The Best Home Businesses for the 21st Century (Paperback)

~ Paul Edwards (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

The Edwardses have built themselves into a two-person industry. For nearly 10 years, in books and countless articles and columns on the Web, they have dispensed advice concerning self-employment, home-based businesses, and working at home. This guide, now in its third edition, is a proven helpful compendium of business opportunities suited for those who want to work from home. It has more than 150 pages more than its earlier edition; and nearly 25 new businesses have been added, replacing almost a like number that are no longer so popular. An introductory section explains the requirements for operating a home-based business. Then each of the profiles outlines what the business entails, contrasts its advantages and disadvantages, lays out specific steps to get started, and suggests ways to identify and attract customers. Trade associations, professional organizations, books, seminars, and Web sites for each business are also included. This book's greatest asset, however, comes from the inclusion of specific estimates for start-up costs and recommendations on how to price products and services. David Rouse

Product Description

Third Editions-Revised and Expanded.

Based on the top-selling Best Home Businesses for the 90s, here is a completely updated, comprehensive look at the leading businesses for small and home-based entrepreneurs in the 21st century.

This invaluable guide provides comprehensive profiles of more than one hundred hot new businesses that promise the top opportunities for small-business people in the future.

Paul and Sarah Edwards explore the best opportunities for self-employment in the next century--ranging from being a business-network organizer to running a transcript-digesting service--and provide expert, step-by-step advice on:
-- the skills and knowledge needed to startup;
-- the start-up costs, pricing, and potential earning;
-- the best ways to get new business;
-- the advantages and disadvantages of each business;
-- the hands-on advice of those already in the field.
In addition to the nearly one hundred businesses profiled, an expanded section on "The Best of the Rest" explores dozens of additional top businesses to watch for.

The Best Home Businesses for the 21st Century is the smartest, most complete book available for anyone looking for right ways to make it on their own.

Product Details

• Paperback: 672 pages
• Publisher: Tarcher; 3 Sub edition (September 13, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0874779731
• ISBN-13: 978-0874779738
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.2 x 1.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #416,365 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

62 of 63 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Useful information, but dated., August 1, 2004

By	Jon Norris (Oregon, USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

This is a 1999 edition of a similar book published by the authors in 1994. It is a good basic overview of the scope of possible home businesses that have proven successful for people in the past. It is not an encyclopedia of all possible ways to earn money from home, but rather focuses on what the Edwards' have determined to be the top 100 possibilities.

There is a fair amount of detail in each job description, although being familiar with some, I can say that the information given in those cases is not enough to actually start such a business, nor is it an in-depth look. The section on Desktop Video barely mentions the fact that you need to have a certain amount of talent, and that it is not an easy job at all. This book is designed to give one enough information about a business to determine if it is worth further research, and gives some resources for that research.

Given the age of the book, some of the information is way out of date. Again, the Desktop Video section is a good example: a 3 gig hard drive is hardly considered large today, and is not nearly enough to even begin editing video. This was obviously before the advent of MiniDV, which requires 13 gig or more per hour of video. I also found a glaring error on page 16: a week has 168 hours, not 174 (at least where I come from: 24 hours times 7 days). While such an error is easy to have creep in, a fact that easily checked but missed does make one pause about other information in the book. The book has a long Table of Contents but no Index.

If you are thinking about trying a business of your own, this book can be helpful in getting a basic idea of what each of these businesses might involve. After you get an idea of a few businesses in which you might be interested from this book, you should research your chosen fields with much more depth. This book is not enough on its own to start you in a business, IMHO.

57 of 60 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Still The Best Startup Guide - and Big, Too!, October 7, 1999

By	Jerry Fitzgibbon (North Versailles, PA USA) - See all my reviews

Paul & Sarah Edwards have outdone themselves with the thorough research and preparation that obviously went into this book. Compared to the many other books that cover home businesses, this one has the most substance, by far.

By going into detail for every business they recommend, they give the reader all the startup information they need and then add many resources for follow-up.

In sheer size alone this book qualifies as the best value in home business books today!

Kudos to Paul & Sarah Edwards for their ongoing loyalty to those looking to start and run a business from home.

32 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A fantastic source of information., April 15, 2002

By	CiY127 "Agape" (Colorado) - See all my reviews

I thought this book was absolutely awesome. Each business idea comes packed with information. A general synopsis of each idea, knowledge and skills you'll need, advantages to the business, disadvantages, a range of start up costs, a range of pricing, potential earnings, an estimate of what the market will be, the best ways to get business, the first steps to take to start the business, and where to turn for additional information and help, including organizations, courses and training, books, magazines and news letters, manuals, video and audio programs, software, and referal services. Overall a great book for the price.