Over the past few years, a lot of people have changed their career to one where they can work from home, or at least limit their travel. This cuts down on carbon emissions and helps them to live more economically.
Many of the choices involve becoming a freelancer or some form of online retail (often using Amazon or eBay), but some are not so common or simply jobs you don’t often hear about.
These aren’t for everybody and if you prefer something a little more left-field (and your home is larger than average), here are three very unusual stays at home business ideas that you might want to consider for yourself:
#1 Bed and breakfast
Opening up a bed and breakfast can be a rewarding and successful business to run. It can be great fun, especially if all of the family join in and play their part.
However, this kind of business thrives on keeping the rooms filled, so if the supply of guests dries up, it can be very expensive to maintain. Food, staff, and the upkeep of the building itself can be difficult to maintain.
There is also the problem that if you are in a town or city, people are more likely to choose a hotel over a bed and breakfast, even if the rates of a B+B are statistically higher by 9.6%.
Related: How to Start a Food Delivery Business from Home
#2 Live-in nurses or carers
Live-in nurses or carers aren’t something that we hear about very often. In fact, many people don’t realize that such a service exists, yet in 2015 1.3 million seniors were in a care home or a hospice.
Live-in carers and nurses both need access to high-quality care home supplies to make their job easier and help alleviate some of the stress of living with somebody who requires twenty-four-hour care in their own home.
Apart from improving the efficiency of their work, it also helps them handle the patients more safely and with care and ease. And in the case of purpose-built equipment, it can be easy to disassemble and clean quickly.
#3 Pet sitter
Being a pet sitter can be very rewarding. Dogs, cats, rabbits, and even birds like budgerigars and cockatoos, can all be left with you while their owners go on holiday. Or if they know they are going to have a long day at work and they don’t want their loving companion left on their own for too long.
However, as rewarding as this kind of work is, it also has its challenges. Some of your guests may be unfriendly or may not get along with any of your own pets. (They might even be nervous and too scared to spend time with the rest of the animals).
This can be distressing for both you and your two or four-legged guest, as you may feel like you are failing as a carer to keep your client’s pet happy. Despite this, it is very much an in-demand service, especially if you live in a city or town where there might be a lot of busy pet owners.