40 Ideas on How to Make Money by Working at Home

Whether you are looking for a part-time gig or an idea that means you can leave your day job behind, we have come up a list of ideas on how to make money by working at home.

Figures still show that many people have started looking at getting part-time jobs due to concerns about the economic outlook.  In the UK, we have Brexit looming too, and many are not too sure what that means to us.

Some of the ideas on the list are just that, a part-time gig that could make you a little money but then there are some ideas that with the right investment of time and effort they could lead you to having them as your only income required.  Our main aim is to just get you thinking and actually see what the opportunities there are out there.  If you also have ideas that are not on the list, write them in the comments and we can make sure people are aware of those too.

1. Collectibles or Antiques. If you know your stuff around certain collectibles, this can be a great way of earning money from your hobby.  I recently went to the Star Trek convention (I know, I am a nerd).  But the money in collectibles is immense and you can definitely earn some good money buying and selling via eBay.  It could be antiques, collectible trading cards, even classic video games are making a comeback.  So if this is up your street, it could be an option.
2. Car Boot Sales. This is an obvious one, but one that many might not consider.  Being a part-time job that increases your earning and means you get to travel a little.  My advice would be to consider selling specialist items that helps build you a reputation as a go-to person.  By becoming an authority, you can start increasing your prices.
3. Garden/Garage Sale. You would be surprised what you find when you start having a clear out, and if a car boot sale isn’t your thing you might consider a garage sale.  You could even engage with your neighbours to sell their stuff and split the proceeds.  You get rid of unwanted stuff and earn a bit of money, too.
4. Baby Sitting. If you know any parents desperate to get out for an evening, you could offer yourself out for baby-sitting duty?
5. Bed & Breakfast. Got a spare room and live near a place of interest or close to a student area?  You could offer that room up for money.  There are certain elements to this, including planning, mortgage lender and health and safety approval.  But, you could also offer your room out to rent via airbnb.  They have some great info for you on that link.
6. Host & Teach Foreign Students. Following on from the B&B idea, you could rent your room out to a foreign student looking to learn English.  The advantages here are they are not a long-term stay normally.  Which gets rid of the problem when you have someone renting your room who is a pain in the a**.   Get in touch with your nearest English language schools and let them know you have a room available. You can check for a list of schools in the UK, via idiom.co.uk.  You can make up to £200 a week, depending on your location.
7. Biscuit & Sweet Making. Everyone has a sweet tooth, and these can make you some great money.  Bake and package them well, you could try reselling them through a local gift shop.  You can also sell them via your social media.
8. Cake Making & Decorating. You will be surprised what people will pay for a quality cake.  Gem makes and sells cupcakes, and they always come back for the next special occasion.  Start out by offering them out to friends and family via social media and then you could start expanding if to want to.  If you are quite artistic and offer a high-quality cake, wedding cakes are big business and obviously an opportunity for you.
9. Catering. There are no formal qualifications necessary for catering, this is about producing and delivering quality food.  You might find it easier to manage the business with an NVQ in hospitality and catering.
10. Dinner Preparation. This surprised me in my research, but people are making money by preparing meals for others.  It looks like they need to spend some time finding customers.  But might be worth a go?
11. Childcare/Childminding. This can be a good way of earning money from looking after children.  But this isn’t for everyone.  You need to be able to care for other people’s children in the right way.  Have ample energy and drive to keep them entertained and you will also need to satisfy OFSTED criteria (If you are in the UK, check your local legislation if you live elsewhere).   Any adult who looks after other people’s children for more than two hours on any one day in a location, other than the child’s home needs to register with Ofsted. (this excludes babysitters and nannies).  It isn’t complicated and includes medical, criminal and domestic safety checks.   Nannies can actually look after the children of up to two sets of parents, in one of their home environments, with being registered with Ofsted.   If you fail to meet the criteria you could end up in court, so check here for the full list of Ofsted restrictions.
12. Computer Repair. If you know your way around a computer or the software on the computer, you could offer your services out to troubleshoot their problems for them.  Despite technology being a necessity in many ways, people are still not fully able to resolve the issues that crop up when using them.  Offer yourself out locally, and typically word of mouth will go a long way with this model.
13. Cosmetic Sales. In the UK, everyone will have heard of Avon. This will require you to be able to spend lots of time meeting and chatting with people and selling mainly via networking or parties that you would run in people’s homes.  You will need to be a little outgoing and be able to present to others quite well.
14. Data Entry. This isn’t the most exciting item on the list, but it can be a steady stream of income.  It also has the advantage of being flexible, as you tend to be paid by how many entries you complete and not the time you spend on it.
15. Become a DJ. Many DJs started out with it being a part-time job before being able to earn enough to make this their full-time gig.  It does take a lot of work building up contacts and getting booked.  You will also require the right equipment, a deep love of music and be able to cater for a wide variety of parties.  You could also consider being a ‘roadie’ for an established DJ to gain some experience and useful contacts.
16. Become a Doula. The founder of MoneyMagpie.com, Jasmine Birtles has said you can make between £12-£15 an hour by being a doula.  You might be asking what a Doula is?  It is a birth partner and post-birth partner.  You can complete a short course with BritishDoulas.co.uk and offer support to new mums, offering moral support, helping around the house, etc.
17. Flower Arranging. Catering to a local audience, you could earn money with flower arranging.  This brings to mind earning money from something you love doing.
