Small Business Articles

Top 10 Computer & Internet Small Businesses

October 08, 2008
One of the factors of the modern world that has made home business so readily possible for the average Tom, Dick, or Harry is undoubtedly the internet-ready home computer. With direct and unbridled access to the rest of the world right from the comfort of your living room, there is, for many people, no longer any reason to waste the time and energy it takes to go into work at an office. And it’s not just employees who can stay at home; even small business franchise owners can run their operation entirely from a home office. For those who are interested in pursuing a career in this budding home market, here are 10 home based computer & internet businesses for sale that may be just your ticket.

1. WSI Internet

For 7 years straight, this franchise business has topped Entrepreneur Magazine’s list of the best computer & internet franchises, and more than 1500 franchisees around the globe would freely agree with their decision. This is potentially the world’s most trusted name in internet marketing consultation for small and mid-sized businesses, and the sizes of the various WSI Internet franchises are as varied as the clients that they serve, ranging from one-man, work at home operations to multi-employee outfits with their own office space. Whatever a franchisee wants to do, he has the room to do so with WSI Internet.

2. Nerd Force IT

A champion of the computer repair world, Nerd Force IT is an opportunity for a computer-savvy entrepreneur to begin an IT service business without having to start from scratch. With a full battery of training in business operation, marketing services, a call center and 24hr helpdesk for clients, and nearby technicians to help when business gets too heavy or you run into a computer issue you can’t solve, you have the opportunity to run your own business without ever having to go it alone.

3. Vehicle Tracking Solutions

There are very few companies that supply corporate car fleets with GPS tracking equipment and software, but this is one of them. As salesmen, Vehicle Tracking Solutions franchisees are in the business of tapping a huge market of companies with vehicles, only about 7% of which are currently equipped with similar tracking technology. And because business comes via sales to new clients and maintenance to old clients, there’s never a risk of losing cash flow.

4. L & W Investigations

Working from home from a computer doesn’t mean that you can’t actively pursue justice as a career, and L & W Investigations is proof of that. Working with insurance companies and law firms, L & W Investigations franchisees use the tools provided by the franchisor, as well as a team of investigators, to dig up the truth in cases of insurance fraud.

5. American Business Systems LLC

Medical billing is a big business, and one that often drives doctors crazy, because 30% of the time they don’t receive payment from insurance agencies, and even when they do, it can take up to 4 months for their payment to get to them. American Business Systems LLC, however, has developed a software system that brings the delay down to only 7-10 days and reduces the number of lost payments to only 7%. Franchisees do the work of billing from home, or wherever else they have access to a computer and the internet, and it won’t be long before the government mandates online billing, so the perfect time to get in on the business is now.

6. eSpider Squad

With so much of everyday life and business being translated to the internet, it’s no wonder that web marketing, website construction, and search engine optimization should be such a big deal to today’s businesses, but many smaller businesses haven’t quite caught up with that move to the web. eSpider Squad work from home franchisees turn that around by serving as the bridge between clients and a staff of central eSpider Squad web developers.

7. DVDNow

Vending machines are nothing new, but vending machines that shell out DVD rentals are, and DVDNow is one of the few American business opportunities that specialize in this up and coming business of entertainment and convenience. The beauty of the business is that it’s entirely automated; meaning that aside from putting in new releases and collecting deposited money, franchisees can sit back and let the machines make money for them.

8. The Photo Archival Company

If you like computers and photography, then this is the business for you. Clients hire The Photo Archival Company franchisees to take their old photos, digital pictures, and home videos and compile them into various digital and analog formats for collection and viewing purposes.

9. Virtuoso Music

This is where computers and music meet. Franchisees work within the local community to bring music instructors together with people who want to learn to play an instrument. They find tutees for local music classes, schedule appointments for independent tutors, communicate with clients, plan out community musical events like concerts and bar mitzvahs, and much more, all from behind their home computer screen.

10. Strategic Research Network

Companies of all shapes and sizes are looking for information. Whether they want contact info for potential job candidates or information on a competing company’s clients, it’s easier to hire an outside group to do the ground work than it is to have an in-house division to attend to it. And since franchisees who are a part of this home based business are the best at digging up information online, they are the outside group of choice when companies need some info-gathering.

All of these businesses provide great opportunities to make some money from the comfort of your own home with nothing but a computer and a modem. And the best part about them is the training that you receive. Regardless of your prior experience with computers, any one of these franchisors can teach you how to make your living the way they have.
October 08, 2008