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Wednesday, April 19, 2000
20 Low Cost Home-Based Start-Ups
S P E C I A L R E P O R T
by Marcus Meleton
Home Business® Magazine provides "food for thought" for those who are considering making the leap into their first home business. The following brief write-ups cover a wide range of tried-and-true home business opportunities which also vary widely in type of business, cost, time requirements, equipment needs, and skills. Some require traveling to where the work is. Others allow a pure home-based business.
Consider these options and your needs, skills, and financial capabilities when evaluating which business area may be best for you. Good luck and happy hunting.
Alarm Systems
The technology for alarm systems for homes and businesses has advanced rapidly. At the same time, costs have gone down significantly, making them more affordable to more customers. Given that less than 30% of businesses and only about 15% of homes have alarm systems, the potential for new customers is high, with many of them not realizing how affordable alarm systems have become. Nowadays alarms are not just for fire and burglary, but also for medical alert, child alert, automobile, and personal security.
You should have either some knowledge of electronics or an interest in training. Marketing can be done with flyers and ads in the Yellow Pages, as well as on radio and television and in newspapers. Be sure to contact anti-crime organizations and look into training.
Auto Glass
Auto glass is constantly at risk. Rock strikes leave circular dings, while heat cracks, car break-ins and car wrecks are frequent occurrences. You can start in the business by using recently developed repair methods of acrylic injection to fix the dings and stop the cracking while making them invisible. Later you can move into full breakage repair with some training on your part, a truck set up for support to insurance company customers, and some other individuals looking to repair broken glass. A number of franchises exist to help you get started and trained.
If you like to work outside and deal directly with people this is a good home-based job. You don't need to be an auto mechanic or a auto body repair specialist to start. Yellow page ads and visiting insurance companies and used car dealerships (to repair cars on their lots) are good marketing strategies.
Balloon Gifts and Delivery
An alternative to delivery of fresh flowers is the fad of delivering balloon bouquets. The advantage is reduced spoilage, time, care, and costs associated with flower deliveries. Creativity and fun is emphasized – for example, you can wear clown suits on your delivery runs. The balloon bouquets can be simple "Happy Birthday" balloons or large balloons stuffed with a teddy bear or a bottle of champagne. Marketing options are wide open (Yellow Page ads are a must), including direct marketing to decoration services, hotels, banquet halls, malls, parties, weddings, and other celebrations.
Brick Mason
Many brick masons are independent, either working on small projects with a helper or hiring out to various local projects. It would be good to have experience and training, but if not, work to obtain it. Check with bricklayer unions on training and certification. Once you are ready to start, look for odd jobs: brick decks, driveways, BBQ pits, walls and repairs. Work can be done in brick, concrete blocks, cinder blocks, stone, decorative bricks, and artificial stones. The Yellow Pages are a good way to get attention but check with local contractors, chambers of commerce, and building site supervisors, as well as contractor and home supply stores.
Children – After School Programs
With so many working parents, after-school and summer programs for children with substance are desperately needed. If you have special skills art, crafts, music, drama, and computers, you can offer a place for children to learn useful skills that will satisfy parents that their children are advancing while they're away from home. If computer games and skills are taught, you need to provide a location and equipment. Arts and crafts can be brought to another site such as a school or a child's home. Historical tours, camping, and adventure walks are other ideas. Evaluate what skills you can provide for programs, research how you will provide them and then begin to market to parents, schools, churches, and communities.
Children's Furniture & Painting
Affluent parents, baby boomer working couples, and grandparents with extra disposable income are looking to provide something different and special for their children and grandchildren. Particularly popular are painted murals in bedrooms and playrooms. If you have talent at painting, this is a good service to provide, along with painting children's furniture with flowers, animals, dinosaurs, and cartoon characters. If you have skills in woodworking, building custom-order furniture, toys, and playground equipment is creative, fun and may also be pretty lucrative (some home playground equipment sets cost over $5,000). Market to schools, day care locations, parenting publications, churches and community centers.
Children's Training/Exercise
Mom and Dad exercise, why shouldn't children? Many children would love to mimic their parents' workout patterns. Offering an exercise program for children would be invaluable for their development and start them off towards good habits of maintaining their physical fitness. Consider schools, day care centers, community centers and churches as a place to start offering your programs. Past experience as a P.E. teacher, fitness trainer or aerobics instructor would be useful.
