Running a home-based business in Singapore usually means a small budget and very little time. You might be baking from your HDB kitchen, sewing, or reselling gadgets. The good news is that many of the places Singaporeans already browse let you list or post for free. You just need to show up consistently.
We picked the 10 best free channels for home businesses, what each one is good for, and how to get the most out of it.
1. Shiokly: free listing for home-based sellers
Shiokly is a Singapore shop built for home-based and small local sellers: homemade cakes, local delights, catering sets, electronics and more. Shoppers browse by category and contact you directly on WhatsApp, so you keep the conversation and the customer.
- Cost: your first product is listed free. Claim your free listing here.
- Best for: home bakers, home cooks, crafters and small resellers who want a proper product page without building a website.
- How it helps: Shiokly promotes its listings on Google, Instagram, Facebook and local community Telegram groups, so your product gets seen beyond your own followers.
- Tip: use bright, natural-light photos and say clearly in your description that you are home-based, with your collection area.
👉 See how selling on Shiokly works
2. Google Business Profile (Google Maps)
When someone searches "home baker near me" or "kueh Tampines", Google Maps results appear first. A Google Business Profile is free. It shows your photos, reviews, opening hours and a WhatsApp or website link.
- Best for: being found by people nearby who are searching right now.
- Tip: if you don’t want your home address public, set your profile as a service-area business and hide the address.
3. Kachiing
Kachiing is a Singapore community marketplace for local vendors and shops. Home businesses can create a shop and get discovered by shoppers browsing by category and neighbourhood.
- Best for: reaching local shoppers who prefer buying from small Singapore businesses.
4. Instagram
Instagram is still the shop window for food, crafts and lifestyle products. Posts, Reels and Stories are free. Highlights act like a permanent menu or price list.
- Best for: visual products like cakes, bakes, flowers and handmade goods.
- Tip: post Reels of the making process. Behind-the-scenes clips of your kitchen often outperform polished product shots.
5. Facebook Groups and Marketplace
Singapore has large Facebook groups for home-based food, mums, estates and hobby communities. Facebook Marketplace lets you list items free to buyers near you.
- Best for: older buyers, parents and neighbourhood customers.
- Tip: read each group’s rules first. Many only allow selling posts on certain days.
6. Telegram channels and community groups
Telegram is huge in Singapore for estate groups, deal channels and interest communities. Starting your own channel is free and gives you a direct line to repeat customers, with no algorithm deciding who sees your posts.
- Best for: announcing weekly menus, pre-order slots and restocks.
- Tip: pin a message with your menu, prices, collection points and how to order.
7. WhatsApp Business (catalogue and Status)
The free WhatsApp Business app gives you a product catalogue, quick replies, away messages and labels for orders. Your Status updates reach everyone who has saved your number.
- Best for: turning past customers into repeat orders.
- Tip: post on Status the day before each bake so regulars can pre-order.
8. Carousell
Carousell is where many Singaporeans go first to buy and sell. Listing is free, and people search it like a search engine.
- Best for: crafts, preloved and refurbished electronics, gift sets and services.
- Tip: use the words buyers actually type, e.g. "custom birthday cake Singapore" not just "cake".
9. TikTok, Lemon8 and Xiaohongshu (RedNote)
Short-video and lifestyle apps can send a small business viral overnight. TikTok reaches a broad audience, Lemon8 is popular for lifestyle and food reviews, and Xiaohongshu (RedNote) is widely used by Chinese-speaking shoppers in Singapore.
- Best for: food, beauty and anything with a strong visual or story.
- Tip: one channel done consistently beats five done occasionally. Pick the app your buyers already use.
10. Food review sites and local media
For food businesses, getting featured on review platforms like Burpple, or in local food blogs and lifestyle sites, is free publicity. Many writers actively look for interesting home-based finds.
- Best for: home cooks and bakers with a signature item or a good story.
- Tip: send a short, friendly pitch with great photos, your story and what makes the product special. Offer a tasting.
How to choose: quick decision guide
- Just starting and no website? List on Shiokly and set up WhatsApp Business first.
- Want people nearby to find you? Google Business Profile plus neighbourhood Telegram and Facebook groups.
- Selling something very visual? Instagram plus TikTok or Lemon8.
- Want repeat orders? Your own Telegram channel and WhatsApp Status.
- Selling crafts or electronics? Carousell plus a marketplace listing.
The bottom line
Free marketing works best when you combine one or two places where new customers discover you (a marketplace listing, Google, social media) with one place where existing customers hear from you again (Telegram or WhatsApp). Start small, post consistently, and make it easy to order with one tap to WhatsApp.
If you want a ready-made product page that’s promoted for you, list your first product on Shiokly for free.
Glossary
- Home-based business (HBB): a small business run from a residential home. In Singapore, HDB and URA have schemes and rules for this.
- Google Business Profile: Google’s free listing that shows on Google Search and Maps.
- Service-area business: a Google profile setting that hides your address and shows the areas you serve.
- WhatsApp Business: a free app version of WhatsApp with a catalogue and business tools.
Disclaimer: Platform features and rules change often. Check each platform’s latest terms, and make sure your home business follows HDB, URA and SFA guidelines where they apply. Best 10 Singapore may feature partner sites in our guides.
