shippers are based in China, the lead time to produce and ship a product can mean it can take several months to reach a customer in some cases).
6. Sell Stock Photography & Video
The majority of websites make use of stock images, which are essentially photographs that are purchased online from various platforms such as Shutterstock and Adobe Stock Photos and then used on the websites themselves as well as in marketing materials. There are also a great number of websites that offer free stock photographs; however, these websites frequently do not offer the same variety or level of quality of photos as paid stock photo websites (this is why businesses typically choose paid stock photos for their marketing material and websites).
To get started as a stock photographer, all you really need is a good digital single-lens reflex camera and some prior experience in the field of photography. After that, all that is left to do is locate popular photo topics (such as money, productivity, or working from home), take and edit high-quality photos, and then create selling accounts on the various platforms listed and upload the photos to those accounts. Depending on the platform, you will receive royalties for licencing as well as for individual purchases of your work (they will charge a commission).
In the event that you are at a loss for what to photograph first, there is a significant demand for stock photos and images of people engaging in a variety of activities (I.e. young professional typing on a computer). You can gain access to local models using platforms like bidvine (or by direct contact on Instagram, which is usually cheaper and quicker), and then you can shoot hundreds of photographs of models engaging in a variety of activities.
In addition, you have the option of creating video material. Drone flyover photos of large cities are becoming increasingly common for many businesses to use as the background on their landing pages.
To be successful as a stock image photographer, it is necessary to produce high-quality photographs consistently, particularly those that are in high demand.
7. Make And Flip Apps
If you’re an excellent app developer, you should be able to crank out apps like crazy and put them up for sale on AppTopia. It is easier for many businesses and individuals who want to start an app-based business or create a new application for their existing business to simply buy a readymade application that is similar to or exactly the app they were looking to develop (rather than develop it themselves or outsource/manage the application build). Many businesses and individuals want to start an app-based business or create a new application for their existing business.
Popular categories for apps available for purchase include gaming, productivity, and enterprise resource management (in the early days of the App Store, a notepad app made close to one million dollars in a single week). To get started, you will need to be an experienced developer who is capable of producing solid code and who is also familiar with the development languages used for iOS and Android.
In addition to this, you will need the appropriate development tools (such as Sublime), an ergonomic and powerful computer setup (to reduce the negative impact on your health that will be caused by the long hours you will be working), and an email address.
When it comes to marketing, you may post your applications for sale on SellMyApp and Fliptopia. However, before you construct an application, you should do some research on what’s popular and how much it costs so that you can ensure a healthy return on your investment.
8. Make And Sell Stuff
The desire for unique handcrafted goods has shown no signs of abating in recent years, despite the fact that the popularity of handcrafted goods has skyrocketed in recent years (from personalised dog jackets to engraved rings and beyond).
Starting a business that sells handcrafted goods requires a high level of talent as well as the selection of a range of products that are now fashionable and in demand (you will need to carefully calculate the product cost, hours, and materials). You can get started right away if you already have the ability to build something by hand or if you already know how to make a specific item. If you don’t already have them, there are a lot of abilities you can pick up that will allow you to build things on your own. For instance, you may learn how to make jewellery, books, or leather goods in order to produce a wide variety of handmade goods.
It has never been simpler to sell items that have been handcrafted; today, you can reach customers through online marketplaces such as Etsy and NOT ON THE HIGH STREET (each platform charges commission on goods sold, worth noting that the Etsy is the lowest). You can also build up your own online store by using e-commerce software such as Magento or Shopify, depending on your level of technical expertise.
The market for handcrafted goods is highly competitive; therefore, in order to differentiate yourself from the crowd, you will need to develop a brand that is very appealing and ensure that the photographs and descriptions of your products are of the highest quality. After that, acquiring new customers on the various crafting platforms is all about collecting positive reviews in order to climb higher in the rankings for the various searches. Social media is an excellent location to promote your own store, and notably these kinds of products do very well on visual platforms (such as Pinterest and Instagram…).
If you want to increase your earnings beyond the sale of products, you can also teach others how to manufacture new products or a specific hand crafting talent through the sale of workshops. These workshops can be taught one-on-one or in groups. Many individuals who specialise in handcrafting are able to earn between two hundred and three hundred pounds per day by conducting such courses for workshop attendees who list themselves on craftcourses.com.
9. Webinars
Webinars are live video sessions in which a particular subject is discussed by one or more experts, and the audience is given the opportunity to interact and ask questions. Webinars, which are essentially a kind of online training, have seen significant growth in popularity over the past few years, notably in the fields of technology, marketing, and finance (complex subjects and products). Webinars are a fantastic tool for marketing goods and services to potential customers.
