25 Home Business Ideas You Can Start Right Now

Are you searching for home business ideas so you can finally quit your nine-to-five? Or maybe you want some extra income to afford your dream trip to Mexico?

Starting a profitable home business begins by looking at your life, your needs, the type of work you want to do, and, perhaps most importantly, your skills.

Here are some of the best work from home business ideas with tips on how to get started, start-up costs, and how much you can expect to make. Read on for some inspiration for possible home business ideas.

25 Home Business Ideas

Here are some of the best home business ideas you can start to earn a bit of extra money on the side or turn into a full-time gig. Check them out, see if any of them fit your skills and needs, and get starting on your journey.

1. Teach Online Courses

Got a teachable skill? Turn it into a profitable home business! You can create an online class on just about anything, whether it’s how to do the splits in 30 days, content marketing, or getting out of debt.

The top advantages of creating an online course are the lures of passive income and time freedom. You only need to record a class once and post it, and you can earn money in your sleep.

How to Get Started: Identify profitable skills you have that you’re excited to teach. Before diving in, do some market research to ensure there’s an audience for your product. Additionally, learn about best practices for online teaching.
Start-up Costs: The highest upfront cost you’ll need is a hosting platform like Teachable or Kajabi for your course. Prices run between $39 to $119, depending on the provider.
Profitability: You can sell an online course for as little as $37 to as much as $4,000 (if you have the audience and social proof).

2. Consultant

You don’t need an MBA to start a home business as a consultant.

You do need subject-area expertise to market yourself as an advisor in that area. Tap into what you’re good at and leverage the results you’ve achieved in your career so far.

How to Get Started: You need a niche to become a successful consultant. By honing your knowledge to a particular area, it’s easier to stand out from everyone else and establish yourself as an expert.
Start-up Costs: You don’t have any upfront costs besides a computer and access to the internet. However, it’s worthwhile to invest in yourself and continuously study your topic.
Profitability: ZipRecruiter states the average pay for work-from-home consultants is nearly $30 per hour, with a typical range of $29,000 to $118,000 per year.

3. Freelance Writing

Want low start-up costs for your home-based business? Start freelance writing.

With no overheads (if you have a laptop), you can put your wordsmith skills to work right away. All you need is a stable Wi-Fi connection, a steady stream of clients, and you can work from home or anywhere in the world.