Family Finances

6 minute read

Side Hustles for Working Moms: Our Top 5

March 28, 2021

Do you know the percentage of moms who work with children under the age of 18?

Over 70%. And 74% of those are the primary or sole earners for U.S. households.

It’s not a surprise that side hustles for working moms are becoming increasingly popular.

Why?

Side hustles are perfect for busy moms because they offer:

Flexibility in working hours.
The ability to work from home.
A good income.

Extra income is the first reason you might consider a side business, but it also allows you to develop your skills and expand your career options.

With the right side hustle, you can boost your income and still be around for the important things such as picking the kids up from school and being at home to look after them when they are ill.

If you are looking for flexible and realistic side hustle ideas that you can fit around your kids and a full-time job, you’ve come to the right place.

5 side hustles for working moms

Here are five of the best side hustles for working moms that you can start straight away and do while your little ones are napping or at school.

All you need is your laptop and coffee.

Offer child care services

A perfect side business for moms who want to earn while staying at home is setting up a child care business.

Being able to spend time with their own children whilst also earning extra cash to look after other people’s kids is what makes this side business appealing to moms.

Required skills: you may be required to have a childcare qualification before you can be approved by your local state. Other required skills include a pediatric first aid course and training in safeguarding children and food hygiene.

Equipment: you will need to invest in some extra equipment including:

Toys and play equipment.
Art and craft supplies.
Food for snacks and meals (if providing).
Bottles, plates, cups, and utensils suitable for children.
Cleaning supplies.
A suitable first aid kit.

Start-up costs: the start-up costs for a child care business will depend on how many children you plan to look after. The equipment described above will need to be purchased, with some extra items available in case of damage.

Earning potential: how much you earn will depend on several factors including how many children you look after and your qualifications. The typical hourly wage for a childminder in America is between $14-$25.

How to get started:

Decide when you want to offer childcare services. You can offer before and/or after school care, half days, full days, or even just weekends/evenings to fit around your day job.
Find out what security clearance you need for working with children in your state.
Get the right liability and business insurance.

Start a baking business

As a mom you’re probably baking lots already, so why not earn some extra cash from it too?

Baked goods have grown in popularity over the last few years, particularly during the ongoing pandemic.

An impressive $14 billion worth of fresh bread and rolls were sold across America in 2020.

In 2020, fresh bread and rolls were the best-selling bakery products in the United States, with sales amounting to a total of approximately 14 billion U.S. dollars

Required skills: obviously you need to be good at baking, but you’ll also need knowledge of safe food preparation and dietary requirements. It’s also important to have good organizational and communication skills. Creativity will also help set you apart from other baking businesses in your area.

Equipment: chances are you will already have most of the equipment that you need in your cupboards. Depending on what you decide to bake, you’ll need scales, mixers, mixing bowls, racks, baking sheets, tins, and piping bags.

Start-up costs: these are relatively low compared to other start-up businesses. Take into consideration the one-off equipment costs and ongoing cost of ingredients when planning how much it will cost to start up your baking business.

Earning potential: this flexible side business for moms can easily grow into a 6-figure side job if you want it to.

How to get started:

Research the baking from home regulations in your state and make sure you comply with them.
Get the necessary licenses and permits and find out if you need to collect food tax.
Decide what baked goods you want to sell.
Purchase the appropriate equipment and packaging materials if you don’t have them at home already.
Create and maintain an online presence with a user-friendly website and social media accounts.
Start baking and selling.

Organize parties

If you love organizing parties for your children and special occasions, this could be a fun way to earn extra money for you.

Required skills:

Organization
Social
Detail-oriented

Start-up costs and equipment: party planning businesses have low start-up costs, making them a great side hustle. You’ll need a budget for balloons, activities, costumes, and other items such as a bouncy castle. Don’t forget to budget for business insurance to make sure you are fully protected.

Earning potential: a party planning business can be extremely profitable, especially if you’re creative enough to make items such as invites, banners, and decorations yourself. The average salary for an Event Planner is $49,738. That’s an impressive side hustle that can easily grow into a full-time income.

How to get started:

Decide which types of parties you want to plan. You can either focus just on children’s parties or cater for birthdays, wedding receptions, and baby showers.
Do some research in your area to find out what other party planners offer.
Come up with a fun, unambiguous business name that tells your customers exactly what you do and sets you apart from the competition.
Price your services fairly and competitively according to rates in your area.
Next, you need to market your business by creating a website and social media accounts to let people know about the services that you offer. Advertise everywhere including local Facebook groups and in your community.

Freelance writing

Side hustles for working moms can be something that you are passionate about such as writing. Freelance writing doesn’t require any previous experience, which is great for moms. It’s also extremely flexible. You can take on as many or as few jobs to suit your family life and work from anywhere, even soft play.

Required skills: based on your skills and interests, you can choose which area of writing that you would like to work in. For example, if you have good attention to detail, try proofreading and editing. If you prefer writing on a range of different subjects, content writing might suit you better.

Equipment: all you will need is a laptop or computer and an internet connection.

Start-up costs: $0.

Earning potential: pay varies greatly for freelance writing jobs. According to Payscale, you can earn between $10.31 to $53.79 per hour. The more writing experience you have, the more you can charge.

How to get started:

Brush up on your writing and grammar skills.
Create a portfolio of any previously written work that you’ve done.
Start searching and applying for freelance writing jobs online.

Tutor kids online

If you’re a working mom trying to make extra money from home, tutoring children online is a great side hustle.

Required skills: you don’t have to be a certified teacher to tutor, however experience of working with children is beneficial. As an online tutor, you will also need to have good IT and teaching skills.

Equipment: some online platforms will require a monthly fee to host group lessons. You might also want to invest in a microphone and headset to make teaching more comfortable and productive.

Start-up costs: minimal to none. Apart from investing in some computer equipment, you’re ready to start teaching straight away.

Earning potential: you can set your rate on platforms such as Wyzant. Research how much other online tutors charge and set yours in alignment with the experience you have in your chosen field. Don’t be tempted to set your prices too low as some people might not view you as having much experience. An online tutor can expect to earn $17.68 per hour.

How to get started:

Find out what security clearance you need for working with children in your state.
Decide how much time you’d like to spend each week tutoring.
Choose which subjects you’d like to teach.
Sign up for online tutoring websites and set your rate.
Also, advertise your teaching services in your local area.
Prepare your teaching resources in advance of your lessons.
Practice your first few lessons so you can get to grips with the online platform and test out the content you will be delivering

Which side business for moms will you start?

Whether you want to pay off debt, contribute more to the bills or save for your kid’s future education, side hustles are perfect for busy moms and a great way to meet your financial goals.For more tips on saving and budgeting for families, visit our blog.