They say that “time is of the essence”. In contract law, this phrase is used to designate time frame obligations. Unfortunately, as a stay-at-home mom, the luxury of fully focusing on a task sometimes seems like a laughable idea. However, it is possible and some moms need or want to work from home in addition to raising their child(ren). Below we’ve covered some great jobs for stay-at-home moms and tips for success.
Blog Writer
Blogging is the absolute best! Whether you create your own website or write for an existing one, it is a fantastic way to share your knowledge base and experience with the sole purpose of helping others. Moreover, the internet is FILLED with blogs on every topic under the sun!
What may surprise you is that this can be a lucrative job for a stay-at-home mom and it can turn into a passive source of income! Even better, you can do this job from anywhere and at any time! If writing is something that interests you, then sit down and really think about what you are excited to write about as well as how your background ties into this subject.
How To Start
If you have never blogged before, then starting small and writing for someone else can help you learn, grow and earn all at once. Finding jobs can be slow to start, but using platforms like Upwork, FlexJobs, and Fiverr is a great starting point. The pay will likely be low in the beginning. However, just like your baby, you need to crawl before you can walk.
Set up a profile, put a resume together, and come up with a pitch for why you are the best candidate for a job in this niche. Don’t forget to have writing samples ready as well. If you can’t prove you can do it, then why should someone hire you? If you don’t have a portfolio, take the time to read a few blog posts on the topic you hope to write about and put a few articles together on your own.
Then, apply, apply, apply! Once you start blogging, you will become in tune with best practices and build your collection of work. This will allow you to apply for bigger and better gigs!
Something to note — in the beginning, it is likely that the owner of the blog will want to claim your work as their own. This is called a ghostwriting role. When you are new to the field, this is a good way to get your feet wet, but long term it is best to request to be a named writer on their site. Name recognition is everything and it can help you to land better-paying jobs long term.
Personal Blog
This option takes a little more dedication on your part. You will need to buy what is called a domain. Then, you will need to think of a name and theme for your brand. After that, just start writing! You need enough content to give the readers options and show that you are knowledgeable in the field.
When writing a personal blog, it is important to remember that there will be no income to start. You are investing your time and energy with the hope that you can later find affiliate marketing and advertisers for your site that can earn you a regular income.
Think Big, Start Small
Once you have gained enough experience writing for someone else, you can decide to either start your own blog or to continue writing for others. For those stay-at-home moms who are building their own brand and have built up a content base, start sharing your website with others. This can be family and friends or small businesses that might benefit from your information.
The main initiative with any website is to drive traffic to the various pages you have set up. Make sure to implement search engine optimization techniques to help increase viewership. If you are working for someone else, always ask your employer about what qualifications they specifically want for their website. This shows initiative and allows you to improve your content.
Expand Your Business
This is the hardest part of blogging. Finding people to endorse what you have to say will likely bring failure before success. What is important is that you market yourself to companies with products and services that align with your brand.
Start with targeting small businesses and local companies and work upward to industry leaders. If you want to take some of your legwork away, there are also agencies that can help find the companies that are right for your site. Just remember that it will come at a cost if you use their services.
Tips For Success
At the start, taking on a personal blog requires that you take time away from family and fun to begin this new enterprise. This can make staying motivated difficult at times. Thus, write about something that you are passionate about, otherwise, your momentum will fizzle.
In addition, when creating your blog, pick one hour in the day to dedicate to your writing. Start with just two days a week and work towards three or four. Remember that nap time is the best time to accomplish any type of writing.
Lastly, don’t give up! Not all blogs take off immediately. Do your research and take advice from those who have found success!
Pros
- You can be your own boss
- Big earning potential
- Passive income stream
- Set your own work hours
Cons
- Slow momentum in the beginning
- Big time commitment
- Requires focus, which can be hard with small kids
- Small monetary investment for domain space
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Product Creator
Are you crafty? Good with technology? Do you have money to invest in yourself?
They say that “necessity is the mother of invention”. This could not be more true! You just have to decide how badly you want to stay at home AND make money! The one caveat of making a product to sell is that you many times have to put money into the creation before you actually sell it. This can include supplies, machinery, and creating a platform to sell your product. Thus, capital and confidence are the two key requirements for this job.
