Scattered toys. Cluttered closets. Piles of files. Many households and businesses need serious help when it comes to taming such chaos. If you have a knack for order, this may be the work-at-home job for you.
Income potential: Tamara Myles, owner of An Organizing Hand in North Easton, Mass., and a stay-at-home mom of three children, earns $40,000 per year as a professional household organizer. While Myles charges $65 per hour and limits her billable hours to 12 hours weekly, rates range from $50 an hour for those just starting out and up to $250 an hour for experienced organizers.
Investment required: Eighty percent of the first year's income is often spent on marketing, according to the National Association of Professional Organizers in Mount Laurel, N.J. Myles spent $500 to design her website, Anorganizinghand.com, with before and after photos of her projects.
Pros: Professional organizers typically work with clients on site in three-hour blocks, so it's easy to fit into school-day schedules.
Cons: Factor unpaid "work" into your schedule. For every billable hour of work, Myles spends an hour on marketing, including attending industry-related conferences and networking events.