In order to get your webinar business off the ground, you will first need to settle on the webinar software that you will implement. In addition to this, you will need to have expertise in a specific field that is currently trending, materials for your course or programme, and sufficient reach, either through paid advertising or through marketing channels that are already in place, in order to convince people to sign up for your webinar.
Webinars are typically utilised to establish one as a thought leader in a specific industry. Once this status has been attained, the webinar host may then monetize their webinar by either selling their services directly (such as educational courses or consulting) or by promoting affiliate items. As an illustration, you could hold a webinar on accounting for small businesses while simultaneously promoting a relevant accounting software package.
10. Buy And Sell Domains
A website’s name is known as its “domain name” (i.e. entrepreneurhandbook.co.uk). Since the beginning of the internet, savvy domain buyers have been able to make a fortune by purchasing common word top-level domains (.com,.net, and.org are just a few examples) and then reselling them at a later time (i.e. cars.com). It is essential to keep in mind that in addition to this, you can specialise on well-known country-level domains where there is demand (.co.uk, .US, .IO are all popular).
In recent years, a large number of new top-level domain names have been made available (.inc,.dev, and.is are just a few examples), which means that there is now a fresh opportunity to buy popular common phrase domains and sell them for a profit.
This is a business that requires no startup capital; all you need is access to a computer and a significant amount of spare time to investigate, locate, and buy domain names. In order to get started, you will need to create many accounts at domain name registrars and auction sites (Namecheap, SEDO, Godaddy, etc.). These websites provide you with the ability to search for domains and buy them.
From there, the next step is to search for fresh domains that have not yet been purchased or domain names that are about to expire, and you believe it may be sold at a profit (you would be amazed how many domains are lost due to individuals forgetting to renew a domain). You can also buy domains at reasonable prices through auctions and then resell them if you believe there is a possibility of making a profit from the transaction.
The next step is to locate potential purchasers for your domain names. For example, if you purchased the creative.com domain name, you could compile a list of prospective customers in the digital creative field, then make contact with those individuals to either sell the domain name directly to them or inform them of the dates and specifics of an upcoming auction.
Be warned that if you pick up a domain name that is already registered as a trademark for a company, product, or service, even if the domain is available, you may be obliged to sell it to the owner of the trademark at a price that is cheap or even for free if they so choose (depending on the legal jurisdiction).
It is also possible for variations of trademark phrases or names to be forcibly sold in this manner, and it is sometimes against the law to buy them. In most instances, the purchase of these domains is motivated by the expectation that the domains will attract traffic resulting from common misspellings of popular domain names, or that the domains will portray a different firm as being the same brand. Finding a valuable domain that is being sold at a bargain price and purchasing it can be a path to making a lot of money; I wish you success in your domain searching endeavours.
11. Affiliate Marketer
Why sell your own things when you can sell the products of someone else and avoid the effort and risk associated with stocking, delivering, and receiving payment? This is where affiliate marketing comes into play; affiliate marketing is the process of marketing a product or service offered by another company in exchange for a commission in the event that the other company makes a sale of a product or products to a customer who was referred to them through marketing efforts.
Getting started is quite easy; all you need to do is establish a basic eCommerce website targeted toward a specific market (i.e. health and tennis) Find intriguing products that have affiliate programmes (either by directly approaching the provider or through third party affiliate networks), and then offer these products on your store. You may do this either directly or indirectly.
After that, connect all of the “Buy” buttons to the respective supplier websites (using tracking links). You will earn a commission on every sale that is made, regardless of who makes the purchase. You can get started quickly by working with Amazon Affiliates, who provide a wide variety of products (there is a low to nonexistent initial investment required because you are not required to purchase the product; you are simply responsible for handling sales).
To generate affiliate sales, you must first promote to the appropriate audience and then drive targeted traffic to the landing pages and product sites that you have designed specifically for the purpose of making sales. Also, if you run an online blog or another type of media site and you’ve managed to create a community of dedicated followers, setting up paid access features is another great way to monetise your content.
Many online publishers and magazines are now pursuing this type of monetisation as advertising and affiliate revenue continue to decline. Website builders such as NING, which provide you with a platform on which to create your community and make it easier to launch a paid access feature, allow you to even launch a paid access feature on your website.
12. Copywriting
The term “copywriter” used to refer to a person who generated content for various forms of advertising. Over the course of the last few years, the definition has shifted significantly to encompass everyone who creates or writes content. Because there are a great number of websites, blogs, and businesses that require content to be created, there is an increasing demand for professional copywriters who are able to generate compelling landing pages, long-form pieces, and a great deal more.
