Depending on you experience and education there are many opportunities to begin your own home based business that can put your previous job responsibilities to work for you. Many times people find themselves suddenly out of a job due to downsizing or the closing of a business and even retirees occasionally want the get out of the house, but are reluctant to seek a job with another employer.

Some of the hottest markets today are in fitness and exercise programs and people who have spent years in training may qualify as a personal trainer. You may also look at becoming a yoga instructor if you have that type of experience as many schools are always on the lookout for qualified teachers. If dancing is your forte, consider offering weekly dance lessons at a local community center to put your experience to good use.

Former managers and executives are finding having their own management consulting business can offer a good part-time income while sharing the experience gained through their years of experience. Finance, marketing and labor negotiating are a few of the fields that offer great opportunities. Management training on specialized aspects of management can also be used to form classes for businesses just getting started.

The medical field is wide open for many non-patient procedures, such as accounting, billing and transcription services. With those backgrounds it should be easy to have your own business offering them on a contract basis to doctors, hospitals and health clinics. If you are really experienced in transcription services many law offices use these services frequently and can not afford a full-time person to perform this part-time job function.

One job possibility that requires no special education is one as a personal shopper. Many busy executives are too busy to run to the store for basic supplies and are willing to pay someone else to shop for them. The challenge with this type of service is being on call as well as remaining non-judgmental about their product choices. You may end up buying everything from food to clothing as well as personal items and possibly birthday cards for each spouse, but since they are paying for your service as well as the merchandise, it should not be your place to criticize.

If all of your friends and family count on you to help them with their computer issues, you might consider a home business as a computer consultant. Not the 24/7 computer help hotline, but if someone wants to add memory to their system or upgrade their software you can become the expert they call to get it done.

If you have a creative flair, you might think about designing gift baskets for all occasions.

Advertising your line of work can be bring a surprise number of clients who want someone special in the way of a gift basket and if you can offer them total freedom as to the contents, you will become the person they call for their next idea.