The good news is that if you find something that is marketable and you present it to the right audience, you have the ability to make thousands of dollars each month! Best of all, this type of role makes you your own boss! Talk about a perfect job for a stay-at-home mom!
How To Start
Becoming a business owner requires some legwork in the beginning. First, figure out what you are making and then present the item to family and friends. What do they like? What do they dislike? Is there something they would change? Ask for honest opinions, be open to constructive criticism and make adjustments as needed.
Next, come up with a name! Remember to think about the big picture. If you become successful, how could you expand the product line? You need to be specific enough so that the customer can quickly understand what you are selling while still leaving room for growth.
Once this crucial detail is determined, then you can come up with a logo and business cards to market your products! Moreover, create a social media account and ask friends to “like” your page. This can be extremely helpful when people try to look you up later down the line.
Product Types
The world is your oyster! Create dish towels, furniture, custom party supplies, wedding decor, box signs, Christmas ornaments, subscription boxes, candles, bachelorette swag, or whatever tickles your fancy! The goal should be to stick to a certain niche. You do not want to be the jack of all trades, but rather the premier authority in your product field.
Think Big, Start Small
Marketing your product can be a difficult task, especially when you are simultaneously juggling the role of a stay-at-home mom. Hence, dip your toe in the proverbial pond by posting your product for sale on various sites. If you want to start small, then consider posting on your social media pages to gauge interest. If you start having some success, Etsy and Amazon are wonderful outlets to start selling to a larger audience.
Remember that there are subscription fees for using big-name platforms to sell your product, so shop around to find the option that is best for you. Another important note is to start slow in the beginning. Don’t make 100 candles all at once if you don’t know if people are regularly going to purchase them. Instead, make small batches until steady sales start coming into your website.
Expand Your Business
No matter where you live, there are events that utilize local vendors. If you have the time and the capital to invest in a booth, sign up to reserve a space at festivals, the Junior League’s events, or at the farmer’s market. Have a selection of the goods that you sell as well as business cards. Moreover, set up a Venmo or Cash App account so that if individuals do not have cash, you have a way to get paid.
Tips For Success
First, just because you love an item, doesn’t mean others will as well. Take the time to go out shopping on a weekend and look around at what is popular at the time. Pay attention to products on display. Ask shop owners what their biggest sellers are and what items seem to be lagging. This can help you tailor your goods to your target audience.
Second, be patient. Unlike another job for a stay-at-home mom, this one takes time and dedication. It will likely take six months to a year to get your feet off the ground. However, once things take off, you will be surprised at how lucrative this venture can be for you and your family.
Just one example is Emily Ley. She started with the idea to create a planner to help simplify your life. What began as hope in her guest bedroom became a booming business that now requires a team of eight women to keep things running smoothly! The key is staying focused on a long-term goal and slowly working towards your dream, no matter how long it takes.
Pros
- You are your own boss
- Big earning potential
- Create your own hours
Cons
- Capital is required to start
- Slow momentum in the beginning
- Big time commitment
- Not all ideas are marketable
Freelance Writer/Editor
These are very similar to blog writing, but with a little less flexibility. In this role, you will be working for someone else. This equates to writing assignments, deadlines, and the need to tailor the product to your employer’s liking, not yours.
For writers, your work will likely go through a vetting process before publishing. If errors are made, then they will need to be addressed. This can take additional time and even if you have a time constraint, you will have to prioritize the work the moment you get the edits. This can be an inconvenient part of the job for a stay-at-home mom with young kids.
Those edits are done by a proofreader or editor. This role is very similar in the sense that your workload is dependent on others. You clearly cannot edit anything without the writer first submitting content.
The good news is that you can still work on your own time and at your own pace with the right contract job. Therefore, your main initiative is to find the roles that provide ample periods of time for completion and flexibility when issues arise.
How To Start
Just like with blog writing, freelance writing and editing require experience. The same platforms mentioned above can be used to find these types of roles. Remember that you will likely have to start small and slowly work your way up to better-paying gigs.
However, positions can also be found through social media sites and company’s posting on job search engines like Indeed and SimplyHired. All you have to do is apply! If you are serious about landing a job quickly, send out applications to as many jobs that interest you as possible. This can help widen your field of opportunity.
