Guide · 9 min read

25 home business ideas in Singapore that work from a flat

The home business ideas that work in Singapore are the ones that fit a flat's rules and that customers can order or book without a long chat: cakes and kuih, nails and lashes, alterations, tuition for up to three students, handmade gifts, and services you take to the customer, like cleaning or pet sitting. Below are 25 ideas, each with what you need to start and how customers order or book.

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Before you choose, read our guide to starting a home business in Singapore. In short, HDB's Home-Based Business Scheme allows small-scale work run by your household, with no signs at home and no staff who live elsewhere. Massage and animal-related services such as grooming or boarding aren't allowed inside an HDB flat, so they're not on this list.

Food you bake or make at home (ideas 1 to 4)

Home-based food businesses don't need an SFA licence today, but they must follow food safety laws: ingredients from licensed suppliers, no catering, and no selling to cafés, hawker stalls or fairs. SFA suggests the WSQ Food Safety Course Level 1.

  • 1. Cakes and bakes: an oven, tins and a short menu of sizes and flavours. Customers pick a cake, choose size and flavour, type the message for the cake and pick a collection date at least two days out.
  • 2. Cookies and snacks: airtight tins, labels listing ingredients and allergens, and a festive plan, since Hari Raya, Deepavali and Chinese New Year bring the big orders. Customers fill a cart and choose collection or delivery.
  • 3. Desserts and kuih: steamers, moulds and fridge space. Kuih sells by the box; customers pick a collection time slot, and a limit on orders per slot stops 20 people arriving at once.
  • 4. Sauces, jams and preserves: clean jars, labels and a shelf life you've tested. Customers order by the jar, and counting stock means the shop link shows sold out instead of you replying to every message.

Beauty at home (ideas 5 to 8)

Hairdressing, facials, manicures and other beauty services are allowed under the Home-Based Business Scheme; massage isn't. Customers book a time, and a small deposit protects it.

  • 5. Nails: a nail table, a good lamp, a gel lamp and a cleaning routine for tools. Customers pick a service such as gel manicure on your booking page, choose a free time and pay a deposit to confirm.
  • 6. Lashes and brows: a reclining bed, lash supplies and a patch test for new clients. Customers book a full set or a refill, and a booking question such as 'First time with us?' tells you who needs the test.
  • 7. Makeup and bridal: a travel kit and a portfolio. Most work is at the client's home or venue, so bookings take their address, keep travel time before and after, and hold wedding dates with a deposit.
  • 8. Henna: cones, a design book and photos of your work. Bridal henna is booked weeks ahead with a deposit; festive henna before Hari Raya and Deepavali fills shorter slots.

Sewing and making to order (ideas 9 to 11)

  • 9. Alterations and repairs: a sewing machine, an overlocker and neat hems. Customers order 'Shorten trousers' or 'Take in dress' from your price list and pick a collection day that allows the days each job needs.
  • 10. Tailoring and custom clothing: pattern skills, fabric suppliers and space for fittings. Customers book a measuring visit, and the order then carries the measurements in its notes, with a part payment taken up front.
  • 11. Crochet and knitting: yarn, hooks and patience. Ready-made pieces sell from your catalogue with stock counts; made-to-order pieces show 'Order 7 days ahead', so customers see the real wait before paying.

Teaching from home (ideas 12 to 14)

Private tuition at home is limited to three students at a time. For larger groups, teach at the student's home or rent a room.

  • 12. Tuition: subject knowledge, practice papers and a quiet table. Parents book a lesson, you set it to repeat every week, the booking asks for the student's name and age, and fees go out with a PayNow QR.
  • 13. Music lessons: an instrument, a teaching plan and understanding neighbours. Treat lessons at home like tuition, with no more than three students at once; many teachers go to students' homes instead, with travel time kept free between lessons.
  • 14. Art and craft classes: materials for each student and a table that can get messy. Customers book a two-hour session, and the booking page only shows the times you're actually free.

