With the persistent popularity of the Internet, working at home may be easier than you think. The following is a list of 20 home-based business ideas that make good money:

1. If you think old and used merchandise products have no use for you, then think again. If you are creative enough, you can make clothing, furniture, accessories and other decorative products with the use of recycled materials at home. You can reuse plastics and paper products, and should you need additional materials, you can always find something in thrift stores and flea markets.

2. Starting your online store is also an option. Start with your passion. Think of something that you love to do and move on from there. Whether you want to sell baby accessories or women’s specialty clothing, it is entirely up to you.

3. A consulting business is a good idea if you have the appropriate background or some kind of certification to assert yourself as an “expert.” If IT is your field, then enlist as an IT consultant. Long-distance communication is not a problem especially with the popularity of email and chat programs these days.

4. As long as there are people willing to spend money on their pets, there will always be a strong demand for pet sitters. All you need is basic knowledge of animal care solutions and you are good to go. You can charge clients hourly rates and negotiate multiple-day fees should the pet owners need to attend engagements out of town.

5. Blogging can be more than just a hobby. There are numerous ways on how you can make money out of it such as displaying ads throughout your site and writing unbiased reviews of affiliate products or services that you are promoting.

6. Another possible opportunity somewhat related to blogging is freelance writing. It depends on your choice whether you want to write topic-related articles, short stories or even ghost-written pieces. There is a wealth of websites that pay for these articles and they pay really good money at that.

7. Home inventory service can be a rather easy job. The basic tools necessary are just business cards, a digital camera and a computer. What you will have to do is to document a homeowner’s possessions for safekeeping and insurance claims in the event of robbery or natural disasters.

8. Normally, online network marketing entails becoming a distributor for a company that sells products. With this home business, you sell products directly from the network marketing company and convince others as well.

9. Outsourcing service departments to home-based independent contractors is the trend among many corporations. This is relatively hassle-free because the company will provide everything you need such as special computer accessories, software and training.

10. Because of their personalized nature, errand services are one of the most lucrative home businesses to date. You can offer to complete errands for working adults or disabled citizens in exchange for money. Usual errands include post office mailing, laundry pickup, grocery shopping and package handling.

11. Affiliate marketing business like eBay-selling can be profitable too. Here, you could learn how to sell items on eBay for friends around the neighborhood and take a commission for doing so.

12. Because many SME owners cannot afford a full-time expert, hiring a business coach is their alternative. In doing this though, it is best to start with local businesses, then expand from there.

13. Technical support may be the avenue for you if you are a whiz in helping people solve technical issues.

14. Bookkeeping may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but if you have adequate knowledge and the proper certification, then it could be a good start for your business.

15. If you love kids and teaching at the same time, then tutoring students in their home will fit you just fine.

16. Do you have your own camera? If you do and if you have a keen eye for beauty then photographing people, sceneries, events or objects can be a lucrative trade while engaging your passion.

17. If you are fitness-minded, then you can set up your own personal training business. You may start with training people in their own homes, or even produce some short workout videos that you could sell online.

18. Because the Internet continues to expand and grow, building websites is a great computer-related home business. Eventually as you compile a great web design portfolio, you can service larger business clients from the comfort of your home office.

19. If you have transcription skills and the necessary equipment, you can easily work  as a medical and legal transcriptionist from home for a variety of different companies.

20. Consider starting your own catering or personal chef business. The best way to do it is to target a niche by providing specialized services such as low-carb or vegetarian menus.