Posh Thoughts

If you remember, I posted about the money making ideas for women last September. Now, this is another installment of the other ideas from that long list. I will post the remainder of the list next time.

CACTUS CULTURE. Propagate, grow, groom and arrange native and exotic cacti for retail and wholesale market. Prepare little information booklets for each species.

CAKE DECORATING. Take orders to bake and decorate special occasion cakes. Retail through small, constant ads (“CAKES- phone number”). Offer to decorate bakery cakes.

CALLIGRAPHY. Easily learned by artistic person: work through ads and stationary stores. Print fancy menus, show cards, place cards, invitations, announcements, etc.

CAN ART. Make and sell pincushion chairs and other unique, decorative items from tin cans and bits of cloth. Write down your plans and sell kits with instructions.

CANDLE MAKING. Turn a hobby into a profitable business. Design your own line, offer custom styling, scents and special effects. Between orders, make standard items.

CANDY MAKING. Specialize in one or more types of candies that you can make in your kitchen. Package with you brand and wholesale to stores or sell through ads.

CANNING SERVICE. Preserve customer’s home grown (or purchased) garden products with your canning operation. Use your recipes or theirs, apply personalized labels.

CARPET CLEANING. With steam shampoo equipment, clean and renew residential and commercial carpets. Contact rental agencies, apartments and condos for wholesale jobs.

CATERING SERVICE. Prepare old fashioned, gourmet or special occasion meals for clients to pick up. Use insulated canisters to keep the food hot (charge deposit).

CERAMIC FLOWERS. Learn to fashion, color, fire and arrange ceramic flowers, both singles and in arrangements. Display them for sale; teach the art in your ceramic shop.

CERAMICS. Make ceramic pieces to retail, wholesale and display in your “school”. Hold classes, sell greenware, kits and supplies. Charge for finishing and firing pieces.

CHEESE MAKING. Make your own brand of unusual or gourmet cheeses from your cow or goat milk. Sell from your place, on a route to area stores, or in mail order kits.

CHILD PICK-UP SERVICE. Pick up and deliver client’s kids after school, theater, games. Pick-up, deliver to parties, charge extra to stay with them until mom returns.

CHILDREN’S TOWN HISTORY. Write and illustrate a booklet about your town just for kids. Sell copies to doctors, dentist offices, stores, hospitals and nursery schools.

CHILDREN’S BOOKS. With licensed equipment, “publish” children’s books with their name appearing in print throughout the book. Set up booth in malls for holidays.

CHILDREN’S ROOM DECORATOR. Specialize in decorating nursery and children’s rooms. Offer varied “package” motifs. Work with or through suppliers for a commission.

CHILDREN’S CLOTHING. Specialized in new (stylish and/or closeout) and outgrown children’s clothes, accessories. Alter hand-me-downs, “wash” jeans, monogram sweats.

CHINA and GLASS DEALER. Collect and deal in antique and interesting china and glass items. Buy at auctions, private and public sales and through you advertisements.

CLIENT LISTINGS. Contract to keep customer (or business) information lists: customer birthdays, purchases, credit records, price records, employee records.
MAKE-UP ARTISTRY. Make up women, actors for formal or entertainment situations. Offer classes for beauty or actor application and sell “your” line of make-up supplies.

CLIPPING SERVICES. Review newspaper publications for contracted subjects (wedding announcements, graduations, mention of client products). Sell to agents and merchants.

CLOTH LABELS. Make and sell small orders of fabric labels for small businesses and home crafters on your embroider machine. Offer lower prices for repeated orders.

COMMUNITY COOK BOOK. Publish a theme or organizational oriented recipe collection with entries from each family/member/department. Print and distribute for a fee.

COMPANION SERVICE. Accompany lonely, ailing or elderly people alone temporarily, on shopping trips, to and from the doctor, on short tours or when traveling longer distances.

COOKBOOK PUBLISHING. Publish a cookbook of your own favorite recipes (usually a catchy, interesting subject collection). Promote and sell through ads and stores.

COOKING LESSONS. Give gourmet/ethnic/regional cooking, canning, baking lessons in your specialty from your kitchen, or by appointment in your student’s kitchen.

COOKING SERVICE. Prepare complete meals at home, from your traditional or customized (gourmet, ethnic, traditional) menu to be delivered and served hot, or picked up.

COOKING, CUSTOM. An overseas treat: offer genuine American style home-cooking. Prepare and deliver (serve?) complete meals to parties, banquets and private homes.

CURTAIN LAUNDRY. Wash, stretch and pleat curtains in your home laundry. Be sure to learn fabric requirements and have insurance. Offer installation and sell liners.

CUSTOM COOKBOOKS. Assimilate, decorate (personalize the cover) and custom print (on computer), client recipe collections — into their own “family heirloom” cookbook.

CUSTOM HANDICRAFTS. Use your talents to embroider, tat, sew, crochet product for customers with limited time or talent. Make extra good sellers between custom orders.

CUSTOM CLOTHING DESIGNS. Paint, block print or transfer unique or custom designs on clothing for smocks, aprons or fabrics to be used for clothing, curtains or even upholstery.

CUSTOM KNITTING. Take orders for hand-knitted sweaters, stockings and sets (ski outfits?). Make more fast sellers between orders; attach your labels to all products!

