The directory

Sixteen ways to earn from home, sorted by what they ask of you.

We don't list pay. It swings too much with skill, place and platform, and any number here would be a guess.

Level 1: Light

Fits in the gaps. A few hours when you choose them, and almost nothing to buy.

Level 1 of 4: Light

Website and app testing

Try a website or app while it records your screen, and say out loud what confuses you.

Hours: Short sessions, whenever tests are open.
Schedule: You choose, but tests fill up fast.
To start: A computer, a microphone and steady internet.
Paperwork: Keep a record of every payment for taxes.
Who pays you: The testing platform, per finished test.

Watch for: Work comes and goes without warning. A real testing site never charges you to join.

Level 1 of 4: Light

Data labeling and AI rating

Tag photos, rate search results or check AI answers against a set of written guidelines.

Hours: As many as the platform has work for.
Schedule: Mostly yours, though some projects set a weekly minimum.
To start: A computer, internet and a qualifying test.
Paperwork: Contractor tax records.
Who pays you: The platform, per task or per hour.

Watch for: Projects can end overnight. Never pay for a certificate to get in.

Level 1 of 4: Light

Selling things you already own

Clothes, furniture, electronics and baby gear you're done with, listed on a marketplace.

Hours: A few hours to photograph, list, pack and ship.
Schedule: Completely yours.
To start: A phone camera and some shipping supplies.
Paperwork: Selling your own things for less than you paid usually isn't taxable income, but marketplaces may still report the sales. Keep a note of what you paid.
Who pays you: Buyers, through the marketplace, minus its fees.

Watch for: Buyers who overpay and ask for the difference back, or who want to pay you off the platform.

Level 2: Steady

Regular hours most weeks. Some setup, and sometimes a skills test to get in.

Level 2 of 4: Steady

Transcription

Type out recordings of interviews, meetings, podcasts or videos.

Hours: Part-time. When you're new, an hour of audio can take several hours to type.
Schedule: Flexible, inside deadlines.
To start: A computer and good headphones. A foot pedal later, if you stay with it.
Paperwork: Contractor tax records. Medical and legal work usually needs extra training.
Who pays you: A transcription platform, or clients directly.

Watch for: Paid training courses that promise work at the end.

Level 2 of 4: Steady

Online tutoring

Teach a school subject, test prep or a language over video.

Hours: Booked sessions, often after school, in the evening and on weekends.
Schedule: You set your availability and students book into it.
To start: A computer with a camera, a headset and a quiet corner.
Paperwork: Some platforms want a degree or teaching background. Working with kids often means a background check.
Who pays you: A tutoring platform, or families directly.

Watch for: Anyone charging a placement fee to match you with students.

Level 2 of 4: Steady

Virtual assistance

Email, scheduling, data entry and everyday admin for small businesses.

Hours: Usually a set number of hours a week per client.
Schedule: Partly yours, partly your clients' business hours.
To start: A computer and whatever software your clients already use.
Paperwork: Contractor tax records and a simple written agreement with each client.
Who pays you: Your clients, directly or through a freelance platform.

Watch for: A new client who mails you a check for equipment and asks you to send some of it back.

Level 2 of 4: Steady

Customer service from home

Answering calls, chats or emails for a company, usually as an employee.

Hours: Scheduled shifts, often including evenings and weekends.
Schedule: Set by the employer.
To start: A quiet room and wired internet. Some companies send the equipment.
Paperwork: A normal job application, and sometimes a background check.
Who pays you: The employer, through payroll.

Watch for: A real employer doesn't charge you for training, software or a starter kit.

Level 2 of 4: Steady

Proofreading and editing

Catching errors in other people's writing, or editing it so it reads clearly.

Hours: Project by project.
Schedule: Flexible, inside deadlines.
To start: A computer and a style guide or two.
Paperwork: Contractor tax records and a short agreement per client.
Who pays you: Clients directly, or a freelance platform.

Watch for: A free test edit that turns out to be the whole job.

Level 2 of 4: Steady

Print-on-demand designs

You make the designs. A print company makes and ships the shirt, mug or poster when someone orders.

