One of the fastest growing trends in today’s digital and mobile age is the home-based business. With electronic communications and the increased use of tablets and smartphones, the opportunities for serving the public online or in the comfort of their own home are nearly endless. 
There are numerous industries today in which an entrepreneur can start with a small amount of money, a home office and the determination to succeed. Here are 10 of them:
Mobile Mechanic: One of the great frustrations many consumers have is finding an honest mechanic. If you like to work on cars and can provide good value for your services, there is a huge market out there waiting to be served. All you need to get started is a reliable car and a good set of tools.
Mobile Handyman: There is a huge need for home repairs; houses always have problems that need to be fixed, but consumers are often reluctant to hire an expensive construction or home remodeling company to do it. If you are handy, you can make a good living doing minor home repairs for those who need it.
Selling Products on eBay: eBay has been around for almost 20 years now, and it is still one of the most popular online marketplaces. The market today is crowded and there is a learning curve to reach profitability, but if you have a good niche product and some persistence, eBay can still provide a solid income.
Freelance Writing: There are literally millions of websites online and they all need content. In addition, many businesses use blogging to provide a continual stream of targeted content to promote their brand. If you have strong writing skills, this might be the business for you.
Cleaning: If you are good at cleaning, there are plenty of commercial office buildings and homeowners that will be happy to pay you for your services. Cleaning foreclosed homes is one of the growing niches in this arena.
Home Inspector: Virtually every home sale requires an inspection, and home inspectors can typically earn between $200 and $400 for each house. To get started, you will need to become certified, which normally entails a few weeks of school and passing an exam.
Loan Signing/Mobile Notary: Low interest rates and a strong housing market mean lots of new mortgages. For many of the refinances, banks and finance companies send a notary public to the borrower’s home. Loan signing can also be combined with offering after hours mobile notary services, providing consumers with a notary when the banks are closed.
Tutoring: This business is especially good for those with teaching experience or who love to work with kids. Absentee parents are always looking for ways to give their kids an edge in school, and your tutoring business can provide them the solution they are looking for.
Virtual Assistant/Secretarial Services: A growing number of businesses and individual professionals are turning to virtual assistants to help them complete the administrative tasks needed to run a business. If you have secretarial experience and are well organized, this might be the business for you.
Christmas Light Hanging: This is definitely seasonal work but if you can handle being out in the cold and have no fear of heights, you can make nearly a full-time income working just a couple months out of the year.
Tax Advantages of Home-Based Businesses: Aside from low overhead, another great advantage to home-based businesses is you can significantly reduce your tax liability. However, as we all know, the 70,000 plus page Internal Revenue Code (IRC) is quite complicated. This is why accounting and taxes is one area most experts recommend outsourcing to the professionals. To ensure that you are receiving all the deductions your home business is entitled to, it is best to start by speaking with a local business accountant.