Running Your Own Business From Home: Yes You Can

Image Credits: Style Me Pretty

With a new year upon us, it’s time to start thinking about what you really want to accomplish over the next 12 months. In addition to the usual stuff, why not choose this year as the year that you finally start your own business? You know that you’ve been dreaming of becoming financially independent and ditching your annoying boss. There’s no time like the present, right?

In spite of what traditional 9 to 5-ers will tell you, there are plenty of business opportunities that you can take advantage of that will help you find financial independence and let you work on a schedule that is flexible with other parts of your life (instead of forcing yourself to fit the rest of your life in around your work). Will you be able to start them overnight? Probably not. But, by this time next year, you could be well on your way to freedom. Heck, depending on the business model you choose, you might already be free!

Here are just some of the most time-flexible businesses you can start on your own.

Independent Massage Therapist
If you aren’t already a certified massage therapist, you’ll have to go to school before you can set out on your own. If you’ve already gotten your certification, however, why not ditch the clinic (and the ugly uniform they make you wear) and freelance? Starting up your own massage therapy gig is as simple as buying a couple of massage tables (one you keep at home and one that is portable for clients who can’t come to you) and marketing yourself well. You could have a thriving business within a few months!

Hair Stylist
The traditional way to do this is to open your own hair salon. Many people who go it on their own run their salons out of their own homes for the first year while they build up their client base and save money for an outside space. Some choose to simply run the business out of their home forever. Others take their business to their clients. One of the nice things about getting into hair and beauty is that you don’t necessarily have to go to school for this. It can just be a side gig if need be. If you hope to open your own salon, however, you’ll want to go to beauty school and take a couple of business classes.

Personal Trainer
Like massage therapy, you will have to get your certification in place before you can start marketing yourself as a professional personal trainer. That can take anywhere from a few days (if you just want to train in one or two specific exercises) to a couple of years (if you want to get into the science and sports medicine aspects of the job). Once you are certified, however, like with massage therapy, all you need to do is market yourself well. You can run the business out of your home if you like, but most personal trainers travel to their clients and work with them in their own homes.

Stylist/Personal Shopper
We all love shopping. If you’ve got an eye for style and love to hit the shops, why not become a personal stylist or personal shopper? You won’t need to have any special education or training (though a background in fashion, costume design, marketing, or merchandising, is helpful). You could start immediately and, with good word of mouth and some stellar marketing, be earning a nice income by this time next year. The great thing about being a personal shopper or a personal stylist is that, with a few exceptions like high-profile events, you can fit the work in around your existing schedule.

These are just four of the businesses that you can start and run from your own home. There are many others, too! You’d be surprised by just how many different types of companies can be run from your kitchen table or spare room!

Thanks to Sarah Stringer for providing this post.