Launching into entrepreneurship doesn’t mean you don’t value the experience of raising your kids. But frankly, it’s nice to exit the world of goldfish crackers and Doc McStuffins once in a while and interact with the adult world. Not only that, but staying out of the workforce too long makes it hard to find a good-paying job if you return to full-time employment. By starting your own business, you continue to develop your workforce skills and maintain your earning power.
What Types of Jobs are Suited to Mompreneurs?
Jobs you can do from home are great for aspiring mompreneurs. Remote work lets you schedule your workday around child-rearing duties so you don’t have to worry about paying for child care or finding someone to pick the kids up from the bus. Don’t think you’re limited to selling products to friends and family — here are three jobs that are perfect for mompreneurs, no high-pressure sales tactics required.
Mommy Blogging
For a first-time mom, every day is full of new experiences. To learn the ropes of raising happy, healthy kids, new moms look to experienced parents to learn from their successes and mistakes. Starting a blog gives you an outlet to share your experiences while also earning an income. Blogs generate revenue through ads, affiliate links, sponsored posts and selling products or services.
Social Media Specialist
You love taking photos of your kids and your Pinterest-perfect home to share with your social network. Why not take that social media expertise and turn it into a profitable business? If you’re skilled at taking and editing beautiful photos and posting curated content on social media, you could sell your services to small businesses in need of a social media marketing guru. You don’t need a degree to become a social media manager, but it’s helpful to have a portfolio to show off your skills. In addition to developing your own personal brand, consider volunteering to do social media for a local nonprofit to build your portfolio.
In-Home Dog Boarding
If you love fur-kids nearly as much as you love your human-kids, turning your home into a boutique pet-sitting facility is the perfect business for you. Dog owners are shying away from kennels in favor of in-home boarding where their pooch can get plenty of one-on-one attention. To keep your service quality (and your prices) high, require pets to be fully vaccinated, don’t let kids play with dogs unsupervised, and only board a couple of dogs at a time.
How Can Moms Get Their Business Started?
If you want your work to be taken seriously, treat it like a real business. Register your business (the Small Business Administration shows you how), start a business bank account, and keep detailed financial records. You’ll also need a marketing plan to get the word out and attract clients.
When it comes to marketing a home-based business, Instagram is your best friend. Unless you’re paying for ad space on Facebook, it’s easier to reach and engage your network on Instagram than Facebook. Instagram allows you to promote your business with the use of hashtags. By using creative hashtags related to your business niche, you can reach Instagram users that don’t yet follow you (but will soon!). Resist the urge to use too many hashtags — five to 10 hashtags per post is the sweet spot.
What About the Kids?
Trying to work with kids around isn’t ideal for productivity. To manage your business alongside your kids, set fixed working hours. This could be early morning before your kids get up, during the school day, or evenings when everyone is settling down. Set rules around interruptions during work hours. A home office is essential for enforcing these boundaries — it’s much easier to draw the line between work-time and mom-time when you have a dedicated space for work.
There are so many reasons to become a mompreneur. From increasing your household income to showing your kids the value of a strong worth ethic, an at-home business can add a lot value to your life. Think carefully about the type of business you’d like to start so you can create, market, and grow a business that resonates with you.
