homebusiness_startup_idea

1) Census Taker
Uncle Sam Wants You to help with the 2010 census. If you’re looking for a sideline business or source of income, especially to supplement things during these tough economic times, you might want to consider helping Uncle Sam. There is going to be a 2010 census, and Uncle Sam is hiring. For more information, call 866-861-2010 or visit online http://www.Census.gov/2010censusjobs. You’ll be paid on a weekly basis for work in your geographic area, and you’ll be reimbursed for mileage and related expenses. Bilingual speakers are especially needed. The hours are flexible and you’ll be given training.

2) Tax Preparer
If you’re good with numbers and have at least a high school diploma or GED, you might want to become a licensed tax preparer. Because of the liability of being responsible for someone else’s return, you want to research this carefully and make sure your training is appropriate. Many tax preparers prefer to work for someone else who carries insurance on their employees.

Those who have degrees in business or accounting, especially someone who is already a CPA (Certified Public Accountant) can command higher fees and instill confidence in potential clients, but others can learn what they need to be a tax preparer too. Training classes are offered at many colleges and training centers, and many are available online (search “become a tax preparer” on Google). The National Tax Training School offers a comprehensive online course in federal tax preparation (http://www.nattax.com/fedbasic.htm) for $795 that can be completed in as little as ten weeks, depending on your time availability (20 units that take about eight hours each. Choose your training carefully, because there could be many bogus offerings on the Internet! The training route preferred by many is to enroll with a nationally recognized company such as H & R Block (http://www.hrblock.com/taxes/planning/tax_courses/index.html) or Jackson Hewitt (http://www.jacksonhewitt.com/tax-preperation-school/). These have the added advantage of often hiring the people they have trained to work in one of their offices.

This career is very labor-intensive from January through April, so your off-season income will be much less. Therefore, this is a great choice for someone who just wants to supplement their income but wants to be free for other parts of the year. Some tax preparers supplement their income in the “off season” by offering bookkeeping or similar services or seeking clients with a fiscal year that differs from the calendar year. Licensing requirements vary from state to state, so check into this before making decisions. Entrepreneur.com provides a good tip for getting started: offer a two-for-one service to new clients. Charge full price for the first person and then offer services to a spouse or other household member for no additional charge.

If you offer tax preparation services from a home-based office, make sure that the area in which you work with clients or that clients can see is neat, orderly, and professional. This will instill confidence that you will handle their personal financial affairs professionally and appropriately.

Both H&R Block and Jackson Hewitt offer franchise opportunities if you decide you want to expand your business in this field and open an office that employs others to prepare taxes.

3) Cleaning Service
If you keep your own house neat and clean and are always noticing things you’d like to clean when you visit someone else’s home or place of business, then perhaps you’re suited to run a cleaning service. As more and more families have both spouses working, they don’t have time to keep their own house clean, and they can afford to hire this done. Cleaning commercial facilities can be even more lucrative in terms of what you can charge per hour, but you have to be willing to clean when the place of business is closed (evenings and/or weekends).

Entrepreneur.com has an excellent article for those who want to consider starting a cleaning service. It covers types of services, start-up costs, operations, income and billing, marketing, and resources. It is excerpted from a longer book (see Sources below) that is also available as an ebook: (http://www.entrepreneur.com/startingabusiness/businessideas/startupkits/article41426.html).

Some cleaning professionals say that they prefer to provide a job quote rather than work by the hour. This rewards them for being quick and efficient and ensures – for them and for their customer – exactly what the payment will be. Remember that a cleaning service can be physically demanding, and reliability is essential for your reputation.

See Sources below for some excellent articles that offer many excellent tips on getting started and running a cleaning service. They give you both pros and cons, so be sure to read them, if you’re serious about this. Start out by looking for work from friends and family so you can build up some references, even if you have to do a few for free. Pay attention to the latest trends in cleaning products and become knowledgeable about cleaning chemicals and their human and environmental safety. Protect yourself, and give your customers peace of mind by getting insured and bonded.

As you expand your business, you can hire others to help, but be sure they have the same work ethic and standards for a “job well done” that you do. Your reputation will depend on the job they do. Stand behind your work and make it right if a customer complains.

Cleaning franchises are attractive to some who want a turnkey system for their commercial cleaning service, even though there is more up-front cost. Two reputable franchisors are Jani-King (http://www.allbusiness.com/franchises/jani-king/11650897-1.html) and Vanguard Cleaning Systems (http://www.allbusiness.com/franchises/vanguard-cleaning-systems/11598628-1.html). While franchises can offer more initial support and usually include marketing help, many people in this industry find that once they’ve “learned the ropes,” they can manage better and more profitably on their own without having any of the constraints or ongoing expenses imposed by a franchise company.

SOURCES

AllBusiness.com. “The Top 25 Home-Based Business Ideas.” (No date or author given).

Borlongan, Josienita. “How to Become a Tax Preparer.” eHow Website (No date given).

Entrepreneur.com. Cleaning Service Start-Up Kit. ($69.00 or available as a downloadable ebook for $49.00). You can get a state-specific version. “This in-depth guide shows you how to start three of the most in-demand cleaning businesses—residential maid service, commercial janitorial and carpet/upholstery cleaning.”

Entrepreneur.com. “How to Start a Cleaning Service.” (No date or author given).

Entrepreneur.com. “Tax Preparation Service.” (No date or author given).

FunCareers.com. “Become a Tax Preparer.” (No date or author given):

Krkosska, Brett. “How to Start a Residential House Cleaning Service.” (No date given).

National Tax Training School. "Building, Marketing, and Operating a Profitable Tax Practice.” ($39.95 and included with the NTTS tax training program which costs $795.)

Page, Patti. “How to Professionally Clean a Home.” (No date given).

Page, Patti. “How to Start a House Cleaning Business on a Tight Budget.” (No date given).

Page, Patti. “Providing Excellent Customer Service in the Cleaning Business.” (No date given).

Peters, Fayolo. “How to Start A House Cleaning Business in 7 Easy Steps.” (No date given.)

Elizabeth H. Cottrell is a home-based entrepreneur, freelance technical writer, and owner of Riverwood Technologies, a desktop publishing company in Maurertown, Virginia. She is currently a staff writer and editor for IAHBE.