Choosing a home-based business that allows you flexibility and convenience. And apart from the fact that you can be your own boss, it can also be rewarding in terms of money and pride. Stay-at-home careers have been the preferred way to earn a living for those who like to set their own hours and be their own boss, mothers of young children, anyone who thinks commuting is a waste of time and those who like to avoid office politics.

There are plenty of opportunities to earn from home and while some might involve a little travel, it's not a daily affair. Even if you earn little initially, the quality of life should make up for the loss of income. Take a look at the following options for home-birds:

Online tutoring - You can earn anything from Rs 8,000 to 30,000 a month if you are a qualified teacher with computer and communication skills. The subjects in demand these days are math, English, physics, statistics, chemistry and biology. You can either teach part-time (four hours) or full-time (nine hours).

Freelance writer - You have good writing skills but don't have time to work a nine to five job? You can still use your skills and earn a good amount of money. Many companies these days require good writers, like the PR industry, journalism etc. One can earn up to Rs 8,000 to 50,000.

Share brokers/online traders - Earn a lot of money by share trading, just clear the NCFM (CAPITAL MARKET) exam and you can start trading. You can rake in Rs 10,000 to 1,00,000 per-month depending upon the commission of the clients.

Designers - If you have the creative skills and creative aptitude, try becoming a designer. Designers are required in different fields like cloth designing, crockery designing, interior designing etc. You can also design different bags, home accessories and work from your home. One can earn approximately Rs 8000 to 20,000 per-month depending upon the clients.

Baby care/crutch - If you love kids and love spending time with them then you can open your baby day care crutch. There are many working mothers for whom such an arrangement is a good source of income. While sitting at home and spending time with kids, you can earn Rs 5,000 to 20,000 per-month.

Cartoonist - Animators and cartoonists are basically illustrators who draw pictures and cartoons to amuse, educate and persuade people. If you are a good cartoonist you can earn Rs 20,000 to 70,000 a month.

Boutique owner - If you are a fashion designer but can't leave your house, consider opening your own boutique and earn Rs 10,000 to 50,000 per-month.

Placement agency - If you network, you can earn up to Rs1 lakh per-assignment. Many booming spectres in the economy, particularly IT, ITes, insurance, retail and banking, have manpower scarcity. If you tie up with institutes to organise their campus placement (such as www.campusconnect.com) or get databases of people looking for jobs and help organisations find the right people, you can make a fat packet.
Resale - Buy cheap, mark up the prices, make a profit. Depending on what you decide to sell (and your neighbourhood), you can make anything upwards of Rs10,000 a month. And the buying need not be a problem; frequent auctions, garage sales and sales by embassies or large companies can get you almost anything for half the value.

Wrap it - Offer a gift-wrapping service, either in association with a neighbourhood retailer or on your own. You can earn Rs 8000 to 30,000 a month, depending on the demand and your offering.

Event planning - It is a good business idea especially if you manage everything. All the extras such as invitations, banners and balloons can be prepared at home. Networking with the business community can help you get a lot of work. You could make up to Rs1 lakh for every event.

This list is indicative and many other jobs can also be done out of home. Decide what you can do, how much time you can spare, and then go for it. You'll never miss the nine to five grind.

(The writer is a career counsellor and director, JUMP)