Do you struggle with learning how to start an online business?

Small Business At Home- 6 Stimulating Ideas

Like me, you may have thought about starting a small business at home but just don’t know where to start. I am a professional blogger in affiliate marketing and have done this for about six years. When I retired from nursing, I took the step to start my own home-based business in affiliate marketing.

Affiliate marketing isn’t the only home business opportunity one can start and make some extra cash at home. Actually, one can make a full-time passive income with affiliate marketing, but I also want to help you find ways to make money to supplement your income, so I will list just 5 ways, and then I want to talk a bit about affiliate marketing.

Why only 5? Well, because sometimes too many options are daunting and can fog the brain. So here we go.

A lot has changed in 30 years, and the options are far more significant for making money with a small business at home. The internet and online marketing have expanded our world. It is easier to set up a shop and research the world from your iPhone or computer than ever before, and the pandemic has opened our eyes.

5 Stimulating Business Ideas

eBay

eBay may be perfect because it is easy to start and maintain. You can sell just about anything on eBay – from books to electronics to clothing. To begin with your eBay business eBay, you need first to create an account. Then, you can list items for sale. And once they’ve sold, you can pay them directly through PayPal.

The best part of this idea is that it doesn’t require additional equipment besides a laptop. All you need is a oomputer and a reliable Wi-Fi connection and a printer.

Selling on eBay can be an easy way to earn some extra cash. I suggest you look at eBay and search for trending things now and note the price of each item. Then visit garage sales, flea markets, thrift stores, discounted store items, and look around your house for things you no longer need or want.

The one big drawback is that you have to keep an inventory in your home, which can require some room for storage. But if you don’t mind having a few boxes of stuff in your living space, this could be a great way to make some extra cash.

Read more on eBay about how to sell

Etsy

If you love handmade items, then Etsy might be something for you. Sell your creations by listing them as a seller. You can do this for any type of product. If you create paintings, jewelry, crafts, etc., you can list these items on Etsy.

You will need to research what type of products sell best on Etsy. There are many different types of sellers on Etsy. Some sell only vintage items, while others have various items listed.

You can find out how much you should charge for your items by looking at other listings on Etsy. Sometimes people post their prices, and sometimes they don’t.

You can choose whether to use a fixed price or a bidding system. With a fixed price, you set the price, and buyers bid against each other. Bidding systems allow buyers to bid on your item. They start low and increase if the item sells.

Get started selling items with Etsy. You can list items for $1 or less and see if anyone buys them. You can also test the waters and see how much people will give you for your products, like a bid.

To sell on Esty, you will need a seller permit which Esty will help with this. Once you have this, you can list your items.

 The seller pays to ship, and your funds will be available to you in 5-8 days after the item sells.

Consignment Shop

A consignment shop is basically like a second-hand store. People bring in old clothes, furniture, appliances, etc., to your shop and others buy them at a discount. These shops usually operate out of a retail location so that you won’t worry about shipping. But many run a small business like this out of their homes.

There are two ways to go about starting a consignment shop. The first option is to open up a storefront where customers come in and browse. Customers can make offers on items, and you decide if you want to purchase them.

Another option is to work from home. Designate an area of your home as your shop and advertise your services online.

An at-home consignment shop sounds pretty straightforward, but there are some things to consider.

  • You will have people coming in and out of your house.
  • you need to make sure the items you take are trending and will sell.
  • The income can be marginal.
  • People will try to donate their junk to you.
  • Set up a signed contract on pricing and policies to prevent hard feelings.

Daycare

Parents can hire someone else to watch their child, or they can hire you with your own daycare. With your own daycare, you have the opportunity to stay home with your kiddos and make some money also.

Starting a home daycare can be pretty involved. But if you have little ones and want to stay home with them, it is an excellent way to make money and keep your kiddos at home with you.

Technically speaking, all home daycare businesses need a state license. The requirements vary from state to state. Please search for the laws and regulations of your state. These will help determine if you are eligible for a daycare license.

To give you an idea, I will use the guidelines for my state. As I mentioned, each state might be a bit different. My home state requires you to have a high school diploma or GED. A home daycare has to have 35 sq ft per child you are watching. You may have up to eight children under the age of 12, which includes your children. But only 5 of the eight may be under the age of 5.

In that space provided for childcare, it is essential to have safe toys and appropriate facilities for children to nap and play.

Opening a daycare requires so much more than what I have mentioned here, but it may be a good fit for you if you love being around children, want to care for your children in your home and make money with your small business at home.

Pet sitter

If you have pets, you know how much you worry about them when you are gone. That is why pet sitting is such a great job. Pet sitting involves taking care of your animal friends while their parents are away.

You can start by ensuring you have enough time to spend with your furry friend(s). If you do not have any experience caring for animals, you should learn before getting started. There are training and certification programs you can take. It also means knowing how to handle emergencies.

Once you have learned everything you need to know, you can begin working as a pet sitter. 

You can make around $30 to $60 a day sitting for someone’s pet. The pet can come to your home, which will make it easier for you to do the things you need around the house.

Find friends and word-of-mouth referrals who need a pet sitter. There is also a pet sitting app named Rover.com. This company does take a percentage, but they screen you and the pet owner. You may feel more secure knowing the rules are upfront and a company is backing you.

If you do pet sitting without using a company, set up a contract and have the rules written down. A signed agreement will save lots of stress later.

If you have children be sure the pets are kid-friendly. No one wants to have a child bitten by another person’s pet.

And One More Stimulating Business Idea

The last and my favorite idea is Affiliate Marketing/Professional Blogger. Affiliate Marketing is the form of home business I chose to make a passive income from home.

Professional Blogger – Affiliate Marketing

Small Business At Home pin

Expert bloggers are entrepreneurs at their best who have complete control over every aspect of their business, with no need for a license, room for daycare or traveling to find things to sell. Everything you do is from the comfort of your home.

