With ever advancing computer technology more entrepreneurs are looking to start their own business based around their laptop or computer. For some people a computer based business can bring the freedom that other jobs cannot offer because they can run their business from anywhere in the world with access to a computer. However for a lot of people computers are seen as a profitable business area from their home.

Computers are everywhere these days. Houses, schools, hospitals and cafes all of these use computers on a day-to-day basis which means that their are plenty of chance for you to take advantage of these and build a profitable business. Furthermore computers are becoming more affordable and easy to use for everyone these days so costs are usually not a lot. In this post i am going to share five computer based business ideas.

Computer maintenance

This is usually the obvious business idea that people think of when you mention a computer based business but with the amount of computers we use growing all of the time their is becoming an ever growing market for computer repair. To start a computer repair business you are going to need a background in computing and know how to detect faults and replace faulty hardware. Furthermore you are also going to need a method of transportation for when you visit customers at home and work.

When starting a computer maintenance business you need to decide who your target market is going to be. Individuals or businesses. There is also going to be a need for computer repair and maintenance but businesses often have more money to spend on this than individuals.

Blogging

A lot of people will not actually believe that blogging can be a profitable business but for some bloggers they can make loads of money every month and work anywhere in the world from their computer. At the start it is unlikely you are going to make money for  a good few months as you grow your blog and build your audience. However soon enough all of your hard work will pay off.

There are a lot of ways that you can make money from a blog and you could eventually create a passive income. here are some of the top ways to make money blogging

• Advertising- Advertisers are always looking for new places to advertise and by placing adverts on your blog they can often reach a target audience that are actually interested in their product. You can charge a monthly amount for advertisers to have a placement on your blog or you can use services such as Google Ad sense which place advertisements for you.
• Product sales – A blog is a great place to sell your own product as you have a targeted audience that are going to want to buy your product if they enjoy reading your blog
• Affiliate marketing – This involves convincing your readers to buy someones products and you get paid commission. Writing reviews and posting an affiliate link in the review is usually a good choice.

Computer training

Computer training is becoming more needed all of the time as businesses and individuals need to learn how to use more programs and features of a computer. You will most likely need to have some sort of background in teaching as well as being an advanced I.T user in order to be able to teach pupils.Your main expenses are going to be the cost of a premises if you plan to run a weekly class and advertising. However by doing most of your advertising online through your own website you will be able to save on the cost of advertising.

Web design

Website design and development has been a popular niche for many years now as businesses chose to move their operations online and need a website setup. If you have a talent for designing websites then you can often charge a premium price and work from home if you want. Advertising is usually done through your own website so making sure that you have a killer website set-up is crucial. However with the rise of do-it-yourself websites you are only going to be appealing to larger companies these days as small business owners often tend to attempt to design their own website.

Social Media consultant/management

Twitter and Facebook are just two of some of the social networks out their that you can find most people on today. This last year has seen a huge increase in social networking from businesses and for a lot of businesses they hire an expert to take care of their social media profiles by promoting their products and answering customers questions. This rather new business idea often has little expenses and you can run it from the comfort of your home.  To do this you are obviously going to need to be an expert in social media and online marketing.