Think Big, Start Small
Take on one or two jobs at a time. Then, gauge how long it takes you to complete the work. This can help you to create a schedule and gradually build up your client base. Conversely, if you take on an editor role, this can sometimes require a set number of hours a week. Thus, part-time opportunities can help you to ease into this job title and continue to balance your stay-at-home mom duties.
Expand Your Business
Even if you are working for someone else, your goal needs to always be to build your brand. What are you? An automotive expert? A nutritionist? A meteorologist? Decide what your expertise is in and build your portfolio. The more work you do, the better you look on paper.
Dedicating a year to medium-paying jobs can give you the latitude to land bigger and better jobs later down the line. People want to see experience and if you can prove that you are successful at what you do, it is easy to progress in this career.
Tips For Success
Just like a regular brick-and-mortar job, you need to apply for these positions. Thus, a killer resume, cover letter, and applicable portfolio are imperative for landing the job. Remember to not just list your work experience. A resume should be a picture of how your past opportunities have melded you into the perfect candidate for this specific position.
Read the job posting carefully. If you have the listed attributes they are looking for, include those keywords in your CV. Also, don’t forget to include references!
Pros
- Steady Income
- Big earning potential
- Control over your own clients, the projects and your pay
- Flexible schedule (depending on the client)
Cons
- Deadlines
- Writing style may vary from your style
- Work is dependent on others
- Certain numbers of hours per week may be required
Home Daycare Provider
Another great job for the stay-at-home mom who loves kids and has ample space in her home is to create an at-home daycare. Not only that, but it is also a spectacular way to provide socialization opportunities for your child! Best of all, you control the hours, the number of kids you take on, and the amount you charge per hour.
Moreover, this is a very marketable business venture. Anyone who has to hold a job and doesn’t have the luxury of being a stay-at-home mom has to find child care. Small group sizes equate to more attention being paid to a person’s child and a better experience for everyone. Each state has specific rules and regulations for home care facilities, but most will allow up to six kids (including your own), with some going up to twelve school-age children if you are the only person supervising.
How To Start
First, you need to obtain a state license. This requires an application, training, and a background check. Next, you have to prepare a safe space for the children to play and sleep. This is obviously quite the undertaking if you are watching twelve children, but if you are watching two or three kids it is quite feasible with a small investment.
Then, figure out a plan for regular enrichment activities for the kids. This can include sensory play, outdoor fun, arts and crafts, and storytime. The goal is to stray away from devices and let the kids use their minds and their energy while they are with you!
Meal planning is also important. You can require that parents pack a lunch or they can pay extra for included mealtimes. Remember that you will need to avoid allergy trigger foods and send out weekly meal plans for approval. Once all these big picture details are ironed out, then you can create a schedule and guidelines for issues that may arise.
What hours are you available? Which weeks are you off? Are there repercussions for late pickup? Who is your alternate caregiver if an emergency arises? These are all extremely important details that are best addressed before you start signing kids up for your care!
RELATED: How To Babysit A Baby – Our Tops Tips for Keeping Baby Fuss-Free
Think Big, Start Small
When starting this enterprise, it is best to start with just a few kids. While this may seem futile with the amount of time that you have to invest in preparing yourself and your home for this job, it is important to remember that you do not want to become overwhelmed. Let yourself gain a comfortable footing for the first six months and then start taking on more kids if you see fit.
Moreover, let’s say, for example, that you want to provide half-day care from 8 AM to 12 PM five days a week. If you take on three kids and charge $60 a day, that equates to $900 a week! If you took six weeks off a year, that still comes out to over $40,000 yearly! Additionally, all the supplies that you have to buy for your planned activities can be written off as a business expense come tax time.
When building your client base, start with family friends, or relatives. This can help you to build your reputation and credibility, while still building your business.
Expand Your Business
Once you start gaining momentum, make business cards, create a website and build a social media profile. This can help you to gain more clients. Leave stacks of your cards at local Gymboree’s, kid-friendly restaurants, and anywhere that parents might frequent.
Furthermore, word of mouth is EVERYTHING when it comes to the care of someone’s child. A parent wants to know that you went above and beyond to care for their kid. Therefore, if someone has a good experience, ask them to write you a recommendation blurb for your website. Moreover, give them business cards to hand out to other interested parents!
Tips For Success
This is an amazing job for a stay-at-home mom because you get to regularly engage with your child in new and exciting ways! They also get the chance to hang out with other kids their age, learn about sharing and gain new skills!
