Some of the most successful business have in the past been started at times of financial crisis or global depressions.  These usually start of as Home Based Business. As unemployment grows the seeds of innovation seem to sprout giving many people the motivation and desire to start a their own Business.  Of course there is also the option of purchasing a business, a franchise or starting a bricks and mortar business but the financial start-up costs for doing this are usually high, as a posed to a Home Based Business, with few conventional overheads as you of course are working from home.

Below I Have Listed Some Possible Of The Home Based Businesses

1. Affiliate Marketing

An affiliate marketing business is one of the easiest home based business to start, especially so if you are familiar with the Internet.  You can get started with a website or blog creating a focus around a specific niche market, review products and writing articles about them.  You also sell items on auction sites like eBay for a little commission on each sale.   It takes time to set up a good affiliate marketing niche but once you have done so it almost works for itself.

2. Accounting

Not everyone likes keeping his or her financial records in order.  Many people are simply not good at this and would prefer to hire someone to do this for them.  If you have any book keeping skills then this could be an excellent home based business opportunity for you, providing a good source of income.

3. Freelance Writer or Article Writing

Have you got good writing skills and a good grasp of general knowledge?  If so then why not put your skills to writing.   There are a lot of freelance writers out there and people looking to find someone to write for them or edit their own articles, books, press releases etc.  Ever considered being a ghost writer or writing technical documentation, articles for websites.  There are a lot of websites where you can advertise your services or quote on jobs that people want done such as Craig’s List, Elance, Freelancer, Odesk, Guru.com. Popular jobs currently are in writing or editing ebook, which is now overtaking the purchase of hard copy books in many of the on-line bookstores like amazon.com

4. Dog Walking or Pet Minding

How many people do you know that have pets and struggle when it comes holiday times? For most pet owners it is hard to place their pet in strange environments where there is no personal care and attention – just a big cage.  This is a fast growing industry with dog walking becoming very popular or looking after the pet when the owners are away.  This might be going to the home to feed the animal and spending some quality time with it or even taking them in to your own home.  There is also the added bonus where you can provide add-on products to the service.  Pet food, dog leads, animal washing services and so on.   This is a great home based business for anyone in the family, from the college student to the retired dad who needs some daily exercise and loves animals. Virtually no overheads to get started.

5. Business Mentoring or Business Coaching

If you have experience in running a business then you might want to consider becoming a business mentor or coach.   This is possible one of the most profitable home based business someone can start.  Most small business do not have all the skills required to run a successful business and therefore are quite happy to contract someone part-time to provide the expertise that they need.  Every business needs a mentor, someone whom can provide independent feedback regarding the business and help the owner to step over hurdles, which sometimes seem like large obstacles in the way stopping the business from progressing.  Join any local business networks or community events and let people know you are in business and happy to help.

6. Personal Training

Are you fit and love going to the gym, running daily or simply good at keeping fit? Perhaps you might like to consider starting your own personal training business.   You could offer to train people in their own home.  You could produce short videos about training which you could sell as an add-on or post to YouTube as an advertising mechanism, linking them to your website.

7. Blogging

Blogging has become a good source of income for many people starting home based business.  If you can pick a niche which has a strong interest group and is not being well served at the moment then there is an opportunity here for you.   It of course requires you to be able to produce good quality articles (or have an article writer do it for you).   The trick is to get a good number of people to visit your site on a daily basis and then to be able to provide add on products within your niche that you can sell.   You can also make money by allowing people to advertise on your site through services such as Google Adsense and offering unbiased reviews of affiliate products / services that you are promoting.

8. Photography

If you are a good photographer with your own camera then, you could offer a service whereby you will photograph events such as wedding, scenery, or other objects which you could sell on photo sites allowing people to use them for their publications or websites etc. If you have the room at home then it is easy to get setup for little costs.

9. Technical Support

If you are a technical wizard and good at helping people sort out technical issues then you might consider setting up a home based business where you offer technical support for people and businesses in your area.  As you develop your client base you could introduce added value products which your clients might find useful.  For example if you set up as a home based computer troubleshooter you could perhaps have virus protection software people could purchase off you or be able to offer computer upgrades through a secondary source where you make a small commission on the work.

10. Tutoring

A home based business tutoring students in their own home is another possibility if you have good teaching skills and know your subject well. Another, often overlooked area is your local schools which run evening classes for, or even talk to the local schools within your district to determine if your services can meet their needs.

To Summarize.  When looking for a home based business to start first consider what you are passionate about, as this will be a big factor in creating the enthusiasm and inspiration as you begin your business.  Your clients will feel your passion and connect with you.   Starting a home based business has a lot of benefits, it allows you to keep costs to a minimum and therefore you can be competitive and earn a good income once you become established.   For some people starting a home based business can be a bit of a challenge, however there are lots of people out there who you can call on for support.  Look for some on-line networks that will help you and give you advice.  Fine a mentor who can help you go through the startup process.

I you’re not quite ready to start full time at the moment you could always start on a part-time basis.  As your business grows you can then choose the right time to fire your boss and go and work full time for yourself.

Of course there are many more options than the ones I have mentioned.   The only thing stopping you from starting one is yourself.  Get out there and try something now.