Home Businesses

United States
August 4, 2007 1:16pm CST
Do you have a home business? Do you sell anything from home? I have always wanted to do something like that, but I wouldn't really know where to start.. The only slight talent I have is painting owls and I wouldn't mind selling some paintings online, but I don't want to pay to list them on Ebay (also, I don't think they would sell there.) How do you sell your products? Do you do well?
13 people like this
30 responses
@greeny (26)
• Indonesia
5 Aug 07
why don't you make gallery of your paintings? maybe there're many people would like to buy the paintings, you gonna be popular, and someday your paintings will be high class arts.
2 people like this
@venshida (4836)
• United States
5 Aug 07
Why not set up your own website and sell your paintings.
• United States
5 Aug 07
I think I will try to do that. Thanks.
1 person likes this
@Idlewild (6090)
• United States
4 Aug 07
Many people earn money as eBay agents. People bring them stuff they want to sell but don't want to handle the transactions themselves, so the agent writes up the listing, photographs the items, handles all the details, and gets to keep 50% of the winning bid amount. Lots of people in my area are starting up businesses like this.
2 people like this
• United States
4 Aug 07
I would like to do something like that for people, but I don't know how to get started. I have sold a few things for others on Ebay but it didn't really work out because it was for people I did not know online. One transaction was fine and I got paid. Another one did not work out. I decided to pull the auction because the person with the product (laptop computer) seemed sort of sketchy. They expected me to send them the money from the buyer before they would send the product and I wasn't about to risk losing over 2,000 dollars. They threatened to sue me and were acting actually quite ridiculous and then I found someone else who had been scammed out of thousands of dollars by the same person so I'm glad I pulled the auction. Sorry that was a long story lol.
1 person likes this
@youless (112091)
• Guangzhou, China
5 Aug 07
Home business isn't my main job. I sell something from Taobao, which is a similar website like Ebay. The competition is very heat, so I don't sell much.
• Philippines
5 Aug 07
hi! I think you can make free blogs and promote your interest and your items. There are many blogs that are free like : blogster.com blogger.com blogspot.com wordpress.com Or try search for websites who sells paintings and ask them how you can join or adertise your painting to them. Hoe this helps :-)
@xmichx (109)
• Philippines
5 Aug 07
I have a home business. I sell eggs and softdrinks for my neighbors. Maybe you should try to see what other talents you have like are you good at baking or cooking? You can make money with it you know and about your paintings you can try to find stores who will show your paintings off without you paying them.
2 people like this
• Malaysia
4 Aug 07
Hi WOOITSMOLLY, I suggest you to contact CLiane Luini(56 years old) from 4012 Landover Hills, MD USA 20784-2624. www.whyworkathome.unlimited She'll be nice to be your friend too. Me, michael
• United States
4 Aug 07
That link doesn't work :\
1 person likes this
@shelagh77 (3643)
19 Aug 07
Well owls are a very popular subject and you have lots of places to link to, Harry Potter, Mystic, Bird Lover etc. You could learn to photograph your work so that you could make your own website, join lots of sites such as mylot and use your own paintings as avatars to publicise your work. You already do the hard bit which is the creating. Very few people can do that. I would start with the concept as a hobby which gets you some income and then if you are lucky you can move onwards from there. I would also look at sites aimed at authors as there are opportunities for artists in the form of illustration and design of jackets, although most of this is commissioned nowadays. I can't remember where I saw it but it is somewhere in the "making money" section, there is a good post from someone who sells their art. I am sorry I can't remember the link. You have made the second step with this post, so the third step is to actually try to market something. Do you have a friend with a web site who would put the work on display, or you could get a freewebs site, the possibilities are endless. Could we please see some of your owls?
1 person likes this
• United States
19 Aug 07
Here is a link to the livejournal I have them on: http://merrymollymaid.livejournal.com The pictures are not so good, I need to take better ones.
• Kuwait
16 Aug 07
try having auction on your garage if you dont want to spend a peny on a place for your display because you should display your stuff for the people to see them.
• United States
17 Aug 07
Unfortunately I live in an apartment :\
@jennifer611 (2514)
• United States
5 Aug 07
one time I did telemarketing from home. I also used to have a store and once I brought a bunch of stuff home and decided to put it all in my living room and have a store right at home.... I made a lot more money doing that.. but then I wanted my living room back so that didn't last long..lol.. If I want to sell something, I use craigslist.com it's free and it always sells fast.. no fee's like ebay..
2 people like this
@MsTickle (25180)
• Australia
13 Aug 07
How would I get to see your owl paintings? I love birds and owls are a favourite. Can I see them somewhere?
1 person likes this
• United States
14 Aug 07
I have them up on livejournal: http://merrymollymaid.livejournal.com/ The pictures do not do them much justice and I am working on getting better ones. I have yet to generate any interest there lol
@cassidy22 (2974)
• United States
5 Aug 07
Technically, I have 2 home businesses. One is my Arbonne Business, where I sell body care, skin care, aromatherapy, weight loss and cosmetics. www.kristinramey.myarbonne.com It's an easy business to get started in, and there are no penalties, quotas, or inventory to carry. Besides, I like the products, they are 100% botanical and natural and never test on animals. So it's something I can believe in. My other home business is my farm! We just got started, but we will have fresh chicken to sell in about a week. By next spring, we will have a greenhouse full of veggies to sell too! AND eggs. So that is our other home business. I have also sold things on ebay, but it's more like an online garage sale to me. I don't make anything to sell on there, I just sell things I no longer need that might be of value for extra cash every now and then.
