Emma Jones

The 6 most popular home business ideas

By the end of this year more than nine million people will earn some form of income from home. Here Emma Jones rolls the drums for the top 6 most popular home business ideas.

1. Mother & Baby products

From social networking sites for mums through to drama franchises for the tots, the Mother & Baby market was certainly alive in 2009. An eminent Professor from Scotland said he thinks many new mums start up in business because giving birth produces a chemical in the body that strengthens confidence. That, plus the fact that new mums and dads are good at spotting gaps in the market.

Some of those who have include:

Disco music for kids with Cool Kids Promotions.
Fashion for the younger person in your life from Design Diva.
Baby yoga and massage classes designed by the blissful MamaBabyBliss.
Everything you could wish for at the Twins Store.

2. Food

Many a business owner has turned a passion for food into a tasty business. Whether you're making it, catering it or refining it, there's plenty of opportunities to start a food concern.
These people have done just that:

Order Westcountry cheese from anywhere in the UK via The Cheese Shed.
Select Saltire rock and butter tablets from Granny Jacksons.
Enjoy the fresh taste and fine packaging of Belle vue tea.

3. Online applications

Noranking of home business would be completewithout referring to the whopping rise in the number of owners who have turned to the internet to define their business. Here's a few that Enterprise Nation has spotted during the past 12 months:

Watch wrinkles vanish and crow fleet fly away with this vey cute piece of technology from Photolate.
Upload an idea or beginnings of an invention and receive feedback from others. It's a way of using the web for the best in market research at Fixdit.com.
Meet, be matched and travel well with friends via Buddies4travel.
An online idea that came from a bad experience of having a car fixed is Foxy Lady Drivers Club.

4. Fashion

Create, promote or talk about fashion with your own business. Many others are doing it in style and earning a good income from doing what they love.

Passed down from the generations, Lily and Lionel emerged to sell unique and beautiful items.
Make jewellery at home and sell online to a global audience. In the delicate footsteps of Nakai.
Talk about who's wearing what and 'out' the latest trends with a blog or online presence. Just like Myfashionlife.com.

5. Professional services

This is the sector with probably the largest amount of scope for ideas and activity. Whether your talent lies in website design, copywriting or accountancy services, there'll be openings to offer your skills to the business community.

Friends and business colleagues, Tania Stewart and Juliet Ledbetter, start Mayfly Search in a niche market and with contacts and experience in their favour.
Internationally-renowned designs from Dinnick & Howells.
Work on press relations on your own terms - just like Libby Howard of LHPR.

6. Health & Well-being

We all want to look and feel good. Can you start a business that helps consumers achieve that goal? Here are a few home businesses that have.

Offering a natural skincare product and plugging a gap in the market at Pai Skincare.
Audiofuel aims to make running enjoyable by putting a beat into each step.
Natasha Dwyer launches a platform for hundreds of home based beauty consultants so they can promote and offer their services at ReturntoGlory.