The important thing about a professional blogger is that the potential income exceeds or is comparable to the other suggestions mentioned here. The amount of money you make will be dependent on how well your blog does in rankings and how dedicated you are.

You can set up a blog with any platform and begin writing. But your success relies on how much you know about SEO, keywords, and content. Anyone can write an article with the proper research, but not everyone can get ranked on google at the top of page one.

It takes training to accomplish a full-time income from blogging. Once you have the proper training, only you can stop yourself. Not to mention all training is also in the comfort of your own home and on your time schedule.

A professional blogger can stay home, control their destiny, and make an excellent income. But a word of wisdom, the world looks at blogging as a part-time fun game. I am here to say that blogging is a full-time job that generates a full-time income when you have the proper training.

So, you ask how I get this training and what it will cost me. There are some platforms to begin your training. 

I am rather partial to The Laura Method as it is the program I designed to get any beginner started with their home business. I offer full support and one-on-one coaching for those who want to expand their opportunities. 

Great For Beginners

Any one of these courses is excellent for beginners. I learned affiliate marketing and blogging from the bottom up and am ready to teach you all I know and more. 

Sometimes the fear of starting something new can be debilitating, but I am here to say that I was brand new when I began and learned everything from the ground up. Anyone with a computer can learn blogging affiliate marketing. 

We will grow together and expand our horizons together.

Conclusion

We have discussed 6 options for a small business at home. One may be a good fit for you. Maybe you want to build a full-time passive income or just some extra cash, which means you can pick the one that is best for you.

I am here to answer questions and extend my knowledge to help you make a decision. Please leave all comments and questions in the comment section below. 

The Laura Method

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Do you struggle with learning how to start an online business?

8 thoughts on “Small Business At Home- 6 Stimulating Ideas”

  1. Laura what a beautiful blog. I can really tell that you put your heart and your soul into your writing. You gave so many great opportunities for people to make money at home. The internet needs more blogs like this. All the information on this blog is completely true and researched. As for me on my road so wealthy affiliate I went through many scams and fault sites promising money. I am here to tell all of you reading this that there is no quick get-rich thing on the internet you are going to have to work like Laura has said and her blog. Doing blogging or affiliate marketing is hard work you have to put your sweat and blood and hard work and time into this job. Because this is exactly what it is a job. And I just want to thank you for all the great examples that you’ve given me because I’m just getting into blogging I’m actually terrified of writing and blogging. But wealthy affiliate it’s teaching me to stretch my skills and to apply myself more than I ever have in my life. I wish I could have taught myself to study this hard in high school. I have a quick question for you have you enjoyed writing your whole life? Or is this just something that you’ve got into since you started your online business? I only ask this question because it seems like you really put your heart into your writing and it really sucks the reader in it’s such a great quality to have. Once again thank you for writing this it was a tremendous help to me. Yours truly, Mike Trueblood

    Reply
    • Mike, I am actually a poet. So writing blogs to help the people make extra money is new to me. so if I can do this I know you can. The more you write the better it gets. I wanted to write a book once so I looked up how to do this. The best advice I got out of all the reads on the internet was “if you want to write then write and write and write” It is true. You get better every time you write.

      The incredible thing about an online business is the training I get from Wealthy Affiliate. I have learned everything I need to know to do well. But you are right, it is work because it is a business. I love that I get to do it from home and set my own hours. 

      Thank you so much for you compliment. Putting my heart into everything is what life is about. 

      Reply
  2. Hi Laura, This is great article about small business at home for everyone. I really like your idea about blogging and affiliate marketing and I have already joined in wealthy affiliate as a premium member and also purchased a domain with hosting. I am still learning and I hope I can established my site soon. Do you have any suggestion how can I do it in more professional way and implement multiple source of income? It will be also helpful if you give me an idea about article posting per day and estimated earning after a certain period. Thanks for sharing this information with us.

    Reply
    • These are some really good questions. Since you are a member of the best website platform in the world I suggest you stick with the teaching. Kyle the co-owner of WA does an incredible job of leading you through each step. If you stick with the plan and lessons you will have your site up and running quickly. 

      Once again with the multiple sources of income, Kyle also teaches this but the training in the community of WA is extensive. Go to your training site and search any subject you like. You will find numerous teaching just on this subject alone. 

      As for the money. this is a business and with hard work and effort you will see the fruits of your labor. As for how long? I received my first income after 2 1/2 months but it usually takes 3 or 6 or 12 months. Just remember establish your business from your heart and the money will follow. 

      Reply
  3. For those of us who are full time stay at home parents this comes as very good news. These are some great ideas  for that extra coin which is very much needed. We need a bit of spice in our lives. a Little bit more and I think extra income can help relieve the stress of financial burden. 

    But what is this online business you talk about? Is it really a business or a get rich quick scheme?

    Reply
    • Charles, you are so right. Extra income can help with our stress levels today. 

      Wealthy Affiliate is definitely a business. You work from home and build the business from the ground up with the extensive step-by-step training of Wealthy Affiliate. I will attach a link here that you can take a look at to get a better understanding of how you can build your own business. 

      https://resignwithmoney.com/laura3

      Please let me know if you have further questions. 

      Laura

      Reply
  4. Yes, I have learned a lot from my blogging experience on this platform. Wealthy Affiliate is enough business for me. It is a full time job and has generated full time income for me. I wouldn’t want to do more than one small home business as along as I have Wealthy Affiliate. 

    Thank you for this article. It is good to have options to increase your income. 

    Reply
    • Andrew, It sounds like you are doing well at WA. I am so happy for you. I know I do love it but the options are available to any one who feels this is not for them. 

      Reply

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