15 Ways To Work From The Luxury Of Your Own Home

Truth be told, the 9-5 work schedule just isn’t for everyone. Some people physically aren’t wired to be morning people, some are mothers who’d like to stay home with their children, and others simply don’t function well with management hovering over them. Not everyone fits nicely into the box that society has created, and not everyone enjoys being told what to do and when to do it. In fact, there are many people who could benefit greatly by working from home which would allow them to have a more flexible schedule and more control over their lives. With technological advances, many companies are now able to offer work from home opportunities by connecting employees to company networking systems from their homes. However, these jobs may still be too stringent schedule wise for some. Luckily, there are still many other profitable work from home options to choose from. With a little creativity and time, you can find the perfect opportunity that suits your personal and financial needs. Whether it be a new start up company or a corporate work from home position, here are the top 15 recommendations when considering this employment lifestyle.

15. Ebay

It has made millionaires out of people working from the comfort of their living rooms. How? Entire businesses have been created by selling items online, either by auction or direct sale, to a worldwide audience. Clients are endless, and plentiful. After a bit of spring cleaning or cleaning out the back closet, sellers list and sell their unwanted items on Ebay. Hitting garage sales or your local Goodwill can provide you with plenty of fascinating items to sell, or you can specialize in a small niche, and be a carrier of one certain item. There is no oddity too absurd when it comes to selling. A heart shaped potato was once auctioned off for much more than the grocery store price. Everything and anything will sell. Setting up an Ebay account is free and easy. When selling an item that already exists, there are even preformatted lists to use with suggestions for the item. The old philosophy “One’s trash is another’s treasures” holds strong on this forum. Ebay even offers an app for the phone that sounds like a cash register every time an item sells. One can literally run this business on the go.

14. Fivver

This may be the simplest on-line tool for making money. Every legal, digital service imaginable, can be found on this forum, and that’s right, the name says it all, everything starts at $5. Scrolling through the various skills people are buying and selling is entertainment all by itself. Regardless, Fivver is working; people are buying and selling and making money. The initial setup is very simple and requires no startup fees. People simply offer their knowledge to potential buyers; everything from pdfs on “How to Train Your Dog in Three Simple Steps” to business logos and blogs. The key here is to get creative, dig into your passion, and transform it into a selling “gig” in one way or another. As with any new business, time must be spent building a reputation and perfecting your online presence. With a bit of diligence, the work becomes recurring as freelancers build contacts and connections. The $5 work can then increase to $10, then $15, and so forth up to $325. Upgrades are also available such as charging for quicker submission dates, additional edit fees, etc. With 5 star ratings and good comments from clients, business flourishes and the freelancer can pick and choose which job to accept and how many hours to work. It truly is symbolic of what life is all about; being able to offer one’s genuine talents and provide a service or product that people want. Providing a service that you are passionate about doesn’t feel like work and produces the best results.

13. Corporate Work from Home

Work from home programs are becoming more and more common with corporations. Thanks to modern technology, one can accomplish most tasks from their home computer that they can on location at work. Corporations are finding the benefits of these programs since they save on costs for office space as well as furniture and equipment. Employees that are working from home are valuable assets to companies. Employees benefit by saving time and money not having to get ready in the morning or commute; they can now sleep a little longer and work in their pajamas, and avoid traffic, mileage and gas costs. With portable headsets, reps can take calls and multitask; they can do laundry or other simple household chores, all while staying at home with their children. Amazon, one of the biggest supporters and suppliers of work-from-home jobs will be adding 5000 work-from-home customer service representatives. This company and many others are taking advantage of this opportunity, and have opened the doors for many people to forgo the 9-5 work day.

12. Affiliate Marketing Programs

Along with the multitude of technological advancements taking place worldwide, comes the new wave of methods of making money using digital media and online marketing. New and quick to come to the forefront of work-from-home jobs are the affiliate marketing programs. The business model for this is simple. Join. Promote. Earn. An affiliate marketer sells products or services online on a commission basis for another company. The marketer, however, is rightfully not responsible for the delivery or shipping of the products, but must promote the products through their website, blog, or avenue of choice. When a visitor clicks on the affiliate link, it’s tracked through the affiliate’s “cookie” mechanism, the affiliate is given credit for the sale, and paid! People can make money online with affiliate programs without spending any money on marketing or a website. There are a ton of affiliate programs in a multitude of industries such as Amazon, Walmart, TripAdvisors and many of the popular dating sites. Marketers set up avenues suitable for their marketing campaign ads using as Blogs, ebooks, Facebook or other social media outlets. Affiliate Marketing has quickly become a successful avenue for making money from home.

