Editor’s note: This article was first published in June 2010, during the slump in Spanish home sales. The claim that only a few businesses specialized in home automation is out of date, as smart-home devices are now mainstream consumer products.
Although everything to do with buying homes has dropped sharply, in times of crisis alternative businesses spring up around home services, and these are in demand right now.
There’s a wide range of ideas, from the most basic to business ideas for the very near future.
These are still in demand today:
Home assistance
You can do this on your own, or set up your own business with suitable, accredited staff who have experience in domestic service, house cleaning, and caring for children, the elderly or people with disabilities. Businesses that have already built their income on this idea serve both individuals and companies, looking after the needs of a company’s employees. The advantage in this kind of business is that individuals will always trust a company that provides these services professionally more than a person of doubtful experience.
Renovation, decoration, design and maintenance
All of this in the hands of one company, which both offers its decoration and design ideas for the home and takes care of its maintenance afterwards. You can target individuals as well as residents’ associations (the communities of owners that run apartment buildings). Companies in this sector have also won another kind of client that asks for some of these services, such as furniture stores, offices and business centers.
The business of the future: home automation
Home automation will end up in every home in the world, and only a few people are specializing in this kind of business. Smart homes and offices are increasingly becoming a necessity for individuals, whether for comfort or for the security and peace of mind of knowing what’s happening at home while they’re away. And that’s without mentioning the conveniences these systems offer, such as closing a window from your mobile phone, keeping an eye on your home in real time, and switching on lights or music from inside or outside the house.
Other services in demand, depending on the area:
- Services for foreign homeowners.
- Restoring old houses.
- Garden maintenance for residential communities or town councils.
- Property appraisal.
Of all the business ideas related to home services, it’s worth stressing that the one with the most future potential will undoubtedly be home automation.
Further reading
- How to start a business with no money
- Business opportunities in leisure and tourism
- The mindset an entrepreneur needs
- Why new businesses fail
- If you have a business idea, how to make it happen
Featured image: Jan Prucha, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