18. Making Greeting Cards. If you love making things and have an eye for design, you could start making greeting cards.  Ask a local card shop what sells well, and ask for any advice to being distinct.  You could then start selling them via eBay or etsy. The only watch-out is be mindful of your material costs.  Look out for bargains as it can be more expensive to produce then it is to sell.
19. Handyman Services. Not everyone is great at DIY and are more than willing to pay a local handyman to help them out with that flatpack furniture or completing a repair around the house.
20. House Cleaning. If you are a bit of a ‘clean freak’ you can make money from cleaning other people’s house.  Whether you start out on your own or sign up with a franchise model like Molly Maid you can make money.
21. Ironing/Laundry Services. Set up your own local service offering ironing and laundry services.  You will be surprised how many people hate ironing and will hire you out.  It is a bit of a crowded market though, so do your research and check out what other people are charging and what for.  So, you can pitch yourself as unique.  If you do not want to go out on your own, you sign up with domestic agencies.
22. Sell Your Old Jewellery. You could go one of two ways with this.  You could sell them online via eBay but not necessarily get what they are worth.  Or you could organise a jewellery part to sell it.  There are actually websites that organise these parties, such as ounces2pounds.co.uk
23. Sewing & Alterations Services. This is becoming more popular as more people come to the decision it is better to repair clothing then spending a lot more on new items.  Definitely a local market thing, but word of mouth will do the trick for getting your name out there.
24. Leaflet Drops. This is an idea that can make you money and keep you healthy.  Pop into local shops or restaurants and offer to help deliver leaflets or menus.  Or check with local slimming world consultants, etc.
25. Online Surveys. Whilst not a great return for your time, you can earn some pocket money by completing online surveys.  Depending on the survey site, you can earn 50p up to £5 for a survey.  Our personal favourites are Swagbucks and Prolific Surveys.  Prolific Surveys is mainly universities looking for people to complete surveys and the returns are slightly better than Swagbucks.  But Swagbucks offers more than just surveys to earn money online.
26. Market Research. Get paid for your opinions.  Companies rely on market research to understand their consumers and you can get involved.
27. Musical Performance. Any good with a musical instrument or can sing?  People are often looking for alternatives to what everyone is doing, particularly with weddings.  You can earn money from offering your services out.
28. Virtual Assistant. Businesses are looking out for personal assistant to complete tasks for their business, accounts, etc.  You could offer yourself out via Fiverr.  By freelancing, you don’t need to be local to the business to help them out and most of the work will be communicated via email.
29. Become a Personal Tutor. If you are a part time teacher or on a break, you could always offer your services as a personal tutor.  It helps you out by keeping yourself up-to-date with the curriculum and making you a little money.
30. Become a Pet Groomer. People absolutely love their pets but aren’t particularly fond of the grooming bit.  Become a groomer and earn some money from it.
31. Pet Minding or Walking. On average you can make between £10-£15 per hour, per dog.  You will need public liability insurance just in case but can be a very lucrative market.
32. Rent out Your Things. It is interesting what you can actualy rent out nowadays.  You may have heard of renting out your driveway, but you can actually rent out your lawnmower or even a baby bath.  Try out sites like rentnotbuy.co.uk.
33. Scrapbook Making. Many people collect everything they need to make a scrapbook and then don’t go through with actually making it. You could offer to create it for them for a fee.
34. Website Designing. This is a very competitive market as websites have become easier to manage and create.  But you can still make money through this.  Fiverr offers you the ability to offer your services out as a website designer.
35. Wedding or Social Photographer. You will need a website and blog (learn how we can help you with this) but if you are confident about your ability then there is no reasons why you cannot get started.  Be mindful, it is competitive.  But if you are good you will find the business flows in and do your homework.  This is their wedding photos, they will be expecting high-quality shots.
36. Become a Wedding Planner. This might be right up your street.  If you are constantly keeping yourself up-to-date with current wedding themes and trends and like organising this could be a great way to earn money.  You will need a website and blog to get that exposure you need (and we can help you out there).
37. Submitting Letters to Magazines.  You can earn between £10-£200 for a good letter or photograph that you submit to a weekly magazine.  Women’s magazines are particularly always after a story to place in their pages.  Even tame stuff can sometimes get in…
38. Creating a Blog & Selling Ad Space. Sharing your experiences or helping people via a blog is quite a lucrative idea for making money from home.  Write great content, share experiences and gain an audience.  You can then earn money via selling space on your blog for ads.  Google AdSense is a good way to earn money.
39. Creating a YouTube Channel & Selling Ad Space. A similar path from the blog but creating videos and sharing them on YouTube and making money from advertising.  The more views you get, the more money you can make.
40. Affiliate Marketing (My Personal Favourite). If you are going to create a blog, affiliate marketing will earn you a lot more than ads.  If you have a traffic building blog, you could earn money from promoting products or services and earning commissions from when someone goes from your blog and buys the products or service.  This is an idea that can lead to a full-time income from home.

If you would like to see how Affiliate Marketing Really Works, then check out my guide here.

If you are truly looking for a way to money from working at home, there are plenty of opportunities in the list depending on your circumstances and time available.  But the reason Affiliate Marketing is my favourite is down to the fact that you can truly make money from something that you are really interested in or passionate about and see it build into a full-time business that means you can give up the day job and make it the only way you earn money.

If you have any questions or would like to know more about affiliate marketing, blogging and the unlimited potential that it holds please read my guide on how affiliate marketing works and if you have any questions please let me know with a comment below and I will come back to you as soon as I can and help where I can.