Home businesses do what they say on the tin! You can start up and run your venture from the comfort of your own home, without the need for a separate office or commercial space.
The benefits of running a home business are numerous, from saving money on rent and overheads to having more control over your schedule and work-life balance. In fact, it’s no surprise that so many new ventures came into being when we were all stuck indoors during lockdown. That said, just because you are bossing it up from your bedroom doesn’t mean you don’t have to comply with any relevant rules and regulations (for example food or premises licences).
The first step on this exciting journey is to find the perfect small business idea for YOU. In this article, we’ve curated a collection of inspiring and innovative small business ideas. So whether you’re looking to turn a hobby into a business, a problem into a solution, work from home or start a virtual venture.
The website startups.co.uk have put together a list of 101 business ideas, we have selected five to give you a start. A link to the full list is at the bottom of the page.
Dorchester Chamber for Businesses is a passionate supporter of new businesses and offers a range of benefits for £60.00 p/a.
1. Childminder
Kids. Can’t live with ‘em, can’t live without ‘em? Unless you are a childminder and then you can do both! A childminder is someone who provides care and education to children in their own homes – but hands them back to their parents at the end of the day. According to the latest UK statistics, there were 65,600 registered childminders in England as of August 2022. Ideally, you’ll actually like children, have some prior experience and a child-friendly space to entertain and educate the little darlings.
❓ See also: How to start a day nursery
🎓Qualifications needed: Childminders in the UK need to hold a valid childcare qualification such as a Level 3 Diploma in Childcare and Education
📜Rules and regulations: You will need to register with Ofsted (Office for Standards in Education, Children’s Services and Skills) and meet certain requirements, such as safeguarding, staffing ratios and a curriculum and the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) curriculum
💵 Cost: Start from £0
2. Home brewer
Profit from your pint. A home brewer produces beer, cider, or wine in small quantities in their own home using specialised equipment. According to the UK’s Society of Independent Brewers, the craft beer industry is booming in the UK, with an estimated 3,000 breweries producing over 14,000 different beers. Beer drinkers are increasingly looking for healthier, low-alcohol and low-calorie options so this might be a good niche to pursue. Many home brewers who started small have ended up in supermarkets!
❓ See also: How to start a microbrewery
🎓Qualifications needed: None
📜Rules and regulations: It is illegal to distil alcohol without a licence in the UK, even for personal use. In England, Wales, and Scotland, the limit is 100 litres per person per year for beer and 90 litres per person per year for cider.
💵 Cost: Start from £500 for a basic home brewing kit
3. CV writer
It’s like being a matchmaker, but instead of matching couples, you’re matching resumes to job descriptions. With huge amounts of movement in a highly competitive job market, people need as much help as possible to make sure their skills stand out to potential employees. If you feel you can tailor and tweak experience and expertise to be picked up by applicant tracking systems and showcase the key information that recruiters are looking for, this may be a good business idea for you. You could start small – offering your services to friends and family – and then build your clientele using their testimonials.
❓ See also: What makes a bad job ad? 7 common pitfalls that put candidates off
🎓Qualifications needed: None
📜Rules and regulations: None
💵 Cost: Start from £0
4. Valet service
A valet service provides a range of car-related services, such as parking, cleaning, and maintenance, to customers. In the UK, the carwashing and valet industries are worth over £1 billion, with a projected market size of £9.8 billion by 2025. With no skills and minimal marketing required, this is a great business to run from your home (or the street outside to be more precise).
❓ See also: How to start a car valeting business
🎓Qualifications needed: None
📜Rules and regulations: You should follow environmental and health and safety regulations, such as obtaining a trade effluent consent (trade effluent is any liquid waste that’s discharged into our sewers from a business, industrial or trade process)
💵 Cost: Start from £50 for cleaning products and equipment
5. Plant rental service
Yes, you read correctly. Plant rental services are a thing. A plant rental service offers the rental of indoor plants to offices, homes, and events for decoration and air-purifying purposes and is a great home-based idea for the green-fingered. You will probably require some suitable outside space though unless you want your living room to resemble a jungle.
❓ See also: Top business ideas: wellbeing
🎓Qualifications needed: None
📜Rules and regulations: None
💵 Cost: Start from £0
To see the full list of 101 start up ideas see: 101+ Small Business Ideas for 2024 – Get Inspired (startups.co.uk)
With around 100 members any business in Dorset with less than 30 employees can join Dorchester Chamber for business for £60p/a (no VAT).
