The U.S. Census Bureau has documented a record-breaking rise in new business registrations during the third quarter of 2020. This surge created a historic peak in small businesses starting from home. Today's statistics reveal that home-based ventures make up half of all new businesses.
A home-based business can be your path to greater freedom with lower costs. You might want a side hustle, a new career direction, or your first venture into entrepreneurship. The possibilities range from service-based work like freelance writing to product-focused ventures in health ecommerce. Your home office can become the launching pad for these promising ideas.
We'll show you proven business models that work well from home. You'll discover what you need to start up and get valuable tips to pick the right business. Our focus includes both traditional and digital ventures, with special attention to booming areas like telehealth and online education.
What are the best small businesses to start from home? Scroll down to find out!
Key Takeaways
- Home businesses are booming — Over half of all new businesses are home-based, offering low startup costs and more flexibility.
- Service-based businesses like freelance writing, virtual assistance, and online tutoring can be started with minimal equipment and rely on existing skills.
- Product-based ventures such as handmade goods, print-on-demand, and dropshipping offer low inventory risk and scalability.
- Telehealth is a growing field — Healthcare professionals can launch virtual practices with tools like Bask Health’s HIPAA-compliant platforms.
- Digital models (e.g., online courses, affiliate marketing) offer high scalability and recurring income potential with low overhead.
- Success depends on choosing the right model for your skills, smart planning, and ongoing learning.
Service-Based Home Business Ideas
Service-based home businesses are gaining popularity as entrepreneurs look for flexible work with minimal startup costs. You can turn your existing skills into income without worrying about inventory or physical products.
Freelance writing and editing
Writers who go freelance have a great chance to make money from their way with words. They create blogs, articles, press releases, and white papers for clients in a variety of industries. Skilled freelance writers can earn an average annual salary of $48,000. Success in this field depends on excellent writing, quick turnaround times, and sharp editing skills.
A freelance writing business needs you to have:
- Strong content creation skills
- Writing samples from different organizations
- Research and fact-checking expertise
- Reliable deadline management
The demand for freelance editors keeps growing as content production reaches new heights. Market research shows that 70% of marketers put money into content marketing. This creates plenty of work for editors who polish language, fix syntax, and help content perform better.
Virtual assistance and admin support
Virtual assistants (VAs) help businesses and entrepreneurs with remote administrative work. They take care of everything from emails and scheduling to customer service and bookkeeping. Companies that use virtual administrative assistants can reduce their overhead costs by up to 30%.
You don't need much to start a VA business - just a laptop with calling features and reliable internet. Most VAs start with basic admin tasks before they specialize in:
- Managing calendars and email
- Updating CRMs and organizing databases
- Running social media accounts
- Handling bookkeeping and financial records
VAs can work from anywhere and set their schedules. New VAs typically charge $20-25 per hour, while specialists can earn even more.
Tutoring and online teaching
Online tutoring lets subject experts connect with students who want one-on-one help. Teachers at every level - from elementary school to college professors - can enjoy flexible work schedules.
Specialized knowledge leads to better pay in online tutoring. Business, corporate finance, and sales tutors can make around $55 per hour, while law tutors average $47.50 per hour. Language tutors earn top rates teaching Latin ($37.50/hour), Hebrew ($31/hour), and Sign Language ($30/hour).
Most tutoring platforms want you to have:
- At least a bachelor's degree
- 3+ years of teaching experience
- Deep subject knowledge
- Clear communication skills
You can join established sites like Tutor.com or start your own tutoring business. Industry data shows qualified teachers earn $15-22 per hour teaching English online.
Product-Based Home Business Ideas
Product-based home businesses give entrepreneurs a great way to make money by creating or sourcing physical items. These ventures let you work with actual products while needing minimal space and reasonable startup costs, unlike service businesses.
Selling handmade or custom goods
Customers today want unique, customized items, which has boosted the market for handcrafted products. The options seem endless - from jewelry and custom apparel to home décor and artisanal food. Many business owners started these ventures as hobbies that grew into profitable companies.
Amazon Handmade and Etsy serve as popular marketplaces for handcrafted items. Amazon Handmade doesn't charge the monthly selling fee, which saves approved sellers about $480 annually. The platform takes a 15% referral fee from each sale without any extra listing or payment processing charges.
Your online store might work better since you won't pay marketplace fees. This path lets you build your customer base and create your own brand identity.
Starting a print-on-demand store
Print-on-demand businesses carry low risk because products get made only after customers order them. Your production partner handles the printing and shipping of items like t-shirts, mugs, hoodies, and home décor straight to customers, so you don't need to worry about inventory.
The market looks promising - experts predict the global print-on-demand sector will hit $48.40 billion by 2032. Profit margins usually fall between 10-20%, though your actual earnings depend on your products and marketing success.
The main benefits include:
- Minimal startup costs since you don't need upfront inventory
- Risk-free design testing
- Easy scaling without logistics hassles
Running a dropshipping business
Dropshipping lets you run an online store without keeping any inventory. Your suppliers take care of packaging and shipping products directly to customers who order from your site.
The numbers look good - the U.S. dropshipping market should reach $424.30 billion by 2030, growing at 22.3% yearly. This business model keeps costs very low—you can start a dropshipping business with just $100.