Handmade and selling online (ideas 15 to 19)

  • 15. Jewellery and accessories: beads, wire, findings and good photos. Customers choose options such as length or charm in the cart, each adding to the price, and a note on the item takes initials.
  • 16. Personalised gifts and printing: a heat press or cutter, or a printing supplier. Customers type the name or message on the item, and you set how many days ahead each item must be ordered.
  • 17. Plants and flowers: a cool corner, buckets and a flower supplier. Bouquets sell by size; for Valentine's Day and Mother's Day, set delivery time windows with a limit on orders per window.
  • 18. Gift hampers: boxes, wrapping, and items from licensed suppliers if food goes inside. Company customers order 30 at a time and want their PO number on the invoice, which the A4 invoice prints for business accounts.
  • 19. Preloved and thrift: a steamer, a rail and honest photos. Each piece is one of a kind, so set its stock to 1: it shows sold out once ordered, and 'still available?' messages stop.

Services at the customer's place (ideas 20 to 22)

These don't use your flat for customers at all, which keeps them simple under the home business rules.

  • 20. Home cleaning: supplies, a vacuum and transport. Customers book a three-hour clean at their address, and travel time is kept before and after each visit so you're never double-booked across the island.
  • 21. Pet sitting and dog walking: time, love of animals and a way to send updates. Visits happen at the owner's home, never in your flat; the booking asks for the pet's name, breed and size.
  • 22. Photography and video: a camera, lenses and editing software. Shoots are booked by the hour with a deposit to hold the date, and the balance is paid when the photos are delivered.

Desk work from home (ideas 23 to 25)

Office-type work fits HDB's Home Office Scheme, which also allows up to two people who don't live with you, as long as clients don't visit.

  • 23. Graphic design: a computer, design software and a portfolio. Clients book a first meeting on your booking page; the invoice stays a draft until the work is final, then you issue it with its number and pay-by date.
  • 24. Admin and virtual assistant: a laptop, steady internet and clear hourly rates. Clients book blocks of hours, and each job's invoice carries a PayNow QR for the exact amount.
  • 25. Bookkeeping: accounting skills, a laptop and a clear engagement letter. Clients are companies, so set them up as business accounts with payment terms, such as 30 days, and a monthly statement of what's owed.

How it works

  1. 1Pick your business type when you sign up; sample items and prices for that trade are filled in.
  2. 2Change them to your own, add photos, and turn on appointments if you sell time.
  3. 3Share your shop link; customers order or book, sign in with their phone number and pay by PayNow.
  4. 4Check Today for what's due and Reports for what sells.

What you'll use

Plan: Essential or Business

Sources

Published 4 November 2026

Questions

What is the most profitable home business in Singapore?

There's no single answer: it depends on your skills and the hours you have. Ideas with repeat customers, like weekly tuition, lash refills or regular home cleaning, tend to be steadier than one-off sales. Price for your time as well as your materials, and check what each item actually earns in your reports after a month.

Which home businesses are not allowed in an HDB flat?

HDB's list of businesses not allowed at home includes massage and animal-related services such as pet grooming and boarding. Under the Home-Based Business Scheme, staff who don't live in the flat can't work there, and you can't put up signs or posters. If your idea isn't clearly allowed, check with HDB before starting.

Do I need to register a home business?

With ACRA, yes, if you sell regularly under a brand name rather than your own full NRIC name. Food businesses don't need an SFA licence today but must follow food safety rules. Our step-by-step guide to starting a home business in Singapore covers the fees, the HDB rules and each step in order.

What home business can I start with little money?

Services that use skills you already have cost least to start: tuition, alterations, home cleaning, pet sitting, admin or design. Your main costs are a few tools and, if you use a brand name, your ACRA registration. Start with a short price list and one link where customers can order or book.

How do customers order from a home business?

Most still message on WhatsApp or Instagram, which works until you're busy. A shop link with your prices, options, order-ahead days and free times lets customers order or book and pay by PayNow in one go, and you get a tidy list of orders instead of chats to scroll through.

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