Gone are the days when the social roles were clearly defined; women focused on taking care of the children and the household while the men toiled to provide for their families. With the high cost of living in the United States, wives have to chip in for the family to realize the coveted American dream. There is also the issue of female empowerment. Wives want to build a career for themselves and attain financial freedom. In the spirit of positive feminism, it is possible to have it all. As such, this article will suggest some viable business ideas for stay at home moms in the U.S.
Freelance Writing
A laptop is fairly all you need to excel in this subsector. There is an array of freelancing jobs ranging from those that need no experience to those that require skills in a specific field. These opportunities include:
- Blogging. As a stay-at-home mom in the U.S., you can decide to create a blog where you write about your motherhood experiences or focus on another content category. As your blog gains popularity, brands are likely to approach you to market their products at a substantial fee.
- Article writing. Magazines such as Early American Life, Catholic Digest, and One Story pay freelancers to write articles for their publications.
- Academic writing. Through sites such as Uvocorp, Academia Research, and Unemployed Professors, you can make a decent earning by assisting students with their academic work.
Neighbor is a platform for making money from home by storing vehicles and belongings, using their unused spaces as storage or parking.
Day Care
The fact that you are a mom means that you have experience on how to take care of a child. Why not take care of a few other kids, while still taking care of yours, and earn some cash from doing so? Basically, you’ll be doing for the other children what you do for your own including providing nutritious meals, potty training, extra-curricular activities, and instilling basic knowledge. In the U.S., day care owners make close to $20,000 annually. This equates to an hourly pay of between $7 and $15.
While the requirements for a day care license vary from state to state, there are some standard requirements that you have to meet. For instance, most states set the minimum space at 35 m2 per child. You should also have an outdoor space that is safe for kids to play on as well as adequate age-appropriate facilities and toys. A background check, relevant insurance cover, physical examination, and safety check are also key requirements if you intend to start a day care.
Beauty
Everyone wants to look their best. In such a developed country like the U.S. where the public’s spending power is relatively high, there are various beauty services that a stay-at-home mom can offer and acquire a substantial income. You can decide to focus on one or all of the following: hair, nails, facials, massage, and makeup. The salary of a self-employed beautician is just over $57,000 annually.
Like any other business, the first step is to conduct detailed research and identify your niche market. At this point, study the trends keenly in order to establish a business that will attract more customers. For instance, with reference to hair, there is currently an increase in the demand for human hair wigs and weaves. Next, get the needed licenses. Most states require one to have a general business permit and a home occupation permit. Additionally, sensitive services such as skincare may require a special license.
Once you have met all the legal stipulations, it is now time to establish a setup that will attract the targeted clientele. Create a professional and relaxing environment for your customers. You may also want to find a reliable wholesaler who can deliver the needed supplies at a friendly price. With reference to marketing, social media and word-of-mouth are some of best bets.
Laundry
A significant percentage of Americans have occupations that leave them with limited time to handle household chores such as washing their clothes. As a stay-at-home, why not transform this into a profitable venture. Picture this scenario: You load the clothes into the washing machine and let it do the work for you while you play with your kids. You keep the children busy for a few minutes while you hang the delicates and load the rest into the dryer. When they take their nap, you fold the clothes. Isn’t that an ideal way of earning a decent living while you take care of all your usual chores?
To start this business, you will need a washer, dryer, hangers, detergent, and fabric softener. Like any other business, you can start small and scale up as your customer base broadens. Additional expenses include water and electricity bills. Before you start the laundry business, ensure that you have all the needed licenses to avoid any legal issues. With reference to marketing, referrals, social media, and an attractive website will help you reach the targeted clients. Such a business will earn you a minimum of $150 weekly and you can soon increase that amount to over $15 hourly.
Sell Crafts
There are people are talented in making various arts and crafts stuff such as wall hangings, candles, jewelry, clothes, bags, or toys. Even if you do not have an ‘artistic eye’, you can learn to create marketable items from an expert or the Internet. One of the ways of selling your crafts is through referrals. In addition to selling them to your friends and relatives, you can promote the products in different social gatherings.
Thankfully, the Internet has also provided a broad platform for individuals to conduct their business at the comfort of their couch. You can utilize marketplaces such as Etsy, or Amazon’s Handmade. You can also decide to set up your shop by using Shopify. A self-hosted website is another way that stay-at-home moms in the U.S. can sell their crafts.
Conclusion
The ideal setup for every mother is to have a fulfilling career while still being a hands-on mom. It is possible to accomplish this goal by considering various business ideas for stay-at-home moms in the U.S. Your interests and skills will determine your apt option. Remember, the most important aspect is to effectively balance your motherly duties and formal job.
