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Best Home Business Ideas : Twenty Part-Time Business Ideas

In any economy, a good part-time business idea can bring in extra income, give you a fallback plan if you lose your job, or plant the seed for a larger venture. In a downturn, it's hard to argue with preparing a backup plan. Of course, starting a business is always risky, and you will almost surely spend more than you make at first. Here are 20 part-time solo business idea ventures that could turn into full-fledged businesses.

Part-Time Business Idea #1 - Artisan Food Purveyor
A growing number of consumers are becoming conscious of food products' origins—which means you can get creative with homemade basics and probably find a hungry market. Handmade cheeses, jams, beer, and wine are a few things you can make at home.

First steps: The world of artisan food is vast and complex. Decide which niche you want to fill. You'll also need to check with your state Board of Health to find out licensing requirements, depending on where you plan to sell. Local farmers' markets are a great place to start selling. You'll likely spend $500 to $10,000 for appropriate equipment, such as thermometers, aging barrels, and presses.

Time needed for business: Nights and weekends.

Part-Time Business Idea #2 - Baker
Man does not live by bread alone, or so the saying goes. But if anyone checked the sales of some of the best independent bakeries around the country, they'd be astounded. In 1994, Jim Lahey started Sullivan Street Bakery after several years experimenting as a home baker. Today, his company, which has about $6 million in annual revenues and about 90 employees, is a New York City bread-baking institution. Lahey has a word of warning, though: "Knowledge of cooking is much greater than 20 years ago," he says. "The market is more competitive and if you want to develop a cottage industry, the product better exceed expectations."

And if you want to jump on one of the hottest trends nationally—cupcakes—you might even find yourself selling upwards of 2,000 a day, an amount that New York's famed Magnolia Bakery easily exceeds. At $2 a pop, you can do the math, even for your home-based business.

First steps: Break out your market. Are you going to make muffins and cupcakes or bagels and baguettes? As with most food businesses, you'll need a state license in order to sell to the public. If that seems daunting, you can start by selling to friends and relatives or at local bake sales.

You also need to decide how much space you'll need. If you outgrow your home kitchen, consider renting space in a professional kitchen.

Time needed for business: Baking is a time-consuming business, so expect to devote 10 to 20 hours a week on it for part-time work.

Average sales: $41,000, based on Labor Dept. data.

Part-Time Business Idea #3 - Blogger (readmyblogtoday.com : Free)
It's true that few bloggers make enough to earn a living—most make nothing at all. But if you can write well about a topic you're passionate about, you may develop a following, and with enough page views you can start bringing in revenue from ads. Pick a narrow topic that you're intimately familiar with and that has a well-defined audience. For example, a site that covers the world of digital SLR cameras in minute detail has a more natural audience than a broad technology blog; likewise, a general restaurant review site may elicit yawns, while a blog chronicling the seafood shacks of New England could attract a cultish following.

First steps: Begin writing and start participating in online communities where people interested in your topic hang out. Start for free on a platform like Blogger or WordPress.

Time needed for business: Prepare to spend at least a few hours each day writing. Keep a regular schedule to make sure your blog doesn't get stale.

Average sales: $24,335, based on Economic Census data.

Part-Time Business Idea #4 - Bookkeeper
Lots of small businesses need outside help with record-keeping, accounting, and other tasks. If you're organized, trustworthy, and proficient in bookkeeping software like QuickBooks, a small bookkeeping business may be right for you. The job could be as simple as sorting through a shoebox full of receipts and invoices and entering them into the ledger, or you could take on more complex bookkeeping tasks. You can become a certified bookkeeper through the American Institute of Professional Bookkeepers.

First steps: Make sure you're up-to-date with QuickBooks and other bookkeeping software.

Time needed for business: Clients may need you to visit infrequently but on a regular basis, such as coming in one day at the end of each month.

Part-Time Business Idea #5 - Caterer
There are some 10,000 independent catering businesses in the U.S., according to the National Restaurant Assn., which expects 2% growth in the market over the next year. Though highly competitive, the market is also incredibly niche-driven: You could focus on small dinners, cocktail parties, corporate events, or lavish socials.

First steps: Start with parties for friends, family, and co-workers. To minimize costs, start by cooking at the site where you'll be catering. As your business grows, consider renting kitchen space.

Average sales: $43,000, based on Labor Dept. data.

Part-Time Business Idea #6 - eBay Seller
Yard-sale mavens who already spend weekends trawling for hidden treasures can resell what they salvage online, on eBay (EBAY) or other sites. Pick a niche that interests you and that you have some expertise in and monitor what already sells online so you can set prices accurately. If you know your vinyl, buy old record collections in bulk and resell the gems individually online. From books to electronics, you may be able to find resalable items out on the street on trash night or given away for pennies at moving sales.

