Small Business Articles
Home Based Small Business Opportunities You Can't Miss
December 15, 2008
Many people are interested in the idea of owning and operating a small business but don’t have a complete understanding of what a small business is. Not that they are unable to comprehend the terms small and business, but they just don’t know what technically constitutes a small business. According to the small business Administration, a small business is any one that employs fewer than 100 people (500 in the manufacturing and mining industries) and annually makes less than $7mil if in the retail and service industry, $33.5mil in heavy construction fields, $14mil in special trade contracting, or $0.75mil in agriculture. It’s a very specific definition, but at the same time, it’s not a definition that quite coincides with the more popular, mom-and-pop notion of small business that pervades everyday thought.
The more common vision of small business often falls somewhere closer to the definition of a home based business: one man, and maybe his wife or an associate, working out of a home office, and advertising his services just to the local area. Whatever the business may be, the average starting entrepreneur is thinking much smaller than 100 employees and $7mil a year. Though he’d like to reach those numbers someday, it’s not exactly where he sees himself starting out.
If getting your feet wet in a small business that won’t instantly throw you in over your head is in line with what you’re looking for in a business opportunity, home business may have just what you’re looking for. And here are some excellent starting points in the quest for the right, very small franchise for you.
Home Inspection
A very lucrative field at the moment, home inspection offers many business opportunities for the right entrepreneur. With the housing market in a slump currently, people are as wary as ever to purchase property, so every time they approach a sales transaction, they’re sure to have an inspector right there with them to validate the potential deal. Two opportunities to enter this high-demand, low-cost industry are Inspect-It 1st and Pillar to Post.
Inspect-It 1st is the home inspection franchise with one of the best and most extensive training systems out there. After two weeks of in-class training, new franchisees are matched with coaches who spend the next six months helping them navigate the ins and outs of actually inspecting homes and operating a business. And because franchisees are generalists deciding whether or not a specialist is needed for further investigation of the home, there is no previous industry experience needed.
Pillar to Post, on the other hand, is recognized by many as being the leader in this industry. Entrepreneur Magazine has listed them as being the #1 franchise in the home inspection industry for the last 6 years, and their standing relationship as an approved supplier to the nationally acclaimed REMAX real estate chain supports their exceptional reputation for providing only the best inspectors/franchisees.
Consultancies
This variety of work at home business puts franchisees in position to make their money by advising clients in a variety of matters, including but not limited to business ownership, marketing, personal development, vacationing, and a host of other arenas of life. Two great work from home opportunities in this sector are The Growth Coach and Cruise Planners LLC.
The Growth Coach is a perfect business choice for anyone who has had previous experience and success in the business world. Of course, their training is so comprehensive that even newcomers can profit from this business model. Franchisees learn quickly how to help a group of clients better balance their lives, maximize profits and productivity, and live just a little bit better.
Cruise Planners LLC is another fabulous business choice. One of the most prevalent and successful names in the travel agent industry, this franchise business knows how to connect clients with the best vacation experiences specifically for them. With a national marketing system already in place, every new franchisee is already well publicized, giving them faster access to the almost 85% of America that has not yet been invited to take a cruise.
Sales
Some entrepreneurs are first-rank salesmen, profiting most from businesses that apply their knack for matching people with products or services. Small businesses of this variety abound, and can often produce a solid income in the right hands.
The Glove Lady is one such franchise. A van-based franchise business, The Glove Lady is almost entirely recession-resistant for the one simple reason that they sell a product that is always in demand: gloves and safety equipment. Driving a mobile showroom, franchisees move from client to client showing off their assortment of safety gear. This convenience is greatly appreciated by clients, and because the franchisee is a sole owner/operator, she (or he, if he’s a Glove Guy) makes her own work schedule as life and clients allow.
LTS Leaderboard is another sales business opportunity that franchisees take advantage of from home. Serving the golfing world, LTS Leaderboard has developed a specialized, "scan-able" scorecard and associated scoring software that make tournament scoring and recordkeeping infinitely easier than they ever have been, even adding advertising options to display the names and advertisements of sponsors. All of this brings great publicity for organizations responsible for orchestrating tournaments and great revenue for franchisees.
Working from Home
Small business is a term that covers a wide range of business types and sizes, so it’s important to know exactly what it is you’re looking for before you hit the market in search of it. Home based franchises are what many people are ultimately thinking of when they say they want to start a small business: something low cost, with minimal overhead, that can be run at home for the most part. It’s an easier way to start out and a great way to get your feet underneath you as you begin your business career. Take a look at some other home based businesses before you make a jump and decide what appeals to you.
