One of the top asked questions about living a nomadic lifestyle be it in a THOW, an RV, a travel trailer, or a luxury cruise ship, is how to earn any sort of living in order to explore the world around you and focus less on the corporate stronghold and more on your passions. It seems to be a riddle for which we are all seeking the answer. It is important though to remember that our priority should not be on making money but finding passion in what we are doing. A tiny house based business should expand with us and not limit our freedom to travel, exploration, adventure, connection, etc. But what can be done as a nomad? What kind of business can be operated on wheels, on the open sea, or from a remote outpost with little interaction other than that with nature around us?
There seem to be two categories of businesses when it comes to the THOW based industry. There are those that cater to the THOW and there are those that are based OUT OF the THOW. Examples of the first category might be:
- Tiny House Sales and Marketing
- Solar Panel Distribution
- Solar Power Maintenance
- Wind Turbine Maintenance
- Housecleaning
- Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning
- Meal Prep and Delivery
- Computer Tech Services
- Trailer Tech
- Brake Specialist
- Spot Welder
- Windshied/Window Repair
- General Handyman
- Wooden Display Signs
- Locksmithing
- Exterior Painting
- THOW/RV Detailing
Examples of the second category might be:
- Engraving
- Web-Based Local Marketing
- Wood craft and Metalsmithing
- Artist – painting, beading, photography, weaving, jewelry, etc.
- On-site yoga, PIYO, pillates, etc.
- Photographer/Videographer
- Medical Transcription/Insurance Billing
- Book publishing and sales
- Newsletter publication
- Musician or performer
- Massage therapist
- Nail Tech
- Hair Stylist
- Vintage and Speciality Clothing
- eBay stores, Craiglist buy/sell markets, and Etsy storefronts
- Website Design
- Electronic Publication
and
- Consultant
- ePublisher or author
- PC Tech
- Freelance writer/photographer/videographer
- Day Trader or stock investor
- Tax Prep
- Online Academic Instructor/tutor
The real question(s) at this point is why start a tiny house based business and how to start a tiny house based business? Here are a few quick tips.
- THOW based businesses are new and original. Showcasing your product or service in a tricked-out THOW or RV (or even boat) will draw attention and bring in customers out of genuine courtesy if nothing else.
- You can work anywhere. With a THOW based business you can work from (and to borrow from Lee Greenwood) the lakes of Minnesota to the hills of Tennessee, across the plains of Texas, from sea to shining sea!
- Relatively low start-up costs. If you look at the cost of purchasing (or building) a THOW shell or even just restoring a used RV to that of a sticks ‘n bricks retail space the comparison is quite compelling. Couple that with upgrade and maintenance repair and it is easy to see that a small, mobile space is much less expensive overall.
- Cheap advertising. Unlike a billboard you don’t have to wait for someone to drive past you. Feel like doing a little grassroots marketing? Just jump in and drive. Even a commonplace trip to the grocery store becomes a PR outing!