Legitimate Home Business Ideas
Whether you’re just trying to supplement your income or you’ve lost a job due to the pandemic – the search for legitimate home business ideas never stops!
The Internet is a great place, mainly because of its resources. You can learn almost anything online and even become really good at it if you stay consistent.
However, having too much information isn’t always good. Why?
Did you ever come across two reliable sources that contradict each other? That’s why. It’s a problem that can easily get people overwhelmed, especially in the educational industry.
I’ve been working online for about 3 years now and I’ve seen plenty of legitimate business ideas being executed and people having success with it.
But I’ve also seen many “promising” ideas that don’t get people far and yet only end up being a cost.
How Hard is it to Start a Home Business?
Starting a home business is very simple and it’s a lot easier than most people think. However, it takes the right educational source and a lot of effort in order.
Many people jump straight into things, feel them out, and don’t give it another try. And then the same people call things such as home business a hard thing.
But in reality, if you find a reliable source of information, you learn daily, and you choose a business plan you prefer and you create a business plan you’ll execute on – you can’t go wrong about it.
Of course, every business owner will come across obstacles. But no obstacle is big enough for you to just give up.
So you should be ready to do some hard work – but I personally think that it’s more about self-discipline and dedication.
If you’ve already been browsing for some home business ideas – you might have a couple of things in the back of your mind. But if not, don’t worry and just keep on reading to find some of the ideas I came over in the last couple of years.
I also wrote a guide on how to start an online business from home and an article on how much money you would need to start an online business from home – so give these two posts a read!
Legitimate Home Business Ideas
When it comes down to home business – I like to think of it as a business (or a job) that you can work on within the comfort of your home and is most likely connected with the internet.
So here’s the list of the most legitimate home business ideas I’ve come across in my last 3 years of internet marketing:
- Freelancing
- eCommerce
- Affiliate marketing
- Print on demand
Freelancing
Freelancing might make you think of a job – but it’s actually a great way to start making money online, right from your home.
Even though it might not be a business yet – you’ll start as self-employed which is pretty close.
Later on, you can easily turn freelancing into a successful and large business. Why?
Because with freelancing, there’s no cap on the earnings you can make and you can set your rates and work with as many clients as you wish.
Outsourcing work to other freelancers also makes things a lot simpler if you ever decide to run a freelancing business from home.
Carlo and Cretaro from NextStopWhoKnows are a great example. They’ve started with freelance writing and yet have turned it into a 5-figure online business.
They aren’t exactly doing it from home as they’re digital nomads and they travel all around the world – but isn’t that even more awesome?
eCommerce
eCommerce is a wide term for running your own online store. With platforms such as Shopify, you can create your own online store in less than an hour.
But what are you going to sell?
There are at least 4 ways to go about this and you can:
- Craft and sell products
- Dropship products directly from the manufacturer (without keeping the stock)
- Partnering up with quality manufacturers and become a reseller
- Design graphics for products such as T-shirt and partner up with a print-on-demand company
Depending on your choice, all you need is a marketing plan and you’ll reach customers online in no time!
Even though eCommerce sometimes might end up the type of a business that needs the most up-front investment – it can also one of the most sustainable type of legitimate home business ideas.
Affiliate Marketing
Affiliate marketing is my favorite way of a legitimate home business. Why?
It has been around for longer than the internet and yet it has never been stronger. Almost any company out there has an affiliate program which anyone can join for free. Even Amazon has its own affiliate program known as the Amazon Associates Program.
Affiliate marketing requires the least up-front investment and even though it is a business that will take time and a lot of effort & hard work – it can definitely pay off in the long run.
The biggest benefit of starting an online affiliate marketing business is that it can turn into a passive income stream after a couple of years later.
Another great thing about affiliate marketing is that it’s a business model that can be approached in many different ways. Whether you would like to monetize on your Instagram audience, YouTube subscribers, or just regular blog visitors – the choice is yours!
My favorite way is to combine blogging with affiliate marketing which I’ll be talking about later on in this article!
Print on Demand
I’ve mentioned print on demand a bit earlier – but what is it?
It’s a business model where you can design graphics for physical products such as t-shirts or hoodies and have a POD (print on demand) company print the designs on products for you, and even handle the shipping.
If you’re creative and can design – this is one of the best ways to start a sustainable business from home. All you need to do is to design and take care of the marketing side while the printing, products, and shipping are handled for a very minimal fee.
Create a Successful Business With a Blog
My favorite way of starting a legitimate home business is by starting a blog. I bet you didn’t even think that a blog can be a business – but it’s true.
In the modern age we live in, a single blog can supplement your income, or even replace your regular job.
I wrote a full post on how much bloggers make and what your expectations can be so give it a read for some motivation.
Once you’ve done that – you should arm yourself with patience, dedication, and will to work.
Creating a blog is very simple and it can be done in 10 minutes. However, growing a blog organically, writing content, and monetizing on the audience you get can take months.
But even if it took 2 or 3 years – you would end up with a legitimate business you can run anywhere, including your home. So is it really worth it? Yes, it is!
And if you’re looking for the best educational platform to do that – I recommend Wealthy Affiliate.
Wealthy Affiliate is an educational platform that teaches you how to create an online business with the help of a website and affiliate marketing.
Along with well-structured and detailed video training – Wealthy Affiliate also includes tools you would need such as the keyword research tool – so everything you need is ready for you inside the platform.
I wrote a full review of Wealthy Affiliate (with video) so feel free to give it a read and see if it’s something that would help you get started!
What if Starting an Online Business Isn’t for You?
If you feel that starting an online business isn’t a good fit for you – there’s nothing to worry about as there are many other ways to start a legitimate home offline business.
However, these types of businesses will most likely require a lot more up-front investment and will take longer to become profitable.
But if you’re still interested in making money online yet you didn’t find a business idea you’d like to execute on – there’s another solution you should check out.
Remote working is a great way to get some work going, make money online, and yet be able to fully do the job from the comfort of your home.
Remote jobs have been around for a long time now and even though they’ve become increasingly popular after the pandemic – there are still many jobs available.
Dynamite Jobs is a great place to start looking for this type of remote jobs. I really like that they have all jobs categorized so you can definitely find something that will fit your skillset.
Conclusion
We live in a very modern age and with almost everyone having access to the internet – it’s a place that features many different business models.
Being online and doing business online can definitely cut down some costs and expenses of running a business.
However, if you don’t believe that you have the technical skills – you shouldn’t give up straight from the start. Instead, find a great educational source that is suitable for beginners and don’t give up!
Even the smallest step is a step forwards.
What is your biggest obstacle to running a legitimate home business?
If you have any questions or if you would need additional help – don’t hesitate to leave a comment down below!
