Find a Need & Develop a Home Business

I’ve mentioned developing a home business from a hobby which is how many get started.  However, some business owners find a need then develop a home business to fill it.

What do I mean?

For instance, a friend, who had a skill for coordinating clothing and make-up for herself was asked by other women if she’d help them.  She realized some might pay her to do this…coordinate their wardrobes, advise them what to wear on various occasions, perhaps even have her accompany them on buying trips.

This is just what happened.  For a number of years, she operated this wardrobe/make-up coordinating business.  Some even wanted her to go through their closets and organize, putting various outfits together.  She also carried a line of make-up and skincare, advised women on what to use and how to wear it.

This is a business she could operate out of her home and enabled her to fill a need that she saw.

Other needs that can develop into businesses:

*Organizing people’s homes, offices, and/or schedules. 

*Babysitting children in your home…or operating a daycare.

*Doing dressmaking and alterations for people who find it difficult to get their size in stores or catalogs.  This can evolve into designing and sewing custom made bridal and bridesmaid dresses.  Before I operated a quiltmaking business, I did this from my home. Along with the other sewing, I made curtains and other household items on order

                   *Doing bookkeeping for small businesses and individuals.  My neighbor did this at one time as a parttime business.

*Providing refreshments and/or entertainment for children’s birthday parties.  One lady started doing this with balloons.  This business eventually expanded into her business as the “Balloon Lady” with balloon deliveries, in costume, for all occasions.

                     *Plowing business and residence driveways, if you live in snow country, have a truck with a plow or snowblower…and there is much snow.

*Landscaping and designing gardens, as well as simply doing the upkeep on someone’s vegetable and flower garden after they’ve planted it, appeals to some.  Another friend has been trained to design gardens so plans to do this for a few clients this spring.

*Do the shopping for housebound people or caregivers who can’t get out. 

*Sit with elderly or Alzheimer’s patients so their caregivers can get away occasionally.  It’s often more difficult for families to find someone to stay with a family member who has a dementia type disease.

These are just a few ideas people have come up with for developing a home business when they saw a need and decided to provide a service to meet it. Look around you, and you’ll see many more ideas that may stimulate you to form a service business that can be operated at or from your home.