With varying maternity leave and the high cost of childcare, the decision to leave the workplace after kids isn’t an easy one, but a reality for many families. Sticking with a 9 to 5 might not be feasible, but home-based employment is becoming easier to access.
Working from home is never easy, and managing a business with little ones underfoot is more challenging than even the sternest board members. Once you’ve found the schedule and business that works best for your family, staying at home can be a rewarding (and compensated) way to spend your time.
We’ve rounded up a few of our favorite work-from home mom jobs that are making it more accessible for families to maintain a two income household throughout childhood.
Virtual Assistant
Virtual assistants are hired hourly to help with a variety of web based tasks. From transcription to managing social media, you can find virtual assistant work that is flexible and well suited to your skills.
With flexible schedules, assistants work hand in hand with their clients to identify timelines for projects. For moms, this means you can schedule work time around school, nap times, or after your spouse is home to help.
Types of Virtual Assistant Work
Data entry
Data entry is an easy task that requires a high level of attention to detail. You may be entering information from one document into a database or spreadsheet. This type of virtual assistant work calls for excellent typing skills.
Research
Research specialists may work to find data using databases, websites, or scientific publications. Often researchers are used to cultivate a variety of research data points into a comprehensive report for their clients, ultimately saving their client the time of needing to do the research themselves.
Accounts Receivable
Small business owners may need assistance keeping their billing up to date, specifically processing invoices and managing customer records. Virtual assistants who handle accounts receivable may need a background in finance.
Dog Sitting
If you love pets, and don’t mind having an extra one in your home, dog sitting can be a great way to earn additional income. Rover.com is a website that helps pet owners find sitters in their neighborhoods, based on what requirements they are looking for (price, activity level, etc.).
Sitters set their rates and availability online, allowing owners to select who is the best fit for their needs. If you have pets in your home already you can request a home visit before finalizing the agreement to ensure that your animals will all get along.
Social Media Manager
Who wouldn’t love to play on social media all day and get paid for it? Managing social media sounds like a dream job – and can be – for someone with the right skills. Social media is a constant, and for many businesses keeping all their accounts current is too big a challenge for one person to do effectively.
Social media managers must have a strong understanding of a variety of social media platforms and comfortable with writing in a number of styles.
Types of Social Media Manager Work
Social Posting
Social media managers are often responsible for crafting and scheduling social media posts across a client’s top media platforms, including Facebook, Twitter, and others. The goal is always to drive engagement and get more fans/followers to interact with the client’s brand.
Community Management
Social media never sleeps. If your focus is on community management, you may be responsible for using social listening tools to find out when customers are talking about a client’s brand online. Once you’ve located the conversation, engage with the customer as the brand and encourage them to interact. Community managers often interact on Twitter or Instagram and act as a first line of defense for good customer service.
Virtual Stylist
StitchFix is an online shopping option for women who are too busy to shop for themselves. Each month, stylists select clothing based on the customer’s preferences, shipping them directly to their homes.
If you have a passion for fashion and live in one of StitchFix’s nine target regions, you can help create style boxes for women who use the StitchFix service. This part time job allows you to set your own schedule while working hand in hand with customers to create beautiful outfits each month. As an added bonus, stylists receive discounts on products, so you can shop for yourself while curating each customer’s selection.
Teach English in China
VIP Kid is an online website where native English speakers teach children in China, all from the comfort of your home. Instructors must have access to a high quality computer, headset, and webcam.
Applicants must go through a six stage interview process to ensure that they have the skills needed to be a successful teacher. Each teacher must submit a resume, participate in an interview, teach a mock class, and sign a minimum six month contract.
Once approved, teachers can earn up to $22 per hour accepting bookings online, using a scheduling system you can manage.
Freelance writing
From blogging to drafting marketing materials, if you enjoy writing, there will always be businesses in need of copywriters. Freelance opportunities can be found online, or through well known publications like your local newspaper.
Freelancers may be paid by article length, hourly, or project based. Before accepting a project, determine how long the work will take you and if the rate is worth your time. Excellent work can earn referrals and repeat business.
If you have specific skills, like graphic design, computer programming, or photography, you may want to launch a business that allows you to focus on those items. Tell your family and friends your goals and and don’t be ashamed to self-promote. You never know who might be in need of your assistance.
Working from home can be challenging, but once you’ve found the right line of work, it can be a rewarding experience that will help bolster your income each month. See additional ideas for home based employment.
Photo Credit: Unsplash, Pexels
