• Ebay.  This one will not get you immediate cash, as every auction lasts 7 days, but once you get even one bid, your item is guaranteed to sell.  If you’re new to ebay, you also have the option of finding an experienced seller to list the item for you.  You may have to share a small cut of the profit, but in certain circumstances, connecting with a trusted seller with a lot of positive feedback is the best way to go for the best selling price and the quickest bids.
• Craigslist.  This one is semi-similar to ebay, but it’s absolutely free to list your item.  You are more likely to deal with local buyers, too; just beware of scammers.  It’s best to insist on a cash only payment or use PayPal for this reason.
• Rummage sale.  If it’s that time of year in your area and you’ve got enough items waiting around to sell, set up shop at your own home and sell to your neighbors!
• Sell your jewelry.  You have a couple options on where to sell, too.  If you’re comfortable with it, you can use the mail-in companies that have been advertised a lot lately, such as Cash4Gold.  Otherwise, shop your local jewelers to see who will give you the best price.
• Resale shops.  If you have old videogames, DVDs or CDs, books, or even musical instruments that are collecting dust, there are resale shops that will pay you immediate cash for them.  You won’t get what you spent on them, and you may not get as much as you would on ebay or Craigslist depending on the item, but if you need money today rather than in a week, this option is worth checking into.

Advertise to your friends and work colleagues, too, that you have items that you’re trying to get rid of.  Word of mouth can help you connect with the person that’s looking for what you’re selling, and before you know it, you’re in the money!

It’s important not to focus too much on the word “home.”  No matter your location, you’re starting a business, and you need to be prepared to work.  Your success is directly tied to the amount of time and effort you’re willing to put forth.

Choose the Right Home Business

Examine your options fully before you begin.  Have you chosen a product or service that you’re passionate about?  There’s nothing wrong with selling something purely because it’s a guaranteed money-maker, but if you’re excited about it, too, that can make it easier to keep up with your business goals, especially during the startup phase.  Would you still be willing to put in all the necessary effort while things are slow?

Who Will Buy Your Product?

Are people willing to buy your product or service?  Great.  Now dig a little deeper—are they willing to pay a price that will be affordable for them but help keep you in business?  If it doesn’t seem possible to turn a decent profit with the going rate, you may want to consider a different idea.  Decide if you want to run your business full- or part-time.  That will make the difference in knowing whether your expected profits are acceptable enough for you to invest in the business.

Cover Your Business Expenses

You’ll have a lot of expenses to consider, and you want to be prepared for them ahead of time.  You’ll have start-up costs—know how much you’ll need to invest up front so you can include that when determining how long it will take you to start collecting a profit.

Research your insurance options.  Of course, you’ll have to find your own medical and dental benefits, and that can be expensive on your own.  Can your business help cover your costs?  You’ll also need extra insurance to cover your actual business; homeowner’s insurance may not cover you if a customer has an incident on your property while conducting business.  Make sure to acquire any necessary licenses before your apply for insurance.

It’s also a good idea to seek out a good accountant and tax advisor (unless, of course, that’s your profession and your home business idea…then it’s up to you!).  Especially once your business takes off, you want to feel confident that your finances are being handled correctly and efficiently.

Create a Business Plan

Plunging in can be a little easier if you create a business plan.  You will definitely need one if you’ll be applying for a business loan, but it can be helpful even if you’re not.  You’ll be able to see all of your goals in writing, and doing so will force you to spell out every last detail about your business, from marketing research to your mission statement to your future projections.

Treat your home business like an off-site one.  Determine the best hours for you to work and make sure you actually work during them.  There’s no one to tell you what to do and where to be—that’s a definite perk, but it really means that you have to be able to push yourself.  Be committed and do your research and you’ll have a better shot at success.

For some home business ideas and resources, check out Entrepreneur.com.

