Some years ago, that was exactly where we found ourselves. We wanted more flexibility, more control over our time and the possibility of building something alongside our existing jobs.
What we discovered quite quickly was that deciding to work from home was the easy part.
Finding a genuine work from home opportunity that suited us was much harder.
At the time, searching Google for “work from home” produced a huge range of opportunities, from home-based businesses and direct selling to freelance work, online services and offers that were much less convincing. Some sounded attractive at first glance, but the more we looked, the more we realised that we needed a clear set of criteria before deciding where to put our time and money.
That lesson still applies today. The work-from-home landscape has changed considerably since we started, with digital tools, social media, online shopping and hybrid working becoming part of everyday working life. But the fundamentals have not changed. You still need to ask what the opportunity actually involves, how you get paid, what it costs, what support is available and whether the model genuinely fits your life.
With 2026 and 2027 in mind, these are the questions we would ask before considering any home-based business opportunity.
1. Is It Something You Can Actually Get Excited About?
This may sound like an obvious point, but it matters more than we originally thought.
We were not interested in repetitive home-working schemes where you simply completed a task for a small payment. We also had no interest in distributing catalogues, assembling products by hand or spending our time on work that felt disconnected from people.
That experience taught us to look beyond the headline description of an opportunity. “Work from home” tells you almost nothing about the business itself.
Today there are even more possibilities to consider. Someone can work remotely for an employer, freelance from home, sell products online, provide professional services, create digital content or build a direct selling business.
For us, an opportunity was more attractive when it involved people, customer relationships and the possibility of developing skills rather than simply completing repetitive tasks.
Whatever you choose, make sure you understand exactly what the daily work will look like. An opportunity that sounds exciting in an advert may feel very different once you are doing it every evening.
2. Can You Fit It Around Your Existing Life?
When we started, we both had full-time jobs. That immediately ruled out anything requiring us to be available throughout the working day.
Our available time was mainly evenings and weekends, so flexibility was not a bonus. It was one of our basic requirements.
That remains relevant in 2026 and 2027. The growth of hybrid and home working has made flexible working much more familiar in the UK, but there is an important distinction between having a remote job and running your own home-based business. With self-employment, you are responsible for managing the work, customers and business obligations yourself.
GOV.UK confirms that you can be employed and self-employed at the same time, which makes a side business a realistic structure for some people. Your employment contract should still be checked for restrictions that could affect outside business activities.
When assessing an opportunity, ask yourself:
- Can I work on it before or after my normal job?
- Does it require fixed hours?
- Do I need to attend meetings or events at particular times?
- Can I manage customer communication around my existing commitments?
- How much time will it realistically take each week?
Flexibility is useful only when the actual workload fits the flexibility being advertised.
3. Is There Genuine Scope to Grow?
We did not want to start something that could only ever operate within a few miles of our home. Our thinking was simple: if we enjoyed the work and it began to develop, we wanted the option to build it further.
That is considerably more achievable with digital business models today than it was when we started. A home-based business can potentially communicate with customers through websites, social media, video calls, messaging platforms and other online tools instead of depending entirely on geography.
Herbalife’s current UK business opportunity, for example, describes digital tools and an online shop as part of the support available to independent members. The company also describes the opportunity as something that can be developed part-time or full-time, although it makes clear that success is not guaranteed.
The important word here is potential. The ability to reach more people does not automatically create more income. Growth still depends on finding customers, providing good service, developing skills and consistently doing the work required.
4. How Much Does It Really Cost to Start?
One of our original requirements was minimum upfront investment. We even attended Franchise Shows in London to understand what was available, but the capital required for many franchise models simply did not fit our situation at the time.
That does not mean a low-cost opportunity is automatically a good one. The real question is what your total financial commitment will be.
- What do you have to pay to join?
- Are there ongoing fees?
- Do you have to purchase stock?
- Are there software, website or training costs?
- What marketing costs might you have?
- What happens to unsold products?
- Is there a genuine refund or cancellation policy?
Herbalife’s current UK business-opportunity information states that there are no minimum monthly product orders or compulsory purchases of additional business tools. Its UK information also describes a money-back arrangement for the starter pack and a refund policy for eligible unopened products, subject to the stated terms.
That is the kind of information we would want to see before committing to any opportunity. Not just “low start-up cost”, but the actual costs, terms and conditions.
5. What Training and Support Will You Actually Receive?
Neither of us had previously built a home-based business, so we knew we were going to need guidance.
A few printed booklets and a “good luck” message would not have been enough.
In 2026 and 2027, training should ideally go beyond basic product or sales information. Depending on the business model, you may need help with customer service, digital communication, social media, online selling, financial administration, data protection and everyday business planning.
Herbalife currently describes online training, digital tools, marketing resources and access to an online shop as part of its support for independent members. That can be useful, but it is still important to understand the distinction between training being provided and income being guaranteed. They are not the same thing.
6. Look at Other People’s Results, But Read the Small Print
When we were researching opportunities, we wanted to know whether ordinary people had actually built something from them.
We still think that is a sensible question, but the way we would investigate it today is different.
Testimonials and success stories can tell you what is possible for a particular individual. They do not tell you what the typical participant will achieve.
That distinction is particularly important with income-based business opportunities. The Advertising Standards Authority says earnings claims for business opportunities need to be realistic and representative, and marketing must not create a misleading impression about what people are likely to earn.
