If you’re a stay-at-home parent wanting to help pad your family budget or supplement your spouse’s income, you are not alone.
While today’s economic demands can make it a challenge, and it may be viewed as a more traditional approach, having one parent stay at home while the other works is a popular arrangement today even among younger couples.
Although income for the family rests primarily on the shoulders of the parent who works outside of the home, there are stay-at-home parents who may want to help contribute financially to their family’s collective funds.
Regardless of whether this is done out of necessity or simply to earn more disposable income, there are some helpful strategies for helping stay-at-home parents find money-making gigs they may want to do in their downtime or even full-on businesses they want to run from the convenience of their own homes.
1. Turning a Hobby Into a Small Business
If you’ve found that staying home has opened up more opportunities to spend time doing your favorite hobbies, going the extra mile to monetize them can be a practical money-making venture.
Whether you are selling custom crafts you make while you toddler is down for a nap or plugging away at your next greatest novel while your children are at school, it’s possible to turn something you already enjoy into a paid work opportunity.
This can be a great time to dust off that high-tech camera and offer to take family portraits or rack up orders for your fancy cakes that your friends are constantly raving about.
Sometimes, the only factors that may stand in between having a casual pastime and an actual money-making endeavor are licensing, certifications, and funding. In today’s digital marketplace you can secure same-day funding to help cover any significant start-up costs. There are numerous options for people who need a little capital to get their small business going.
2. Utilizing Technology
One major advantage that today’s generations have compared to the generations before them, is their access to technology.
A personal computer or mobile device can allow people to do the following often at low cost and in a relatively short amount of time:
- Research
- Building websites and other digital media
- Communication
- Networking
- Job hunting
Not only are devices becoming more sophisticated, but there are new software and applications that continue to be upgraded to cater to the needs of their audience.
Regardless of where you are in your stage of parenthood or your career, these high-tech tools can make your journey easier.
Read also: How to Crush It as a Mompreneur While Raising Twins
3. Telecommuting
Thanks to technology today, including high-speed internet connections, people can work anywhere outside of a traditional office workspace and even in their own homes full time if they choose.
With opportunities for both employees and contractors, telecommuting is something to consider for those who cannot commit to a typical workday schedule outside the home.
This can be ideal for families who are balancing various itineraries, those who home school, or those with limited childcare options.
In addition to a flexible schedule, this arrangement can also save in other costs such as fuel and work attire, which can be used towards other needs in the budget.
With technology only continuing to evolve, it may become easier and more efficient for some fields of work to utilize the contributions of workers that work remotely.
Read also: How This Mom Blogger Retired Her Husband at 30
4. Online Education
If actively working is currently not an option for you, you may consider working towards something else that has future money-making potential – your education.
While earning a certificate or degree can require a significant investment of time and finances, it has several advantages.
While you are tending to your family’s needs, you can also continue to beef up an existing resume and stay relevant.
Online resources can allow you to stay up to date with the latest in your field of interest. They can also allow you to become even more qualified for certain job opportunities during the period you stay at home and even afterward if you decide to re-enter the workforce in a more traditional setting outside the home.
Making the Transition
If you are a parent that currently stays at home or someone who is simply weighing out your options for the future, you can rest a little easier knowing that resources and work opportunities for this type of lifestyle do exist.
Whether you plan to ease into it with occasional side gigs to pass the time, plan to create a full-time home-based business that you anticipate running indefinitely, or keep yourself relevant for when you want to return to your pre-childcare career the world is continually developing new and innovative tools to make those transitions easier.
Stock Photo from BONNINSTUDIO @ Shutterstock
