I am a stay at home mother of three, but I also work from home. Through the years I have tried a variety of different ways to make money from home. Some of them have worked, like running my own in-home daycare and doing freelance writing, and some have failed like selling travel packages and hair bows at home parties. I have outlined six steps to help you find a successful way to make money from home.
List Your Skills
Make a list of all the skills you have to offer. Do you have a degree? Do you like to write? Are you an artist? Can you cook? Sew? Sing? Do you like to scrapbook? Are you good with kids?
Brainstorm Ideas
Brainstorm all the different things that you could do from home using your skills. For example I have a friend who makes quilts and sells them on E-bay. My sister-in-law sings with a band on the weekends at weddings and local clubs. Another friend sells stamps through home parties. One friend is a massage therapist and does massages in her home. I at one time operated an in-home daycare. I currently use my Elementary Education degree writing test questions for standardized tests. My sister has an accounting degree and after she has kids hopes to do the books for a small business from home. Another sister cleans houses and trades baby-sitting with a friend a few hours a week.
Talk to Others
Talk to family and friends. They might have ideas, suggestions, or know someone who is looking for help that you could provide from home.
Use the Internet
Use the inter-net as a resource. More and more companies are hiring out for bookkeeping, art needs, media presentations, writing needs, etc. There are many sites out there that connect companies with freelance workers like the sites www.elance.com, www.sologig.com, www.guru.com, and others. You submit a bid and a company will hire you based on your bid and skills that you have to offer. There are also places like E-bay, where you could sell items you make or bought at garage sales. The inter-net also has work ideas for stay at home moms. Just don’t be taken in by scams that promise you will be making thousands of dollars after just a few months. In order to make money most of them require a lot of money, time, and effort, spent outside the home. Don’t pay anyone money because they promise that you will make money.
Do Research
Do research about the product or skill that you want to offer. What makes you unique or different from the competition? What costs will be involved in starting up? If you are selling a product think of a catchy way you could package or market it. If you are selling a skill update your resume, include any civic or religious service you have provided that applies, as well as work experience.
Just Do It
Just go out and do it. If you currently stay at home you have nothing to lose and everything to gain by trying to use your skills to make some extra money. If you are considering quitting your job and staying at home try out your idea to see if you can make enough money before quitting. It will take some extra time while you are still working but if you can stay home it will all be worth it.
No one is going to get rich by working from home, but you could make enough to enable you to stay home with your children. Staying at home with my three children is a blessing that I am grateful for every day.