Turning your home into a money-maker

Do you spend a lot of time home and wish you could have something to boost your income or create an alternative income source. Perhaps it is an idea that could make up for free space in your house or home. Here are some home-based businesses you could venture into in no particular order;

Website business
All you will need is a work-desk and a personal computer. We live in an information age, the future enterprenuers are those who can provide people with the right information at the right time. The greatest task lies in generating traffic, advertisements will flow. In a matter of time, you could be reaping big.
Steven Mukasa, the Team Leader at www.bigeye.ug, an entertainment website, says “One needs to buy a domain name at around Shs80,000 and pay for hosting and a website designer.”
He advises that using a social media platform can help one to grow traffic faster. The secret is specialising in something. For example, managing a website that talks about money and provides adequate information about the subject.

Landscaping and gardenning
In our compounds is space that is lying redundant, one can plant vegetables and other foods like tomatoes and onions which they can then sell to neighbours or in a market. Florence Ndagire suggests rearing chicken and simply setting up a poultry house in one corner of the compound. “Instead of just planting trees, one can plant fruit trees like mango, avocado and jack-fruit trees that would spice up the compound yet provide food and a source of income.”

Retail shop
Many have their homes bordering pathways or roads. By building an extension to the fence, one can set up a mini-supermarket or a simple retail shop that can boost the family income. During holidays, the children can also get to engage in the business which helps them develop business skills that are rarely acquired in school. With a home-based retail shop, you get to save on rent and thus maximize business profits.

Hostel rooms
Our houses have that room that goes underutilised. In case you happen to have a home in places like Kyambogo, Makerere, Nkumba or Kansanga to mention but a few, you can redesign a redundant room into a hostel room. This will see you reaping more than Shs200,000 a month and thus boost your income. Take the example of James Kabuye whose house in Banda was partly redesigned into a hostel thus helping him earn more that what his job pays him. “The only demerit to it is a slight increase in water and electricity bills,” he notes.

Coaching business
With the banning of holiday classes at schools, you can venture into coaching the children in your neighborhood at a daily fee. A good number of us have that subject which we can teach someone anywhere at anytime. Perhaps one of your children who is on vaccation is good at maths, he can utilise a reading room for teaching other continuing students during holidays thus keeping him occupied and helping him earn something. These days coaching goes for around Shs20,000 a week per subject. This job suits primary school teachers mostly and those with lags during their week.

Washing bay, night parking
By choosing to utilise space at your home, you can set up a washing bay and night-parking yard of sorts. All you will need to do is employ two night-watchmen at a monthly cost of only Shs200,000. Night-parking costs an average of Shs20,000 which accumulates to Shs600,000 for a period of 30 days for a single car. With an average of 10 cars per day, you may be earning in millions per month. On the other-hand, your household members can get involved in the washing bay business which could see them relieve you of many costs that are personal to each of them.

Freelancing
As I write this article on my laptop, I am in my room taking momentary naps, speaking to sources as my friend, on the other side is doing data entry for an organisation in Sweden. With a few self-taught skills, you can utilize your free time at home to help you earn money. Erias Wasiike is one of those freelance data entrants. “I simply applied online, took a few tests and began work after two weeks, now I earn over $50 per assignment.”
The most important factor with online free-lancing is having an internet connection which is no-longer a problem for an average Ugandan. Other online free-lance businesses include buying items on ebay, paying through pay-pal and having them delivered at your home address before you re-sell them at higher prices. A laptop battery on e-bay goes for only $30 shipping inclusive yet in Ugandan shops it is over $200,000.
These home business are just one of the many businesses you can venture into at home. Look all around your home and house and think harder. These ideas serve only to tickle your brain and make you jump out of the rat race of working for money and instead letting money work for you.