Proofreader
Startup Costs: $2,000 - $10,000
Home Based: Can be operated from home.
Part Time: Can be operated part-time.
Franchises Available? Yes
Online Operation? Yes
The written word makes the world go round. It's what businesses, associations and organizations of every description use to educate their target audiences, potential clients and existing customers. The problem is that most people view any sort of writing assignment with the sort of dread reserved for high school civics term papers, and if they do manage to crank out written material, their grammar and spelling may be less than perfect. We've all been to restaurants where there are glaring typos in the menus, or received brochures with myriad spelling mistakes. That's where you come in. If you're an all-star at spelling, punctuation and grammar, starting a business as a proofreader could be the business for you. You can proof direct-mail pieces, annual reports, product information pamphlets, press released, grant proposals, mail order catalogs, marketing materials, menus and more. The advantages to this business are that you're always working on something different, each project gets wrapped up fairly quickly and there's no time for tedium.
The Market
Your clients can come from all walks of life, including businesses and nonprofit organizations. Solicit projects by networking in professional and trade organizations'especially in fields where you already have experience'and by asking for work and/or references from present or former colleagues and employers. Establish relationships with graphic designers, public relations agencies, and printers who can refer their clients to you.
Needed Equipment
All that's really necessary is a computer, a laser printer and a fax machine. You should also have a good word-processing software, and a reference library including a heavy-duty dictionary, thesaurus, encyclopedia and style guides.
Proofreader Ideas
Restaurant Placemats
Put designing capabilities to use on restaurant placemats.
Self-Publisher
Don't want to deal with agents? Become a self-publisher.
Niche Greeting Cards
Let others use your unique perspective to express themselves--with a niche greeting card biz.
More from Business Ideas
4 Simple Mistakes That Can Crush Your Creative Side Hustle, From an Expert Who Raised $45 Million to Support Independent Workers
Ben Huffman, CEO and co-founder of Contra, became a "power user" on Elance and Odesk (now Upwork) and realized freelancers needed more support.
Her College Side Hustle Led to an Immediately Profitable Product That Sells for Up to $450 — and She Didn't Even Consider Herself 'a Business Person'
Dr. Amareen Dhaliwal's STEM tutoring gig in undergrad set her on the path to entrepreneurship.
This Dad Started a Side Hustle to Save for His Daughter's College Fund — Then It Earned $1 Million and Caught Apple's Attention
In 2015, Greg Kerr, now owner of Alchemy Merch, was working as musician when he noticed a lucrative opportunity.