Monthly Archive: February 2015

For many entrepreneurs, homebased small businesses prove to be the part-time supplementary alternative or a full-time solution to the family’s income. Typically, home businesses start out as hobbies.

These hobbies can be anything, from babysitting to selling clothes to providing computer services to neighbors.

Here are some of the popular hobbies that turned into profitable homebased businesses:

Online selling

Online marketplaces such as Amazon, Craigslist or eBay has enabled businesses to sell, re-sell, or have their products and services tested for a low fee. Use these online selling platforms to start selling goods, purchasing wholesale or used goods, or using drop-shipping services.

Computer services

For tech-savvy individuals, a computer-related business is suitable. Computer technicians, systems analysts, internet engineers, web designers, computer programmers, networking specialists are often in demand. Smaller companies can use you as a subcontractor or consultant. Whether you provide technical support or website design, you can make big profits for these services.

Agriculture/horticulture/culinary providers

You know you can rake in a profit if you take advantage of your green thumb or your cooking prowess. You can create specialty baked items you can sell to friends and family, and potential clients such as restaurants, farmer’s markets or businesses. You can also grow organic vegetables and fruits or rare breed of flowers and plants.

Whatever your hobby is, you can make a profit out of it. However, there are a few things you need to address to make your hobby-turned home business succeed.

Ask these questions:

1. Who is your target customer? Who will want to buy what you make? Do you think your target customer can afford your products or services? You can start by asking your friends if they’re willing to pay your asking price. Then go directly to people like business owners or your friends’ friends and see their reaction about your price? There are also quick online surveys asking people if whether they would pay a certain amount for your product or service.
2. Are you in the right location to be offering your product or service? Is this the right timing to offer this product or service? Promoting your business depends on what you’re willing to capitalize on. You can market your products or services through social media such as Facebook or Twitter. Or you can throw out business cards, flyers, and posters just to get your business out there. You need to make some research on how effective online marketing works. You can also use Etsy, which enables business owners to create an online store and does the marketing for them.
3. Are you willing to take your hobby into a full-fledged home business? Can this support your lifestyle? Do you need to add additional staff to help you with your business? If your hobby is really your passion and you have turned it into something profitable, you can just use Etsy and slowly build your target audience on social media outlets. Post some high quality images or videos of your products or services and engage with your audience if they decide to ask questions and comment on your business. Share real-time experiences if you must. Of course, you may also need a team to handle all the paperwork and accounting. Take time to hire the right people who are also passionate about your hobby and will help you grow your business.

Have you ever considered about launching a homebased business? If yes, you probably have thought of the benefits, as well as the challenges involved in starting this type of business. In fact, more and more entrepreneurs prefer having their businesses headquartered in their homes. Many homebased businesses typically start on part-time basis and as the business grows and develops, they expand into full-time. Study shows that the majority of homebased companies are actually women-owned businesses.

Homebased businesses may include product-oriented services such as clothing and crafts, child-care services, computer software consulting, food and catering, farming and horticulture, specialty mail-order, and hospitality establishments.

Homebased enterprises attract many people for a variety of reasons: flexibility and more work time, being their own boss, sense of independence, and personal satisfaction of being hands-on about the business. The demographic of homebased business owners are single or stay-at-home moms and dads, hobbyists, retired business executives, dislocated workers, and freelance contractors among others.

Running a homebased business may require a great deal of commitment than most office-based jobs. There are pros and cons that you may want to take a look into before launching your own home business:

Pros

• More flexibility on work hours
• More integration with the family
• Can be launched as a part-time business, a sideline if you’re still employed
• Low operating and start-up costs
• Cost-savings on commuting fare, gas, child or adult care
• Being your own boss.
• Increased tax benefits
• Can be a channel for your creative skills/talents
• Employment of family members

Cons

• Work-life balance may be disrupted
• Working space can be cramped
• Long work hours
• No taxable fringe benefits
• Lack of informal social opportunities
• Family members and friends may disturb or demand more of you when you’re at home
• Business activities may cause neighbor issues
• More discipline is required

These pros and cons may impact your business or family environment in one way or another. Remember that your business, even if it involves massive amounts of your time, effort and concentration, does not have to come at your family’s (or neighbor’s) expense. Set priorities, stick to them, and manage your time effectively to maintain that ideal work-life balance.

Balancing business and family

Operating a homebased business doesn’t have to be all about you. Even if you are your own boss, you still need support to achieve balance you need for a successful business and a smooth-sailing family life.

To strike that work-life balance, you can include family members to help you develop a good business plan or share responsibilities at home. Allow time for family vacations and business hours must be limited to specific times of day and hours.

Hire a team

A business will not go well if it doesn’t have the right people working for you. Take time to hire individuals who will help you grow your business as well as fit your business needs.

You can employ a team in-house or through outsourcing. There are many professional and skilled independent contractors out there who are waiting for their next job opportunities. These contractors will help you with your invoices, accounting and bookkeeping, offline or online marketing, and so on.

For more information, home entrepreneurs can learn more about or get financial assistance in launching their home businesses through the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA).