While being a mom is a full-time job within itself, there are business opportunities for stay-at-home moms looking to start a business that provides flexibility, can be done out of their own homes, and can be fairly lucrative—such as becoming a freelancer or influencer. Some options can be started with minimal costs and resources and are ideal for both full- and part-time needs—like being a virtual coach or selling homemade goods.
Below are the 14 top business ideas for stay-at-home moms:
1. Be a Local Digital Marketing Manager
Managing online marketing for local businesses is a great idea for moms working from home, mainly because it is flexible and doesn’t require a certification or formal education. For a small business to effectively do digital marketing, an employee or a freelancer needs to come into the business to create content.
A digital marketing manager’s responsibilities include developing content and implementing strategies that increase brand awareness. Whether through social media trends, SEO efforts, community engagement, or collaboration with influencers, the digital marketing manager facilitates various marketing methods for a business.
Additionally, many small business owners are not great at finding time to take quality photos—they are too busy operating their business. That’s where you can come in as a digital marketer. It’s easy to visit the business during the day while the kids are at school. Take photos and videos, make social media posts, update the website, and send out marketing-related emails for the small business.
Starting a digital marketing business costs minimal, typically under $500. If you plan on taking on more than one client, it might be worth investing in marketing materials such as business cards or a personal website. A semi-professional headshot would add a nice touch to your personal website and social media pages—like LinkedIn. You can earn anywhere from $18 to over $50 an hour as a digital marketing manager. To get started, you can reach out to local businesses near you and offer your services or begin to network to learn about other opportunities.
- Skills needed: Social media fluency, basic photography skills
- Startup costs: less than $500
- Potential earning: $18 to $50 per hour
2. Offer Freelance Services Online
If you have marketable skills and experience, you can offer freelance services online. This can be applicable to a wide range of business industries, whether it be coding, customer service, accounting, writing, or translating. Depending on your line of work, you can create your own schedule and complete tasks on your own time. You can find work as a freelancer through popular platforms such as Upwork or Fiverr to bid on jobs or find potential clients.
Becoming a freelancer requires minimal startup costs, although you should consider using resources that showcase your services and allow potential clients to view your abilities and credentials. If you need step-by-step guidance, our guide to building a small business website to get started.
If you go this route, it’s important to make yourself stand out from the crowd. When promoting your services, consider how you can separate yourself from the rest of the competition within your niche industry. This may include creating videos or demos, maintaining a portfolio, or offering a free trial.
- Skills needed: Industry-specific expertise, time management, customer service
- Startup costs: $100 to $2,000
- Potential earning: $20 to $200+ per hour
3. Launch an Online Course
If you consider yourself to be a subject-matter expert in a certain topic, you may be able to translate your skills and knowledge into an online course that others may be interested in. The topic you teach can vary widely and be as niche as you’d like.
There are a few different directions you can take when creating an online course. The easiest option is to create a course on a learning platform that’s free to use and allows you to promote the course you’ve designed to an audience of millions of students. Keep in mind, a percentage of your course sales will go toward the necessary platform fees.
- Skills needed: Technological fluency, writing abilities, teaching others
- Startup costs: $0
- Potential earning: Varies depending on the price per course
Udemy.com is a popular free platform that can help you market your course to your intended audience. Its courses are low cost, starting at about $20, and are accessible by millions of users looking to learn.
4. Become a Virtual Coach
Virtual coaching may be a suitable option if you have mentorship capabilities. It involves speaking with individuals looking for help improving themselves in a particular area of their life, whether it be their career, business coaching, or wellness and nutrition. Essentially, you’ll be guiding your clients via regularly scheduled meetings, either weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly.
Income potential varies depending on experience, demand, and the type of area in which you’re coaching. As an example, new coaches starting out in nutrition can charge anywhere from $40 to $75 an hour. As they become more experienced, they charge up to $175 an hour.
There are various resources applicable to being a virtual coach. These include utilizing platforms such as Zoom or Google Meet to meet virtually with your clients. Video conferencing software provides free and unlimited one-to-one meetings, which keeps costs low. In terms of equipment, you’ll likely need some form of laptop with camera and microphone capabilities or a smartphone that allows you to communicate with your clients.
- Skills needed: Excellent communication skills, technology proficiency, time management
- Startup costs: Less than $500
- Potential earning: $40 to $175 per hour
5. Sell Your Creations on Etsy
This is a great low-cost and flexible option if you have goods you can make and sell. A benefit of learning how to sell on Etsy is that you don’t have to build an online store on your own website—instead, you’ll use Etsy’s platform to create a well-organized store. Once your store is set up, you can build a follower base within Etsy, and they will be notified when you list new items.
Etsy is also a great way to test whether or not a product might sell. For example, if you notice that 200 people viewed your new item and none purchased, you may want to tweak the item or create something different. That said, there’s a wide variety of goods you might be able to sell, and this might be a particularly great option if you have a creative hobby that has the potential to be lucrative.
It doesn’t cost much to create your storefront and list your items. Etsy charges a flat rate of $0.20 per item and has a 3% transaction fee when your item sells. You can pay a monthly advertising fee—should you want to increase the exposure of your storefront. How much money you make on Etsy depends on the type of product you’re creating. Several of the top-performing Etsy stores have made millions of dollars each.
- Skills needed: Creative abilities, marketing, customer service
- Startup costs: Varies depending on product costs and applicable transaction fee amount
- Potential earning: Varies by product type and sales volume
6. Resell Items on eBay
Another flexible business idea is reselling items on eBay. It’s a great way to make extra money, as items can be procured from your own home, which might be a good place to start if you have things taking up space in your attic.
Startup costs are quite low, although you may have to travel to attend garage sales and flea markets, where you can keep an eye out for interesting low-priced items and sell them for a markup. It’s often easier to sell online than at a garage sale because you’re exposing the items to a worldwide market. I recommend learning an industry well, like toys or musical instruments, so that you can recognize a good deal and know that it will sell online.
The cost to sell on eBay varies depending on the item being sold. However, typically, it’s about 10% of the final sale price.
- Skills needed: Eye for trends, marketing, inventory management
- Startup costs: Varies; you’ll need funds to initially purchase items
- Potential earning: $20 to $1,000+ per item
7. Become a Photographer
Photography is an increasingly lucrative hobby that you can turn into a business with the right opportunity. This can include partnering with local companies to take photos of their business for their website or social media, events, marketing campaigns, and more.
You can also be hired as a photographer who takes family portraits, senior photos, or vacation photos. It’s likely you’ll need experience editing photos as well in order for you to get contracted. If you have a website or social media, you can post your photos as a sort of portfolio to attract potential clients and see if your style matches what they’re looking for.
Lastly, you can consider selling stock photos for royalties if you have existing photos that may be of use. This can include photos of nature, animals, and food.
You’ll need a decent camera and equipment to pursue this option. It’s worth investing in editing software and a website as well. You can charge for your services how you see fit, and prices will vary based on whether you’re working with a business or individuals.
- Skills needed: Basic photography skills, marketing, customer service
- Startup costs: Less than $1,000
- Potential earning: $20 to $250+ per hour
8. Become a Virtual Assistant (VA)
A VA is someone who assists with administrative tasks for busy professionals needing extra help with tasks such as replying to emails, entering data, bookkeeping, scheduling appointments, and making travel arrangements. These tasks can be done remotely and in between your daily routine.
Costs associated with becoming a VA will depend on various factors such as equipment, internet, and marketing resources. To separate yourself from the competition, create a website outlining your skills, qualifications, and testimonials from people you’ve previously worked with. Rates can vary based on whether you are an independent contractor or employed by a company and can generally range anywhere from $12 to $50 per hour.
- Skills needed: Time management, administrative experience, effective communication
- Startup costs: Less than $500
- Potential earning: $12 to $50 per hour
9. Become a Consultant
If you have experience within a certain industry, consider becoming a consultant to businesses that may benefit from your knowledge and expertise. This can be applicable to a wide variety of industries, whether you’ve worked in restaurants, retail, or accounting; the list goes on.
A big challenge of becoming a paid consultant is finding customers. Many successful consultants have industry connections and a strong network to find clients. If you’re starting with a small network, consider creating written or video content to position yourself as an expert. You can typically earn anywhere from $75 to over $200 an hour as a consultant.
- Skills needed: Industry-specific expertise, business management, effective communication
- Startup costs: Varies by industry; generally less than $1,000
- Potential earning: $75 to $200 per hour
10. Become a Personal Trainer
If you’re an active person who’s interested in fitness, personal training may be a route you can explore. It’s generally a low-cost business opportunity, and you can create fitness plans for a variety of people, depending on your niche form of activity. You can conduct sessions virtually, via pre-recorded videos, or even in public areas such as local parks, beaches, or at a local gym if applicable.
Startup costs as a personal trainer can be minimal, depending on your goals. Equipment can cost as little as $100, and you may be able to source workout space for free depending on your location. One factor you’ll have to consider is personal trainer insurance coverage, which can amount to anywhere from $700 to $3,000 annually.
You can expect to typically earn anywhere from $25 to $50 per hour as a personal trainer.
- Skills needed: Fitness expertise, goal planning, effective communication, time management
- Startup costs: $3,000+
- Potential earning: $25 to $50 per hour
11. Become a Parenting Influencer
Social media has provided the opportunity for parents to connect with other parents easily. There is a large community of moms who share their experiences online. If you don’t like to craft and don’t see yourself writing, consider creating YouTube videos or microcontent on Instagram to reach other parents. Facebook groups are also popular for people with similar interests to connect and talk with one another.
