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The COVID-19 pandemic has certainly changed the way we live our lives and has even forced many people to consider a career change. However, it has also opened people’s eyes to the opportunities available when it comes to starting a business from home. In particular, there are a lot of stay at home mums and dads who are juggling home-schooling, looking after the kids, and trying to find ways to make an income.
In this article, we’re going to look at 15 great home business ideas for mums and dads. Just because you’re raising the little ones, that doesn’t mean you can’t also build a successful home gig or side hustle.
Benefits of starting a business as a stay at home mum or dad
There are plenty of reasons that you might want to start a business while also being a stay at home parent. You may need extra money if other family income earners are earning less during the pandemic. You may be considering starting a home business instead of returning from maternity or paternity leave. Whatever your reasons, there are plenty of benefits to running your own business from home.
- Choose your own hours
- Spend more time with family
- Build a creative outlet for yourself
- Earn an income without leaving home
- Work less hours and earn more money
- You may be able to quit your job
Everybody’s motivations will be different, but running a home business is certainly appealing. If you’re the type of person who is very business-minded, always putting 110% into your career, it can be a shock to go on maternity leave and have no professional outlet to use your skills. This is another reason why starting your own business is a great idea.
15 business ideas for stay at home mums and dads
There are so many opportunities out there in the business world, but sometimes it’s a matter of knowing what you can do. Everybody has a different skill set, but in reality, most skills can be turned into business income if you know how to start and have the right tools behind you. Many people don’t know how to start a business, so this guide should help you with some ideas.
1. Babysitting
If you’ve got a child-care qualification and your home is safe and meets guidelines, you could potentially set yourself up as a family day carer. You’re already looking after your own children, so why not add a couple more into the mix and generate an income!
Even if you’re not qualified, but you’re a trustworthy person who is great with kids, you can set up a babysitting business. Get the word out on social media and you might be surprised how many people take up the offer.
2. DIY Crafts
Are you the crafty type? If so, you’ve got a perfect opportunity to create fun products that you can sell. You can potentially sell your wares at markets, fairs or even in local stores on a consignment basis. Also, you can start an online store and sell throughout the country.
3. Freelance writing
If you’ve always been a bit of a wordsmith, there is certainly a market out there for your talents. Businesses are always looking for help producing content for social media, websites and blogs. One of the best ways to get started is to check out a freelancing website like Upwork, and start offering your services. Do a little study on the importance of search engine optimisation (SEO), and you’ll become a handy proposition for any business.
4. Baking
Being a whiz in the kitchen is something your family surely appreciates. But why keep those skills behind closed doors? If you’ve got some special products that you love baking, there’s always a market for great food. Whether you set up your own market stalls on weekends, or even enlist the help of local cafes to sell your baked goods, you can definitely make money from those delicious treats.
5. Tutoring
Setting up a tutoring business is a great way to earn some extra income. If you’re knowledgeable about a particular subject and you’re good with people, you can always find people to tutor. This can even apply to specialist skills like music lessons if you’re experienced with an instrument. You’ll need some tools to get set up, especially something like Square Invoices so that you can get paid quickly and easily, but aside from that, your knowledge and people skills are all you need.
6. Graphic design
Much like freelance writing, graphic design is a skill that many people need but only a few possess. The great thing about graphic design is that larger agencies and marketing companies charge a fortune for it, which has created a market for businesses looking for freelancers. If you can do a great job for a lower price, there are plenty of eager customers out there.
7. Affiliate marketing
Affiliate marketing is the process of promoting products through a specific code or link, so that when people buy from your recommendation, you earn a commission. If you start a blog, YouTube channel, or even just a popular social media site, you can earn a good income through affiliate marketing. You can even build a website dedicated to product reviews, and if people visit regularly for your opinion, there is certainly money to be made.
8. Social media influencer
Becoming a social media influencer isn’t as easy as you might think, but if you’re pretty savvy in the online space, it’s definitely achievable. Influencers are essentially people who generate a lot of followers on social media platforms. As such, brands are willing to pay those influencers to promote products for them. The best way to do this is by focusing on a certain niche that you’re passionate about. It will be much easier to build a following this way.
9. Start a blog
Many people think that writing a blog is more of a hobby rather than a business, but that’s not true. Like any hobby, if you treat it like a business, you can achieve plenty of success. If you build a popular blog that has several readers and followers, you can generate income through paid advertising, sponsored posts, affiliate marketing and more.
10. Start a consulting business
If you’re experienced in anything, you can turn that knowledge and experience into a consulting business. If you’re great at marketing, an expert at starting businesses, or maybe even a hospitality and catering aficionado, there are companies out there who need your knowledge.
11. Web design
There are so many businesses out there, large and small, who need web design work completed. Whether it’s building a site for a new business or updating a tired old webpage, this is a particularly useful skill to have. If you’ve got a flair for web design, you can get started on a freelancing website or by advertising your services online.
12. Virtual assistant
Much like web design, freelancing websites are full of jobs being posted for virtual assistants. It’s becoming common now for businesses, especially smaller ones, to hire a virtual assistant rather than employing somebody full time. If you’ve got experience in admin, this is a great way to make some extra income.
13. Social media management
Social media is another area that businesses just don’t find time for. They know they should be more active on their socials, but they don’t know what to post, don’t have the time, and don’t understand how to build an audience. If you’ve got social media skills, you can turn this into a business. Again, freelancing websites are a great source of clients.
14. Print-on-demand products
If you’ve got some creative flair, you can turn fun, interesting designs into marketable merchandise. Print-on-demand (POD) allows you to put your designs onto t-shirts, mugs, hats, stubby holders and so much more. All you need to do is provide the digital images of your designs, and the POD company does the rest, even managing your orders and shipping to customers.
15. Start an online store
Do you have the ability to create or source physical products that you can sell online? If you’ve got the products, all you need is a tool like Square Online, and you can build an online store in no time. It’s easy to set up, and from there you can manage all aspects of selling physical products online. Whether you source products from elsewhere and retail them, or you sell products you make yourself, it’s a great way to earn an income. A tip though is to think carefully about how you’ll market your business. Online retail is competitive, so you need to know how to reach your audience. Social media is usually a great tool for this.
16. Sell online courses
Finally, if you’ve got knowledge of a particular industry, have you ever considered teaching others? Much like a consulting business, selling online classes is an easy way to earn some income from the skills and experience you already have. You can design an online course and sell it as a package, or even offer virtual courses where you connect with customers and teach them. You can even film instructional videos and sell those.
If you know where to look, there are plenty of home business ideas for mums and dads. Whether you keep it as a side hustle or turn it into an empire is all up to you!
