Blog Post

Eight Home-Based Halal Business Ideas for Muslim Women

Kusimo Temitayo • Feb 17, 2021

Working from home has a lot of benefits, especially if you're a stay-at-home mom, and you'd love to earn an income. Recently, everyone is looking for an opportunity to stay home while still staying financially afloat.

As a result of the global lockdown, more and more people are beginning to discover that working from home with the shorter workweek, and reduced hours, provides a lot of flexibility. With the rise in self-employment and freelancing, the 9 to 5 workday may soon be a relic of the forgotten past.

While running a business may not be the most natural thing, it offers women the opportunity to earn money from the comfort of their home and at the same time, fulfilling the responsibilities that they've committed themselves to.

The trick to running a successful business is to identify your talents and capitalize on them. Soon enough, after careful preparation, you'd be able to monetize your ideas into a sustainable home-based or virtual business.

Without further ado, let's delve into our top picks for home-based halal business ideas!

1. Halal In-home Takeout

Are you the friend that everyone goes to on Eid day? Perhaps your dinner parties are always a hit, and people come running when they smell your dishes and baked goods? Then it is time to bank on your culinary prowess with a halal in-home takeout business.

Takeout services are very popular, and with most Muslims preferring the nutritious halal-cooked food over takeout restaurants (who use questionable ingredients), it will be a definite hit. Even though getting takeout is convenient, there will always be a gap in the market for food delivery services that are as good (and equally hearty) as a home-cooked meal.

Start by offering a few meals, then create a menu or scheduled timetable for placing orders. Once that's sorted, start advertising within your social circle, and ask a friend to share your business and leave a review.

Note: Depending on where you live, you might require a permit or a license to operate legally.

2. Tutoring

If you're a lover of knowledge, and enjoy imparting it, then you may consider tutoring or becoming an online educator - all without leaving your home!

If you are a specialist in a specific field, and have a knack for teaching, you should hone in on your skillset and teach. You could tutor subjects such as Calculus, History, or delve into English Literature.

If you're excellent in Arabic, you can advertise services and teach it as an additional language. Additionally, teaching English as a foreign language is also a highly sought-after occupation, but before working with any online company, do thorough research beforehand.

Most online tutoring is conducted over video-based platforms such as Google Hangouts , Skype , Zoom , or WizIQ . Alternatively, you can utilize tutoring sites such as TutorMe , Tutor.com , Skooli , Edmentum - and these companies will handle the payments on your behalf.

3. Halal Inn

If you have a flair for hosting guests, you have a few empty rooms in your home that you'd like to put to good use, and you live in a top-rated tourist attraction neighborhood, then hosting your own Halal Inn is the perfect business opportunity for you.

To make your Inn stand out, sharpen your cooking skills, or outsource them. Also, make sure your guest rooms are decorated tastefully. Doing so will help attract Muslim tourists and travelers from all over the world.

Halal tourism provides Muslims with Sharia-compliant travel destinations services. And while this industry is largely untapped, it holds enormous potential as many travelers prefer to be in a culturally sensitive environment. Aside from it being a halal way to earn an income, you will meet new people and expand your social network.

Starting your own Halal Inn does not require much capital. For the guest rooms, collect clean linens and source décor. For the room-cleaning services, improve your cleaning skills or outsource a cleaning company. With the help of advertising and word of mouth, you can turn your home into an oasis for weary tourists to rest.

4. Editing/Proofreading

If you have an eye for grammar, and you love fixing up texts, editing and proofreading may just be your next home-based business.

Now, these two aren't quite the same.

Although the two occupations may sound very similar, they are entirely different. Editing is about choosing the best words, and making sure the writing flows organically. In contrast, proofreading is concerned with identifying, correcting grammatical mistakes and spelling errors that an editor might have missed.

Whatever the medium, whether it is editing a magazine, or proofreading a manuscript for a literary agency, editors and proofreaders are always needed.

