Small Business Ideas from Home in India

Advantages and disadvantages of Small Businesses
From Home in India

The most obvious benefit of this is creating a safety net. It gives you a sense of Financial Freedom. Other than that, some of the few benefits of starting a small business from the safety of your home can be that it- 

• It saves precious time and does not waste it on commuting
  
  
• Saves overhead costs such as rent of a commercial property, electricity and supplies for your commercial space
  
  
• Increased earning capacity with the free time you have at hand and minimal to no investment
  
  
• Flexible working hours. You are your boss. Work as you deem fit and as your business needs.

While the advantages surely show a very compelling aspect of having a small business, they are a few drawbacks and for the most part, it is attributed to a lack of work-life balance.

When you have a business, you are the boss and you are the employee, which means you need to be available for your business no matter what.

This interferes with most of your routine since you need to be available when your client is available.

The less intruding and yet a larger chunk of the negative side of this choice is attributed to the isolation.

You would hardly have the time to get out because you are hustling to make something for yourself.

While that is a noble thing to do, it becomes monotonous sometimes and lonely for some people.

However, both of these major drawbacks can be easily managed with the help of little time management and regular breaks. Taking back a step now and then to relax goes long.

Small Business Ideas from Home In India

Let’s look at a few ideas that you can easily incorporate into your life based on your skills and start a small business from home.

The key thing to note while doing this is it would be low on capital requirements but would be based on your hard work and skill set.

That’s what would run this business for you. Now let’s get to exploring those ideas.

1- Beauty Parlor

This is one of the most common yet scalable ideas to start a home business in India. People prefer looking presentable at all times, so this idea would never go out of business.

For one thing, you need to have a knack for making people look beautiful and the skills required, therefore.

You can get training or lessons, which can be a part of your initial investment. Start with one thing and then expand your business into a multi-purpose salon.

If you intend to do so, the initial investment would be less than Rs. 1 Lac and you can easily earn 20-30k every month out of your establishment.

2- Home Baker

This is for those people who are extraordinary at cakes or find solace in stress baking. If you are always in charge of baked goods on any occasion, this idea right here is for you.

You can start a home bakery and even offer free deliveries or allow your customers to pick their orders up from your place, whatever suits your situation the best.

If things go well for you, you can easily rent out a place or get into catering baking goods for events to scale up your business.

Most of the initial equipment required would be available in your kitchen already. If not, the investment couldn’t possibly go more than 25k for a home bakery and you can easily make a profit of a similar amount every month.

3- Selling handmade clothing and garments

If you possess the skill to stitch the clothing or how to make clothing, then you can conduct a handmade clothing and garments business from the comfort of your house.

Selling clothing that you make from scratch, altering clothes and making clothes on order can be accommodated within this.

This would require investing in a sewing machine, tools and garments. The initial investment can be capped at Rs. 50k and you can earn 20k from the tailoring business at home.

Once the piece is ready, you can sell it into your network or create an online shop.

4- Travel Planner

If you are a traveler yourself and used to planning your travels in a way that you get through the whole vacation with a smooth experience without a major hole in your pocket.

You have got a knack for travel planning business and you can start one from your house itself. You can market to your friends and family group and charge a nominal fee for the itinerary preparing, research and booking that goes into planning your travels.

You can easily start by making Rs. 10-15k per month with this idea. Usually, this kind of business doe snot require any investment, but you can provide some discounts or offers initially if you are willing to invest in your business.

This could be a good work from home business ideas in India.

5- Affiliate Sales & Marketing

In this age of social media and digitalization, marketing through networks has become a big thing.

Companies pay you to market for them in your groups and you can earn a percentage of commissions on each sale that they get through your network.

If you have a digital presence or any skill that you can sell online, you can also make affiliate marketing a part of it and generate income.

Generally, starting an affiliate marketing sometimes does not cost anything except a registration fee.

If you want to get an idea in detail, many paid and free resources are available. You can bag an extra income of 15-20k per month with this.

6- Freelance Content writing

If you are good with linguistic skills and can communicate well with your audience, that is all you need to start your freelancing business as a content writer.

