What is the best way to earn money from home?

Answer

Sorry, a very important thing to my post below ... if you are a person that will be working where you could get injured such as a roofer, electrician, etc., then you should be sure you are covered by Workman's Compensation (as we call it in Canada.) Few people will hire someone that could have a fall or injure themselves while working because the homeowner could be liable for it.

It's wise to take night classes to start a small business, but, if you can't afford too, you can go into any book store and find all types of books on how to start your small business and what to look out for and when you need legal advice.

I also wanted to add, that any type of jewelry (a good one for working from home) is in high demand. If the person does good work they can start out by having their friends have "home parties" where they ask their friends over to see your work and hopefully buy it. Don't over price yourself at the beginning and when word get's around and you are confident enough you could start working with jewelry stores or shops in tourist areas (good shops) where they buy good costume jewelry. Salt Spring Island not far from Vancouver, British Columbia has an excellent shop where I buy a lot of my costume jewelry. I know the owners fairly well and they take in lovely jewelry made by women who are working from home.

Marcy

Almost any career or company work can be done from home if one finds a company that is willing to do so. In the next 10 - 15 years offices will cease to exist and many employees will be working from home. It's happening right now.

If you are into digital imagery for instance you can do much of your work from home. Architects, engineers, psychologists/psychiatrists, secretaries, etc.

If you just want to start a small business here are some ideas:

If you are a plumber, electrician or you paint other people's homes or offices then you can work from home under a company name and get good tax breaks (but keep good books on what is coming into your business and going out and hire a CGA to do your taxes.) Working from home is great because you can write-off 1/3 of the size of your home for office space. BEWARE: If you do write-off 1/3 of your home off seek some legal advice because you can either put the house in your spouse's name or add a Ltd., onto the end of your company, but papers must be filled out to do so. This protects you from losing your home if your business should fail and you owe creditors.

If you are a mother or single woman that chooses to work from home, here are some ideas:

Type reports, etc., for doctor's offices, and even some lawyers or psychiatrists/psychologists will permit this type of work from your home.

I worked for a psychologist and doctors and did volunteer work as Executive Director at home 80% of the time. I signed a contract of confidentiality. Also I had my computer set-up by a pro to protect all work done on my computer. I was diligent enough to download all work onto a disc at the end of every work day. While it is true that you can't completely delete everything and that there is a trail if someone who is extremely computer knowledgeable can retrieve, anyone that may use your computer can't have access to private information you may have on your computer. I learned to use coding and also templates.

Some women will make quilts, have a knack for making children's clothes, have scrap booking classes from their home (but you need more room for this.) Being a caterer, baking (making wedding cakes .. I have a girlfriend that does specialty cakes and has a thriving business) and another girlfriend that is a florist from her home and has had quite a bit of success.

If you work as a secretary or in any company, you can still have a business from home in this area as long as you don't interfere with the company you are working with and that includes no missed days of work or taking clients from that company. You DO NOT have to tell the company you have started your own business. It's wise to keep it to yourself or they may consider it a conflict of interest.

The key to having a good company is low over-head. So, if you have a computer, make it pay for itself by bringing in work you can do on it. If you have a sewing machine and you're a good seamstress, then become a seamstress from your home (I use a lady to make some of my clothes and even my drapes in my home.) If you are a hairdresser, then you can have your equipment at home (I also go to a lady's home to have my hair done and my dog groomer comes to my home!)

People would rather have someone come to their home, or send over (coded) information for projects to be done on the computer. It started out where people were using some services this way for the elderly because they found it hard to get around, but now it's branched out and companies are starting to cut-back on staff in various areas of business. By hiring people from their home to do reports, etc., it saves on actual office space with few computers. It frees up managers to have an office used only for business meetings and perhaps one girl at the desk to answer phones.

Writing especially children's books is high on the list or self-help books. A traveling van with a good set-up for dog grooming is another great venture and housecleaning or painting homes inside and out are another one, not to mention gardening (landscaping.)

Men/women that are electricians or plumbers generally have all their own tools so they can work for a company and build their own business up a little at a time until they are making enough where they can actually quit their company job.

The list goes on and on. It's wise, if you have a good idea, to have a partner (have a contract drawn up between you) because business must go on and this covers you in case one is sick, in hospital or has to travel for business reasons leaving the other behind to carry on. Start out slow and be sure that over-head is low at the beginning. NEVER go for the gold and find out you spent too much too fast and literally grew far beyond your means.

EXAMPLE: In Canada 2 young women started to make different colored mukluks (these are Indian footwear in soft leather and come just below the knee with fur at the top. Cher use to wear them and they are back in popular demand now.) Mukluks were worn during the 60s and slowly faded away, but these 2 young women just thought they would toy around with the idea and made a few. The advertised by simple wearing them! They'd just walk around the streets and people would approach them and wanted to know where they bought them. Before they knew it their product was in such great demand they had to hustle to find someone that could produce them in great quantity and they are working hard and the money is rolling in.

Good luck Marcy

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