The Best Work-From-Home Jobs for 2021

The Work at Home Woman is geared for U.S. residents, but we do have a post for Canadians, and FlexJobs has a great list of international listings.

• Huge List of Direct Sales Companies in Canada
• International Listings on FlexJobs

Need Extra Cash?

For some reason, surveys, short tasks, and odd jobs get a bad rap. No, they’re not going to make you rich, but they can help you pay down your debt, cover your coffee habit at Starbucks, or add some extra money to your savings account. To be successful with side hustles — you just need to create a plan and execute it. For instance, if you answer four surveys a day, and each pays $1.00, and you do this for 30-days at the end of the month, you’ll have $120!

• Short Tasks
• Focus Groups
• On-Demand Gigs
• Get Paid to Walk
• Make Money With Your Car
• Paid Surveys
• Paid Writing Gigs
• Playing Video Games
• Rent Your Stuff
• Run Errands
• Sell Stuff Online
• Sell T-Shirts Online
• Smartphone Apps
• Watching Videos
• Website Testing

Want to Bring Your Current Job Home?

Do you already have a job that you LOVE? Then bring it home by submitting a telecommuting, flextime, or job sharing proposal (and don’t assume your employer will say no until you’ve asked). Start by checking your company’s telecommuting policy; if there’s nothing in the manual, do your research, and write up a flex time or work-at-home proposal. Be sure to include all of the benefits to the company – including the cost to recruit and hire a new employee to replace you if you decide to quit.

Need help writing your proposal? Here are some articles to help you get started.

• How to Write and Pitch a Telecommuting Proposal to Your Boss
• How to Convert Your Office Job to a Telecommuting Position

Want to Be Your Own Boss?

Do you prefer to be your own boss? But you don’t know what to do, and you’re not sure how to get started? No problem. You can take many paths to become an entrepreneur, from building a business from scratch to purchasing a franchise or business-in-a-box concept.

Here are some small business options to consider.

Join a Direct Sales Company

The direct sales industry has come a long way in the past 20 years; now offering products from major designers and well-known corporations, the opportunities are endless.

If you’re not familiar with the direct sales model, here’s how it works. For a small startup fee, you’ll get everything you need to start and run a business from home. For each product that you sell — you’ll earn a commission. Most direct sales companies provide you with training, marketing materials, a website, and sample products.

Here are some companies with fun opportunities:

• cabi – Designer clothing, shoes, and jewelry
• Initial Outfitters – Personalized jewelry and gifts
• Noonday – Fair Trade jewelry, bags, gifts, and accessories
• Peach – Athleisure
• Sseko Designs – Apparel, footwear, jewelry, and accessories
• Stella & Dot – In-style jewelry, accessories, clothing, handbags, makeup, and skincare
• Tastefully Simple – Gourmet food mixes and spices
• Traveling Vineyard – Wine

For more direct sales opportunities, check out this massive list of companies you can choose to work with!

 Starting a Business on a Budget?

Are you working on a tight budget? No problem. Many home-based business opportunities and courses are FREE or only require a minimal investment. Here are just a few resources to get you on your way.

• 6 Home Businesses You Can Start With No Money
• A HUGE List of Free Resources to Help Run Your Home-Based Business
• Home Businesses You Can Start For Less Than $53

Need more budget-friendly ideas? Check out Chris Guillebeau’s book, The $100 Startup, where he features numerous case studies from successful entrepreneurs who launched businesses on shoestring budgets.

Become an Independent Business Owner

With these options, you file your paperwork for a Limited Liability Company (LLC) or an Employee Identification Number (EIN). You’ll then contract with larger companies to provide customer service via the phone. The advantages of this arrangement are you’re given extensive training, and you don’t have to find your own clients. The disadvantages of these options are you have less control over how you run your business, and your earning potential can be limited since you’re not negotiating your own rates.

• Arise
• Great VirtualWorks
• LiveOps

Become a Home-Based Franchise Owner

While franchises usually require a substantial startup fee, they can be a low-risk and lucrative way to run your own business. The beautiful thing about a franchise is that all the hard work has been done for you; you pay for the franchise and fees, and you’re given a detailed roadmap on how to replicate the business exactly. But because you’re working with an established name brand, you don’t have as much flexibility in how you conduct business since you must adhere to the franchise agreement.

• Baby Bodyguards – Babyproofing Business
• Cruise Planners – Travel Planner
• Decorating Den – Interior Decorator
• Fit For Mom – Fitness Classes
• Just Between Friends – Consignment Events
• Neat Method – Organizer
• Starz Program – Children’s Fitness

Business-in-a-Box

For a minimal start-up fee, a business-in-a-box gives you a detailed roadmap on starting and running an at-home business. With this option, you tend to have more flexibility, and you don’t have to build a team.

• Hulafrog – Online Publisher
• Kaeser & Blair – Sell Promotional Items
• KinderSigns – Baby Sign Language
• Property Appraisal Business – Estate Sale Business
• Pure Ecommerce – Dropshipping Business
• The Stork Lady – Stork Sign Rental Business

Start a Home Business From Scratch

If you’re up for the challenge, starting a business from scratch gives you the most flexibility regarding how you run your business and how much you earn. The downside is you’re doing it all on your own and figuring out the components as you go.

Here are some business ideas you can start at home:

• Bed and Breakfast
• Blogger
• Bookkeeper
• Career Coach
• Copywriter
• Craft Seller
• Event Planner
• Freelance Writer
• Graphic Designer
• Home Stager
• Personal Concierge
• Photographer
• Proofreader
• Resume Writer
• Social Media Marketer
• Transcriber
• Virtual Assistant
• Voice Actor

Need more ideas? This post has 99 work-at-home ideas to get your creative juices flowing.

Need Training?

No matter where you’re at on your career path, we have training resources and tools, like our career and business planners, that can help you get to that next level.

See these to get started:

• Free Online Courses to Launch Your Work-at-Home Career
• As a Parent, Should I Go Back to School?
• Best Blogging Courses to Supercharge Your Blog’s Income
• Printable Career, Business, and Blogging Planners and Bundles

Conclusion

So what’s the best work-from-home opportunity for 2021? That’s for you to decide!

There is no one-size-fits-all career solution when it comes to choosing a work-at-home opportunity, but I think each one of these is a good option.

Now that I’ve shared my take on the best work-from-home jobs for 2021 – I want to know what you think! Leave a comment and let me know: What’s your favorite way to make money from home? Or what type of business do you run?

Originally published December 22, 2016. Content updated December 2, 2020.