Most everyone has a hidden talent or hobby that they enjoy doing. It may be woodworking, painting, crocheting, jewelry making or even baking. One of the best ways to start your business is to do what you enjoy doing. You can even grocery shop for the shut-ins or elderly people. The way you relax can be a business: walking along the beach or in the woods.

Starting your own home based business isn't going to happen overnight, however, it can. Especially, in these present times with a lot of people out of work, believe it or not, this is the best time to start your own business. The most important thing you'll need is patience, and the ability to market your wares. If you are out of work, you have plenty of time to come up with a business plan and marketing strategies. Some of the most successful marketing is word of mouth.

First, decide what you want to do in your business. It can be anything let's say you enjoy walking along the beach or taking walks in the woods. These two places are filled with business opportunities. Let's take the above picture for an example. I gathered different types of shells and found a sand worm casing. I then glued the smaller shells on the larger shell, added some small pieces of bamboo to make it look like a fence, let some sand sit on the wet glue until it dried and made a beach scene refrigerator magnet. I sold it for $8.00. What did it cost me? $3.00 for the bottle of glue which can make quite a few refrigerator magnets.

Start picking up seashells, or acorns, pinecones or funny shaped rocks. Don't just walk, look at all the free stuff that is around you and imagine what you could make out of them. With seashells, you can make refrigerator magnets, windchimes, wind mobiles. You can add sea shells to picture frames or make a decorative garland out of them. You can take an oyster shell and embelish it with ribbon and moss and make Christmas Angles. Use your imagination. Search the internet for pictures that will give you ideas.

With acorns and pinecones, you can make scented potpourie, bird feeders and Christmas ornaments.

Let's pick one item for an example. Let's say, you make Pinecone Birdfeeders.

(Tie a string around the top of the pinecone. Slather it completely with peanut butter making sure the peanut butter gets in between the spaces, then roll it in birdseed. Wrap it in colored (or plain) celephane tie the top with a decorative ribbon and ta da, you have just made a Pinecone Birdfeeder.

Let's see, how much did you actually spend?

Pinecone - Free

Jar of Peanut Butter - $3.00

Bag of Birdseed - $6.00

Celephane - $1.00

Ribbon - $1.00

Total spent $11.00 for supplies.

You will need to find out how many birdfeeders you can make with the jar of peanut butter and the bag of birdseed and other supplies. Say you made 10 Pinecone Birdfeeders: $11.00 divided by 10 birdfeeders= $.90 spent to make 10. If you sell them for $5.00 each that's an extra $4.00 each in your pocket that you didn't have before. See where I'm going with this?

What do you do now? Well, first hang one up in your yard and see what kind of birds it attracts. Then you want to show your friends, bring one to work (if you still have a job). Visit your local veterinarians and see if they will allow you to sell them. Put an ad on Craigslist. Go to a craft fair, your local farmers market. Go to a bird watchers meeting.

Make up business cards on your own computer, pass them out everywhere you go. Ask the local gas stations if you can place your business cards inside the stores. Most will allow you to. Especially, local markets who are willing to promote local small businesses. Even your bank may have a place to put your business card.

Anything is sellable. Your own services: lawnmowing, planting flowers, grocery shopping for the sick, elderly and shut-ins.

Take some of your 'dust collectors', old jewelry you don't wear anymore, costume jewelry and put them on eBay, the insertion costs are very minimal. Open a PayPal account which is free. Most importantly in starting your own small business is don't be afraid. Be confident that what you make or do can be profitable to you. (I used the Pinecone Birdfeeder for an example, however, I have seen those sold before)

Go to yardsales or garage sales, haggle with the seller. Then you can have your own yardsale with what you collected or put what you purchased on eBay or even Craigslist. Shop around your local Goodwill stores for antique items and put them on eBay for sale.  There are a million opportunities out there. You can do this, I know you can because I have. Be consistent, always friendly and smart about what you are doing and you will be successful.