5 Practical Business Ideas for Single Moms (Step by Step)

As a stay-at-home mother, you may be looking around for lucrative business ideas that will allow you to make some money while you are home with your kids.

Many families need to make a little bit extra to pay the bills or pay for a nice vacation and stay-at-home mothers may want to find a way to fit this into their schedule to take care of their kids still.

The good news is that our modern economy allows a lot of ways for us to make money while at home. From social media posts to graphic designers, virtual assistants, and even freelance writers, there is a way for everyone to get paid while working from home. 

In this guide, we’ll talk about some of the best and most practical ways you can earn a living while being a full-time mommy. 

So keep reading…

Sell Items Online

One of the first jobs that many stay-at-home moms consider is selling items online. There are many boutique stores and even Amazon.com that can make it easy to sell some of your crafts online. 

And if you are good at creating, this may seem like a dream come true for a job. If you are considering this option, do the following:

Step 1: Decide What to Sell

The hardest step is to figure out what to sell. What is something you can easily make that does not cost a lot of money and isn’t already oversaturating the market?

This may take a little bit of creativity to do, but think about some of your talents and what you are good at and you will come up with something unique.

Step 2: Decide On the Customization

Once you have the right product, it is time to decide if there will just be one type of it or consider customization. 

Customization adds more time to your job and can make things difficult for you, but it also opens up the potential for more clients and customers. You decide how much, if any, customization you would like to have.

Step 3: Make Some Stock of the Product

Now it is time to get to work. It is a good idea to build up a few of your products ahead of time. This can benefit you in a few ways. It will take the rush away from when customers start to order. And it gives you a chance to take pictures of the product to post up for customers to view. 

After creating a few of the products, take as many pictures as possible. Photos do a great job of selling the product by grabbing attention from your potential customers. 

Step 4: Pick a Site to Sell the Product On

During this process, you need to decide what sites to sell the items on. You may choose to go the route of Etsy or something similar. 

These are beneficial because they already have a group of customers looking for homemade items, but they charge some additional fees that will eat into your profit. 

You can also create your own website and market yourself, but you have to start from scratch on this and building up customers may take awhile.

Step 5: List the Product with a Description

No matter what method you choose to use, it is time to list the product. Add pictures to go with it and a good description. 

Think about some of the questions that any potential customer would ask you and make sure those end up in the description. And show as many angles of the product as possible. This can help the customer figure out if this is the right product for you.

This is also the time to determine what price you would like to charge for the items. This is a balancing act. 

You need to come up with a high enough price to earn a profit after the cost of supplies and any fees the site will charge you. Also, keep it low enough that someone is willing to pay for it. Count in prices that you will charge for different customizations.

Step 6: Advertise

It is crucial to find some ways to advertise your product to get more customers in. Whether you use your website or choose a site like Etsy, there are many other stay at home mothers who would like to do the same thing. It is your job to stand out from the crowd. 

You can use methods like referral programs, adding something special to your product’s sale, SEO, reaching out to friends and family and more. 

You may need to take this on the road and consider joining some craft fairs to showcase your work. Make sure to bring along a business card so that interested parties can check you out later too.

Step 7: Start Shipping Out

As soon as you get an order, it is time to get to work. You may be able to use some of your samples to help, but you may also need to create something new and send it to the customer. 

Come up with an efficient system of doing this that fits your schedule. Your customers may have a little patience, but they will not wait around forever. 

Prompt service with the product sent out as soon as possible is the best option. If you find that you are falling behind on your work, you may need to go to the website and turn things down. 

You can list something like unavailable or let the customer know about the long wait, so they are not surprised.

Writing Jobs

For anyone who wants to write for a living without waiting around for the amount of time it takes to earn any money with a blog, freelance writing is a great option.

Many companies and individuals will pay high-quality writers to help them with SEO articles, blogs, marketing, ebooks, and so much more.

Step 1: Decide On the Type of Writing

The first step to consider is what type of writing you want to focus on. There are so many writing jobs out there. 

If you do not pick one, you will find it overwhelming to work with. You can choose it based on the topics you want to write about or even the type of writing you are comfortable with. For example, do you want to spend your time writing eBooks, or would you like to write blog posts? Choose this ahead of time.

