Roots to Revenue - How to Start and Grow a Genealogy Business at Home

by Thomas MacEntee

Imagine spending your days unraveling the mysteries of family histories and getting paid for it. For many genealogy enthusiasts, this dream is becoming reality. A passion for tracing lineage, once just a hobby, can indeed blossom into a thriving home-based business. Consider the story of one avid family historian who started out helping friends piece together their family trees as a pastime. Before long, word-of-mouth referrals had him researching for paying clients. What began at his kitchen table evolved into a full-fledged genealogy service, reconnecting families with long-lost relatives and generating a steady income. He’s not alone—real people across the country are turning their love of genealogy into successful enterprises, combining personal fulfillment with financial gain. This book is about helping you do the same. By the time you finish reading, you’ll see how your journey “from roots to revenue” can become your story too.Follow Your Passion Spend your work hours doing what genuinely interests you – researching history, sleuthing through records, and talking about genealogy. Every project is a new adventure.Help Others in a Meaningful You’ll provide a service that deeply touches people’s lives. Clients often describe genealogy findings as priceless gifts. You become the storyteller who gives families a sense of identity and continuity.Flexible Work-Life Be your own boss and set a schedule that suits you. Whether you work full-time, part-time, or seasonally, you have control. It’s an ideal arrangement for those who need flexibility or want to work from the comfort of home.Low Startup Unlike many businesses, a home-based genealogy venture doesn’t require a huge investment. If you have a computer, an internet connection, and some genealogy experience, you have the essentials. (There are tools and subscriptions that help, which we’ll cover, but the barrier to entry is relatively low.)Continuous If you love genealogy, you likely love learning. This career keeps you on your toes intellectually – you’ll constantly discover new historical facts, improve your research techniques, and perhaps delve into genetic science. It’s hard to get bored when each client’s case is a fresh puzzle.Growing As discussed above, interest in genealogy is booming. This isn’t a fad likely to fade next year. Family history is enduring, and new technologies (DNA, digitized archives, etc.) are making it easier and more popular every day. The growth of the market means new opportunities for those ready to jump in.Embrace the Your Opportunity Awaits

Genealogy is experiencing a golden era, and you stand at the doorstep of opportunity. The tools have never been more accessible, the public’s interest never higher, and the community of professional genealogists never more welcoming. The fact that you’ve picked up this book indicates you have a spark—both an entrepreneurial spark and a love for family history. Now it’s time to fan that spark into a flame.

As you embark on this journey, keep in mind that every expert was once a beginner. The celebrated genealogists you might know, or the entrepreneurs running successful ancestry research firms, all started where you are with a passion, a bit of courage, and the willingness to learn.

Your journey from roots to revenue starts now.

Kindle Edition

Published March 15, 2025

About the author

What happens when a “tech guy” with a love for history gets laid off during The Great Recession of 2008? You get Thomas MacEntee, a genealogy professional based in the United States who is also a blogger, educator, author, social media connector, online community builder and more.

Thomas was laid off after a 25-year career in the information technology field, so he started his own genealogy-related business called High Definition Genealogy. He also created an online community of over 3,000 family history bloggers known as GeneaBloggers. His most recent endeavor, Hack Genealogy, is an attempt to “re-purpose today’s technology for tomorrow’s genealogy.”

Thomas describes himself as a lifelong learner with a background in a multitude of topics who has finally figured out what he does best: teach, inspire, instigate, and serve as a curator and go-to-guy for concept nurturing and inspiration. Thomas is a big believer in success, and that we all succeed when we help each other find success.