Herbalife publishes a UK Statement of Typical Distributor Earnings. The version published in June 2025 uses 2024 data. It states that, among members who had been members for at least one full year, 410,626 received commissions or bonuses in a typical month. It reports that 50% of those members earned more than £105 in a month, before expenses, while the figures for the top 10% and top 1% were substantially higher. The document also explicitly states that there are no guarantees and that the figures are not a promise of future earnings.
That is a much more useful way of assessing an opportunity than looking only at the highest earners.
For 2026 and 2027, always ask for the latest published earnings information and check exactly what the figures include, how the population was defined and whether expenses have been deducted.
7. Is It a Real Business Opportunity or an Employment Offer?
This is something we would make much clearer today than we did when we first wrote about our experience.
A home-based business opportunity is not necessarily the same thing as a work-from-home job.
With employment, you normally have an employer, an agreed role and employment terms. With self-employment, you are operating your own business and take responsibility for its success or failure.
That distinction matters because the income, costs, tax treatment and level of security can be very different.
If an advert makes an opportunity sound like a salaried job but later turns out to be commission-based self-employment, that is a significant issue. ASA guidance specifically requires marketing to distinguish clearly between employment and business opportunities.
8. Check the Company and the Business Model
When we started, the number of new businesses appearing and disappearing made us cautious. We wanted to know that the company had a genuine operating history and clear policies.
That is still sensible today.
- How long has the company been operating?
- What products or services does it actually sell?
- Where does the income come from?
- What are the joining and cancellation terms?
- Is there a published earnings disclosure?
- Are there clear customer refund arrangements?
- Does the company explain its business model openly?
In the case of Herbalife, the company’s UK business-opportunity information describes a direct selling model in which independent members sell products to customers and may also build a wider organisation. The company also states that there is no shortcut to riches and no guarantee of success.
Those statements are important because they help frame the opportunity as a business that requires work rather than as effortless income from home.
9. Be Very Careful With “Easy Money” Work From Home Offers
One thing that has changed dramatically since we first searched for home-based opportunities is the sheer volume of online offers.
Social media can make almost any business model look attractive in a few seconds. Screenshots of income, expensive lifestyles and phrases such as “financial freedom” can create an impression that success comes quickly.
We would be much more cautious about that today.
The ASA has continued to take action against misleading earnings claims and unrealistic “make money” marketing. A genuine opportunity should explain what you actually have to do to earn money, what it costs, how income is calculated and how representative any quoted results really are.
Be particularly cautious about any scheme where the emphasis appears to be on paying for access, recruiting people or buying large quantities of stock rather than creating genuine customer demand.
10. Think About the Practical Side of Running a Home Business
Working from home can sound simple until you start operating the business.
You may need to keep financial records, manage customer communications, track expenses, deal with tax obligations and separate business activity from personal finances.
GOV.UK states that someone who works for themselves may need to register for Self Assessment. If your self-employed trading income exceeds £1,000 in a tax year, you generally need to register as a sole trader, subject to the applicable rules.
There is also an important 2026 development. From 6 April 2026, Making Tax Digital for Income Tax applies to sole traders and landlords with qualifying income above £50,000, with quarterly digital updates required under the scheme. The income threshold is scheduled to fall for some taxpayers in later phases, so anyone building a business through 2026 and 2027 should keep up with HMRC guidance.
If you operate a business from home, you may also need to check issues such as landlord or mortgage permissions, planning requirements, insurance and whether business rates apply.
So, What Would We Look for in 2026 and 2027?
Looking back, our original list was actually quite straightforward:
- Something we could enjoy doing
- Flexible working hours
- Room to grow
- Low and clearly understood start-up costs
- Training and ongoing support
- Evidence rather than just success stories
- An established company with clear policies
Today we would add a few more:
- Transparency: clear information about income, costs, commissions and business responsibilities.
- Digital capability: useful tools for communication, customer management and online selling.
- Compliance: honest advertising and clear terms.
- Financial practicality: an understanding of ongoing expenses, tax and cash flow.
- Customer value: a genuine product or service that people are willing to buy.
Our Experience of Starting Part Time
When we started, the intention was not to walk away from our jobs immediately. We wanted to find something that could work around the commitments we already had.
That meant starting part time, learning as we went and gradually discovering what was involved.
For us, the opportunity eventually grew into a full-time income. That is our personal experience, however, and it should not be interpreted as a typical result or a promise that someone else will achieve the same outcome.
That distinction is especially important today because the internet makes successful outcomes highly visible while unsuccessful attempts are often much less visible.
Final Thoughts
Finding a genuine work from home opportunity in 2026 or 2027 is probably easier in one sense than it was when we started. There are more digital tools, more ways to reach customers and more ways to run a business without renting an office or shop.
At the same time, there is far more information to sort through.
That is why we would still recommend taking a step back before joining anything. Do not choose an opportunity simply because the advert looks exciting or because somebody online appears to be making a lot of money.
Look carefully at the business model, the costs, the work involved, the support provided, the published earnings information and the terms and conditions.
Most importantly, make sure you understand whether you are applying for employment or building a self-employed business. Those are very different propositions.
For us, the right opportunity was one that could start around our existing commitments and had room to develop. If you are considering a home-based business today, we hope our original checklist, together with these additional 2026 and 2027 considerations, helps you ask better questions before making a decision.
For information about the current Herbalife range in the UK, you can also explore the MakeMeHealthier UK shop or read the Herbalife UK product guide.
Important: A business opportunity is not a guaranteed source of income. Earnings depend on the individual business model, effort, skills, customers, expenses and other circumstances. Always review the latest company information, terms and earnings disclosures before joining.