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What Are the Different Types of Home-Based Business Ideas for Women?

Sheri Cyprus
Sheri Cyprus

Home-based business ideas for women can be categorized into main types that include online and offline possibilities as well as service-based or product-based companies. Within these major categories, there are many different business types that range from practically no start-up costs to large investments. Some home-based business ideas involve part-time hours, while others may demand a full-time commitment. Within the different possible types, home-based business ideas for women may usually also be varied in their positioning, scope or target market.

For example, jewelry or accessory design, manufacturing and sales is a popular home-based business idea with many women. Some women focus on children's items, while others cater to a target audience of adults. One example of this idea for women working at home could involve creating a product such as children's clothes and selling them to wholesalers, while another business model for similar products may be self-marketed through a retail website. The scope of these product-related, home-based business ideas for women could be local, regional, natural or international. In terms of market positioning, these products may be promoted as either budget or luxury items, depending on the targeted consumer audience.

Dog walking is a home-based business that is easy to start.
Dog walking is a home-based business that is easy to start.

Service business ideas often focus on the owner's skills, training and work background. For instance, a trained cook may start her own personal chef business. Office and administration skills are commonly used in home-based business ideas for women. Transcribing medical, legal or general notes and text into official reports or records is a popular type of home-based business idea for many women. Writing articles or doing web design from home are other common business ideas for women who want to work from home. Typically, these types of ideas involve a low start-up cost, while the manufacturing business often requires a larger overhead structure.

Making and selling jewelry is a popular home-based business.
Making and selling jewelry is a popular home-based business.

While most women's, and other businesses, involve some sort of online component such as having a company website or even conducting the firm completely over the Internet, others may be done mostly offline. These types of home-based women's business ideas include doing services such as tutoring, dog walking, childcare, computer repair, personal shopping, errand running and home cleaning. Since these home-based business services are often only done in the scope of a neighborhood area, a website may not be needed, although some entrepreneurs may still have one. Women whose houses have basements may use this space to operate a business, while others may use a spare room or a desk set up within a room.

Discussion Comments

umbra21

@browncoat - A home based business isn't really going to need to specify whether it is being run by a man or a woman these days anyway. It will seem to the customer that it's being run by a website because that's all they're going to see. I don't think there really are any limits to what kind of business you can start, except for those you impose on yourself.

browncoat

@Fa5t3r - The thing is though that women won't be able to sell power tools as well as men can because men are largely the ones who buy power tools and they are more likely to buy them from other men. Just like women are more likely to buy baby clothes from other women.

It might be a symptom of a sexist world, but that symptom might crush your business if you don't pay attention to it and I think there should be as many successful business women as possible, so I'd hate for them to fail because the world is biased against them and they didn't expect it to be.

Fa5t3r

Don't think too hard about whether or not this is right for women in general. Think about whether it is right for you and your circumstances. If you want to sell cars or power tools or ad space or whatever, don't let anyone tell you that you can't because you're a woman. Don't let them make you think you have to only sell those things to other women either.

Yes, women are more likely to be involved in child care and need flexible hours, so there is definitely a gender factor there, but you know what you can do best and you don't need to fit some other person's idea of your ideal job.

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    • Dog walking is a home-based business that is easy to start.
      By: Mat Hayward
      Dog walking is a home-based business that is easy to start.
    • Making and selling jewelry is a popular home-based business.
      By: jameslyons
      Making and selling jewelry is a popular home-based business.
    • Transcribing, article writing and web design are all home-based business ideas for women.
      By: apops
      Transcribing, article writing and web design are all home-based business ideas for women.