12 Small Business Ideas You Can Start From Home (And How a Podcast Grows Each One)

TL;DR: You can run an entire business from your smartphone. Here are 12 online business ideas with low startup costs, plus exactly how a podcast helps you attract clients and build authority for each one.

We are currently living in a unique time where you can run a business on your smartphone! Literally wherever you are, you can be running your business. With remote work being the main way to work during the pandemic, many online businesses were started during this time and have continue to flourish.

Many people in the last few years have been looking to start online businesses or businesses that don’t require big upfront investments. However, starting the business is only part of the equation – you also need to be visible and attract your customers. This is where podcasting comes in.

Podcasting is the visibility assets that every entrepreneur needs because podcasting helps establish authority, build relationships and community, it’s the main content wheel that can be repurposed, and attracts potential clients.

Here is a list of 12 small business ideas that you can start from home and that your podcast can help you grow!

Service-Based Online Businesses You Can Start From Home

These businesses have low startup costs, can be run from anywhere, and serve almost every industry. Each one benefits directly from having a podcast as the foundation of your marketing.

1- Virtual Assistant

A virtual assistant is an assistant that helps online business owners – they don’t have to be close to the business owners physical location. As a matter of fact a lot of people use VAs that are overseas. For example, my VA is in the Philippines.

What do virtual assistants help with? The majority of virtual assistants help business owners with administrative tasks like email management, customer service, scheduling, research, and organization.

Starting a VA business has low startup costs, you can work from anywhere, and you can specialize in any industry. Almost any online business needs a VA.

Having a podcast can help your VA business by talking about productivity, organization, and share client wins. It gives potential clients a chance to hear about your business before they hire you!

Want to launch a podcast for your business? Explore podcast coaching services ?

2- Bookkeeper

Bookkeepers help small business owners manage their finances, track expenses, reconcile accounts, and prepare financial reports.

Starting a bookkeeping business has low startup costs, almost every businesses needs a bookkeeper so business is always in need, and you can specialize in entrepreneurs or a specific industry.

Having a podcast can help your bookkeeping business because you can educate business owners about their finances while you position yourself as someone your listeners can trust with their books.

3- Tax Preparation

A tax prepare helps individuals or businesses prepare and file their tax returns. Not to be confused with an accountant or a CPA. Usually tax preparers gather client’s documents to prepare their federal and state income tax returns.

To start your tax preparation business you’ll need to register with the IRS for a Preparer Tax Identification Number (PTIN). And if you want to file returns electronically for clients you’ll also need to become an authorized e-file provider.

You’ll need training and to meet IRS requirements. But one of the benefits of being a tax preparer is that satisfied clients will return year after year.

I became a tax preparer in 2025 with Dedicated Tax Pros and I was able to help other online business owners file their tax returns. One of my clients was a podcaster!

Having a podcast can help because you can share basic tax information that people are usually confused about, common tax mistakes that small business owners make, and share documents that clients should gather before tax season.

4- Copywriter

A copywriter writes copy for websites, emails, landing pages, blog posts, social media posts, newsletters, and more.

Believe it or not after starting my blog in 2014 I realized that I could write for others and did a little copywriting myself. I wrote blog posts about various topics and for different businesses.

Starting a copywriting business also has low starting costs, you can work from anywhere, and specialize in any business.

Having a podcast can help because in your podcast you can teach business owners about storytelling and messaging.

5- SEO Specialist

An SEO specialist is similar to a copywriter; only they specialize in search engine optimization, which helps business owners be found online. They optimize each blog post for certain keywords to make sure they are discoverable by search engines.

Just like the other online businesses, SEO specialists have low startup costs, can work from anywhere, and help businesses in different industries or specialize in one. For example, an SEO specialist can write strictly for accountants or attorneys, if they wish.

A podcast can help an SEO specialist with their business by providing the latest changes in the industry, especially with AI. They can share SEO strategy tips and client testimonials.

A social media manager manages and helps with social media strategy, helps with content creation, scheduling, engagement on social media, and monthly analytics reporting. You can manage one platform like Instagram or you can help with managing multiple platforms like Threads, TikTok, LinkedIn, Facebook etc.

Starting this business also how low startup costs and with online businesses on the rise, many entrepreneurs don’t want to manage their own social media platforms. They want to focus on their zone of genius.

Having a podcast can help because you can share your social media strategies on the podcast because many times social media managers are so busy managing their clients pages that they barely have time to manage their own. This is where the podcast comes in.

The podcast is used as the main long-form content that is then repurposed into social media posts, emails, blog posts, and videos.

7- Podcast Editor

A podcast editor is someone who fixes the audio of a podcast episode and gets it ready for publication. They remove long pauses, mistakes, improve the sound quality, remove background noises, level out the volume, and add the intro and outros for each episode.

It’s best practice to start editing your own podcast episodes first before offering this service to others. That way you know which software works best for you and to be able to provide the best service possible.

This is exactly how I started becoming a podcast editor – I was editing my own episodes for a few years before I offered to a client and we actually started as bartering services before she hired me. You can read all about me becoming a podcast editor.

Again, how a podcast can help with your podcast editing business is by having a show that talks about podcast production, sharing audio quality and editing tips. And by editing your own episodes you’ll be able to show your future clients your editing skills.

Not sure which podcast format fits your business? Take the quiz to find out

8- Podcast Producer

A podcast producer handles all the BTS work of podcasting. Tasks can include guest coordination, episode planning, scheduling, publishing, and writing shownotes.

Just like podcast editor it’s best practice to have your own podcast to produce and understand the behind-the-scenes work and production tasks before offering these services to clients.

