Home-based businesses have been steadily earning more respect from the business world for the powerhouse businesses many are building from their back bedrooms. In the past week, CityMax.com announced winners of its Homepreneur of the Year contest. These are home-based e-commerce business owners who’ve seen rapid growth straight through the downturn. If you need a little inspiration, here are their stories:
Contest winner Marco Barberini quit his gas-jockey job in 2007 to focus on his home-based Web business, OvernightPetTags.com. Barberini told CityMax the site now grosses upwards of $8,000 a month and needs 10 hours a week or less of his time. He found a way to make and ship pet-tags cheaper than the competition, and now his goal is to make sure every pet in America has a tag. His advice: “Most people give up too quickly. Just make sure it’s going to be something that’s in demand and do it.”

One runner-up should inspire any retirees who need to get back to earning income due to the downturn and a shrunken retirement nest egg. Retired couple Michael and Mary Ferrari of Palm Desert created UnusualThreads.com to sell fashions worn by celebrities as a hobby. The site quickly grew to $25,000 in monthly revenue. The couple only work on the site part-time, and still have time to take several cruises each year.
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