Are you trying to work out how to earn money online as a stay at home mom?
But this isn’t only for stay-at-home moms. This is for any woman wanting or needing to make some extra money online. And yes, it is absolutely possible.
Trying to make money to survive, is not a great place to be. You can feel survival mode kick in BUT, there is something you can do about it.
There are many ways that you can learn how to earn money online, ladies! Some of these include blogging, selling crafts, writing articles, creating eBooks, and starting a website.
But you’ve probably read this all before.
You definitely CAN start a blog and make money online, but unless you are naturally tech-minded, or have a ton of spare cash to throw at your online blog aka “business” in the form of advertising, it’s honestly not as easy as many, many bloggers make it out to be. But, it is possible. You also need to have the time available to do research and write a blog post or 30.
If this is something you want to do, and it is amazing as a passive income stream, then go ahead and do it. BUT, if you want to make money fast, then do something else at the same time, until your blog is profitable.
If you’ve been poking around online, looking for a way to make money, you’ve probably seen many people (including on this site) tell you that you can make money by taking online surveys.
But, you’re only going to make pennies. And to earn a measly $2 or $5 from completing surveys, you’ll need to spend 30 – 45 minutes completing an in-depth survey.
** Time-waster! **
Unless you’re standing in a queue. If you’re standing in a long, long queue, for example, a consulate as you’re planning to travel soon, a bank, the DMV, or any other long-winded queue, fill in a survey online and make a few bucks. Why not?
But, if you’re just looking to make some side hustle money, there are a lot of options out there, a lot that you can do from the comfort of your home. You could even set some up to become passive income side hustles!
Don’t Get Sidetracked by Time Wasters
Don’t go down the rabbit hole. Don’t work for an hour to make $2 here or $5 there.
The reality is, that even as a beginner, you can start to make $25 an hour. That is more than the minimum wage in many countries.
You’ll find there is something in you that can determine whether something you’re reading online is legit or a complete waste of your time. “If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.” Remember that.
If you are looking for how to earn money online as a stay-at-home mom, or even a working mom or a mom who only has one hour a day to spare, learning how to start your own blog is a solid way to do it. It’s not a fast way, but being consistent is doable.
The same goes for starting a podcast, or a YouTube channel.
Have a look at these mom bloggers who are making money… online… from home. They are kicking butt! And it just goes to show this is possible.
- Suzi Whitford from Start a Mom Blog
- Elna Cain from Twins Mommy
- Carly from Mommy on Purpose
- Abby Lawson from Just a Girl and Her Blog
These are only FOUR or hundreds and thousands of women who are doing this every day.
Here is Sarah from Wholesale Ted who became a millionaire in her 20s. She did this by going online and starting dropshipping.
And the fact that the online world continues to grow, especially after Covid, just shows there is still so much potential. Look at these women who saw the potential of building a business during a global pandemic, and it’s all thanks to the online world.
If they can do it, so can you! I promise.
It will take work, dedication, and time, but you honestly CAN do this.
One thing I want to say though is, and it’s taken me years to realize this, there isn’t only one way to make money online.
So, let’s take a look at the best and the fastest ways to make money online as a stay-at-home mom. As well as the most realistic ways.
And the same goes for you if you’re a working woman, and not a stay-at-home mom – this goes for you too!
The Fastest Way to Make Money Online
Online jobs are quite frankly the best stay-at-home mom jobs that have happened this century.
Honestly, honestly, honestly… the fastest way to make money online is by doing something that you already know how to do. I’d heard it a thousand times but it took me a long time to hear what was being said.
Why does this work?
You have the skill set, you have prior experience, and you have the knowledge.
Why is this one of the best ways to make money fast? Because you don’t need training, you don’t need to learn new skills – you already have everything you need right inside your head.
Logic will tell you if it were that simple, you’d be doing it already. The problem is though, that we are taught we have to go to school, then study, then follow a career path. And I do believe that is why, if you’re over 40 years old (and I say that because I think of myself), this might be a completely new way of thinking for you.
