Tech service business ideas you can start from home
30 ideas
These 30 ideas suit people with technical know-how who want to work from a spare room, garage or kitchen table rather than rent premises. Some are screen-based, such as remote video call support for small firms or custom software for small businesses.
Home camera and lens repair bench
Repair and service cameras and lenses from a home workbench, with customers posting items to you.
- £500-3k
- Side hustle
- From home
Home-based electronics repair bench
Fix phones, tablets, laptops and small gadgets from a home workbench, with customers posting or dropping off devices.
- £300-1.5k
- Side hustle
- From home
Home workshop screen repair by post or drop-off
Repair phone, tablet and laptop screens from a tidy home workspace, with drop-off or postal customers.
- £400-2k
- Side hustle
- From home
Card terminal supplier and support service
Supply, set up and support card terminals for small businesses, with hands-on help that big providers often skip.
- £2k-8k
- Part-time
- From home
Freelance database tidy-up and upkeep
Clean, organise and maintain customer, stock or sales records for small businesses, working from your own desk.
- £200-1.5k
- Side hustle
- From home
Small business IT support
Look after the computers, email and backups of local small firms on a monthly contract.
- £500-3k
- Part-time
- From home
Online shop setup and support freelancer
Build and look after online shops for small businesses on Shopify, WooCommerce or similar, from your own desk.
- £200-1.5k
- Side hustle
- From home
Custom software for small businesses
Build tailored apps, websites with logins and internal tools for local firms that have outgrown spreadsheets.
- £300-2.5k
- Side hustle
- From home
Home-based data recovery (software)
Recover photos and files from faulty drives, USB sticks and phones using specialist software, with devices sent by post.
- £500-3k
- Side hustle
- From home
Home bench video camera repair
Fix and service camcorders and mirrorless video cameras from a tidy home workbench, with jobs sent in by post.
- £800-4k
- Side hustle
- From home
Home-based phone repair bench
Repair phones from a tidy workbench at home, with customers posting or dropping off devices.
- £300-1.5k
- Side hustle
- From home
AV equipment hire for local events
Hire out speakers, screens, projectors and mics for parties, talks and community events from a home base.
- £2k-8k
- Side hustle
- From home
Managed hosting for a niche, full-time
Run your own hosting on rented cloud servers, with hands-on care for one type of customer, such as WordPress sites.
- £1.5k-6k
- Full-time
- From home
Home typewriter repair workshop
Clean, fix and service manual and electric typewriters for writers and collectors from a bench at home.
- £300-1.5k
- Side hustle
- From home
Home workshop TV and screen repair
Repair TVs and monitors at a home bench, taking jobs by drop-off, collection or courier.
- £500-2.5k
- Side hustle
- From home
Send-and-receive fax service
Fax documents for people and small firms that still need a fax but have no machine, working from home.
- £150-750
- Side hustle
- From home
Freelance GIS and mapping specialist
Make maps and analyse location data from home for councils, consultancies and property firms, paid per project.
- £300-3k
- Side hustle
- From home
Camera and video gear repair bench
Fix cameras, camcorders, monitors and other video kit from a home workshop for local creators and small studios.
- £800-4k
- Side hustle
- From home
Online ink refill and cartridge seller
Refill cartridges sent in by post and sell ink and toner online from a spare room.
- £500-3k
- Side hustle
- From home
Home hi-fi and stereo repair workshop
Repair and restore amps, turntables and speakers for local owners and audio fans from a spare room or garage.
- £400-2k
- Side hustle
- From home
Microscope and telescope repair from home
Clean, fix and realign microscopes, telescopes and binoculars from a home workshop, with items sent by post or dropped off.
- £500-2.5k
- Side hustle
- From home
Freelance remote IT consultant
Advise businesses on systems, software and technical problems from home, billed by the day or project.
- £200-1.5k
- Side hustle
- From home
Freelance online shop builder
Set up and look after online shops for small retailers, working solo from home.
- £200-1.5k
- Side hustle
- From home
Remote video call support for small firms
Help small teams get their video calls working, with remote fixes and managed meeting accounts.
- £100-1k
- Side hustle
- From home
About these ideas
Others are hands-on, like home workshop printer repair or microscope and telescope repair, where you need bench space and a steady supply of parts. Start by working out which skills you can already prove, and who would pay for them. Then check the practical side: whether your home insurance and any tenancy or mortgage terms allow business use, how you will store customers' equipment safely, and how you will handle customer data. Compare the start-up costs shown on each idea before you decide.
More ideas
- Home workshop printer repair
- Print equipment and spare parts reseller
- VCR repair from a home workshop
- Freelance online advertising manager
- Home workshop AV repair
- Printer repair and refurbishing workshop
Questions
Do I need permission to run a tech business from home in the UK?
Often you will not need planning permission if your home stays mainly a home, but it is worth checking. Look at your tenancy or mortgage terms, home insurance cover and any local council guidance, especially if customers visit or you store lots of equipment.
What should I check before offering repairs or data services?
Check how you will protect customers' data and devices, and whether you need to register with the Information Commissioner's Office. Also consider public liability or professional indemnity insurance, and how you will dispose of electrical waste responsibly.
How do I choose between a remote service and a home workshop?
Remote services usually need little more than a computer and good connection, while workshops need space, tools and parts. Think about which suits your skills, your available room and how customers will send or collect their items.