As the pressure of trying to juggle household, parental and financial obligations increase, a growing number of stay at home mothers are setting up a business from home. The presence of the Internet has spawned a wide range of jobs that are ideal for mothers who wish to work but also want to stay at home looking after the family. Here are some of the most effective ways for mothers at home to earn some money online with minimal start-up capital.
Home Based Business Ideas
Auction sites
Auction sites are a great way to start a business from home. Many people who’ve made money online began at sellers on auction sites such as eBay. Ideal products to sell are second hand items, collectibles and other products sourced cheaply from bulk suppliers.
Information products
Mums can develop their own information products which are useful content in electronic formats such as e-books, audio and video files. Profit margins are potentially huge and automating the sales and delivery service make it a highly lucrative business model. If a website is developed around these services, and it attracts a steady, sizeable stream of traffic, then advertisers can bring even more revenue to the enterprise.
Sell services
If you’re skilled as a creative writer, designer or computer programmer, you can freelance online via websites such as Elance that allow you to tender for freelance project work. The spread of the internet has brought with it a wealth of different platforms enabling freelancers to offer their skills and get a sense of the market rate more easily, making it a great option for mums looking to use their skills.
Franchises
Setting up independently is daunting, but franchises offer the flexibility of going freelance combined with the security of an established business model and support network. Freedom Travel is one of UK’s largest travel organisations, and offers its members the opportunity to work in the travel agency industry and compete with established companies through the vast buying power of its network. Being your own boss and making the most of financial muscle far greater than your own – it’s an extremely attractive option.
Paid reviews
Popular websites with huge audiences can command attractive fees to assess products and publish reviews. A quick Google search will lead you to a number of websites, so be sure to do some research.
Affiliate marketing
There’s always the opportunity to sell products for other companies and earn a commission doing so. The key is to source the right product, build the appropriate website for it and attract the right target audience. If that is managed successfully, then a lucrative world can open up – one where business independence and flexibility is backed up by established and recognised brands, from office supplies to cosmetics.