Beyond the Corporate World: Top Ideas For A Home-Based Business
By Angelina BoucIn the turn of the economy more and more people are looking for a change. Lateral moves into another company are no longer becoming the norm as individuals seek innovative ways to work from home. Working from home offers the benefits of creating your own schedule, avoiding excessive transportation costs and reducing or eliminating child-care costs. The decision is made but an option for a business idea is still on the table. Here are just some ideas on what businesses thrive under the home business umbrella.
Virtual Assistant
If you enjoy data entry and administrative duties, a virtual assistant business is perfect for you. You work with local to global businesses by presenting your typing abilities, ethics of handling budgeting, projects and customer calls. Virtual assistants handle everything from transportation schedules, blogging to follow-up customer calls.
Exposure: Create a web-site, business cards and speak to your Secretary of State's office to become incorporated. There are also virtual assistant certifications that are optional but may provide greater credibility.
Technical Support
Have you always been the one someone calls to fix a computer? This is your opportunity to use your skills for profit. Independent techs work with individuals, small, mid-size and larger corporations for tech assistance. Instead of keeping a full-time employee on staff, many companies enjoy calling in the tech person. You want to research the tools necessary such as the ability and ease to get your hands on a motherboard or monitor.
Exposure: Create a bridge of friendship with a local computer parts store. Create a web-site that allows scheduling; carry a cell-phone for on call services and gather references from everyone you assisted with computer issues. Look into certifications if you want to expand into solely larger companies and their database from home.
Tutoring
Math and science are high in demand for assistance. If you are a natural with physics, statistics and calculus, tutoring is perfect for you. Many students struggle with these complicated yet necessary subjects. Other subjects do require assistance but it is math where the majority of business stems from. No licensure is required because your skills will allow you to grow your customer base.
Exposure: Create a web-site showing some of your skills, contact local colleges, high-schools (charter, private and public) and speak to them about your services. Create a binder filled with math problems you tend to ace. If you ever tutored someone previously, be sure to add their reference to your binder. There are online tutors also needed at sites.
Customer Service
Many small business owners do not have time to be the one answering the phone but need the customer outreach to bring in business. You can provide the service aspect to a small business by creating the ability for outreach. A rollover line or dedicated line to your business can be given to the customers to call to discuss products and services. E-mail responses and even chat responses can also be considered to expand your business (research heavily chat resellers to determine cost and if it would be worth it now or later).
Exposure: Create a highly detailed site, have a dedicated home office and telephone line. You want to start with one to two clients at maximum to avoid overload. As your business grows you can look into adding more customer service agents, either as contractors or employees.
The Final Word
These options are just several options presented for ideas on the home-based business. There are countless more suggestions based on your hobbies, likes and interests. There are budget considerations and options such as free web-sites to start with. There are choices for reduced options for your start-up that provides professional appeal and most of all cost appeal. Exposure is available without the heavy cost. Your home-based business is a fruitful idea that can happen with research, guidance and understanding.
Here are some avenues to find more information on some of the above ideas:
Virtual Assistant: http://vacertified.com/
Tech Support: Look up CISCO certifications online.
Tutors: http://www.tutor.com/apply/landing/general
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