2 people like this
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
16 Aug 07
Maybe I've missed someone else's response but one site that is geared just for us artistic creative types is Etsy.com...they do have a few fees for setting up a "shop" there but not as bad as e-bay. Etsy is mainly for craftspeople and artists. http://www.etsy.com Another great place to display your work is with Singular Creation http://www.asingularcreation.com/ That place has a forum where you can mingle with fellow artists....I'm over there myself with my photo work
1 person likes this
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
16 Aug 07
Oh, ps...I have a shop at etsy myself but also just recently created a website of my crafts, and also have two websites of my photo work--hehe--rather busy..LOL
1 person likes this
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
16 Aug 07
Oh, ps...I have a shop at etsy myself but also just recently created a website of my crafts, and also have two websites of my photo work--hehe--rather busy..LOL
1 person likes this
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
16 Aug 07
sorry for that double post...mylot has been really weird with me...like not getting any email notices of discussions from my friends and so forth
1 person likes this
@touchnshine (2821)
• India
5 Aug 07
I sell online on Ebay site. You can view my shop here -- http://stores.ebay.in/touchnshine I am selling apparels & accessories and other wholesale items. I am earning with it and I am satisfied as well. I think you should also start selling on Ebay. You need to search for items that sell hot on Ebay.
2 people like this
@missbri (45)
• United States
5 Aug 07
well i do have a couple of businesses that i deal with. go here..http://makemoneyin07.blogtoolkit.com/ and you can learn more about the great offers. i wouldn't post them if they weren't legit.
2 people like this
• United States
14 Sep 07
Just wanted to update..Already my third check from vemma builder..if anyone wants a digital copy of the email I receive from this opportunity email me.. The company offers a real business..It's not a free business..You must sell or buy at least one order each month to take part in this business..They don't want lazy sales people..It's working for me;) Yee haw;)
1 person likes this
• United States
19 Aug 07
I do have a home business but it's a health product .. the company puts people in your downline..no work and you earn: http://telecommute.hereweb.com My products sell themselves..I try to visit health chats and join groups where people are looking for alternative medicine
@reinydawn (11643)
• United States
17 Aug 07
My husband and I have a home business. Right now we're just part-time until we get it going well enough for my husband to quit his "regular" job and do the home business full time. We love it and have met some really great people - as well as having some long-time health issues dissappear. Check out my website (www.HappyWithSuccess.com) and fill out the Get More Info tab if you'd like to hear more. I'm the only person that gets that information, so you wont have a zillion people hounding you about it. I also accept "NO" for an answer, so don't worry that it's a big pressure thing. I realize we are all different and we aren't all cut out to do the same things. Have a good one!!!
1 person likes this
@cipher2004 (1183)
• United States
10 Sep 07
I started selling scented candles.I knew that if they would last long and smell good people would come back.So what I did was use soy wax(that burns longer)and use a thicker size wick that also burns for a longer.I had some business cards printed and would give these to the customers.I didn't do so good at first but I knew the candles were good.So I lost money at first at the flea market.But now I get customers requesting certain scents and make O.K.money.
1 person likes this
@carissa765 (1097)
• United States
5 Aug 07
HI Molly, I have always wanted to be able to paint, but I don't have the patients for it. Have you ever done like portrait paintings? Maybe you can go to a fair or a fleamarket and try to sell your paintings there. And when yuou start selling them, print up business cards and have people send you a picture of what they want painted and use the mail that way. I really have no idea, I would love to work from home, but it seems like all of the online businesses are asking for "start-up" money and if I had that kind of money just laying around I wouldn't be needing to work on the net?! right? lol. Anyway good luck, hope everything worls out for you and you find a way to make it work.
1 person likes this
• United States
6 Aug 07
I am not a great painter or anything, I definitely cannot do portraits. My paintings are pretty simple, but I like them and people have said how they wanted some of their own so I figured someone might like to buy them! I wouldn't pay anyone to make money. Makes no sense to me. It's hard to find a legit place online to start a business. Thanks for the comment.
1 person likes this
@cassidy22 (2974)
• United States
10 Sep 07
Molly, have you looked into selling things on Etsy? It's a website sort of like ebay, but it's not an auction. It's meant for people who make their own crafts or art, so they can sell things. It's not for reselling crap (like I do on eBay!) Check it out, www.etsy.com. I've bought some cool stuff there, and you might be able to sell your owl paintings. as I posted earlier, I do sell Arbonne. Sometimes selling is just about asking. If you have something you want to sell, post on etsy, or get your friends together and have a little party where you can all show the things you make, and see if anyone wants to buy from you, and vice versa. I actually love Arbonne parties. I don't sell anything, I just share what I have, and if anyone wants to buy, they know where I am. Sometimes it's just about putting the product out there and seeing if anyone is interested.
1 person likes this