However, this is a job that is best for the parent who does not have any pets. While animals are fantastic creatures, not all parents want their kids in a place where an animal could potentially harm their child. There is also the risk of allergies.
Additionally, your home will be subject to random, drop-by inspections to ensure that safety procedures are being met. Thus, keeping a clean and safe home that is fully baby-proofed is imperative.
Pros
- Big earning potential
- Most supplies can be written off
- Great socialization and enrichment opportunities for your child
Cons
- Big initial investment
- Parents can be difficult
- Children can get hurt, even with supervision
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Tutor
Were you a teacher in a prior life? Do you have a Master’s or Ph.D. in a grade school subject? Does your spouse come home at a reasonable time? If so, becoming a tutor may be a spectacular opportunity for you! You get to take your knowledge and help to break it down for kids to easily understand.
Moreover, this can be done after school, in the early evening, or on weekends when your significant other can watch the kids. This is also a role that can sometimes make over $50 an hour! That means if you work three hours a day, for five days a week, at 50 weeks a year, you can make $37,500!
How To Start
Marketing yourself to schools in your area is the first step. If you have prior teaching experience at a school, this is a great way to get your foot in the door. Take the time to create business cards, resumes, and fliers with those lovely rip-off tabs with your information on them.
Then, take the initiative to introduce yourself to the teachers in the subject you hope to tutor. Ask questions about the curriculum and if they would recommend you if a student needs help.
Think Big, Start Small
Many times, starting out in tutoring can be hard. However, there are a lot of companies that will hire virtual tutors so look for opportunities in your area. Once you have some experience under your belt, reach out to your most successful students and request reviews of your services. This can allow you to create a website and better market your services! Word of mouth will draw in potential students and the testimonials will help to seal the deal.
Expand Your Business
Once you have a large client base as well as a good rapport with the teachers in the grade and course that you focus on, consider marketing your services to students in the summer, before they enter the class. This can give them an advantage over other kids in their grade while simultaneously keeping your workload full all year long!
Tips For Success
If you intend to focus on a specific subject, let’s say 8th grade English, then take the initiative to talk to the teachers at the school to learn more about the curriculum, the textbooks as well as what the kids will be tested over. This can better equip you to thoroughly prepare your students for the test.
Moreover, offer your services in person at your home as well as on Zoom or Skype. This can give you the latitude to work when students are feeling under the weather or even when you are getting away for the weekend!
Pros
- Big earning potential
- Minimal prep work
- Set your own hours
Cons
- Requires child care at times
- Work is mostly available when school is in session
Finding Flexibility and a Passive Income
You are busy. Thus, you need a job that will fulfill the duty of paying the bills without necessarily the worry of having to fully focus on a task for an extended period of time. Therefore, you need something flexible. Deadlines are a given with any job, but finding a role that has less stringent work hours is key for keeping your sanity and not sacrificing the time you want to spend with your family.
Most importantly, you want a job that can provide you with a passive income. This basically means that you have to invest a minimal amount of effort to make a lot of money. Now keep in mind, there is no such thing as a free lunch. Thus, a passive income is one that first requires a lot of time and dedication.
While this might feel like an impossible task, push that thought out of your head! It is not only possible, but it is also plausible! You CAN have it all! All you need is a little motivation, support from your spouse, and something that you are passionate about to start working towards.
Finding Realistic Stay-at-Home Mom Jobs
If you Google “Best job for a stay-at-home mom”, you will get a lot of feasible options, if your child is in school for six to eight hours a day. A transcriptionist, customer service representative, and virtual assistant are usually associated with daytime work.
This is perfect for the mom of kids in first through twelfth grade, but you can’t have a screaming baby in the background. There is also not a lot of room for stop and go.
The internet also lists online teachers, photographers, and event planners as viable job options. These are all fantastic roles. However, when you really dive into the intricacies of these positions, they require long hours and the ability to work in the early morning, late evening, or on weekends. Not only that, but photographers and event planners need to go out in order to conduct their work.
Isn’t the point of being a STAY AT HOME mom to NOT have to leave for work? Moreover, this action requires some form of child care. Thus, if you are a mother to children who are not in grade school, you have to find realistic stay-at-home mom jobs. Best of all, if you get some experience in these fields, you can continue for the long haul!