Chimney Sweep
Especially in colder climates, chimney sweeping is a regular service that can earn you a good seasonal income. Without cleaning, homes are in danger of catching fire from tar and soot build-up in flues and chimneys. Start-up investment is low, consisting of a ladder, high power vacuum, brushes, rods, drop cloths, lights, mirrors, work clothes and transportation. Hourly rate is $50 or more. Homes, restaurants, and factories have chimneys, flues and stoves that need service. Once you get a client, keep that client for regular yearly service, and utilize them to get new clients. Obtain on-going training as necessary.
Christmas Ornament Making
Need a job that's seasonal or year-round that can include your kids? The production and sale of Christmas ornaments is a fun, home-based idea that you can choose to do during the holidays or all year. Stores sell Christmas decorations in July, why can't you? Supplies can be purchased through local craft and hardware stores and the endless design ideas are up to you, as well as your work schedule and where and when you sell your merchandise. Holiday trade shows abound; flea markets and craft/gift stores are good places to sell your ornaments. Inquire about the market in your area.
Contract Professional
Many professionals in computer programming, accounting, auditing, engineering and skilled trades have the option – during both good markets and bad — to leave their corporate jobs and become a contract professional. This allows you flexibility in how many hours you work, gaining higher hourly wages and self-direction of your career and training. Many stay-at-home moms with professional backgrounds can use their skills as a part-time second income during the school year. Investigate the market for independent contractors in your line of expertise and begin making contacts before leaving your job. It is possible your current company will hire you again, but this time as an independent contractor.
Home Inspector
Sale of homes is up but buyers of previously-owned home need to know if the home they are purchasing is worth the price. Many buyers write into the sales contract that the sale is dependent upon the results of an independent, professional inspection. If you have contractor and building experience, with training and certification you can become the person they contact to evaluate these homes. Is the foundation cracked? Are there termites? Is the plumbing O.K.? What condition is the house's electrical systems and wiring in? Is the roof in good shape? Does the heating and air conditioning work? These are all questions that must be answered. Home buyers, real estate companies and banks need professionals to answer them.
Jewelry Making
If your creative side is yearning for an outlet, consider jewelry making as a constructive home business. Jewelry making is of the most flexible home-based business opportunities, with limitless choices in raw material and styles. Marketing opportunities are provided by trade shows, festivals, mail-order and store-space. Reputations are built quickly with walking advertisements worn around the necks and wrists of your customers. Start-up can be costly with materials, tools, advertising and marketing expenses, but the more time and resources you spend, the faster your business will grow.
Expand Into Internet Sales
Although Internet sales can be a business in itself, for many home business owners, Internet sales are a way to expand the visibility of their products or services. If you currently use standard methods of marketing your products or services through distributors, trade shows, ads, and retail outlets, the Internet will give an added edge. You can either create an Internet Web site yourself or pay someone to set it up for you. You've already paid for your product development, production, and established your business, now you have an inexpensive method to increase volume. Site development can be done for under $2,000, with site maintenance running around $100 per month (obviously nothing if you do it yourself).
Millions of people are exploring and using the Internet, providing an opening for you to expose them to your products and services. Be sure to take advantage of Web search engines by entering your Web site in their site databases (the search engines' Web sites all show how to submit your Web site address to them). Also set your Web site up to include customer order forms available for printout. Expand to credit card sales if demand is high enough.
Internet Web Master
Those who tinker and hack away on the leading edge of computers and the Internet should consider turning that enthusiasm towards developing Web sites for businesses. Training can be found (using the Web of course) and there are loads of material and magazines to read. You likely already own the computer necessary but you will need scanners, more disk storage, and possibly a faster Internet connection. You can earn $50 to $100 an hour and hire out as a contractor to businesses for large developments.
Inventor
An inventor has a precarious life but an ex citing one. It generally takes years to get an idea from concept to product, and many times your product concept must be financed and produced by others. This means that legal issues of copyrights, patents and licensing are critical. However, while "legal issues" may be a turn-off to some, most inventors who succeed can't be discouraged from completing the cycle of invention. The best advice is to read books on the subject and research the backgrounds of investors, lawyers, consultants and companies wanting a piece of the action. The potential earnings are as unlimited as the pitfalls.
