How to Start a Business As a Stay at Home Parent

Starting a business as a stay at home parent offers the possibility of an extra source of income. However, starting a business comes with a wide variety of challenges in that you’ll have to manage your responsibilities as a business owner and as a parent. In addition, you’ll need to manage your time and money. Ultimately, though, by choosing the right business, figuring out how you’ll balance your responsibilities, and knowing how to run your business as a professional, you’ll be better equipped to start a business as a stay at home parent.

1

Become a freelance writer. If you like writing, you could make a substantial amount of money as a freelance writer. In addition, freelance writing offers the opportunity for you to put your creative abilities to use and to create a wide variety of content.

• Freelance writing jobs can pay between $10 and $30 per hour.
• Look on websites like www.freelancewritinggigs.com for writing jobs that might interest you.
• Contact your local newspaper to see if they have any opportunities for paid writing.
• Enroll in courses that will help you sharpen your writing.
• Offer to do no-charge copyediting for friends or nonprofits in your community. This will help you get lots of experience and to sharpen your skills so you can eventually charge customers.^[1]
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• Start a tutoring business. Tutoring is one of the easiest ways you can make money and put your academic or intellectual background to good use. If you have a degree in a specific field (like English, Math, or History) or professional or teaching experience, you’re likely qualified to tutor a subject.

  • If you have kids in public school, let their teachers know you offer tutoring services in certain subjects.
  • Look for tutoring jobs on websites like www.wyzant.com or www.varsitytutors.com.
  • Charge an hourly fee. For instance, you might charge $20 to $50 dollars per hour depending on the subject and the level. Tutoring AP Chemistry might fetch a higher fee than elementary school English.^[2]
3
Begin a dog walking business. By charging a fee per dog, you can make a good amount of money over the course of a week. In the end, you’ll make money working with animals and doing something enjoyable. When starting your business:
• Put up flyers in your neighborhood advertising your dog walking business.
• Tell your friends, family, and neighbors about your business.
• Offer discounts if a person has multiple dogs or has you walk their dogs several times in one day.
• Your fee may vary on your location. For instance, dog walking fees in Southern California will be higher than in Atlanta, Georgia.^[3]

4
Create a list of products you could sell. While services might be a good option, selling or reselling products might offer you a profitable alternative. Reselling products will give you the ability to take care of your family and make some money on the side. Consider selling:
• Vintage clothing
• Baked goods
• A variety of goods on Amazon Market Place or eBay. For example, you could resell toys, dishes, electronics, or more.