More Tips for Success
Your Earn What You Earn
The best job for a stay-at-home mom is a work-from-home, freelance opportunity, or a personal venture that you can expand over time. However, most of these roles are ones that do not include vacation or sick time, nor do they provide for retirement. That means you make what you make and if you do not work you do not get paid. This is why passive income is always best!
Moreover, work towards saving for the times when work will be put aside. This can allow you to relax on vacation, instead of feeling like you always have to be on the job.
Taxes Still Have To Be Paid
Working for yourself or freelancing for others does not exclude you from paying your taxes. Each quarter, you need to give the government approximately 20% of your earnings. However, it is best to save another 10% for when April 15th rolls around. Making payments can be easily accomplished by going to irs.gov/payments. When you make the payment, your designation will be “Estimated Tax”.
Additionally, it is also important to keep all of your receipts. These include documentation for supplies to make your products, subscriptions to hold your domain name, fees for using freelance websites to find jobs as well as payment information. Many of the supply and upkeep costs can be written off at tax time, putting money back in your pocket!
Know Your Industry
Writers/Bloggers
Writing seems easy enough, right? While it would be nice if this was the case, in order to make money with a virtual publication, you must have traffic on the website. This is accomplished through SEO (search engine optimization) techniques. This includes internal and external links, the appropriate use of keywords throughout the piece, and the use of an active voice.
Many websites also require you to achieve a certain Flesch Kincaid Reading Ease score of at least 60 to 70. This number basically determines what grade level can understand your content. In this case, an eighth to ninth-grader would comprehend your article. If the score goes below this, it becomes harder for the general reader, making them less likely to read it.
Furthermore, formatting is imperative. No one wants to read a giant blob of text. Articles need to be divided into small paragraphs with short sentences of 20 words or less. Moreover, sections and subsections are key.
The titles should give a summary at a glance of what the paragraph expands upon. Remember that the purpose of these sections is to further divide up the text. More than 300 words are too much.
Additionally, most paragraphs should only have two to three sentences each. Transition words are also necessary — all of those terms that you learned in grade school need to come back into your writing!
Take the time to research these techniques to help you to become a better writer. The larger your knowledge base on these methods, the more successful you will be in your writing!
Product Sales
Similarly, if you are selling a product, research the best practices for making the items as well as safety concerns that need to be noted for the buyer. Also, ensure that you are not copying something that is already being made. Copyright infringement is a serious crime and it is your responsibility as the creator and seller to double-check this information.
In addition, just like any other business, take the time to create return policies, product guidelines, and estimated shipping times. When creating a website, note disclaimers to protect you from lawsuits.
For example, if you write about how to treat a cold, note that it is always recommended to consult your child’s pediatrician before administering any medication. If you are selling candles, note that this product needs to be monitored at all times in order to prevent a fire.
While these seem like common sense things, not everyone has the innate ability to think outside the box. This covers you in terms of liability and reminds others of proper use.
FAQs – Best Jobs For Stay-at-Home Moms
How do I know how much to charge for my services?
Once you have experience, you need to think about the work you are going to be doing. For instance, if you are writing an article, how long does it take you to research the topic? How many words are you writing? Are you responsible for formatting the article? Finally, how much do you hope to make in a day?
If it takes an hour of research and two hours to write, then it is recommended to charge a minimum of $60-$75 for the article. This equates to $20-$25 an hour, which is a fair amount for the service that you are providing.
For those selling a product, it is important to determine not only the cost for supplies but the time it takes to make the product and market it to others as well as shipping costs, if applicable.
If you have experience, do not be afraid to ask for what you think you are worth. If you have a number of regular clients, then it is worth the risk to ask for more when you feel that it is deserved.
Finally, for services like daycare, research rates that care facilities in the area charge. Many times it can behoove you to charge slightly less to make your business seem more enticing.
Final Thoughts
Balancing life and motherhood is hard enough, but adding in a career can be extremely stressful. Thankfully, with the support of family, friends, and of course, a loving spouse, it is possible to have it all. Remember that life is messy and during this transition time, your house can be messy too.
Starting small and building up your workload is the key to maintaining a job, the house, and your kids. Over time the process will become much easier and it will be simple to add more work into your week.
The best job for a stay-at-home mom is one whose employer is a parent too. This shared understanding of the trials and tribulations of parenthood is crucial in finding more flexibility and support.