If this doesn’t make sense, and you’re still not sure how you are going to make money online, keep reading.
Making money online by doing something that you already know DOES NOT HAVE TO BE DIFFICULT. But we make it difficult.
Let’s look at some options you can do online, depending on your skill set:
Foreign Language
If you can speak a foreign language, you can teach a foreign language
Graphic Designer
If you can design pamphlets, logos, and social media posts, you can work as a graphic designer.
Or, create a course of your own, and teach others to be graphic designers.
Think of the basics – only teach logos to others who want to be logo designers, or only teach people how to create Facebook banners. Specialize and become known as ‘that’ person.
Virtual Assistant
Do the data entry that business owners, or bloggers, don’t have time to do.
There are so many bloggers out there who need help.
Don’t think of corporate businesses – if you get employed by a company, you’re going to be stuck working within their parameters, and stuck with a set salary and most likely a restraint of trade.
The best part about creating this perfect side hustle is that the harder you work, the more money you will make.
When you’re employed, the harder the work, the more work they give you!
Social Media Accounts
Everybody has at least one social media account.
It could be Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, or Pinterest (or one of a hundred others). If you’ve noticed some success with even one social media platform of your own, either put yourself out there as a social media manager or teach others to do what you do.
Freelance Writer
The things I love most about freelance writing are:
- My clients
- My flexibility
- The new subjects I am constantly learning about
- The money I can generate when I need it
The great thing about being a freelance writer is that you don’t have to be an author or even a journalist. Just be yourself and know that you have experience in your field. If you know a little bit more than the average person, you’ve already got an advantage.
Every single business needs content to be written.
How many local businesses are in your neighborhood? How many businesses are online? They need web content, newsletter information, emails to be written, and even social media posts to be created.
Those are a few ideas, but I’ll keep adding to them.
If you don’t know what your special skill is, ask your friends or colleagues. Other people can see these types of things more often than we can. It might be something as simple as you offer great customer service.
The Most Common Jobs that Stay-at-Home Moms Do Without Spending Money Upfront
A lot of people like to be ‘safe’ and don’t try and think outside of the box. And that’s okay.
If you were going to make doggie jackets, you’re going to need to have capital available to pay for material and sewing equipment. Or if you’re going to make and sell fudgesickles, you’re still going to have to fork out a lot of cash to get started.
But, if you don’t have money to do this, there are still plenty of options out there and all it takes is a laptop, a good internet connection, and your commitment.
Another benefit of working online is that you’re not limited to selling candy to your neighbors; you can have clients anywhere in the world and it’s all thanks to remote jobs. And that is amazing!
We’re looking at work-from-home jobs that can bring in extra income while you work on your own schedule. Remember, to do that, you need to change your mindset from employee to freelancer, or even business owner.
Here are some different ways that you can make money from the comfort of your own home.
- Virtual assistants
- Freelance writer
- Blogger
- Teach English as a foreign language
- Proofreader
- Sell products on Amazon, eBay, Take-A-Lot, or other platforms
- Digital marketer
- Social media marketer
- Online tutor
- Mystery shopper
- YouTube creator
- Online course owner
- Quiz creator (I haven’t seen too much of this one, but there is a need for it)
- Affiliate marketing
Determine Your Goal
Figure out your reasons for wanting to do this. Why do you want to make more money? How much do you want to make?
- Is it to leave the rat race?
- Are you trying to get out of debt?
- Do you want to buy a piece of land and turn it into a business?
- Is your house needing some renovations?
- Do you have to have another baby?
- Are you wanting to learn a new skill?
- Have your children started going to school and you’ve found you have more free time on your hands?
- Do you want to take your children out of school to start homeschooling them, and need to find a way to support this?
- Do you want to become a digital nomad and world school your children?
Think carefully about your goal. If traveling four times a year is part of your goal, you need to look at remote work options because you’re not likely to get that much leave in a j.o.b.
Do you want to be employed remotely for someone else on their schedule, or do you want to do this for yourself?