First steps: Set up a shop on eBay or other e-commerce sites and begin to build your seller rating. It's free to list items on many e-commerce sites, though eventually you may want to invest in your own Web site, advertising, or premium services.

Time needed for business: Expect to spend several hours a week finding inventory and listing it for sale.

Average sales: $22,196, based on Economic Census data.

Part-Time Business Idea #7 - Fashion Designer
Scarlett O'Hara saw possibilities in postbellum drapery. And contemporary popular culture abounds with examples of runaway sartorial sensations: Think Christian Siriano of Project Runway fame. Maybe you can find your true muse in the clothing world, too, and make a big splash with your talent and ingenuity.

First steps: Gather tools of the trade including sewing machine, needles, thread, cloth, and patterns. You'll also need a well-lighted place for working. Prototypes can cost as little as $20 but balloon to hundreds or thousands of dollars, depending on the market you design for. Similarly, secondhand shops sell starter sewing machines for $50 or less. Higher-end machines cost up to $2,000.

Time needed for business: Nights and weekends. This can be time-consuming work.

Average sales: $62,000, based on Labor Dept. data.

Part-Time Business Idea #8 - Floral Designer
Turn your love of flowers and colors into bouquets and arrangements for occasions that vary from weddings and bar mitzvahs to confirmations and dinner parties. About one-third of the estimated 87,000 floral designers are self-employed, according to the Labor Dept.

First steps: Community colleges, vocational schools, and private floral schools all offer courses in flower design. You'll need to find a source for flowers, too. If you don't live near a flower wholesaler, a growing number now sell online. This is a supply-intensive business. You'll need a workshop space, refrigeration system, and some means of delivering your goods to clients.

Time needed for business: Three to 20 hours per week.

Average sales: $21,700, based on Labor Dept. data.

Part-Time Business Idea #9 - Hair Stylist or Manicurist
Building a good reputation and trust with clients is crucial in this business, so first work on people you know for free or a discounted rate. Once you're confident in your ability, look for new business through referrals from your early clients.

First steps: Set up a space in your home, offer to see clients in theirs, or see about renting a chair at a local salon.

Time needed for business: Prepare to work around clients' schedules, seeing them on weekends or after work.

Average sales: $21,996, based on Economic Census data.

Part-Time Business Idea #10 - Handyman, Contractor, or Painter
Those who are handy around the house can offer their skills for fixing up other people's homes. Start with basic repairs, paint jobs, or other small home projects. With more people staying in their homes these days because they're unable to sell them, you might find a ready market of owners looking to spruce up their houses. Make sure you have the tools and ability to complete the jobs you take on.

First steps: Begin by advertising your services on sites like Craigslist and through word of mouth.

Time needed for business: Expect to work a lot on weekends.

Part-Time Business Idea #11 - Jewelry Designer
It's probably easier than you think to turn your love of bling into cash on the side. About half of all jewelry makers in the U.S. are self-employed. You can sell online or to thousands of brick-and-mortar retailers.

First steps: You'll need design flair, manual dexterity, and attention to detail to get started. Technical and vocational schools offer classes on basics; community colleges also offer courses on design. A clean, well-lit workspace is necessary. Be sure to design pieces in a variety of price ranges. You'll probably spend $500 to $2,000 for materials, from beads and wire to gold and silver to cloth and wax, plus tools like a vise, pliers, and jigs.

Time needed for business: Evenings and weekends.

Average sales: $30,000, based on Labor Dept. data.

Part-Time Business Idea #12 - Landscaper
Maybe you're longing to spend your hours outside the office with your hands planted in the ground. Tending gardens or mowing lawns will make that happen, though you might soon be missing your Aeron chair. There's also growing demand for services that preserve water, absorb CO2, and bill themselves as sustainable.

First steps: Decide which aspect you want to be involved in: maintenance and manicuring, or landscape design.

Time needed for business: If you are doing this as a part-time venture, you'll need to keep it to weekends, unless you're already working an abbreviated schedule. Landscape work is also largely seasonal, which means you won't be mowing lawns much during the winter months in most areas, though you could think about snow removal.

Average sales: $26,000, based on Census Bureau data.

Part-Time Business Idea #13 -Pet Sitter
Love animals? Opportunities abound in the pet care industry. Consider walking dogs during the day, grooming or training pets on weekends, or boarding animals overnight. Even if you're not equipped to keep others' pets in your home, you can offer to wash and groom animals at clients' houses, or check in on their pets at their home while they're away. Owners often need someone to watch their pets on weekends and holidays, so pet care can be an easy business to start if you work during the week.

First steps: Start by caring for your friends' animals and get referrals through them, because trust is key for people placing their pets in other people's care.

Time needed for business: You can get started working on weekends and evenings.

Average sales: $22,183, based on Economic Census data.