Step 2: Write Some Sample Articles 

If you do not have any writing history, then you may need to write a few samples. Most clients want to see samples to get a good idea of the tone you use and your grammatical skills. 

Once you have chosen the topic you like, you can spend a few hours and write several samples on that topic. These will remain in your copyright and while you will not get paid for them, they can help kickstart your new career.

Step 3: Join a Few Freelancing Sites

After writing a few samples and picking a niche, it is time to join a few freelancing websites. These are often the best option because you can choose your rate, choose your topics, and even choose when you want to work on them. 

Some good options include Problogger.com, UpWork.com and Freelancer.com, to name a few. Some options fit in with specific niches, so if you plan to handle a technical topic, this can get you ahead. 

Take your time filling out your profile completely on these sites. This will make you more visible to potential clients.

Step 4: Apply for Different Jobs

Once you choose the various freelance sites you want to work on, it is time to jump in and start applying. 

Choose jobs with caution. Some may not be worth your time to even apply for because the pay is too low. It may take a little time searching and you may need to apply to several jobs. 

But with perseverance, you will finally land your first job!

Step 5: Have a Business Email and Account

As your business starts to grow, you may want to consider setting up a business email and a business account. This is true for almost all of the jobs on this list. 

This way, you can keep communications organized with your clients and make tax time a little easier.

Step 6: Build Up Your Portfolio and Earn More Over Time

Over time, you will get various projects and can finish with happy clients. Hold onto these projects to use later. 

While you can’t sell them and make more money on them, these are now your samples and can show your clients some real work you have done. 

The larger your portfolio, with more projects and more diversity, the easier it is to get projects later on.

Graphic Design

Many companies need help with graphic design and have no problem having their employees work from home. They may need help with a new logo, some marketing material, or a new product launch. 

Here’s how you can get started easily:

Step 1: Set Up a Website or Portfolio

Anyone who hires you as a graphic designer will want to see your work. This is a very visual field. You can talk all day about your talents and skills, but you will struggle to get a job unless you can showcase the skills and let them see what you are capable of. 

If you have some graphic design skills in the past, pull those out. Create a website where you can place those on or create some samples you can showcase later.

Step 2: Create Some Examples

If you worked as a graphic designer in the past, you can pull out a few of your past pieces and use them in your website or portfolio. 

Even if you do not have previous experience, drawing up a few examples can be a great place to start. Do not offer these away for free or do options for companies that already exist. 

You do not want to worry about copyright issues or give your work away for free.

Instead, one option is to make up a company and create some logos and other items. You can even make a story for these to help explain what you did and why. 

Just write a disclaimer about this on each example so your potential clients understand that this was a way to showcase your skills.

Step 3: Get the Word Out

One of the best ways to get the word out about your projects is to talk to various businesses. You may consider doing some legwork and asking local businesses if they would be willing to let you complete a little bit of graphic design work for them. 

Even if it is just a start, it can be a little bit of money and will give you more work to put into your portfolio.

Step 4: Apply for Positions

As you start to build up your portfolio more and more, you will have the work to show big companies what you can do. It is time to start applying for a permanent job position. 

Besides, there are several freelance sites, including UpWork and Freelancer, that you can use to apply for different jobs. Some of these are for individual projects. Others can help you get a more permanent position. 

You can also look through popular job boards like Monster.com and Indeed.com to see if any jobs are open on a freelance or work-at-home basis.

Photography

For those who are good with taking pictures and love to capture important moments for families and individuals, photography is the best option. You do need to think about a specific niche to make yourself stand out. 

To get started:

Step 1: Get the Equipment

The first step is to decide what equipment you want to get. As a beginner, you most likely won’t have all of the equipment that a professional does. But you should still have a few high-quality items to make this easier. 

Some good editing software, a great camera, and few suitable attachments will make all the difference and help you prepare.

Step 2: Look for Models

Before you can get any clients, you need to have something to showcase to others in your portfolio. 

And since most photographers who do this on the side work with families, individuals, and other people, it is a good idea to showcase your skills at capturing people. 