Landlord
If real estate excites you, then being a property landlord is an excellent part-time or full-time job. Initially, financial requirements are substantial good credit or a full-time job that pays well. Look for property that, including all costs (pay close attention to maintenance), can start off as close as possible to break-even with a occupancy rate of 80% or so (vacancies can kill you). Although you may start at a cash-flow loss, every year you generally can collect higher rent; over time, as you add properties, you can transition to landlording as a full-time job and an excellent income. Also, increases in property value can lead to large equity gains upon sale. Look for properties in a stable neighborhood. Slow economic times are great for buying as long as you can wait for prosperity to return. You will need to track costs, check up on renters, perform maintenance, and be knowledgeable on local laws and ordinances. Over time you will build up a huge net worth.
Landscaping
Landscaping is an excellent business for people who like to work outside. If your yard work is already drawing compliments, that may be a sign that landscaping is for you. Expenses start with simple gardening tools and a small truck but may expand later into tilling equipment and dump trucks. Begin your business by offering your service at a low cost to your neighbors, relatives and friends. Take photos of your results and use your first clients to expand your client base. You receive steady income by servicing and improving the landscapes of regular clients. You can also talk with the local nurseries that sell you plants and supplies and call local contractors to help find leads.
Massage Therapist
Are you constantly being asked for a shoulder rub or a back massage? Why not make it a profitable exercise by becoming a massage therapists? This business provides many options in clientele and location — at your home, at a clinic or hospital, or elsewhere by appointment. Reference books are available for research before you invest in the hundreds of hours of school required for state certification. Profit will quickly replace start-up costs (which are minimal, since the tools and equipment consist principally of your hands) and advertising costs. Massage therapy schools exist in almost every metropolitan area. For more information, contact the Associated Professional Massage Therapists and Body workers at (303) 674-8478.
Mobile Advertising
Whenever there is a grand opening, major sale, major promotion or even a going-out-of-business sale, there's usually an extraordinary method of advertising. You can be the business that provides this. Mobile signs with either lights or mounted letters and logos can be hooked as a trailer to the back of your car or truck for drop-off. Small blimps are serviceable by a home business for delivery, filling, and staking at the sight to draw attention of potential customers. Spotlight systems can be purchased for attracting people to sites at night. Check out the number of potential clients in your area and determine the level of competition. Marketing should be targeted: search out people in advance who are planning celebrations, openings, closings, etc.
Parking Lot Painter
A great outdoor job is specializing as a parking lot painter, putting in parking lines, pointers, curb addresses, red emergency curbs, handicapped parking, and even company logos and art. Startup requirements are minimal: a roller, pole, pan and some paint. You can start by doing just curb addresses for residential homes. These now come with templates to add art to the address. Work up to small lots for retail stores and businesses. As you become more proficient, you can expand into specialized equipment to service large lots. Advertising is simple, given that the parking lots that need your work are visibly evident and go into disrepair over time. Asphalt contractors may even subcontract your services.
Personal Trainer
Are you disciplined at training and exercise, energetic and able to motivate others? Then there is a need for you as a personal trainer. Customers range from celebrities to the neighborhood mom looking to shape up after a new birth. Training magazines are excellent sources of information. Costs take the form of professional training classes for certifications, advertising and marketing. Personal training is excellent full- or part-time work and will double as a way to keep you in shape. Clients can be trained at their home, at your home, outside (jogging/swimming/ bicycling) or at their club. You can also support fitness clubs and other sport locations.
Senior Care Provider
We all say we would like to volunteer for our community but often don't have the time. If that time could also provide income, your work would be both profitable and emotionally rewarding. Providing care and services for the elderly through a home-based business is one way to do that. As the number of people over 70 increases, both in absolute numbers and relative to the general population, demand for senior care and services increases as well. Many seniors' children are looking for caring individuals to tend to their parents. The level of care varies from companionship to therapy and medical care. The main requirements are transportation, insurance, and availability. Income is steady and rewarding as is the contribution to society.
Marcus Meleton joined Home Busines Magazine as Managing Editor in 1996. He works directly with the contributing writers, and coordinates the editorial and graphic design.
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