Five work at home job ideas
With over 4.23 million self-employed workers in the United Kingdom, working for yourself is a very appealing prospect for many people, especially if you don't get on with your boss!
Working from home and becoming your own boss offers you a career where you can work on your own terms and can allow you to follow your passions. Many people have turned a skill or hobby into a successful business, but if you need some inspiration, here are five job ideas you can do from home.
1: Hairdresser
If you have trained as a hairdresser but fancy striking out on your own, you can cut and style your client's hair from the comfort of their own home – or yours if you have a spare room that you can turn into a salon.
You can also train as a hairdresser by taking full or part-time training courses. Some salons offer in-house training where you could get hands-on experience while you qualify. You can then decide to set up your own hairdressing business on the side and build it up over time until you are ready to go independent.
There are also plenty of opportunities to rent a chair in a well-established hairdressing salon if you prefer to work in a more social setting. But no matter your chosen location, you will need to get the word out about your business through social media, local advertising and having a website or blog where you can showcase your work and attract customers.
2: Personal Trainer
If you love working out or playing a sport, you can train to be a personal trainer and run your business from home. You will need to gain a professional qualification, and first aid training is also a good idea. You should take out some personal liability insurance to cover you in the case of accidents.
There are plenty of disciplines to choose from, so you may want to offer yoga sessions from the comfort of your conservatory, a body conditioning service for new mums that want to get back into shape after giving birth, or offer targeted training to help people improve their sports performance.
3: Freelancer
There are plenty of roles you can offer on a freelance basis. You may have skills, training and experience in several areas in great demand by other businesses in the UK.
For example, graphic design, script developer, copywriting, building apps, web development, accounting and bookkeeping, tutor, childminder, social media manager, photographer, business consultant, and more.
4: Dog Walking
As a nation of dog lovers, we don't like to leave our best friends alone while we are at work. If you love dogs and long walks in the countryside, offering dog walking services could be a great way to escape the office.
You could also offer other services to boost your income, such as dog grooming, dog sitting, and holiday stays where they stay with you instead of going into kennels.
5: Interior Design
If you have a creative flair and an eye for beautiful soft furnishings and décor, this is a perfect work from home job. You will need to be able to work to a budget, consider your customer's needs and tastes, and deliver on time to be a successful interior designer.
Managing your data is also easy when you work from home. Excel remains one of the most straightforward and accessible tools to store, organise and perform analysis on your finances and business data.
Excel is an invaluable tool for millions of self-employed people. You can take a Microsoft Excel course online to learn how to use it and make running your business from home easier.
