So we’ve looked at some ways to find work if you have an obvious skill to sell from your home office. However, what if you would like to start working from home but your skills are generally non-transferable. This can be a problem if you have previously worked in a role that requires you to be in a certain location or in constant contact with colleagues or team members.

However, even if this is the case, you can still set up a viable business of your own that enables you to work from home and choose your hours – you simply need to be a little more creative and do some more homework before embarking on your project.

Have a look at our interviews with people who work from home. It might help you gain a better perspective on the range of jobs that you can do from your house.

Ask yourself if there is something you do in your spare time that could make you money if you did it professionally.  Some common hobby-to-career activities include:

• Writing
• Illustrating
• Design
• Blogging
• Web design
• Games testing
• Computer programming
• Translation

One of the major problems with starting out as a professional in a certain field for the first time is gaining a reputation among potential clients. However, there are several ways to achieve this, with a little effort.

First of all, it is worth signing up to a professional trade organisation for the industry you are entering. There is usually a small cost involved with this and you may also need to prove your skills and experience in order to gain accreditation, but the costs are hugely outweighed by the benefit of being able to use a professional body’s logo on your website and literature.

Your stationary is another area where you can work on your image and reputation. Make sure you use headed paper when issuing correspondents and also brand your invoiced etc.

Creating a professional-looking website, particularly if you are offering IT  or design services is essential. This will enable you to attract new customers and market your products and services.

Lastly, make sure your customer service is impeccable. Keep to deadlines and treat your clients with the utmost respect. Be friendly and efficient and you will already be halfway towards retaining your customers and getting recommendations.