Starting a business at home is an attractive option for many aspiring entrepreneurs. It can result in significant overhead that would have spent on renting an office space, and for those with children, it can mean being able to be at home with the family while earning a living. Following are some home-based business ideas that are predicted to be popular in 2011.
Online stores – Retail is big business and online retail is no exception. Websites like Etsy, Ebay and Amazon can host a virtual store for a work-from-home entrepreneur. You can sell all sorts of items, from clothing to books to homemade crafts and jewelry. Another area that is expected to be popular in online retail in 2011 is “green” retail. Consider selling eco-friendly beauty, cleaning or pet products online.
Catering services – If you want to operate a catering business at home, check with your city’s zoning department to see if you’ll need permits to sell food prepared at home. Catering services will become more popular as busy people seek outside help with meal preparation. Your catering service can prepare food for parties and weddings, or prepare meals for customers.
Party planning – If you’re organized and creative, think about starting a home-based event planning service. Startup costs are minimal. You can be a general event planner, or you might opt to focus on a particular niche, such as weddings or children’s birthday parties. You can network with caterers in order to get referrals.
Virtual assistant – A virtual assistant provides a number of services for her clients, such as word processing, calendar management and bookkeeping. To start, you’ll need a computer and a dependable internet connection. This sort of home-based business can be done on a full-time or part-time basis and is great for those looking for a side job to bring in extra money.