Dh and I are interested in starting a home based business. What are some things you do to make money around your place? Carol
Cool! Are you on a farm, just outside of town or on a large acreage? Some ideas is to found out what market you are catering to. Want to grow organic herbs, vegs, etc in a small garden or an inexpensive greenhouse? Or raise meat rabbits or meat goats in a small area for the ethnic/gourmet market? Or dairy goats for the milk for homemade cheeses, soaps (some for yourself as well )? Custom lawn mowing/pruning or landscaping , delivery service, barn washing services, handicrafts/gift store online or in your basement or garage, desktop publishing/ sign design, you name it. Look first at what you can do, your background experiences, your dreams and LAST, your limitations(allergies, physical limitations). Good luck! Andrea
Ebay, investing, used cars, flea marketing, produce sales, plant nursury, independent consultant, fish bait and whatever the next low labor required / flexible schedule venture may be :haha:
I am new at this "stay home" thing. I was a graphic designer before daycare took over the paychecks. I try to do design work out of the home but since I am in a rural area it isn't very productive. I do better selling services and other items on Ebay. I am a dealer for a commercial printing company and have a web site for their items. I am finding that the cost to do all this is taking care of the profit. I am trying to sell eggs and poultry. I find marketing / advertising is the most difficult for me--not very aggressive. I hope to do more handcraft items and find a close consignment store to sell through.
Hi Carol It sure pays to ask & there are good replys here..I have one suggestion that makes a difference for me... be diversified..! I have a few chihuahua females & market them on the internet..very important to be close to the airport , have good vet & learn all you can about your animals PLUS love the work..! I do art work..signs & will get back into ceramics this spring..have poultry & always have a few to sell...have my milk goats (2) but the kids pay for the feed ...We have a swap where we can sell plants/animals from March to Oct. I'll have planters & plant starts for the 1st one in Mar...Hope to make some panels to make up chicken tractors that I will sell there also..I have old vehicles ..save money where ever I can..have rabbits for my own use, but have the mkt for any I don't want to use..I raise & train ponies to be workers on a small farm ..Occasionally sell one & give lessons on using a pony for "chore " work on the small farm.. .Not one of my projects can keep it all going,each has its place & yours will depend on your interests & expertise..I can do my own pony foot care & much vet care of the animals...learn learn learn.. GrannieD
My husband carpools with a 60-year old gentleman who on his 1/4-1/2 acre has two large hoop greenhouses. He raises tomato starts for several Denver-area nurseries in the spring then moves into the summer with other kinds of starts. He specializes in varieties that do especially well in Rocky Mt weather. It's an enjoyable side business. He also reps for the greenhouse manufacturer. BW
Every time I think "home based business" I am totally stumped. Something about those words that imply I ought to be smarter than I am or something. I make money from a variety of things. Most of them seem to have fallen in my lap by accident, but not quite. I was doing what I loved doing and saw an opportunity and took it. I get paid $300 a month to moderate a message board (not this one). I used to read it everyday and the owner got tired of the flame wars. He was going to close it and I wrote him asking that he not. I told him I had lots of ideas on how to make it work better and he hired me! I started raising chickens for fun, then had to many. I discovered that I could sell them for a good price and have done so. I started raising chickens to eat and this year I will be growing 1500 birds for someone else for a decent amount of money. I've transported horses and other livestock here and there for a few bucks. I've bought and sold cattle, horses, and birds for a bit of money or just to "move up". Since I grind my own feed, I've tried to find some work doing custom grinding, but distance is a factor in that one. I don't garden at all, just grow crops, but I bet there's tons of opportunity there. Jena
Or Barnyard Sitting - there is a woman in my area has a business of taking care of people's animals on their site (cats, dogs, livestock) while they are away. So much per visit per animal per day.
I prepare income tax returns. In my area, WI, it is a good thing to do in the winter. We can't do much here until after April 15 anyway. This is my 6th year coming up, and although it has challenges, it has its rewards also. All you need is basic training and a computer program to so this. I got my training fron H&R Block. I worked there for a while, but I am now doing it at home.
Teach lessons in something, whether it's cake decorating, how to can, piano, guitar, sew, knit, crochet, any number of things. You can teach weekly lessons or have like Saturday morning seminars where several people come at once and stay for a couple of hours learning something like how to decorate a particular type cake, or how to knit some simple item, or how to build a simple bird house..... My husband owns and operates a home based handyman business where he goes to other folks houses and does jobs from something as simple as installing a ceiling fan to as complex as rewiring a room. I have been a reporter for 24 years and I've ALWAYS worked from a home office. I also taught piano, keyboard and even beginning guitar lessons for several years. We sell eggs to our neighbors and relatives. I will likely start marketing and selling my rabbits' poop by the bag full this spring. Gardeners love it! Hope this gives you some ideas!
I've been thinking of starting a typing service, but with so many people knowing how to type, I don't know if it would be worth the effort. If I do decide to try it, I have no idea how much to charge. Any ideas? God bless, Bonnie
How do some of you usually go about marketing in your areas? We will have a truck garden this year here at our place and then my dad will have his we are going to "join forces". We have also begun raising goats and will be combing cashmere and hopefully improving our little mutt goats into some nice dairy and meat goats within the next year or so. My mom quilts, my mother in law does crocheting and well dad is a welder and heavy equipment mechanic. Tammy