This might take up some time to blow up but starting and following through consistently is the key.

Usually, it does not require any kind of initial investment, except if you take up any paid courses to hone your skills.

Once you are handy with its basics, you can make Rs. 80-90k per month on average from your freelancing gigs.

7- Blogging

If you are into writing or have a field of expertise, you can start a blog about the same. If you are a traveler, you can create a travel blog with your experience and hacks, or if you are tech-savvy, you can create informative blogs.

You can earn per click with your blogs and use this network to chip into another form of passive income.

The cost of starting a blog is almost down to nothing, including a website and hosting and that’s about it.

You can create one day at a time and earn about a lac per month once you establish the same. You can get an elaborate idea with the help of this video

8- Web Design and Development

Well, if you know how to design or develop a website and can code, the world is out there for you. You can freelance your services globally, connect in your area with local businesses and create websites for them.

The initial cost for this is minimal pitching and website hosting and you can easily charge anywhere from Rs. 15k to 5 lac per website depending upon the complexity and extent of the website.

9- Tailoring Business

The tailoring business is all about making people’s clothes for them. The only investment you need here is machines and threads for the sewing part.

If you possess the skills, you can work from your home and offer your skills to your local folks and get paid for your skill.

With an initial investment of about Rs. 30k, you can go about earning approximately the same every month. The only key is to know your cuts and threads and that’s about it.

10- Yoga Instructor

People need mindfulness in their lives with crazy schedules and work life. If you are someone who can introduce them to this ancient form of fitness routine, you can earn approx. Rs. 1 Lac per month.

This business is highly dependent on your skills alone. There is no investment and high demand, which equals high profits.

If you buy supplies for your clients to set up the class in an open area, it would cost under Rs. 50k. This is a booming business, increasing demand with higher profit margins and easy to set up with a solid network. 

11- Wedding Bureau

Many large companies earn from our traditional arranged marriages, so why not you! People in India are anyway matchmakers.

They do this in their pastime, but this is your sign if you have an eye that can perfectly access good prospects when you see them.

This would require no initial investment since your office is right there in your home and you can start with your friends and family circle, providing them assistance with finding the perfect prospects for their offspring.

Based on how your clients value your services, you can earn easily a lac with this.

12- Tuition Classes

If you are good at academics and can explain concepts easily to other people as well. You can start taking private tuition at your house.

This is a very common business in India, where you can teach students from primary to higher secondary or even college students from your own house and get paid for the same.

Starting tuition classes requires an initial investment of less than 5k for the blackboard and stuff. 

13- Cooking Classes

Many people are always looking to learn a new skill, or even if they know cooking, they are looking to learn new cuisine or new recipes.

If you cook and are good at it, you can start teaching other people how to cook. The initial cost to start this business is minimal to zero.

Most of all, the pieces of equipment that you would need to prepare would be found in your kitchen, and you can ask your students to bring their own tools.

One can easily earn 10-15k by starting these kinds of classes at home. And this could be great home based business ideas in India.

14- Personal Chef

If you cook and are always praised for your taste, you can also work as a personal chef for someone.

Most of the pieces of equipment needed to start this business would be available in your own kitchen. You can cook for them and charge either meal basis or create a package out of it.

The initial investment to start this business is practically zero, and you can earn 10-15k or even more based on your client and their taste. 

15- Papad Making

The business of papad making is basically making edibles in an extensive amount and then selling them out to the people.

You can create a WhatsApp group or get orders from your local circle to initiate this business. The major investment in this business is your skill and hard work and the few basic tools available in your house.

You can easily scale this business or create a brand out of it in the long run. Initially, you can earn 15-20k from this business and then increase the revenue when you scale it.

You can get an idea bout the same with the help of this  video.

16- Biscuit Making

You can create a WhatsApp group or get orders from your local circle to initiate this business. The major investment in this business is your skill and hard work and an oven that is available in your house.

If not, the cost of an oven and some edible supplies would be the capital expense required for this business.

You can easily scale this business or create a brand out of it in the long run. Initially, you can earn 35-40k from this business and then increase the revenue when you scale it. This is the best home business ideas in India.