• Freelance your talents. Whether you’re a writer, a photographer, an accountant, a web designer, there are companies looking for your services. They might not have the right people available to complete the projects they need to have done, or they’re looking for a cheaper alternative to hiring a full-time employee. You can be the answer for them, and you can search for as many or as few opportunities as your schedule can handle.
• Do you enjoy organizing? Start a cleaning or organizing service. Many people don’t have the time or energy, or they just plain don’t like the chore. You can offer the help they’ve been waiting for.
• Become an antiques expert. Search rummage sales and attend auctions. You can pick up plenty of items on the cheap that are worth a decent amount of money. Do research to determine if what you’ve found is valuable as is or is worth being refurbished, and sell them in your own booth at an antique store, on eBay, or at local fairs.
• Design t-shirts. If you’ve got clever ideas, you’ll get people’s interest. T-shirts can be fairly easy to design and can turn a good size profit for you. Think wisely about whether it’s better for you to print the t-shirts yourself or use a third-party. Your own talents and potential selling opportunities can help you make the decision.
• If you enjoy working out, why not get paid for it and become a fitness instructor? This one will require some time to take classes and become certified, but once you’re ready, you’ll get paid to help others reach their goals while keeping fit yourself.
• If not much else seems like it would work for you, there’s always good old traditional babysitting and pet-sitting! This might be especially good for you if you already have children or pets, or simply enjoy playing with them and taking care of them. If you keep your services cheaper than average day care costs, you’ll have eager parents knocking down your door.

Anything you choose can have the potential to become a full-fledged business.  It depends on your motives and your time commitment.  If you want it to remain a part-time business simply for some extra cash, you can definitely keep it that way.  Your best bet for fun part-time businesses is to find something you love to do and figure out how you can get paid to do it.  Sometimes taking it into your own hands can be the easiest and fastest way.

• Sell your stuff! Take a good, honest look through anything you might have hidden away or not used in a long time. If you decide you can get by without it, sell it! If you’ve got a decent pile of unwanted items, go ahead and set up a rummage sale. You can even try coordinating with your neighbors and advertising in the paper to help draw more potential buyers your way. If you only have a few items, try listing them on craigslist or eBay. (Note: if you choose eBay, do your research on what you’re selling. Make sure that what you can sell it for will make up for the fees you’ll be charged. Check completed auctions on your item to make sure people are buying it because you’ll still have to pay listing fees even if it doesn’t sell. Check out this eBay Millionaire does it.)
• Offer to do yard work for your neighbors. Plenty of people don’t have the time to do all the yard projects they’d like to do, and they certainly can’t afford an expensive landscaping service. Maybe they’re physically unable to do simple tasks like mowing and trimming. They’ll welcome your ability and reasonable prices.
• Donate plasma. Most often, you’ll be compensated for this donation. Some people say that’s because it’s painful. Others say it doesn’t hurt, it’s just complicated. If you can handle either one, you’ll walk away with some extra cash.
• Open a new bank account. Search your local banks and find out what kinds of offers they have on new accounts. You might find one that will deposit, say, $25 or $50 into new customers’ accounts. Sometimes it’s as simple as opening one up. Other times there may be conditions, but you might be able to meet them easily, such as opening the account with a certain amount of money or signing up for direct deposit right away.
• Tutor students. Take a look at schools near you and offer your expertise in your favorite subject. Not only will you make extra money, you’ll be helping someone else succeed.

One of the biggest mistakes new entrepreneurs make is that they feel they have to come up with something incredibly new or inventive in order to “make it big.” That’s the complete opposite of what should be done…

Something as simple as starting a cleaning business will allow you to make money fast, and allow you to scale your business so you can grow quickly. There is no need to reinvent the wheel. If you do, you make it that much more difficult to succeed. Take what already is proven to make money, and then do the same thing. As you build your business, you will naturally create a message, consumer experience, or uniqueness that separates you from the competition.

When you do something as simple as starting as cleaning business, you have thousands of other companies that have already tested the market for you and found what works. Secondly, competition shows that a profitable market exists and there are people/entrepreneurs making money from it.

So, going with the cleaning business example, let’s look at how stupidly simple this can be. Your cost is low, your investment is mostly your time, and you can quickly and easily hire help. Depending where you live, there is probably a large market opportunity. In other words, there’s a lot of profit to be made with little money needed to start. You could tailor your business to:

• Clean garages and attics
• Clean offices
• Clean construction sites
• Clean carpets and windows
• Clean schools and retirement communities

You get the idea. If you don’t want to get your hands dirty yourself, hire a college student to do the job, have your employee collect the payment made out to your business name, cash the check, and pay the employee the same day. All you have to do is do some marketing to land some jobs, or search Craigslist for people looking for hired help.

I’m sure there are some more complexities to starting a cleaning business that I’m leaving out, but the point is that something simple and not necessarily unique can provide a healthy income. Don’t waste too much time racking your brain about the perfect money making opportunity. Look around and see what others are doing, and get to work. To get some ideas, pick up the paper and search the classified section to see what products/services people are offering.

How to Start a Cleaning Business