Many people these days are leaving the corporate world, whether voluntarily or involuntarily, and starting their own businesses. They want to become their own bosses, use their talents, and work out of their homes.

Perhaps they have kids that they want to be close to or just want to live a more creative life. If you’ve been behind a desk from nine to five, this may seem like the impossible dream. However, you might be surprised at how easy this is, especially if you have an avocation that you’re passionate about and are good at.

You may not realize it, but what you do easily, someone else will pay to have done because it’s difficult for them. You may do something so easily and well that you don’t even consider it a gift of yours. For instance, you may be a great dancer. Do you realize that many people have two left feet and think they’ll never be able to learn to dance?

However, they may have to for their own or their child’s wedding, for instance, and so you could give lessons for a reasonable price right in your own home. If you play a musical instrument well, there are always those, both children and adults, who’d love to learn that instrument but think they can’t.

You can give them lessons in your home or in theirs. If you’re a professional, think outside the box. You don’t have to be hired by a corporation to work as an attorney or an accountant, for example. You can begin letting people know that you’re available to take care of their legal or financial needs. Let the people you already know hire you for a nominal fee, do a good job, and soon you’ll be getting referrals and building up a list of clients.

In many areas, you can rent a storefront and open a store for very little money per month. Do your homework first, however, and see what’s already in the neighborhood and what the needs might be. Ask around so you can get the perspective of the community. When you meet a need or provide a luxury that people are receptive to, you will attract a crowd and are likely to make a profit.

Sometimes starting your own home-based business can be as easy as providing a service to the public. Can you mow lawns in summer and shovel snow in winter? Can you walk dogs or pick up doggie poop for people who have to be at work during all the daylight hours?

While other people are earning money, you can be earning money too by helping them with the lifestyles they’ve chosen. You’ll be choosing your life, becoming your own boss, and making your own hours while feeling a sense of ownership that can never be duplicated when you work for somebody else.