Many people are interested in the idea of owning and operating a small business but don’t have a complete understanding of what a small business is. Not that they are unable to comprehend the terms small and business, but they just don’t know what technically constitutes a small business. According to the small business Administration, a small business is any one that employs fewer than 100 people (500 in the manufacturing and mining industries) and annually makes less than $7mil if in the retail and service industry, $33.5mil in heavy construction fields, $14mil in special trade contracting, or $0.75mil in agriculture. It’s a very specific definition, but at the same time, it’s not a definition that quite coincides with the more popular, mom-and-pop notion of small business that pervades everyday thought.
The more common vision of small business often falls somewhere closer to the definition of a home based business: one man, and maybe his wife or an associate, working out of a home office, and advertising his services just to the local area. Whatever the business may be, the average starting entrepreneur is thinking much smaller than 100 employees and $7mil a year. Though he’d like to reach those numbers someday, it’s not exactly where he sees himself starting out.
If getting your feet wet in a small business that won’t instantly throw you in over your head is in line with what you’re looking for in a business opportunity, home business may have just what you’re looking for. And here are some excellent starting points in the quest for the right, very small franchise for you.
Home Inspection
A very lucrative field at the moment, home inspection offers many business opportunities for the right entrepreneur. With the housing market in a slump currently, people are as wary as ever to purchase property, so every time they approach a sales transaction, they’re sure to have an inspector right there with them to validate the potential deal. Two opportunities to enter this high-demand, low-cost industry are Inspect-It 1st and Pillar to Post.
Inspect-It 1st is the home inspection franchise with one of the best and most extensive training systems out there. After two weeks of in-class training, new franchisees are matched with coaches who spend the next six months helping them navigate the ins and outs of actually inspecting homes and operating a business. And because franchisees are generalists deciding whether or not a specialist is needed for further investigation of the home, there is no previous industry experience needed.
Pillar to Post, on the other hand, is recognized by many as being the leader in this industry. Entrepreneur Magazine has listed them as being the #1 franchise in the home inspection industry for the last 6 years, and their standing relationship as an approved supplier to the nationally acclaimed REMAX real estate chain supports their exceptional reputation for providing only the best inspectors/franchisees.
Consultancies
This variety of work at home business puts franchisees in position to make their money by advising clients in a variety of matters, including but not limited to business ownership, marketing, personal development, vacationing, and a host of other arenas of life. Two great work from home opportunities in this sector are The Growth Coach and Cruise Planners LLC.
The Growth Coach is a perfect business choice for anyone who has had previous experience and success in the business world. Of course, their training is so comprehensive that even newcomers can profit from this business model. Franchisees learn quickly how to help a group of clients better balance their lives, maximize profits and productivity, and live just a little bit better.
Cruise Planners LLC is another fabulous business choice. One of the most prevalent and successful names in the travel agent industry, this franchise business knows how to connect clients with the best vacation experiences specifically for them. With a national marketing system already in place, every new franchisee is already well publicized, giving them faster access to the almost 85% of America that has not yet been invited to take a cruise.
Sales
Some entrepreneurs are first-rank salesmen, profiting most from businesses that apply their knack for matching people with products or services. Small businesses of this variety abound, and can often produce a solid income in the right hands.
The Glove Lady is one such franchise. A van-based franchise business, The Glove Lady is almost entirely recession-resistant for the one simple reason that they sell a product that is always in demand: gloves and safety equipment. Driving a mobile showroom, franchisees move from client to client showing off their assortment of safety gear. This convenience is greatly appreciated by clients, and because the franchisee is a sole owner/operator, she (or he, if he’s a Glove Guy) makes her own work schedule as life and clients allow.
LTS Leaderboard is another sales business opportunity that franchisees take advantage of from home. Serving the golfing world, LTS Leaderboard has developed a specialized, "scan-able" scorecard and associated scoring software that make tournament scoring and recordkeeping infinitely easier than they ever have been, even adding advertising options to display the names and advertisements of sponsors. All of this brings great publicity for organizations responsible for orchestrating tournaments and great revenue for franchisees.
Working from Home
Small business is a term that covers a wide range of business types and sizes, so it’s important to know exactly what it is you’re looking for before you hit the market in search of it. Home based franchises are what many people are ultimately thinking of when they say they want to start a small business: something low cost, with minimal overhead, that can be run at home for the most part. It’s an easier way to start out and a great way to get your feet underneath you as you begin your business career. Take a look at some other home based businesses before you make a jump and decide what appeals to you.