You can get an elaborate idea about the same with the help of this video.

17- Day Care Services at home

Today, most of the couples are both working and with the concept of nuclear families becoming popular, the need for nannies and daycare centers is rising.

You can either act as a nanny and babysit a kid, or you can create a daycare business at your house. The major skill required for the same will be if you are good with kids.

You must be aware of what is good for a kid and what is not because you would be playing a vital role in raising that kid.

The initial investment required for this business can be capped at 30-40k, which would be invested towards creating a space that is appealing to the kids and getting things to entertain them.

You can easily earn a lac per month and hire assistants to help with the kids if you are good at this.

18- Handmade Biscuit Making

Handmade baked goods are very popular with people these days. Especially after the pandemic, there has been a shift towards organic and homemade foods.

You can create a WhatsApp group or get orders from your local circle to initiate this business. The major investment in this business is your skill and hard work, and an available oven in your house.

If not, the cost of an oven and some edible supplies would be the capital expense required for this business.

You can easily scale this business or create a brand out of it in the long run. Initially, you can earn 40 -50k from this business and then increase the revenue as and when you scale it.

19- Chocolate Making

Homemade chocolates constitute a great gift for occasions. It gives a human touch to an exotic gift which is anyway popular and this way you can make it more special.

People create all kinds of quirky stuff like animal-shaped chocolates and heart-shaped chocolates for valentines or anniversaries, and they are ready to pay more for these kinds of stuff.

The initial cost of the business would be some home equipment and packing materials which should not cost you more than 20k while increasing your earning potential to make around 30-40k per month. This could be a successful home business.

20- Liquid Soap Making

Soap-making business requires little investment for 2-3 basic ingredients and packing material. You can also include stickers with your brand and create a homegrown business brand of liquid soaps.

No major skill set except networking would be at play here. If you have a circle of friends and family, tap into that and start your business.

The initial investment is usually less than 20k, and you can easily earn 30-35k per month with the same. This is nice small scale business ideas.

Conclusion

So, basically, you have a long list of options to consider if you want to give a try to a home-based small business.

Make sure whatever you choose, you have a clear idea of your skills, the investment and the potential for returns. This would make planning easier, and you can then

• go by about your business. The planning stage would include:
  
  
• Create a business plan that would work as a blueprint for you in this endeavor.
  
  
• Plan out the logistic quirks to make the transition easier.
  
  
• Do thorough research for the options you can consider and weigh in based on certain criteria to select the best alternatives.

• Make sure your selected option aligns with your skillset.

I hope you liked our article on Small Business Ideas from Home in India , if you have any comments or suggestions do share them in the comments below

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1. What business can I start with at home?

There are many small businesses that you can start from home, most of which can be created with the things you already have, with minimal investment. For instance,

• Freelancing business
  
• Tuition classes
  
• Cooking classes
  
• Tiffin services
  
• Affiliate marketing
  
• Drop-shipping
  

This is just an illustrative list. There are many more options to explore. Check those options here.

 

Q2. Which is the easiest business idea to start in India?

Depending upon what skills you have, there is a small start-up venture you can take up in almost all the fields of work. 

Travel planner, Wedding Planner, Yoga Instructor and so forth. If you are a marketing person, you can offer your services as a freelancer.

If you are a management person, you can start a consultancy service or become a virtual assistant at practically no cost.
 

Q3. What are the most successful small-scale businesses in India?

In the present digital age, the most successful businesses that you can easily scale to a global level are the ones that are concerned with digital technology and marketing. For instance,

• Social media management
  
• Digital marketing
  
• Content writing
  
• Photography
  
• Drop-shipping
  

People who are not handy with technology but want to start a side hustle locally can take up teaching a skill or a language, become fitness coaches or start consultancy businesses. 

These things require skill, and you can get a ton of such ideas on the internet.

Q4. What business can I start with an investment of 5000 rupees?

You can start freelancing whatever skills you have with no investment or minimal investment to advertise. 

If you have no apparent skill which you can freelance, you can always create a drop-shipping business with little capital and start rotating from there.