Hours: Designing, listing and getting the word out.
Schedule: Yours.
To start: Design software and a few sample orders to check the quality.
Paperwork: Sales tax may apply in your state. You can't use logos, characters or phrases someone else owns.
Who pays you: Customers, minus the printer's cost and the platform's fees.

Watch for: Copyright and trademark complaints can close a shop with little warning.

Level 3: Hands-on

Customers, stock or animals in the picture, so your week bends around them.

Level 3 of 4: Hands-on

Handmade goods

Making and selling crafts, art, candles, jewelry or clothing through an online shop.

Hours: Making, photographing, listing, packing and answering messages.
Schedule: Yours, until orders arrive with shipping deadlines.
To start: Materials, a little stock, shipping supplies and shop fees.
Paperwork: Sales tax may apply. Anything made for children has federal safety testing rules, and cosmetics have labeling rules.
Who pays you: Customers, through the shop platform, minus fees.

Watch for: Selling kids' products before you know the testing rules.

Level 3 of 4: Hands-on

Reselling

Buying at thrift stores, yard sales or clearance racks, and selling online for more.

Hours: Sourcing trips, plus listing, packing and shipping.
Schedule: Yours, though shipping deadlines add up.
To start: Money for your first stock, and somewhere to keep it.
Paperwork: Profit is taxable income, and your state may require a sales tax permit.
Who pays you: Buyers, through marketplaces.

Watch for: Pallets and mystery lots sold with profit promises.

Level 3 of 4: Hands-on

Bookkeeping

Keeping the books for small businesses: recording income and expenses and matching them to bank statements.

Hours: Steady monthly work per client, heavier around tax deadlines.
Schedule: Mostly yours, with monthly deadlines.
To start: Bookkeeping software, and training if you're new to it.
Paperwork: A written agreement with each client. Ask an insurer about liability coverage.
Who pays you: Clients, usually every month.

Watch for: You'll hold other people's financial information, so keep it locked down.

Level 3 of 4: Hands-on

Pet boarding and daycare at home

Dogs or cats staying at your place while their owners work or travel.

Hours: Around the clock while a pet is staying.
Schedule: Set by owners' work and travel dates.
To start: A safe, secure space, supplies and insurance.
Paperwork: Many cities, landlords and homeowners associations have rules about caring for animals for pay. Check them first.
Who pays you: Owners, directly or through a booking app.

Watch for: Bites and escapes. Get insurance that covers other people's pets.

Level 4: Running a business

Licenses, inspections or real startup money. The most control and the most responsibility.

Level 4 of 4: Running a business

Child care in your home

Looking after other people's children in your home during the work day.

Hours: Full days, built around parents' jobs.
Schedule: Set by parents' work schedules.
To start: Safety equipment, supplies, and any changes your home needs to pass inspection.
Paperwork: Most states license home child care once you look after more than a few children who aren't related to you. The number varies, so call your state's child care licensing office before you start.
Who pays you: Parents, sometimes with help from a state child care program.

Watch for: Starting before you know whether you need a license.

Level 4 of 4: Running a business

Home bakery and cottage food

Selling baked goods, jams, candy or other foods made in your own kitchen.

Hours: Baking, packaging, labeling and selling at markets or online.
Schedule: Orders and market days.
To start: Ingredients, packaging, printed labels and possibly a permit fee.
Paperwork: Your state's cottage food law decides which foods you can sell from home, where you can sell them and what the label must say. The rules vary a lot.
Who pays you: Customers, directly or at markets.

Watch for: Foods that need refrigeration often aren't allowed under cottage food rules.

Level 4 of 4: Running a business

Your own online store

Buying products wholesale or making them in volume, and selling from a store you run.

Hours: Close to a full-time job once it grows.
Schedule: Set by customers, suppliers and shipping.
To start: Inventory, a website, storage and a shipping setup.
Paperwork: Usually a business registration, a sales tax permit, product rules and a separate business bank account.
Who pays you: Customers, directly.

Watch for: Done-for-you store packages that cost thousands and promise sales.

Looking at something that isn't here?

Tell us what it is, and we'll look at it the same way: who pays, what it takes, what to watch for. hello@homebusinessstarterkit.com

Rules differ by state, county and city. Check the local rules before you start anything at level 3 or 4.