Starting a business is an excellent option for stay-at-home moms. I have twice started businesses so that I could stay at home with my four children. Here are some reasons I choose to stay at home that I think work for many moms.
Key Takeaways for How to make money as a stay-at-home mom
Moms can design businesses that allow them to work from home, providing the flexibility to prioritize family responsibilities.
Owning a business empowers women, fostering a strong sense of worth and providing a model of capability for their children.
Having a coach to guide you in the process of starting a business will increase your chances of success.
Working from Home
The top priority for many moms is to be at home with their children, and you can design a business to do that.
Caution: Not all businesses allow you to work from home. Take time to research and plan how to create a business that allows you to stay home.
Flexible Schedule
Creating your own business allows you to make your own schedule and decide how much and when you will work. This flexibility is a key consideration for moms wanting to stay home to take care of children. Traditional work environments are not mom-friendly, and one of the key reasons women are not able to climb the corporate ladder as well as men is because of their tendency to be caregivers and sacrifice work for their families. However, as a business owner, women can build their professional skills while maintaining a schedule to be present for their families. With your own business, you decide when and how much you want to work.
Caution: it is easy to let the business take over and find yourself working even more than in a traditional 9-5, so be sure to set clear boundaries and remember why you are starting a business in the first place.
Financial Freedom
In addition to providing more income for your family while staying home, owning a business can bring more financial freedom than working for another person.
According to “Status of Women in the States”, the average income of women in the US is $38,00, whereas the average income for women business owners is almost $20,000 higher. Consider that if you are trying to care for your family, you may need to limit your hours, or you may also say no to opportunities for advancement because of concerns about managing your time, which limits your income potential even more. However, there is no ceiling for income when you own your own business. The only limit is your imagination!
Caution: You need to make sure you have a viable business plan to make your business work as there is a high rate of failure with small businesses.
Live in your Strengths and Enjoy a Sense of Fulfillment
Building your own business allows you to create work that is meaningful and something you love, which can bring more joy and satisfaction to your whole life.
Being a stay-at-home mom is usually a thankless job that can eat away at our feelings of self-worth. Even though you know that raising children is the most important thing you do, you may feel unfulfilled as you are not using or being appreciated for your many talents. When unfulfilled, resentment can build toward your family as you feel they are taking advantage of you, or you just become generally negative in your outlook on life, and that will affect your relations with your family and your desire to show up for them.
Starting a business allows you to show your strengths and regain that sense of self-worth and fulfillment, which will energize you to work with your family. When you feel your strengths and talents are being used, you will feel more confident when you show up at social events outside of the family and bring that confidence to your family.
Being able to connect with your source of income on a deeper level will help you stay motivated when the going gets tough. It’s a lot more challenging to craft a job uniquely you when you work for someone else. You don’t have to settle for something else because it was the only job you could find or the only place that would allow you to work from home.
You can create a business that allows you to do what you love and bring you a sense of fulfillment.
Caution: There will be aspects of business that you won’t like, but as you generate revenue, you can pay for other people to take those jobs so you can focus on what you love.
Empowerment
Like working in your strengths, running your own business helps you develop a strong sense of worth. You will face challenges and learn to overcome them. As you see how you can shape your future and control outcomes based on your own actions, you will feel more empowered to face future challenges. This sense of empowerment can boost self-confidence, which leads to further success. This empowerment also sets you as a role model to your children, demonstrating that women are capable of a wide variety of tasks.
Caution: Business owners need to have a high tolerance for failure as setbacks and challenges will occur. However, these setbacks can allow for tremendous personal growth when we take time to learn from them.
So, is starting a business right for you?
Not everyone is ready to start their own business. Consider the following questions:
Do you find yourself coming up with new ideas frequently?
If you need ideas for making money as a stay-at-home mom, just Google “how to make money as a stay-at-home mom,” and you will get tons of ideas. There is something out there that you will enjoy doing, that will bring you fulfillment and that will allow you to bring in cash while staying at home and doing your most important job of raising a family.
Do you have a skill or hobby that people seek you out for?
Do you have a high tolerance for risk?
Do you have another source of income that can support your family?
Do you have health insurance?
Do you enjoy learning new things?
Do you know other people who have started their own businesses?
You do not need all these characteristics to start a business, but having financial security without your income and being willing to experiment are key.
How do you go from “idea” to “open for business”?
Unfortunately, many people get stuck in the idea phase. Maybe they even do a Google search and find all the possible ways they could earn money, but then they get overwhelmed by all the details and the steps involved. Or maybe they get started but end up spending more money than they make.
In the end, if you have the drive and are open to learning, you can make it happen.
Getting the help of others, like a coach who can guide you through the process, can help you overcome the other barriers. That’s why I designed my program, “From Idea to Open”. In this program, I walk moms step-by-step through opening a business in less than 90 days. I explain the processes in easy terms for people with no business background so that they can spend their energy doing what they love and start making money with it.
To find out how you can turn your dreams of a business into a reality, book a free strategy session to discuss your dreams and challenges and develop your next steps.
References
Arora, Rohit. “Women-Owned Businesses Thrived in 2022.” Forbes, Forbes Magazine, 9 Mar. 2023, www.forbes.com/sites/rohitarora/2023/03/08/women-owned-businesses-thrived-in-2022/?sh=237eab5cdd4e.
“What Women Earn by Race/Ethnicity.” Women in the States, statusofwomendata.org/explore-the-data/employment-and-earnings/additional-state-data/what-women-earn-by-race-ethnicity/.
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