‘Khutwa’ which means ‘Step’ in Arabic, is the name of the newly launched Home Based Business program in Bahrain offered by the Ministry of Social Development. The concept has emerged from the “Productive House” program offered by the ministry specially after observing significant demand from the younger generation.
One of the attractive features of the program is the basic application requirements. To apply, you need to be a Bahraini who is 18 years/older, and it does not matter if you are an employee or not. At the moment, there are 20 activities, which you can run from home but we are positive that this list will grow to cater for the market demand specially with the increasing popularity of various home businesses on social media.
Is home business for you ?
Starting a home based business is a great option especially if all you need is a small office or space to operate, and when the business does not require employees or can depend on direct family members to manage and operate. Home businesses usually attract people looking to be their own boss and who want to have flexible working hours. It’s also a perfect option for single parents, housewives, hobbyists or even employees who would like to earn extra income. Being the business owner, you set the rules, working hours and the pace of the business.
A home business might be just your first step towards setting up a full fledged business. Companies like Amazon, Apple, Dell and many others started from home.
Pros and Cons of home businesses
Running a home business could be exciting and rewarding. You will however need to carefully study the advantages and disadvantages to ensure you plan things right.
Advantages:
Flexible working hours
Low setup and operating costs
Independence, being your own boss
Can start as a part-time business.
Disadvantages:
You are limited to a set number of activities
Difficult to separate business from family matters
Strong commitment required
No outdoor signage
You may not benefit from the private sector support schemes
How to choose the right home business idea ?
Follow these simple steps to choose the right home business for you.
1. What do you love? This is by far the most important question, create a list of all the things you love to do.
2. What is important to you? Now you will have to rank your list based on importance, so if you love designing the most, rank it as 1.
3. What are you good at? Create a list of all the things you are good at or have experience doing.
4. What do you enjoy doing the most? Rank your list of expertise by what you enjoy doing the most.
5. Now you have two lists, choose the first 3 of each list as potential home businesses you can start. Do some research on those ideas and choose the one with the highest potential.
Final note
Its important to note that the program is still at an early stage, and there would be a transition period to moving from the ‘Productive House’ concept to the ‘Home Based Business’. We must congratulate the Ministry of Social Development though on taking this ‘step’ which we think has huge potential and can directly contribute to the local economy.