11. Network Marketing

Although this avenue is not for everyone, there is a company for everyone! From nutrition, jewelry, make-up, candles and essential oils, to travel and life insurance, here is a network marketing opportunity for every niche. People often shun network marketing because of a few bad companies, but Bill Gates was quoted saying “if I was to do it all again, I would choose network marketing”, and there is a reason why. Network Marketing has produced more millionaires than ANY organization and company in the world. Why? This is a job where the harder you work, the more money you make. Everyone is on an equal playing field, there are no managers or directors to be held accountable to. People can succeed at whatever level they desire. Part time hours will produce a part time income; full time hours will produce even more. This is an avenue where a janitor or a waitress can surpass a Harvard graduate based on their efforts and desire to succeed. Most of these companies provide the necessary training, with a system that you can duplicate. All one needs to succeed is a drive to learn and perseverance. Network marketing is huge on product knowledge, team building, marketing and personal growth, and is an amazing work from home opportunity even for those who have no sales experience.

10. Etsy Store

This is where the creative “artsy” people are making money! Theoretically, it’s extremely similar to Ebay, but the product lines are all based on hand made arts and crafts. It is not difficult to open a store and become an entrepreneur. Simply think of a name, design a logo, make your product, or at least a few items so you can take pictures of them, choose a price point then list. Many people build start-up businesses on the side, working nights and weekends, until the income is sufficient to quit the full-time 9 to 5 job. Sales can skyrocket. Etsy has become a massive home for wedding and party favors, and original personalized gifts. With so many people shopping globally online, now is the time to create a business on the internet. There are no start-up fees on Etsy, however, the cost to list an item is $0.20 . This is not per item, but per listing. In other words, you can sell 50 of the same item, all for $.20. Etsy does take a small portion of the final sale as its fee. It is minimal but, should be considered when deciding pricing.

9. Baking Shop

Love to bake? Why not turn that love into a home-based business selling cookies, pies and cakes? Many people adore small businesses when it comes to personalized items such as these that are considered “home made”. There are many special occasions where people purchase baked goods, thus the bakeries in Walmarts and Targets. Weddings, birthdays, holidays all call for “baked goods!” With a little word of mouth, local community billboards or flyers, a small home based bake shop can really take off. There are many pros to a home-based bake shop: the baker gets to work in a job they love, they have freedom of creative expression, they usually already own the equipment and knowledge to produce and there is a huge market for baked goods. Owners can sell locally or even sell online if goods are shippable!

8. Food Preparation

This avenue is new, and gaining popularity extremely quickly with the trend of health and wellness on the rise. People are now paying companies to create entire meals and meal plans for them. They are being sold in daily or even or weekly packages and come with a complete, full course meal. Some are cooked and just require heating, others are organized so the buyer only has to put the pan in the oven for the required baking time and voila! A full course meal magically appears! For those naturally talented cooks who have a golden touch in the kitchen, this is a perfect opportunity to make a living doing something with passion and love. Professionals recommend buying all the ingredients in bulk, investing in a bit of marketing, get all transactions in writing, and learn the rules and regulations for food prep in your local county and state. A food preparation business can be a fun and fulfilling career for chefs or home cooks.

7. Laundering Clothes

This is a service that anyone can benefit from: college students, professionals and busy mothers. Everyone could use a helping hand when it comes to household chores and laundry. Start-up costs for this business are extremely low and it only requires a washer, dryer, detergents, stain remover and fabric softener to operate. It is recommended that a variety of soaps be considered to account for personal preferences and possible customer allergies. Additional services can be offered such as pickup and drop off, and ironing or steaming. This business can be started among family, friends and neighbors, or through listed ads on local and online billboards. Prior to taking on any customers, it is wise to write up a policy on how you will compensate the customer if a piece of clothing is damaged during the cleaning process. With competitive prices that still allow you to make an income, this option is a great home-based opportunity for those who are looking for flexibility and excel at the doing laundry.

6. Lawn Care Service

Although the physical part of this business requires working away onsite, the actual operations can be run from the home. If it is a partnership, or family run business, one can handle the office, and one can be in the field. Start-up costs are minimal, requiring basic landscaping machinery which can be purchased second hand at a pawn shop. However, for traveling around town, the business will most likely require a trailer that attaches to a vehicle. But once this initial investment is made, the business is set for years to come. Your local neighborhood is a great place to start, with referrals hopefully ensuing thereafter. Hours of operation can be flexible and can be set around school schedules or weekends. A local, small lawn care service is a great little business for high school students looking to earn extra cash or wanting to get some entrepreneurial skills for future business endeavors. Some extra perks? Owners get to enjoy the fresh air, they get a good cardiovascular workout, and can also build up some muscle mass. The demand for lawn care services is extremely high. If offered at the right price, most homeowners and companies would prefer to hire someone for this service so they can relax during their time off or spend time with family and friends.