CUSTOM TAILORING. Offer the luxury of hand made clothing: shirts, skirts, coats, uniforms, suits. Good service to add to alteration business when you feel competent to start from scratch.

CUT FLOWER BUSINESS. Grow and supply freshly cut flowers to markets and florists in your area. Offer a variety of seasonal or specialize in one (or two) greenhouse/ shade house grown varieties.

Several years ago, I was able to download several articles about how mommies can earn from home. One of these articles that I have gotten is about 200 business ideas that can be setup easily and done from home. I don’t know who the author of this article is since I bought the package as one. But whoever the author is, thanks for making this list.

Anyway, these are ideas only. Just like any businesses, it still requires a business plan before you could start operating it. This is not the complete list. I will try to post the others soon. So, take a look at these several ideas and maybe there is one or more that you can have based on your hobby or expertise. Enjoy your business idea hunt!

ADULT DAY CARE CENTER. Operate a center to look after elderly and/or handicapped people. Offer refreshments, games and activities and assistance but not “health care.”

ADVERTISING SPECIALITIES. With distributor provided catalogs and samples call on regular customers and supply them with custom imprinted pens, calendars, matches, etc.

ADVERTISING SERVICE. Arrange for the design, printing and distribution of advertising/announcement flyers, mail outs and ad campaigns for clients for fee plus commission.

AFRICAN VIOLETS. Specialize in the propagation and care of this popular indoor plant. Nurture, hybridize and sell when in full bloom. Sell accessories and supplies.

ALTERATIONS. Replace buttons, let out cuffs, shorten sleeves, turn collars repair tears for clothing stores, laundries and cleaners who don’t already offer this service.

AQUARIUM SNAILS. Raise red ram’s horn snails for home and commercial fish tanks. Sell to pet shops and aquarium dealers. Advertise in fish related trade journals.

ARTIFICAL PLANTS. Make your specialty artificial flowers and plants. Sell a selection of arrangements, baskets and special occasion creations; take custom orders.

BABY CLOTHES. Specialize in bargain-priced new and hand-me-down infant clothing and supplies. Offer an alteration service; take in trades to refurbish and resell.

BABY FOOD. Specialize in mixing, processing, packaging and selling homemade natural baby foods. Licensing and insurance required, dedicated work area strongly recommended.

BABY SITTING. Go to client’s home by appointment and stay with the children for hourly fee. Charge extra for two or more, doing housework or for taking the kids out.

BABY PICTURES. With still or video camera, arrange with the hospital staff to photograph newborns (with parents, nurses, visitors). Sell print sets to proud parents.

BABY SITTING SERVICE. Accumulate a list of qualified, bonded sitters. Advertise your service and rates, deliver and pick sitters. Collect fees and pay sitters a percentage.

BABY’S DOLLS. Make and attach fine wigs from client baby’s own baby hair to keepsake dolls. Try to get cloth from baby’s actual clothes to make similar looking outfits for the doll.

BANQUET DECORATING. Take full charge of banquet room preparation: theme decoration, seating arrangements, centerpieces. Advertise your service and list with Chamber of Commerce.

BASKET WEAVING. Design, make and sell a variety of your basket creations: plain and decorated (or with arrangements). Sell various fibers, plans and instruction kits.

BATIK CREATION. Learn this ancient process: dip fabric in wax, crinkle, scratch or melt design into the wax, then dip in dye. Clean, stretch and dry for a valuable decoration.

BEAN SPROUTS. Grow fresh bean sprouts on a rotating basis: have new crop every week or as needed to supply client restaurants, vegetable markets and retail customers.

BEAUTY AIDS. Sell general or specialized beauty (or ethnic) supplies in your home salon or by appointment. Represent established lines and/or sell you own brand.

BONSAI PLANTS. Grow (or buy) and arrange into attractive pots or arrangements. retail from your home, through ads, or wholesale to flower shops, greenhouses and nurseries.

BOOK REVIEWING. If qualified, read current books for publishers or agents. Write reviews to be quoted in book promotions or media reviews; work towards your own column.

BOOK SALES. Sell general subject or specialized books wholesale or retail by mail: through mailing lists or direct advertisements. Warning: lots of competition in this field.

BOOKKEEPING SERVICE. Provide a (even beginning) bookkeeping services to (especially one-person) small businessmen in your area. Expand to more complex systems and computers.

BOTANICA. Stock “magic” potions, roots, powders, candles, good luck charms. Print (buy) and sell related instructions and lore. Careful not to guarantee results.

BREAD SPECIALITIES. Bake and sell unusual varieties of home made breads: low calorie, ethnic, etc. Take orders for loaves fresh from your kitchen, deliver to stores on a route.

BRIDGE LESSONS. Give Bridge lessons in your home when you are qualified. Charge by the lesson, or course. Hold tournaments, award prizes, publicize students.

BROMELIADS. Specialize in culture of these beautiful pineapple relatives with their hauntingly beautiful blooms. Sell growing on driftwood arrangements for highest prices.

BUYER’S GUIDE. Publish and sell or give away your guide to best prices and values available in your area. As it gains in popularity charge more to list the businesses!

to be continued…