What’s the point of setting yourself up in a bakery where you rely on foot traffic, and can never leave? That is why we are looking at online work opportunities.
You will be free, as long as you remain flexible, and can do the work you need to do.
Write your goal down and stick it up on your wall. You don’t want to forget your WHY – this will be your biggest motivator.
How to Get Started
Get some paper and write down a list of all the things you can do. (You can also download the free worksheet to help you).
Think about what work you are currently doing, and think about previous jobs too. Include jobs that you didn’t enjoy because then you will already know the things you do not want to be doing daily.
Separate the list into tasks or jobs that you enjoy doing, and other jobs that you can do, but aren’t so keen on doing for hours a day.
Then, create a list of the skills you’re already good at.
Once you’ve done this, take a look at your sheet. What do you enjoy doing, and what skills do you already have?
This could potentially be what you should be doing.
Putting Yourself Out There
Before you start promoting your business, you need to figure out who your target audience is.
Let’s say you’re going to be a writer.
You can have a wide net and be a content writer for all bloggers, or you can be a content writer for moms who write about personal finance, budgets, and debt.
The second option will set you up to be an expert writer in your niche, and after a while, you’ll be able to charge a lot more for your work as a specialist.
Once you’ve figured out your target audience, you need to find out where they hang out online. Remember, you want to work online so you can work wherever you want, so that is where you need to find your clients because they will be online too.
Once you’ve figured that out, you need to pull everything together and start marketing, and this is where many people fall flat. When you’re starting, you don’t need to have a website. If you can, great. But it can come at a later stage.
You do need to have an online presence though. This can be with Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, or even Google My Business. Twitter, Pinterest, or TikTok. Wherever your people are online, that’s where you need to be.
You need this space where display evidence of your work to potential clients, promote your business and meet people. In the beginning, you use social media to make others aware of what you’re doing.
And that is why I love to use Facebook.
Using Facebook to Find Online Clients
Facebook is perfect because there are 2.91 billion active users every month.
Facebook has Facebook Groups – and this is your goldmine and a great way for finding online clients. There are lots of other ways to find clients, but if this is all new to you, just stick with Facebook groups while you’re starting.
Start looking for Facebook groups where your ideal client would be hanging out and joining those groups. There is some debate about whether you should join as your personal profile or your business profile, but I think you should join as your personal profile for two reasons:
- Most groups don’t allow business pages to join
- People will get to know, like, and trust you if they know your name and can see your picture, and can get to know you.
Set up a posting calendar and be consistent in posting to the groups. Keep track of the engagement and leave groups that aren’t working for you.
Using Facebook Groups
Do.not.be.spammy.
If you are, you will be kicked out of the group faster than you can say, “Show me the money.”
Find groups that are likely to have your potential clients in them, and read the rules about posting. Follow the rules or you could find yourself getting kicked out.
The key here is to be consistent and to provide value.
If you are a maths tutor, and your target audience is parents of homeschoolers, then join homeschooling groups. Whenever someone asks maths questions, give a great, easy-to-understand answer that is helpful. People will start to reach out to you for assistance, coaching, online tutoring, worksheets – whatever it is you are offering. If you haven’t done this before, it’s quite amazing.
So don’t forget:
- Don’t be spammy
- Follow the rules
- Answer other people’s pain point questions and make yourself known as the go-to person in your chosen niche
Remember what you’re trying to do.
You’re trying to figure out how you can help people, or solve a problem, by the work that you are going to do online.
By providing helpful answers often, and for free, people will automatically start to reach out to you directly with more in-depth questions. This is your opportunity to tell them what you do, and how your business will benefit them.
In addition, the group members will also start to learn who you are. You will become known as ‘that’ person. And that is what you want.
Promotional Facebook Groups and Pages
To get you started, here are five Facebook Groups that you can join to get started. These pages want you to promote your business.
3.Promote Your Business in This Group
When you do start posting in groups like this, check out their rules, of course, but keep telling people what it is that you do so that people learn who you are and can refer you to others.