Success comes from finding good suppliers, picking profitable products, and marketing well. The low entry barrier means lots of competition, so you need to stand out with unique products and strong branding.
Bask Health and Telehealth Business Opportunities
The healthcare industry is going through a digital renaissance. Telehealth stands out as one of the most promising small businesses you can start from home. Healthcare professionals with relevant backgrounds will find that this sector offers amazing growth potential with reasonable startup needs.
Why health e-commerce is booming
The global telehealth market hit $101.15 billion in 2023. Experts believe it will reach $432.31 billion by 2032. This amazing growth comes from widespread smartphone use, higher healthcare investments, and changing customer priorities. North America leads the market with 47.98% of global share and shows strong growth at 24.3% between 2024 and 2030.
The COVID-19 pandemic sped up this shift as people looked for alternatives to visiting healthcare facilities. Home diagnostic tests have become popular. About 26% of US consumers want to test for vitamin deficiencies at home.
Starting a telehealth business with Bask Health
Bask Health's specialized platforms help you launch your telehealth business easily. Our solutions give you:
- Simple virtual visit management and better scheduling
- Secure, HIPAA-compliant communication channels
- Connected systems for electronic health records
- Remote monitoring tools for chronic disease patients
Healthcare providers use our platform to grow into new markets. They spend less on physical office space and need fewer administrative staff.
Understanding telemedicine startup costs
The original telemedicine startup costs range from $10,000 to $250,000. The final amount depends on your business model and scope. You'll need to invest in:
- HIPAA-compliant video conferencing platforms and secure storage solutions
- Licensing fees that vary by state
- Marketing and website development that costs around $5,000-10,000
Regular healthcare visits cost about $150. Telehealth visits cost around $75. Patients without insurance usually pay $40-80 per telehealth appointment.
Your telehealth practice becomes more economical as it grows. Automated processes and lower overhead costs improve your profits.
Digital and Scalable Business Models
Digital business models have transformed how entrepreneurs can run businesses from home by offering amazing growth potential. You can create something once and sell it many times, with minimal effort needed after the setup.
Creating online courses or memberships
The global e-learning market will reach $62 billion by 2027, making online courses a fantastic business option. People just need specialized knowledge in any discipline these days.
Your expertise can become digital courses that teach anything from job skills to fun hobbies. This business model makes perfect sense economically—create once, sell unlimited times. Digital products give course creators high profit margins since they don't require inventory management after creation.
Starting your own course business is easier than you might think:
- Pick platforms like Teachable, Podia, or Kajabi to host your content
- Make engaging lessons using video, audio, or text
- Choose your pricing approach (single payment or subscription)
A membership model could work better for some creators. Rather than selling one-time courses, you build a community where people pay monthly for exclusive content and resources. This approach brings steady income—members typically pay $7-500 monthly based on what they receive.
Affiliate marketing and content monetization
Affiliate marketing lets you earn money by promoting products from other companies. About 80% of online companies now use affiliate programs, which creates plenty of chances for home entrepreneurs.
The concept works simply: share special tracking links for products, and you get a commission when someone buys, usually 15-20%. Top affiliates like Pat Flynn earn up to $170,000 monthly just from these commissions.
Here's how to launch your affiliate business:
- Pick a niche that matches your interests (travel, fitness, technology)
- Sign up for programs through Amazon Associates or ShareASale
- Produce helpful content that includes product recommendations naturally
You can start affiliate marketing without spending much money upfront. A platform to connect with your audience works fine, whether through social media, blogging, or email lists. Your income grows as your audience expands, which makes this perfect to run from home.
Conclusion
Home-based businesses give you many chances to work in the service, product, and digital sectors. These ventures let you work flexibly with reasonable startup costs. This makes them perfect for aspiring entrepreneurs, career changers, and side hustlers.
Service-based businesses like freelance writing and virtual assistance help you make money from skills you already have. These often give you the fastest way to earn income. Product-based ventures through print-on-demand or dropshipping keep inventory risks low and give you room to expand.
Healthcare professionals can find great opportunities in telehealth. Bask Health's platform makes starting a telehealth practice simple. Their HIPAA-compliant solutions and essential tools cut down on complex operations.
Digital business models shine when it comes to growth potential. You can grow your business without adding more work, whether you create online courses or build affiliate marketing channels.
Note that any home business needs good planning, commitment, and constant learning to succeed. Pick a business model that lines up with your skills, interests, and available resources. The trip might have its challenges, but building your own successful home-based business is worth the effort.
References
Amazon. (n.d.). Sell Handmade Products Online. Retrieved from https://sell.amazon.com/programs/handmade
Folio3 Digital Health. (n.d.). Telemedicine Startup Costs: Everything You Need to Know. Retrieved from https://digitalhealth.folio3.com/blog/telemedicine-startup-costs/
Preply. (n.d.). Online Tutoring Jobs. Retrieved from https://preply.com/en/online/tutoring-jobs
Shopify. (n.d.). Affiliate Marketing for Beginners (How to Get Started). Retrieved from https://www.shopify.com/blog/affiliate-marketing-for-beginners
Shopify. (n.d.). How to Start a Home Business: Your Step-by-Step Guide. Retrieved from https://www.shopify.com/blog/home-business
