I have been at home with kids for almost 9 years now, and something that has been just as constant as making PBJs and wiping up spilled milk is looking for ways to make money from home. If you’re here, you probably have faced the same dilemma that I did – there just don’t seem to be a lot of legitimate options out there, or the pay is so low it is barely worth the time.
Fab news, mama! I have polled my network to find out how they’re making money launching businesses, side gigs & more – from home!
I hope this list inspires you to go out there and create your own opportunity!
Coaching/consulting: Got some kind of expertise? Channel it into a business you can run from home. In case you haven’t noticed, this is what I do! I am a business coach who helps moms build businesses from home, and I encountered many other types of coaches and consultants in my research: health/weightloss coaches, parenting coaches, mindset coaches, personal finance consultants, HR consultants, and more. Think about your formal education and previous jobs you have held: how can those be tailored into a consulting service?
Virtual assisting: The gig economy is here and it’s real. So many of us are running online businesses – and so many of us are looking for assistants who work online from their own homes. You could assist a business owner from across the country – or world! What types of businesses do you want to help? What tasks can you assist with? Scheduling, setting up systems, handling customer service inquiries.. the list goes on!
Photography: If you’re a talented photographer, you might have considered photography but shied away because you felt like you were limited to family or wedding photography that required time away from home and lots of time at the computer editing. Have you considered creating and selling stock photography? That’s right – businesses actually pay for stock photography with flat lays being especially desirable.
Apparel: Many of the mamas I chatted with are selling apparel.. in many forms! Some personalize clothes and accessories with embroidered names and monograms, some design t-shirts with cute sayings, and one has even set up a website where others can sell their personalized designs without purchasing inventory.
Graphic Design: If you’re an Adobe whiz, this might be for you! You can design branding, logos, social media posts, and more from the comfort at home at all hours. You can also design calendars, daily planners, and stationery too. There is a huge market for beautiful design and so many places you can sell it like Creative Market and Etsy.
Blogging: I hesitated to put this on the list because I know so many people (myself included) who started a blog and made $0 from it (actually negative, since starting the blog cost money). That said, there are ways to make money & get free products as a blogger if you know what you’re doing. Have a clear niche, be consistent, and most of the bloggers I know who make money are offering something for sale as well like an e-book or e-course related to the topic of their blog.
Develop products: Your imagination is the only limit on this one. I found moms selling: artisan salsas, natural skin care products, hand-knit sweaters, nursery bedding, and more. These can be sold on etsy, your own site, amazon, and more. My first online business was selling handmade zip up pouches and hair ties on etsy!
Social Media Management: Yes, this is a real job now. Have you been on FB since 2004 and stayed up to date on all the changes? Are you a total pinterest nerd? Is LinkedIn your jam? There are literally tons of businesses and solopreneurs out there who are looking for people to pay to manage their social media for them.
Website building: I have met women making money building websites on every platform out there from WordPress, Squarespace, Wix, and more! Pick one and become an expert, and you can offer done-for-you services as well as courses that teach people how to build and maintain their own sites.
Proofreading/editing: This can take a ton of forms as well! I’ve met women who edit manuscripts for authors, proofreaders for websites, proofreaders for resumes – and more. Pick a niche and run with it!
Writing and Copywriting: One of my clients writes blog posts for a living. Yep, that’s a thing. There are also badass women out there writing sales copy for small businesses, women who specialize in teaching people to write “About Me” pages, etc. Are you an awesome writer? This might be for you!
Tutoring: One of my clients is a former teacher and now tutors online for extra cash. You can become a tutor for one of those big, online tutoring companies or start your own gig.
Bookkeeping: Are you a pro at Xero, Quickbooks, or another accounting software? Are you a finance major who is now home with the kids? Bookkeeping for small businesses might be an awesome fit for you.
Writing books: Ok so this one isn’t necessarily online or even new, but if you’ve always dreamt of being an author, starting while at home with the kids might actually be the perfect time. Don’t stress that you can’t spend ALL day writing, just use whatever time you have – maybe 30 minutes before they wake up, maybe nap time – and get started.
Events: If you’re up for leaving the house on nights or weekends, you might think about getting involved with events. I’ve met women who are wedding planners, event planners, kids party entertainers, birthday cake or personalized cookie bakers, etc.
Travel agency: Lots of mamas running travel agencies out of their homes these days! My advice if you go this route is to have a clear niche to differentiate yourself from the masses. One mom I met specializes in planning family Disney vacations – that sounds really fun!
Personal training: This might blow your mind, but there are personal trainers out there who never meet face to face with their clients in a gym. These days, trainers can chat with clients online and craft personalized diet and exercise plans to help them reach their goals. You could even hop on skype together to check your client’s form.
Network marketing: I had to include it because believe it or not, networking marketing (aka MLM) is a way a lot of mamas are making extra cash these days. If you go this route, choose your company and the person who sign up under wisely. Not all companies (or products) are created equal.