There are several ways to make money as an online influencer. When you grow a following online (and that following trusts your recommendations), brands will pay you to promote products or services to that following. Additionally, you can become an affiliate for a product and receive a commission for every sale that comes through your unique link. To connect with an online audience quickly, I recommend finding a niche, such as cooking for kids, parenting, or reviewing kid-related products.
- Skills needed: Social media fluency, basic photography skills, editing
- Startup costs: $0
- Potential earning: Varies
12. Offer Residential Home Cleaning
If you enjoy cleaning and have spare time, you can take on clients who will hire you to tidy up their homes. This is a flexible option that you can do while kids are at school, as it typically only takes a few hours. During the day-time, many clients work, and it’s easy to clean their home. Residential home cleaning is a business in which one helpful client can fill up your schedule quickly by recommending you to their neighbors and friends, so if it’s something you’re interested in, read our guide on how to start a cleaning business.
You’ll likely have to spend some money out-of-pocket when you’re first starting out in order to cover cleaning supply costs. While these costs typically aren’t too high, they are something to consider for your budget. You may also want to invest in flyers and business cards to hand out at networking events and to give to clients; you should be able to purchase these for under $200. As a residential cleaner, you can typically earn anywhere from $25 to $50 per hour.
- Skills needed: Attention to detail, time management, customer service
- Startup costs: Less than $1,000
- Potential earning: $25 to $50 per hour
13. Start a Cottage Food Business
If you are a good baker and are organized, a cottage food business could be a good fit for you. Cottage foods are foods like breads, cakes, and jams that are safe to serve at room temperature. All 50 states allow some variety of cottage foods to be prepared in and sold from a home kitchen. In some states, you’ll need to get a license from your health department, but in others, you can start selling any approved cottage foods from your home kitchen without any type of license. This is an incredibly flexible opportunity that you can do on your own time, creating something you enjoy.
Additionally, you can test out the products on your family and friends for immediate feedback and sell your goods at farmers markets or craft fairs on the weekends. Also, you can network locally and build relationships with local vendors, like restaurants, delis, and coffee shops, to increase sales.
If you’re too busy to attend events or network, consider setting up an online store where local customers can purchase your goods for pick up or local delivery. Payment processor Square offers free online ordering sites for subscribers with advanced tools like invoicing available for nominal monthly fees (see our guide to Square fees for more information).
You’ll likely need to market your products to increase your sales and boost your brand. Online marketing is a good way to do this, along with utilizing social media to showcase your products and services. The more of a following you gain, the more sales you’re likely to have.
- Skills needed: Cooking or baking, marketing, customer service, time management
- Startup costs: Less than $100
- Potential earning: Varies
Square also offers pay-as-you-go marketing options perfect for microbusinesses like cottage food operations. Visit Square to browse all their small business tools.
14. Flip Furniture
Flipping furniture is a great opportunity if you’re a creative person with an eye for trends. Old furniture can be revamped if you have the materials and abilities to give it a facelift. This is also a great part-time gig that you can do on your own time, and it requires minimal resources to get started.
You can purchase most materials from a craft or home improvement store. You can source furniture from your own house for free or purchase discounted furniture from friends and family, garage sales, thrift stores, and flea markets.
You can markup the finished product as you see fit and then sell on platforms such as Facebook Marketplace or Craigslist if you’re looking to sell locally. If you have the capacity for shipping, you can list your items on platforms like eBay or Etsy.
- Skills needed: Attention to detail, eye for trends, creative abilities
- Startup costs: Varies
- Potential earning: Varies per item
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
It depends on a few factors, including your interests, availability, and experience. You should pursue a business idea that meets your needs, whether it be a full- or part-time opportunity and located remotely or local to you. It can also be dependent on your industry experience or hobbies.
In most cases, yes. It depends on the size and type of business and your state regulations. If you are working as a freelance web designer from your home office as a sole proprietor, most states won’t require you to register as a business entity. If you are cooking and selling food that people consume, most states will require you to register as a business entity (so any cases of foodborne illness can be traced).
Whether your state or county requires you to register as a business entity, it is smart to incorporate your business as an LLC or other entity. This will protect your personal finances and property if a lawsuit ever occurs against the business. Obtaining some basic business insurance is also a good idea; as a mompreneur, you have a lot to protect.
This can vary greatly. If you’re a stay-at-home mom managing your own business, you’ll likely have to consider your niche and conduct market research for applicable rates within your industry. The perk to working for yourself is that you can set your rates as you see fit, so certain opportunities may be more lucrative than others based on the industry, your relevant experience, and what you decide to charge.
Bottom Line
There are many business ideas to consider for moms looking to start their own business. Especially with remote work being so prevalent in this day and age, there are numerous opportunities that allow you to be both a successful business owner and a stay-at-home mom. Depending on your skills and interests, the right opportunity for you may vary.