Working from home - ideas

Depends on what you can offer and what you enjoy doing. What gaps in the market are there in your area? Businesses may now use software rather than what I would call bookkeeping but worth exploring if that is what you're good at. Take a look at on line recruitment agencies to get a feel of what is available and any qualifications likely to be needed. What are your skills? Strengths? Weaknesses?

Our business started from home and I learned that you have to be extremely well organised and disciplined. It can be lonely but also it can give you opportunities to go out and meet like minded people if you join local business groups.

Good luck

DD2 set up a dog grooming business in a summerhouse in her garden. The training and equipment was relatively low cost, and she soon had more clients than she could find time for. Even in a recession, pet owners seem to be able to manage to afford her services, and with lots of repeat business and word of mouth, advertising was very soon unnecessary.
Good luck with whatever you choose to take up.

Dog walking seems to be a boom industry these days also pet care in peoples houses. Internet shop? The worlds your oyster these days. Rent a Gran after school. So many working mums need this gap cover. Go to it and good luck?

hermit if you've money to spend on retraining is there a franchise you could buy in your area? E.g. a friend investigated this one:

www.franchisebusinessformums.co.uk/

Or could you be an agent in your area for a product?

Forget the idea that you could 'go and learn an instrument' it takes years and years to master an instrument to the level that you can teach others and then there's all the theory too.

Shysal's idea is worth considering. Our dog groomer comes to our house and charges £35 for each dog. She is of course highly trained.

I know someone who made a very good small business from home as a chiropodist- training required of course but I don't think its too arduous. How about a complimentary therapy or two- many are unregulated so no arduous professional regulations to adhere too. How about counselling or some kind of talking therapy? Lots of courses available.

tee my MIL was a chiropodist and as a young wife I sometimes used to help her, mainly with bookings and so on, but I would also go into the surgery from time to time. I very quickly realised that there was no way I would ever be a "foot doctor" . That was also where it dawned on me that most of her patients were women who had damaged their feet by wearing awful shoes and I swore that that would never be me.

I agree about the dog walking - there seems to be a great demand. Also, looking after a pet while people are away. Housesitting? Taking children to school and picking them up afterwards - my neighbour does this and it seems to be fairly well paid.

Have you a spare bedroom? In some areas, I believe there is a demand for short term accommodation for foreign students.

Counselling is a good idea but to become a qualified counsellor takes at least three years and can be quite expensive as you also need to pay for counselling yourself.

I agree with Anya that to become qualified and experienced enough to teach music would take several years - and you should really have a proper teaching certificate as well.

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Dog care really seems to be the choice of many at the moment,people will always pay for excellent care of their animals be them dogs or cats,and most prefer it to be done in their own homes so house-sitting can into the costs as well.
Do you enjoy baking I set up my catering business at home,not too much paperwork involved,I went and got my hygiene certificate and had my kitchen inspected by Inspector from Council to show my set up and away I went,I now have too many booking to cope with and am downsizing it to two booking a week from February,I pay a local book keeper for my paperwork so give another older person work in the process.So if you enjoy cooking simple stuff or maybe beautiful cakes the world is your oyster really.

Maybe not dog walking, but perhaps dog breeding. Have you seen what pedigree pups are selling for now? Anything from £600 to £1000 each. Even with vet charges thats a thought, perhaps? If you are keen on dogs and have a favourite breed you might enjoy it.
There would also be plenty of time to make money in other ways.

Please, please don't breed dogs to make money. The dogs' homes are full of unwanted pure bred dogs as well as mongrels and many are euthanised when they don't get homes as their behaviour deteriorates from being kept in the kennels.

Dogs4Rescue, Manchester and Cheshire Dogs Homes and many other dog rescue organisations are collapsing under the strain of trying to rehome some gorgeous dogs. Sadly, in January there will be an increase of puppies bought as Christmas presents and unwanted a couple of weeks later.

Dog breeding is not a good idea. Apart from the points that when has made it's hard work once the puppies are weaned. The stud fee has to be paid which is the value of one of the pups, they might not all survive, there might be vets bills to pay if there are complications and there is no guarantee you will be able to sell all the pups. It also takes time to build up a good reputation as a breeder.

And you might end up selling one of the pups to someone who sounded lovely on the phone but wasn't what you expected when they arrived..and then didn't have the courage tosay they couldn't have the dog as it was a replacement pet for a child that had just lost their dog. I've never forgiven myself for that [especially when they said after wards that the dog was 'snappy' and I knew she would never have beenif looked after properly . I have, however, kept an article about something called DogBuddy where you look after a dog in your own home as my own dog would love some company sometimes and my kitchen, utility room and half of my garden is made over to my dog [she has a larger share of the garden than me].

Dog breeding is certainly not a good idea,so many dogs are just disguarded when that particular breed no longer becomes fashionable where as dog walking can be done with 2/3 dogs at a time when you become accustomed to them earning you up to £10.00 per hour per dog (that is what is charged in my area)Tegan DogBuddy sounds excellent it is that kind of set up I would be happy with if I ever had to leave Poppy for the day and would certainly pay well for the service.

i wouldnt mind being a rent a gran,,,or do some dog walking,,,or house cleaning,,or being a de clutter fairy,,,,,or going into peoples house and preparing their tea so all they have to do is heat it up or put it on the stove or in the oven for working people,,,,then i thought about making dinners ready to put in the micro,,,all fresh food home baked,,,,,,,my trouble is how do i start how much do i charge...........any ideahs girls,,,loved all your other comments,,,,,,

Rent a Gran, the mind boggles. Number please !!

A lot depends on where you live but in London, cat feeding when the owner (s) is on holiday is a lucrative business.

I take it back, having read your replies. I should have given the idea more thought. You are all right and i was mistaken. I apologise. Sorry!

Housesitting might be an option to explore.

What would put me off dog walking is that it is more like "pooh collector" than dog walker, especially if there are a few of them. I have a friend who has 3 rescue greyhounds and that's all we she seems to do when we are out walking them.

thanks for that girls,,,,,,,i dont really fancy poop scooping,,,never thought about that, i wondered about a dinner dating agency,,,trouble is i would have to meet a load of men ...dont think my old man would like that, there are so many lonely people out there...lots of them just want someone to love i guess, i do like cooking and baking,,,,,,oh i dont know, im feeling pretty misrable today,,,,,,,,i asked my husband ,,,lets go to the north and walk the beach with fish and chips,,,,grunt, look at the train fares we could go to scotland tomorrow,,,lets do something exciting,,,,,,,,grunt,,,,i wanted to go to see the fireworks in london new year ,,,,grunt, im fed up at the moment girls,,,,,,,,anyone want a boring husband ???????i could just scream at the moment,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,is there anyone who just wants to run away for a few days whos in the same boat,,,,??????