Has anyone started a business 'from the kitchen table?'

[CharChar91]

(Not MLM..!)
I just wondered if anyone had started a business and if you'd be willing to share your story?
Pre-children I was quite entrepreneurial, small scale, but I was never afraid to try. For years I've had plenty of ideas but I never act on them due mostly to self-doubt.
I don't enjoy my job but I'm struggling to find something else which has the same pay/flexibility to suit having young children. I'd like to start something on the side to try and build up before I leave. I'm aware that this may take years (if it's successful, obviously!) but even though I have the time and resource I just feel like I'm not worthy or even silly for trying.
My friend has just bought a hair salon and I'm so inspired by her and if she can why can't I?
Any stories you can share would be fab! I love reading about people being entrepreneurial, particularly Mums/women!

Cheeky bump!

Extra bump!

I have nothing to add but feel the same!! My sister has just started her own side hustle, selling customised baby clothes, and I'm so jealous impressed!

I'm an accountant, so starting my own practice from home was an obvious step for me, so it was just a matter of juggling home/family and advertising/marketing to get clients, so basically a well-trod and obvious path.

I've had a fair few clients who've started a business from virtually nothing with no relevant qualification/experience, mostly starting small via ebay and then moving onto their own websites/e-commerce sites as it grew. A couple of the most successful were borne out of hobbies rather than a serious intention to start a business. Both found it difficult to find things for their own hobbies as the main "hobby" shops all seem to sell the same generic types of thing. So they both did lots of research to try to source other products for their own use initially, which was usually buying things intended for other purposes and then tweaking/converting them for their own use. This led to them researching who were the manufacturers/suppliers of these items and then they contacted the suppliers directly to see if there was any chance of the suppliers making the "tweaks" themselves for a different market - some suppliers simply weren't interested, but a few were receptive, given the size of the potential market, and they got a few small trial batches made up, which they put on ebay and made youtube videos and lots of posts on social media (mostly just answering questions and other peoples' posts with links to their products). Considering both were very different products, their "road to market" and marketing etc were remarkably similar! Both now have very busy/profitable businesses and have become established "names" in their respective hobbies.

Other clients have also used Ebay and have bought in bulk and then sold in smaller batches/individually. Like one guy who bought big reels of cable and cut it into smaller lengths to sell on ebay - to people who didn't want a full reel!

I did, just me for 6 months then my DB joined me for 3 years then he left and that was a kick up the arse so I had to get properly organised. I now have 50 staff and an office suite we work from. It's great and if you focus you can build the business in a different model. So we have different work/shift patterns that allow 10-2 then 5-8 as a working day which means my staff is very diverse and I employ lots of AMAZING women and build the schedule around them.

Not me but a friend started a decluttering business, started small by word of mouth, then approached a couple estate agents about helping with houses before marketing. A brief interview on a local radio led to the council approaching her asking to bid on a contract to help with their social care arm and deal with hoarders. She was competing against no one but herself - it was a huge commitment and not the most pleasant of jobs. I told her to charge as much as she could imagine she should - then double it. It's an awful thing and she gets some abuse, but she had a degree in psychology and understands the mental illness behind it.
She sells on eBay in behalf of her clients, taking a 50% cut, and this accounts for half her income. It is ALOT of work - not a side hustle. She is a single mum of three, youngest six, and she manages by working evenings too. She now has a unit on an industrial estate and two part time employees.