So, you’ve started a business from home, and you’re quite happy with the way it runs. You’re getting decent orders; you’re earning enough to cover the expenses and get some profit. Overall, you like the way things are going.
One day, a customer comes to you with twice the orders you would make in a day. You feel overwhelmed with the opportunity, but you also fear not being able to hit the customer’s expectations. After all, your equipment, human capital, and resources are only able to sustain a certain number of orders on any given day. Your business hits the wall, and it stops there. There isn’t room to scale and grow.
It’s essential for any entrepreneur, even home-based ones, to think of scalable business ideas. You can start small, but your business concept should have room to grow and expand over time without having to increase your operational expenses very significantly. And fortunately, there are lots of home-based scalable businesses out there that you can start right now.
- Home-based event planning
If you have the knack to plan events, parties, and special occasions, then working as a home-based event planning business could be ideal for you. You may or may not need a degree in anything to be successful in this niche, although you can expect to throw in lots of odd hours and maybe even sacrifice your weekends to cater to clients’ needs.
Successful event planners are meticulous. Often, they are in-charge of almost every detail of the event, from the decorations to the backdrop, food, entertainment, sending invitations, conferencing with suppliers, and arranging accommodations.
To become efficient in this line of work, you need to have your own home office, learn to market yourself, and enrich your connections. As your business grows, you can scale by obtaining certifications, attending workshops and seminars, and upgrading your business equipment and resources.
- Pet food business
If you’re a pet lover yourself, you’re also probably just as careful about what you’d feed your furry babies. The good thing is you can make a business from homemade pet food. Pet food is a billion-dollar industry, so it’s safe to assume that there’s going to be an excellent market for it, especially if you’re marketing natural and organic pet food.
The trend with homemade pet food nowadays resonates with human food: we want our food to be fresh and clean, made with organic ingredients. Pet owners want the same for their pets. Even frozen treats and snacks need to be wholesome and healthy, too. You can bank on these trends in creating and marketing your homemade pet food.
You don’t need to have a huge capital to start a pet food business from home, and in most states, operators can make their recipes from their own kitchens. Once you’ve done that, you can start selling to family, friends, and neighbors. As you scale up, consider renting a booth at trade fairs and bazaars, as well as the local farmer’s market.
- Photography business
If taking photos has been your lifelong passion, then it’s the best home-based business you can put up. There’s always a demand for photography services, ranging from on-site wedding and birthday events, pre-nuptial sessions, baby, family, and maternity portraits, to corporate event coverages.
On the upside, you enjoy making money out of your skills and passion, you get to attend events and meet new people, and you can work with a flexible schedule. On the other hand, you need to have the appropriate equipment, and you may have to give up weekends to attend to shoots.
Still, a photography business can offer lucrative income, especially if you’ve established yourself on the field. To do so, you need to figure out your niche, develop a sound business plan, enlist your business structure, and market yourself. You can do all these solo right from the confines of your home office, and as demands pour in, you can start scaling your business by getting a few more people on board and upgrading your equipment.
- Blogging
Blogging is a hobby, but it can also pretty well turn into a money-making machine. Lots of home-based individuals are making money as full-time bloggers, allowing them to quit their day jobs and work from home instead.
Blogging is an excellent home-based business for many reasons. One, you can stay home, blog, and earn an income. Second, you don’t need a large capital to get started. At the very least, you need to have a computer, internet connection, domain and hosting, and you’re all set. Finally, your blogging business can grow if you work on the right niche, engage with your audience, and tap connections with business owners and advertisers.
If you’re interested in working at home as a blogger, you first need to figure out the best niche for you, preferably one that you’re genuinely passionate about. You also need to devote time crafting your material and marketing your blogging services. Finally, it helps to be updated with the current blogging trends and apply the best practices in your blogs.
Blogging does not make instant money, unlike the other home-based businesses where money changes hands as soon as a product is purchased or a service is rendered. You need to build momentum first by enriching your website with relevant and useful content. But over time, blogging can prove to be a wise business venture that you can do on the side or full-time.
Final thoughts
Starting a scalable home-based business is a huge, life-changing decision. You have to dedicate a lot of time and effort building yourself up in your niche and industry, so make sure that you’re fully committed to this venture from the very start.
It’s also important to anticipate the scalability of your business, even if it’s a homegrown one. You would want to let the business grow and flourish, as that would mean you’re doing a great job as an entrepreneur. And more than anything, think beyond the profit. You should be passionate about your venture, so it’s more fun and feels less like work.