For example, ‘She’s Leigh, the LinkedIn Guru.’
Or, That’s Paula, the pioneer of recycled rabbit hutches.’
Whenever you are posting to promote yourself, use your tagline. Use it over, and over and over. Make it catchy and memorable.
Setting Yourself a Monetary Goal
Be realistic with this part.
Decide on a monthly or weekly monetary goal and give yourself a realistic timeframe.
Throughout my entire working career and I’m talking about working a full-time job, I have earned a salary and been paid once a month. And quite honestly it sucks. When you’re struggling financially, it can be difficult to make a monthly salary last four, sometimes five weeks.
Now that I’ve been trying to work hard to live within a budget, clear my debt and create an awesome life, for me, I prefer having a weekly income.
I feel that for my mindset, it is easier to push to make $250 a week, vs $1,000 a month. Or $500 a week, versus $2,000 a month.
But I have found that to have this extra cash can be quite tempting so to stay disciplined, I use Dave Ramsey’s cash envelope system and it does work! It’s been around forever, and that’s because it works.
Let’s use the $2,000 a month – this is a great option that many people want to make and it’s a good full-time income for any stay-at-home parents.
Breaking Down the $2,000 a Month Income Journey
We have our monthly target of $2,000 a month. How much work will it take to make that?
On average, there are four weeks in the month, so you will need to earn $500 per week.
With five working days (or 4 or 7, you design your work week in any way you want), you need to earn $100 a day.
With eight hours in a working day, you need to make $12.50 an hour.
That sounds doable, right?
You could just go out and get a job that pays that, or more.
But then you’ll end up with added expenses: possibly daycare, gas, parking, and higher car insurance.
As well as traffic, stress, feeling constantly rushed, and exhausted.
Don’t you want to control the hours that you work?
Do you realize that you can land a work-from-home job for $500 a month, and do that in a day?
For example, you know you’re good at managing social media platforms, so you find a client who wants 3 posts a week and 2 stories on Facebook.
You could work for one day, create everything, and set it up on a scheduler so that it auto-posts for you on specific days, at specific times.
Done.
Get four clients and if you’re smart, you could be making $2,000 a month within a week. It sounds crazy, right? But it’s true.
But, in all honesty, that is the trickiest part. Finding the clients.
So where do you find those clients? Go back to your Facebook Groups. Start your own Facebook page to promote yourself. Get referrals. Cold call, or cold email, potential clients. If you’re marketing locally, set yourself up on Google Business Profile (previously known as Google My Business).
Side note: Right now, on the 04th of October, I need $3,370 for air tickets for a holiday. I am going to come back once I’ve made this and I’ll show you how long it took, and I will tell you how I did it.
If you’re not interested in being online but like to be out-and-about with people, with a little bit of prep work you can make $500 in a weekend by arranging a market.
Take it Online
Once you have this you can set up a website to show proof of what you can do.
You can also do this on social media, but if you do that then make sure all information is there. People have the attention spans of goldfish and want instant answers, so if you’re using Facebook, for example, include your rates and services in the menu bar, so it’s easy for people to find.
If you’re looking to make some money online, and not by blogging, here are a couple of doable options that are possibly the ‘easiest’ (and I say that loosely) to do, especially if you’re not often working online.
- Sell digital products on your own website, on Etsy, on Shopify, or another online store
- Drop shipping
- The written word aka freelance writing
The best tip and it took me the longest to actually listen to this advice, is to pick ONE thing and stick with that. If you’re giving all of your attention to three different ways to make money at the same time instead of being focused on one thing, it’s going to be a tough journey.
Conclusion
How much money you make will depend on how much time you have available, how much spare time you can dedicate to your goals and dreams and finding a good online platform that suits your needs.
Whether you do work part-time or full-time, or even passively, it is a good idea to set up various income streams. There is no easy way to do this, don’t rely on friends and family members, but look at yourself, your skills and knowledge, and previous experience, and start hustling!
