You may already have some idea of what you would like to do, or you may be struggling to come up with ideas for working at home. How often do you hear someone say, oh it’s easy to run a business from home. Yes, for some people it is, for others it can be a frightening decision.

Let’s have a look at some basic steps that will help you in finding ideas for a work at home business.

Take out a notepad and write down all the things that interest you, such as hobbies, entertaining, household tasks (yes, some people make a lot of money in this type of niche), sporting interests, reading interests, theatre, films, eating out, pets, gardening and also the types of jobs you have had from when you left school – also include any part time jobs you had whilst at school or college.

The next step is to expand on these ideas. It’s probably easier to list each idea on a separate page, then write down anything associated with the topic – don’t stop and think about your answer – just write down what pops into your head. If this step takes a couple of hours or days or even a week or two, so be it. After all this is planning a total change in your lifestyle, so don’t be in too much of a hurry. You’ve probably heard the saying “More haste, less speed”. A well thought out plan has more chance of success than something rushed into without any thought.

As an example we’ll presume you are a great cook and really enjoy entertaining and using your talents as a chef (male or female). What type of service/business could you setup?

Write down the following ideas for an offline home business:

• Parties catered - in the client’s home
• Start up a local restaurant
• Cater for special functions
• Specialty cooking – cakes, cake decorating, cheese cakes, pastries, conserves and sauces
• BBQ and/or spit-roast cooking
• If you live in a tourist type area - home-cooked pre-packed picnic lunches.

Write down the following ideas for an online home business:

• Informative guide for catering for special functions
• Menu ideas for use in catering
• Menu ideas for bbq and spit-roast
• Recipes
• Guide to selecting wines
• Recipes for non alcoholic beverages
• Ideas for children’s parties

When you have completed this step, take one idea at a time and do some research.

If your business is offline and you intend it to be a local oriented business, you will need to check out any competition. Will there be a market for your product/idea and do you have the facilities to run your planned business at home?

If you have decided that an online business is what you want to do, you can research your topic by searching the internet using your favorite search engine. Briefly, if you use Google and Overture you will find enough information to see if the business you are contemplating is likely to be a viable proposition.

Use Google to research the number of competing websites – www.google.com
Use Overture to research keywords – www.inventory.overture.com

Don’t be afraid of a little competition – you just have to strive to be the best.

You may decide to combine your business to include both online and offline, thus expanding the possibilities.

Brainstorming ideas for a home business with friends and family is a great way to get ideas you may not have thought of. Accept all input and criticism with a smile, consider the criticism, if you are confident that the criticism is not valid continue with your plan.

Once you have decided which home business is right for you, your next step will be to write out a plan of attack. Setting up any type of business should start with a plan. It does not have to be elaborate, but should at least cover:

• Financial details: Will you fund the venture yourself or will you require some financing. If you require financing you should seek the advice of a qualified accountant and/or lawyer.
• Business name: Decide on a business name and register it, if you plan to go online register a domain name.
• Compile a list of all the initial expenditure, e.g. stock, equipment, furnishings, advertising.
• Check out the requirements of your local authorities.
• Contact your insurance agent to increase your cover to include your business.
• List suppliers you will need to contact and setup accounts.
• Write out your ideas of how you want to conduct the business. This step will help you keep focused.
• Determine the amount of money you aim to earn in your home business.

These are just a few suggestions they will vary considerably depending upon the type and size of business you are setting up. It would also pay to advise your neighbors of your intention to set up a business at home and assure them that it will not encroach on their lifestyle.

Note: It is a good idea to set a date that you will commence your business. By doing this you have a definite goal and it will help keep you on track. Do not stress about the date, it can be changed. The important thing is to enjoy what you are doing and have fun. After all, this is probably one of the main reasons you have decided to be your own boss and work from home – no more stress, no more commuting, no more fear of becoming redundant.

Copyright © 2005 Joan Maughan.