Starting a podcast production business starts with starting your own podcast and there are low-costs to that as well.

And this is a job that can be done from anywhere.

9- Podcast Coach

You can start your own podcast coaching business like me! Podcast coaches help clients go from idea of a podcast to a fully launched and produced show! We provide support with strategy, equipment, episode outline (content), podcast SEO, scheduling, choosing the right hosting site, and marketing.

This business also has low-start up costs but eventually it is best to invest and you can work from anywhere as well. You don’t need a physical office and you can offer different services like 1:1 coaching, group programs, courses, or VIP Days. You can also sell digital products.

I’ve seen online people talk about how they are seeing a rise of podcast coaches who don’t have a podcast, please don’t be that person. Your own podcast is the best example and portfolio you can share with clients.

Your own podcast will help you build authority in the industry, be use as a marketing strategy, networking tool, and literally used to generate leads.

I love being a podcast coach and if you have any questions about starting your own podcast or becoming a podcast coach, schedule a call with me, I’d be happy to help.

10- Online Course Creator

As an online course creator you take your knowledge and expertise and create a course that clients can consume digitally. Usually in a video format, with slides, or you can do an audio-only course, like a private podcast.

This business model can be used by you creating an online course teaching others how to create an online course and selling it, or you can help entrepreneurs who wish to create an online course.

For example, if you are already a photographer, marketing agency, bookkeeper, personal trainer, nutritionist, etc., you can turn all your expertise into an online course.

I wrote a blog post on how I created my own podcast launch course. And please, do not think that online courses are dead, people are still learning things online all the time.

Having a podcast can help you talk about your business and how you help create courses. Podcasting builds trust and connects you with your potential clients. You don’t have to give everything away in your podcast, it just gives an insight on how you teach and how it’s like to work with you.

11- Consultant

A consultant uses their expertise to help people or businesses with a specific problem. For example there are marketing consultants, business consultant, financial consultant or Human Resources consultant.

Starting a consulting business also has low startup costs and you can work from anywhere.

A podcast can help with your consulting business by breaking down common problems that you help your clients with and that builds authority.

12- Coach

I know that it seems like everyone is a coach online but some examples of coaching in the online space are:

Life Coach
Career Coach
Business Coach
Wellness Coach
Leadership Coach

I actually took a course back in 2024 and got certified as a coach! And eventually started my podcast coaching business.

The startup costs for coaching is also low but you should probably invest in getting a coaching certification or invest in a business coach.

A podcast can help your coaching business because you can do live coaching as episodes so people can see how you coach your clients. And share client testimonials, strategies, business lessons and more.

FAQ: Online Business Ideas and Podcasting

How does a podcast help attract clients for a service business?

When someone listens to your podcast, they spend 20 to 60 minutes in your world. They hear how you think, how you teach, and what you value. By the time they’re ready to hire someone in your field, you’re already the person they trust. That’s why podcast listeners tend to convert into clients faster than social media followers.

Can I start a podcast and an online business at the same time?

Yes and it’s actually the smartest way to do it. Starting your podcast at the same time as your business means you’re building your audience and your authority from day one. You don’t need a big following first. You just need to start showing up.

About the Author & Podcast Coach

Heidy De La Cruz is a podcast coach, host, and creator of the V.O.I.C.E. Method. Her podcast The American Dream in the Eyes of Immigrants, is a 2-time award winner recognized by the Women in Podcasting Awards and Women Who Podcast.

After launching her first podcast in 2022, she saw how many women had powerful stories, business ideas, and something worth saying but felt completely stuck by the tech, the moving parts, and the lack of a clear starting point.
Now she helps aspiring podcasters go from idea to live show with clear, hands-on support that makes launching feel doable instead of overwhelming.

Explore her services: 1:1 Podcast Launch Strategy, The V.O.I.C.E. Method Podcast Launch Course, and Podcast Editing and Production Services.

Your voice deserves to be heard, and Heidy is here to help you bring it to life

Your Business Idea Is Only The Beginning

Having a business idea is only the beginning of the journey. You should also think about who you want to serve, what problem do you want to solve for them and how can your experience help them.

This is where your podcast becomes your visibility assets, as mentioned above. As an online business owner it makes sense that you use digital marketing for your business and your podcast can be your own source of content and point of entry for your clients.

One podcast episode can become a blog post, newsletter, social media posts, video, and Pinterest content.

Ready to turn your expertise into a podcast and start an online business?
Starting a podcast doesn’t have to be complicated. This is why I created The V.O.I.C.E. Method – it’s a straightforward framework to help you go from the idea of a podcast to launched in 6 weeks without the complication or figuring it out on your own.

Check out The V.O.I.C.E. Method Podcast Course.

With Love, Heidy

Key Takeaways

All 12 of these online businesses can be started from home with low upfront investment.
A podcast is the visibility asset that ties every business together and attracts clients on autopilot.
One podcast episode can be repurposed into a blog post, newsletter, social media posts, and more.
The best podcast niche for your business is the one that speaks directly to the problems your clients are trying to solve.
You don’t need a big audience to get results. You need the right audience.

Why Every Entrepreneur Should Consider Starting a Podcast — The full case for why podcasting is the smartest business move you can make.
Is a Podcast a Good Small Business Idea? Here’s What I Found — An honest breakdown from someone who has helped dozens of women launch.
4 Podcast Coaching Services to Help You Launch, Grow, and See Results — Find the right level of support for your business.
3 Ways to Grow Your Podcast That Actually Work — Once you’ve launched, here’s how to grow your audience.