5. Home Day Care

This is a great choice for mothers with children since they are already with youngsters all day and their homes are usually set up to be kid friendly and safe. This allows mothers to stay home with their children, while earning an income. Although licensing, education and inspection are required prior to the opening of this type of business, it is attainable and is a great home-based business for those loving, caring souls who have the patience and ability to handle multiple children at once. This type of business is booming, as many mothers are financially forced to go back in the workforce early on in their children’s lives, and they are in search of small and personal caregiving facilities that have the look and feel of a home. Organization and discipline are a must for this business, as there are mandatory requirements for paperwork for each child including immunization records, emergency contacts, as well as keeping attendance and being up to date with county regulations. A home daycare is more than just babysitting, it is set up to provide enriching activities, indoor and outdoor play, meal and nap times as well as offer art and music enrichment.

4. House Cleaning

Like the lawn care option listed above, this too can be organized and operated from home, but requires someone to work on site. This is for someone with a “neat streak” running through their veins who can spot dirt a mile away. This type of business has several major advantages: the owner can set boundaries as to the distance they are willing to travel, the business can be started on a “shoestring” budget, and one can earn anywhere from $10-$24 an hour, even more if you specialize in certain niches such as rentals or offices. Often times, if needed, children are allowed to accompany their parents when cleaning; with smartphones and tablets, kids can entertain themselves with games or shows while parents work. The demand for house cleaning services is extremely high. With people being so busy these days, many don’t have the time to clean and it’s the last thing want to do with their free time. The potential to grow this type of business is great. Most importantly, the satisfaction that comes from being an entrepreneur and creating your own lifestyle is very fulfilling.

3. Personal Assistant

Enter the digital world where an employee can work from home and live on the other side of the planet from his or her employer. There are a great number of forums available for this type of home-based business where individuals can bid on jobs or create a profile for prospective job employers to that outline their talents. It is now extremely popular for businesses both large and small to outsource assistant jobs. Responsibilities range from data entry, tax preparation, social media marketing to transcriptions, document editing and making phone calls. On the other side of the spectrum, there are also personal assistants for personal services ranging anywhere from picking up dry-cleaning or planning a garage sale, to car washing and pet grooming. There is a market for personal assistance in both the business and residential mediums. Start-up costs for this type of business is literally 0% and the only equipment one will probably need is a computer and phone, and possibly a scanner/printer, all of which are common household items these days. Expenses are also minimal for this line of work. If one decides to work internationally, they are not restricted by local business hours and can work on their own clock.

2. Digital Media

Digital media is a huge popular in the home-based and small business world. Whether a graphic artist, social media specialist, or marketing guru, there is work to be done, and it can be done from home. Yes, some freelance positions, such as graphic artist, require talent and creativity that can not be taught, but others do not. This method of working from home is not only limited to the creative few. Online courses, Youtube videos and webcasts are readily available to teach people how to market on social media, or how to send the best email blasts, which opens up the market for anyone who is interested and has the desire to work in this industry. Almost every business in existence has some type of an online presence, and each of those businesses would love to get the lowest rates for their digital media services. When an digital media provider works out of his or her home, they can offer the lowest prices since they have way less overhead than a brick and mortar company. With the popularity of social media, websites and emails, digital media is a huge focus in most companies’ marketing strategies. Thus, there is great demand, making digital media a great industry for home-based businesses.

1. Writing

Being a home-based writer bares a lot of similarities to being a personal assistant or digital media guru. In fact, it is safe to say that there is some crossover into both fields. However, writing does have its own category, and could be a full-time job for those who have the talent and ability to write professionally. Ebooks have gained extreme popularity with the introduction of the kindle and smartphone book apps, allowing authors to publish quickly, and at much lower rates than before. “How-to” books have taken off! Business owners are hiring bloggers (one who are professional writers) to write short informative messages or stories to keep their website content fresh and appealing. They are also hired to write emails, engaging social media posts, business portfolios and campaigns. It’s a great community where people agree to outsource and recognize the importance of capitalizing on people’s individual talents, rather than wasting time trying to do it themselves. Writing is a small, yet extremely important niche in today’s information age. Most messages are delivered with words. So, if businesses attract new customers using the written word, it is definitely smart to hire someone who can write well. A writing business requires no start-up costs and there are no time or location barriers. As a writer, it can be beneficial to take some proficiency tests in English and typing, which can add to your portfolio. Forums for freelance writers are plentiful, and there is always enough work available to make a living. So, if you can write, you can work from home.

Each of the listed home-based opportunities here can be done full or part time depending on your interest and the amount of time and effort you want to put into it. All of these entrepreneurial start-up companies have been proven to be financially successful. Which one is right for you?

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