You will need a good education (formal or not) in how to write in business English, word processing and editing software (such as Grammarly), and you will need to be a hell of a writer who is able to focus for hours on end to produce engaging content for your clients. In order to get started as a copywriter, you will need all of these things. After the material has been written, don’t forget to run it through a plagiarism checker so that you can ensure that the copy you are providing to customers is original (not paraphrased from the web or your own work).
Because there is such a high need for copywriters, all you need to do in terms of marketing is post your skills as being available for hire on online marketplaces like UpWork (offer a lower market price to start getting work and reviews).
Once people become aware of your amazing copywriting, they should start coming to you for their writing needs. In the longer term, you might potentially get in touch with the marketing departments of both smaller and larger businesses and offer your copywriting skills to them.
13. Transcription Service
The process of taking audio files, listening to them, and then converting them into written information is called transcription. Transcription services are frequently utilised by companies in order to convert audio and video content to textual form (for media businesses this is typically audio interviews).
You’ll need to have good hearing, access to headphones of a decent quality, and the ability to touch type or type precisely while moving quickly. In order to get started, you can search for transcription jobs on platforms such as Amazon’s Mechanical Turk. Simply play some audio in the background while you take notes on every phrase. When it comes to translating other languages into English from audio, there is also a market for more expensive services.
As your company expands, you can decide to establish a brand name and website and start offering your own transcribing service. However, in order to continue promoting your business successfully, you will need to make an investment in digital marketing, particularly search-oriented marketing.
14. Accountant
According to a well-known proverb, “death and taxes” are the only two things on which one can always count. The latter is something that most people consider to be the worst part of their lives and is of utmost significance to businesses.
Nearly all small businesses are required to pay business taxes; as a result, they are obligated to keep consistent records of their financial dealings; submit annual abbreviated accounts (self-assessment for freelancers); file and pay VAT bills; and fulfil a variety of other financial reporting and tax obligations.
The vast majority of small businesses are unable to afford to keep an accountant on staff, therefore they must rely on local accountants or small accounting firms for assistance in ensuring that their tax filings are accurate and that they are making the best use of their resources.
You will need to have basic accounting qualifications (from a college or university) in addition to being registered with the Institute of Financial Accountants in order to launch an accounting business. Due to the nature of the business, the initial costs associated with hiring an accountant are rather low. In essence, you will require a space to work from (whether it be your own home or a tiny office), a reliable file system, accounting software, a respectable computer, and security software in order to protect the confidential financial data of your clients.
Earnings for accountants in the area might range anywhere from 50,000 to 150,000 pounds per year. The fact that every company requires accounting services is one of the many positive aspects of this industry. You can meet new accounting clients by sending letters to other local firms, attending networking events, and becoming a member of local business associations (like the British Chambers of Commerce), all of which fall under the marketing category. You also have the option of working from home for businesses that are located in other regions.
15. Tutoring
There are certain individuals who genuinely like imparting their knowledge to others and facilitating their educational growth. If this describes you and you have a high degree of education, you should be working as a tutor so that you may bring in some extra cash.
You can instruct pupils in a classroom setting, one-on-one, or even remotely through the use of the internet. There are also mobile apps such as Tutorme that can assist you in turning your tuition into a profitable business. In addition to mobile apps, there are also online platforms such as Preply where you can teach students online according to your own schedule and from any location. It provides a consistent base of students from all around the world, safe payment options, and round-the-clock support for customers. In addition to that, you decide your own hourly fee, and you are free to adjust it whenever you like!
You can form collaborations with the local schools, colleges, and universities in your area if you are looking for local students to instruct if you want to find clients in your area (or at the least ask them to post your flyer to their noticeboards). As is the case with any other type of enterprise, it is to your advantage to specialise in the services that you offer so that you can differentiate yourself from the competition and present yourself as an authority in a particular field (for example, maths tutor, Key stage 2 tutors, English tutor, GCSE tutor, business tutor, A-level tutor…).
Conclusion
Starting a business requires a lot of hard work over a long period of time. Blogging was one of the first business concepts to emerge as a direct result of the emergence of the internet. Techcrunch began as a hobby but eventually turned into a business that was acquired for approximately $25 million. Buzzfeed and Entrepreneur Handbook are two examples of popular blogs. New small home business ideas for 2022. For each entry, I have discussed the business idea or model, what you’ll need to get started, and where you should concentrate your efforts to market and grow your new business.