This is where you bring in some models. You can choose to ask some family and friends to pose, and even your children. If you want more variety, consider paying a few models to add in more of your skills.

Step 3: Build Up the Portfolio and Website

As you take pictures, it is time to edit them and add some of the best into your portfolio. All potential clients will want an idea of what you can offer to them. 

You can showcase this in your portfolio.  As you do this, start building up a website. It does not have to be fancy. 

Add in some different types of shoots you are willing to do, some information on pricing, and your contact information and you are good to go. Consider a little SEO to help get your website out there.

Step 4: Find a Niche to Sell In

You should also consider specializing in a specific niche. Many great photographers out there, so specializing in a particular niche is a great way to get your name out there and ensure you can start to build your clientele. 

This does not mean you can never do other things, but it just gives you more of an angle to work with. For example, you can make your niche newborn photography, families, weddings, or engagement sessions.

Step 5: Book Your Gigs

Now that it is all set up, it is time to start booking your gigs. You can reach out to the family to give recommendations and let the SEO of your website get to work. 

Soon you can start booking gigs and doing pictures for those around you. Make sure that when you schedule these that you have plenty of time for editing as well. 

Do a few ahead of time to get a good idea of how long they take, including the picture taking and preparing the photos.

Step 6: Have Clients Sign Contracts to Protect Them and You

Before you do anything, you should have your clients sign a contract. This protects them because you will not run off with their money and never return. It also helps protect you and ensures you get a payment. 

You can include something in the contract about offering a discount to customers on future pictures if they refer you to their friends and family to help your business grow more.

Start a Blog

The final option that we will look at is starting your blog. If you have a passion for writing and want an income source that can last for a long time, even after you are done as a stay-at-home mom, blogging is the right option. To get started:

Step 1: Consider What Topic You Want to Write About

Before you start a blog, you need to think about what topic you want to write about. Pick something you are passionate about because you will write about this topic for a long time to build up the blog. 

Choose a topic that can get people to it, one that will have a good audience right from the start.

Step 2: Register a Domain Name and Choose Hosting

With the topic in hand, it is time to register a domain name and choose the hosting you want. There has to be some kind of hosting to help keep your website up and running. 

You can make it simple and use the paid version of WordPress for this, where they will handle all of it, including the hosting and the domain name, or go your own route for more freedom.

This is also the time to consider the name of your website. Pick something catchy and simple. 

If it is too long, it is too difficult for your readers to find you and won’t work well for SEO purposes later on. It needs to be something that fits your topic or niche.

Step 3: Start Writing and Begin a Regular Writing Schedule

Now it is time to get writing. You will need to write for some time before you can even get readers, much less make money. Come up with a regular schedule now and stick with it. 

Even when you get established, your readers will still expect new and fresh content, so getting onto that schedule will make life easier later. 

Post more often, in the beginning, to fill up your site and provide more content for those early readers. This can make SEO for promoting your site easier as well.

Step 4: Use SEO to Build Up Readership

As you start to fill out more of the website and write more content, it is time to bring in the SEO. These are the steps you take to make sure your website ranks at the top of a search engine when someone searches for your topic. 

The higher to the top you can rank, the easier it is to get more eyes on your website. You can use various analytics and advertising options from Google and the other search engines to make this happen.

Step 5: Consider Affiliate Marketing

After you have worked hard to build up your readers and have many followers on your website, it is time to turn this into a business to make money. 

Affiliate marketing is one of the best ways to do this. With affiliate marketing, you have either ads on the side of articles or you write about a specific product. 

Your readers can choose to click on the link and if they make a purchase, you will earn a commission on that sale. As long as you pick products that will interest your readers, you can earn a good income.

Final Thoughts

Many stay-at-home moms worry that they will have to give up that second income just to stay home with their kids. 

They may be saving a ton of money without worrying about daycare and other expenses, but they still want to find a great way to make money to help with the bills and make their savings a little bit bigger. 

If you are a stay-at-home mom who would like to find great business ideas that can help you earn extra money, then try out these step-by-step directions on the best home-based small business that will help you out!