+1 Share Share Pin Shares 0

One of the hardest things about starting a home business is that it can cost so much. In this economy, many people are looking for ways to earn a little extra money in order to provide a safety net — just in case the employment rate continues to sky rocket. And I admit, it is nice knowing that I have a work from home business that costs very little.

I’m a freelance writer and editor.

I write for blogs, and I write for print and online publications. I also provide Web content for businesses. While the journalistic reporting for print and online publications requires some professional experience and/or education (to be paid decently), it is possible to blog and provide Web content with little more than life experience. It costs very little to get started — just a computer and an Internet connection. And some time to look for, and apply for online writing and editing jobs.

You don’t have to be a writer to start a home business for practically nothing. Ron over at the Wisdom Journal offers these ideas for low-cost work from home opportunities that you can take advantage of:

1. Home makeover consulting. You can offer your services as a baby-proofer or as a green home consultant. In both cases, it is possible to provide help to homeowners looking to improve their homes. You can also charge based on the cost of making the changes, so that you do not have to get equipment out of your pocket. (Or at least you recoup the cost almost immediately.) When you do the green home consulting, make sure you contract out to professionals who can do work you may not be qualified for (i.e. electric). You can offer your services as a baby-proofer or as a green home consultant. In both cases, it is possible to provide help to homeowners looking to. You can also charge based on the cost of making the changes, so that you do not have to get equipment out of your pocket. (Or at least you recoup the cost almost immediately.) When you do the, make sure you contract out to professionals who can do work you may not be qualified for (i.e. electric). 2. Pet training. Pet sitting is a popular home business, Ron points out. Instead, try pet training. If you have managed to train your pet, and you like working with animals, you can offer these services. 3. Genealogy research. More people are interested in their roots these days, but don’t know how to start digging up information on their ancestry. You can get help from places like Ancestry.com, public records or familysearch.org, a site run by the LDS Church that offers access to free resources. 4. Teach your talents. If you are a musician, know a second language, qualified to tutor a school subject or have some sort of craft skill, you can teach others. For a while, I was a piano teacher. This month, I start taking guitar lessons from a local musician. If you are good at some skill, chances are that someone will want to learn it from you.

There are plenty of other ideas for starting a home business with very little capital outlay. Do you have a home business that you started for practically nothing?

SocioFluid

Related