IF THE THOUGHT of trading your corporate suit for a comfy pair of pajamas makes you swoon, you may be more than ready to make money working from home. Being able to wear your PJs isn’t the only work-at-home benefit, although it does top the list. Depending on the type of work you choose, other perks can include:

• • Setting your own schedule and hours
  • Avoiding rush hour traffic and a dreary daily commute
  • Increasing focus and productivity
  • Being home when your kids return from school
  • Walking the dog in the middle of the day, or any time you please
  • Enjoying a healthy, home-cooked lunch instead of a vending machine candy bar
  • Indulging in daily workouts, yoga sessions, meditation breaks and even naps, either on the cozy couch or your even cozier mattress
    

How to Start Working From Home

So if you love the freedom, love the PJs, and love the idea of walking the dog in the middle of the day, your next step is to find a home business idea that you love, or are at least able to do, that can double as a way to make money.

Starting a home business begins with a business plan, a business license and any number of brilliant home business ideas that can bring in a steady paycheck.

7 Home Business Ideas

Be very wary of simply plucking work-at-home job leads from the internet. According to Christine Durst, co-founder of RatRaceRebillion.com and consultant to the FBI on internet scam issues, there are 61 scams for every one legitimate job.

Red flags for scams typically include any gig that asks you to send them money for information, promises high pay with no experience or requests that you stuff envelopes when perfectly good envelope-stuffing machines happen to exist.

Scams aside, there are still multiple ways to make money from home online with a quality computer and a steady internet connection. Here are seven suggestions to get you started:

1. Virtual Assistant

Virtual assistants handle administrative tasks that can range from correspondence to event planning, all from a remote location via computer or phone. Check out sites like the International Virtual Assistants Association.

2. Online Expert

Now’s the time for that advanced degree in folklore or years of experience in nursing to pay off handsomely. Experts in any field can make money from home by answering questions, writing informative articles or otherwise sharing their knowledge online at sites like About.com or JustAnswer.com. 

3. Writer, Editor, Translator

Those with a flair for the written word, in English or other languages, may find success as an online writer, editor or translator. Check out sites such as JournalismJobs.com  for writing and editing, or TranslatorsCafe.com for translation gigs.

4. Teacher, Tutor

Whether you’re a whiz at math, science or economics, online tutoring or teaching can be an ideal way to make money from home. Head to sites like Tutor.com for tutoring, or OpenEnglish.com for English teaching opportunities.

5. Virtual Coaching or Training

Turn your expert knowledge of fitness, time management or other in-demand know-how into a home consulting business.

6. Handmade Goods Company

From handmade soap to lanterns made out of upcycled Mason jars, the artsy-crafty type can transform working from home into a creative undertaking. Sites like Etsy.com offer online marketplaces to set up shop and sell your wares.

7. Vintage, Resale Business

Yes, eBay.com still exists. And it and similar sites are going strong. Clean out your closets and sell off yard sale or flea market treasures with a few good photos and enticing descriptions that shoppers can’t resist.

These home business ideas are just a sampling of the creative ways you can make money from home, set your own hours and enjoy the ongoing bliss of wearing your PJs on a regular basis.