Top 5 Home Businesses - Work From Home and Be Your Own Boss

By Wendy Pan

Working from home is the American dream. Being able to roll out of bed, grab a cup of coffee then sit down to work is what most people consider ideal, if not a luxury. Savings are made on gas, personal energy expenditures, lunches, and wardrobe when you are your own boss.
Sometimes, however, home businesses are not the answer for everyone. Many children, for example, running around and underfoot constantly can wreak havoc on the would-be entrepreneur. Making phone calls, typing letters, even researching on the internet can prove fruitless when children are calling for juice and fighting in the background.

Still, for those of us that persevere and insist on making this dream a reality that fits neatly into our lives, here are the top 5 home businesses.

eBay and other Auctions Selling:
Selling items, whether they are your own, or purchased at garage sales, flea markets or at discount department stores, have turned into big businesses for some on eBay, Craigslist and other auction sites. Buying items for pennies on the dollar and then turning around and making them available to an international market is an excellent way to make some money. You are not limited to buying the goods outright; you can also use a drop-shipping service or be the middleman between supplier and buyer. A lot of research as well as copywriting, marketing and customer service skills are necessary.

Blogging:
Yes, believe it or not, you can make money blogging. This can be done a number of ways, either by creating and publishing your own blog, with your own thoughts, ideas, etc and then selling advertising on your blog or selling blog articles to pre-existing blogs. Blog articles vary from other topic-interest articles in that they are more casual and reader-friendly. A blog is similar (but not completely so) to a diary or personal journal, so unique thoughts, ideas and judgments are more acceptable on blogs. The skills needed for blog writing include the ability to wander successfully through the social networking empire, web marketing, copywriting and affiliate marketing. A number of books exist on the topic of blogging.

Home Goods Manufacturing:
Another of the top 5 home businesses is arts and crafts selling. Do you make jewelry? Do you paint mailboxes? Use your talent to make you money on the Internet. The skills necessary for this are, of course, creativity and e-commerce. You can create your own online store by registering your own domain name and purchasing hosting for that domain name. You can also create your own store on eBay and many other auction sites. It is a good idea to take a class or two (if you are unfamiliar) with website design. A website is much like the presentation of a gift, it's very important in a person's first impression of your business.

Freelancing:
Another idea is to provide your professional services to the general public. What can you do that others cannot? It might be freelance writing, illustrating, or programming. This is one of the top 5 home businesses that allows you to blend your talents, creativity and skills with bringing in income. It is customary for freelancers to bill at an hourly rate.

Virtual Assistant:
Becoming a virtual assistant is much like being a secretary; the benefit, of course, is the ability to work from home. Being a VA means to provide business and administrative support to other businesses who recruit your help. It is important to be organized, and to have excellent customer service and customer relation skills.

Any at home job will require discipline and organization. To be successful and rewarding, it is best to research your chosen line of work carefully, avoid scams, and most of all, enjoy it.
Wendy Pan is an accomplished niche website developer and author. To learn more about top 5 home businesses, please visit Part Time Home Business Ideas for current articles and discussions.