5. Virtual Assistant

Are you a multitasking maven? Or are you perhaps referred to as "the organized one"? – You know, the type who color-codes their planners or sends out Google calendar invitations for coffee dates. If this is you, then being a virtual assistant might be the home-based halal business idea for you.

In recent times, with improvements in technology, and small businesses requiring ad-hoc support, the virtual assistant industry has seen significant growth.

As a virtual assistant, you will mostly work as an independent contractor, and your role can vary depending on your experience. The role is similar to that of a personal assistant, where you assist professionals, except in this case, it’s entirely online.

Getting started is relatively cheap; you don't need any specialized training, but you require a personal computer with a good internet connection. Additional resources such as Trello or Asana are practical applications for streamlining your tasks, and managing your work efficiently.

To get started, you can sign up on job boards like Upwork, Indeed, or Virtual Assistant Jobs. Alternatively, you can reach out to small businesses in your vicinity, and offer them your service.

6. Halal Childcare Services

Do you love spending time with children? Then you might want to consider providing halal childcare services.

With both parents working fulltime jobs, there has been an increased demand for daycare services. Also, most Muslim parents would opt to place their children in daycare that's centered on Islamic ethos.

If you're running a daycare service from home, it does not require much start-up capital. Skills such as CPR, first aid, and even teaching experience will allow your daycare service to stand out. With the right marketing strategy, you should be able to get customers quickly. In this line of business, word of mouth and referrals will go a long way.

Note: Before you advertise your services, be sure to check your state regulations regarding childcare services.

7. Freelance Writing

Have you always wanted to be a freelance writer? Then you should put your wordsmith skills to good use and write freelance.

The best part is, you can write from anywhere in the world! Whether it's in your Airbnb in Barcelona or you're sipping a cappuccino in your neighborhood cafe working on your next writing project, freelance writing provides you with incredible flexibility.

You don't need an English degree to start - with a good grasp on grammar, a writing niche, and a solid marketing strategy, you will be able to turn your skills into a viable business.

It'd be a great idea to focus on your writing niche. Focus your energy writing on subjects that you know best, and over time, as you develop your research skills, you'll be able to offer any topic confidently.

Research companies and small businesses require the service of a writer. In addition, browse writing jobs on platforms such as ProBlogger , Upwork , Fiverr , Craiglist (be cautious), and LinkedIn to find companies that are hiring.

To become a better writer, write daily. As you write, add your published works to your writing portfolio.

8. Blogging

If you are a born writer, or you're into technical writing per se, you can share your writing through blogging.

As a blogger, your main objective is to put out quality content. Your roles includes (but are not limited to) doing research, writing, editing, and sourcing quality photos.

You'll build your followers and blog engagements by posting regularly, interacting with your readers consistently, and establishing a social media presence. To get started, you could either create your custom website or pay for it from existing web building companies such as Square Space or WordPress.

Similarly to a writing niche, you also need to find your blogging niche. If homemaking interests you, you could become a 'mom blogger,' or if nutrition is your thing, consider starting a wellness website.

Through blogging, you can earn an income from advertising (such as Google AdSense), charging subscription fees, affiliate marketing, or selling products or services. The more traffic you get on your blog, the more money you can make.

Blogging is not a "Get-Rich-Quick" scheme, but with quality and consistent content, you get a great way of building a long-term business.

Whichever home-based business idea you choose, don't forget that as a Muslim, your primary goal is to gain Allah's pleasure. Before starting your business, research what Islam says concerning business ethics.

The Messenger of Allah (SAW) said, "People will be resurrected (and judged) according to their intentions." [Ibn Majah].

If you start with a good intention, you will reap the benefits both in this life and the next, In shaa Allah.

References

1. Medium; 5 Awesome Ways To Earn An Halal Income Online; Oct 30, 2017

2. Ayeina; Halal Business Advice From A Muslima Entrepreneur; Jan 25, 2019

3. ProfitableVenture; 50 Best Halal Small Business Ideas For 2020