Part-Time Business Idea #14 - Photographer
The barriers to starting a photography business virtually disappeared with the dawn of affordable digital SLR cameras and software like Photoshop. If you're skilled in taking great pictures, pick a niche and build a business around it. You might want to shoot weddings, bar mitzvahs, or corporate events. Or consider family or individual portraits. You could even set up a small studio space in your home. Consider what services you'll offer clients beyond just taking pictures—can you build a Web page to showcase the photos of their event as well?

First steps: Put together a portfolio of your existing work to show potential clients.

Time needed for business: For event photography, expect most gigs to be on weekends or evenings (galas, for example). You may be able to arrange portrait appointments on a more flexible schedule.

Average sales: $26,259, based on Economic Census data.

Part-Time Business Idea #15 - Toymaker
If you already make toys for your own children, consider selling similar items for others. Handmade toys, clothes, and other kids' products have found a burgeoning market on the Internet. You can also sell at local craft and toy fairs, but Web sites like Etsy let toymakers connect with many more customers looking to buy unique handmade toys. Of course, safety is a concern, and some small toymakers say new product regulations will be unfairly burdensome. But the Internet's reach has let many small toymakers turn what was once a hobby into viable part-time businesses.

First steps: Set up an online store to feature your children's products.

Time needed for business: Your commitment will depend on demand. You might just need a few hours a week, but if your toys take off, you might have to work through the night to fill orders.

Part-Time Business Idea #16 - Translator or Interpreter
Those who speak more than one language have a ready skill to turn into a part-time business. You can get work translating documents or as an interpreter over the phone or in person. Focus on an area you have some deeper knowledge in. For example, if you have a legal background, angle your business around translating legal documents.

First steps: Get a certificate proving your proficiency from the American Translators Assn. and/or the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages.

Time needed for business: Translation work can be done from home on your own schedule, but be prepared to meet client deadlines.

Average sales: $21,541, based on Economic Census data.

Part-Time Business Idea #17 - T-Shirt Vendor
Launching a T-shirt business is about as American as apple pie and your first paper route. Take the Life is Good guys, Bert and John Jacobs, who started out in 1989, selling their shirts door to door, at street fairs, and from the back of their van. Today, the company has about $100 million in annual revenues. T-shirt design is a hotly competitive market, however, and it should go without saying that the barriers to entry are low.

First steps: Create a catalog of design ideas, or simply one good one, like the Jacobs brothers, whose smiling stick figure captured the national mood. You need to decide if you will invest in the manufacturing materials or use a third-party designer, frequently known in the trade as a publisher: Lots of these exist, from CafePress to T-Shirt Monster. Using a publisher is cheaper, but you have less control and you'll be handing over most of your profits. On the other hand, investing in your own equipment, including a heat transfer press, can be expensive: $500 to $1,000. Again, this is an intensely crowded and competitive industry.

Time needed for business: Nights and weekends.

Average sales: $48,000, based on Economic Census data.

Part-Time Business Idea #18 - Tutor
Your subject matter is as limitless as the human mind: acting, algebra, tennis, anyone?

First steps: Get in touch with your local school district and offer your services. Good knowledge of one particular subject or activity is more marketable than spotty knowledge of many. States don't have licensing requirements, so you don't necessarily need a degree or other credential, though you'll likely make more money if you do have one.

Time needed for business: Evenings, mornings, or your lunch break.

Part-Time Business Idea #19 - Video Editor
Do you have the gear and the know-how to take raw footage from an event and package it into a stunning narrative? Or even just transfer old home videos to digital formats? Quality video editing can be done on a home computer, which was inconceivable a decade ago, so it's now possible to pursue this business on the side. Decide whether you want to shoot video as well as edit it, and pick a niche to specialize in. Maybe you want to do YouTube (GOOG) promotions for small businesses, or make DVDs of kids' school concerts and plays.

First steps: Set up a Web site showcasing your video work.

Time needed for business: If you're editing rather than shooting video, you can make your own hours.

Part-Time Business Idea #20 - Web Designer
If you're adept at coding and have an eye for sharp design, you make be able to make a business making Web sites—especially if it's something you already do professionally. Begin by building sites for friends and contacts to accumulate a portfolio. Focus on a niche, like designing pages for bands or restaurants, where you can develop a name for yourself in the community and get referrals from your early clients. Decide whether you want to build a one-time site for clients or take on the responsibility of updating and maintaining it, and bill appropriately.

First steps: Set up your own Web site with a portfolio of your work.

Time needed for business: You can make your own hours as long as you meet client deadlines—which may mean pulling some all-nighters.

Average sales: $42,104, based on Economic Census data.

by: By Jeremy Quittner and John Tozzi May 29, 2009 - http://images.businessweek.com/ss/09/05/0522_part_time_business_ideas/1.htm

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