So you’re looking to work from home but don’t want to do the same old online rat race. Here are three great work potentials that you can earn from, and make a great income once you get established.
Start a trash/junk removal company
With so many people at home these days, many people are resorting to hoarding and stashing their junk items in their garage, backyard, or even inside their home. You can easily start a home-based trash removal service with very little effort. The first step starts with making some simple flyers that give a list of trash and junk removal prices. Be sure to check the local competition to see what they charge so you can undercut their prices.
You can then take your printed flyers and drop them into the mailboxes around your neighborhood. Give yourself at least a 2 to 3 block radius to ensure you’ve covered enough area. Then get in contact with local recycling companies and thrift resellers who are buying used furniture and appliances. Be sure to separate your services that will provide specific pick-up services so you can best manage your destination where these items will go.
Then you can call around for local student movers who will act as your pick up and drop-off service and negotiate a price for their work. Whatever deal you strike needs to be much lower than what you charge so you can pocket the rest. For small recycling and thrift shops that you work with, ask for online payments for the entire amount they are willing to pay. Since your hired mover team will be paid separately, their job is only to pick up and deliver.
If there are special items that need to go to the city dump, you need to follow the guidelines for what can and cannot be picked up. For special items like medical equipment that can be resold to resale suppliers, you can have these items delivered to you and stored in your garage until you have a large enough stash to resell working items. As business picks up, you can advertise in local papers, or bribe the local newspaper route kid to stuff in your flyers.
Start a medical courier service
This might sound more difficult than it really is, but this is one job that is always in demand. Medical testing companies and pharmacies often have couriers that pick up and drop off medical equipment, medicine, and even specimens. There’s very little knowledge you need to know for this type of work, so your courier will only need to know a couple important things for transporting specific items.
The best part is that you can contact friends who are already driving an Uber service to act as couriers for you. All you need to do is arrange for a pharmacy or medical service that needs a courier on call. When you do get a call, you can text the location for a pick-up and drop of through your phone. Online payments can be paid to you using mobile payment apps.
You can negotiate a price with your driving friend in a similar way, just as long as you still earn a good amount for providing this service. You can also ask these companies to refer you so you can expand your business a lot faster. This usually works better if you give discounts at first for first-time referrals. If you need to provide a receipt, you can obtain a self-employed permit and issue receipts by e-mail.
Start a bicycle repair service
With many people going green in almost any city, lots of people are using their bicycles to get around. Like anything else, bicycles will have parts that break down or need replacing. If you’re good with your hands and have a garage, you can advertise a bicycle repair for general fixes. You don’t need many tools unless you decide to expand this into a bigger business. You can even start this in your garage and people come to you directly.
Payments can be made using mobile payment apps and you can even start in a small garage that has room to repair many bikes. To order replacement parts you can order them online and have them shipped right to your door. If they’re local suppliers, they can be shipped the same day. It’s easy to make bicycle repairs with many online video tutorials that are on Youtube, so all you need is the skill of working with your hands.
Many tools used to repair bicycles are easy to order and you can start with a very simple tool kit. Ask your customers to help by giving them flyers and offer discounts when they refer a new customer. This is one business that is growing and will always be a great starter business that you can do from home. The faster you get at making simple repairs, the faster you will get referrals from happy customers.
The good thing about bicycle repair is that advertising is often through word of mouth. Local coffee shops and cafes are great placed to leave flyers. In busier areas, bicycle couriers will be a hot ticket if you get their attention. The biggest requirement here is to make a quality repair that lasts since people use their bicycles for transportation. A bad fix will not be good for your business since you need to stake your working reputation on quality work.
Summing up your work-at-home business plan
Since you intend to work from home, the general idea is to be as honest as you can. Put yourself into your work with enthusiasm and use a basic business model. Since you’re acting as your own boss, you’ll need to manage your time more often than a brick-and-mortar business. If you’re intending to hire drivers or couriers, make sure they can be trusted and have everything they need to transport your items.
You’ll find a lot of great ideas to help you choose the right candidate for driving or transporting stuff. They need to have a clean driving record and have all the proper insurance. You can also have them sign a contract that you draw up so you protect ‘your end’ of your delivery-themed business. You don’t want your hired employees to take away your success by undercutting their ability to get around.
Leave a Reply