20 Stay at Home Mom Business Ideas for Busy Moms

Are you a mom who is interested in starting a business you can operate from home? If so, congratulations! Being in business for yourself is an exciting adventure.

There are many business opportunities you can pursue that you can operate out of your home that don’t require a lot of money to start. Although there is no such thing as a business that doesn’t require some startup capital, most of the businesses on this list are very affordable.

This article is about generating business ideas. Not all of the ideas on this list are going to be a good fit for everyone. You should carefully evaluate your skills, abilities, finances, and other factors before deciding to start any business.

It’s also important to point out that there is no guarantee that any business will succeed. All business owners have to deal with risk daily and some businesses don’t survive. Some businesses make it, others don’t.

The following are 20 stay at home mom business ideas to consider:

1. Flip Things on eBay

I’m going to start this list with one of my personal favorites. It involves sourcing products for sale that are undervalued and then reselling them on eBay for a profit. It’s called flipping.

To maximize profits and minimize the amount of work you have to do, it’s best to focus on flipping items that sell for hundreds of dollars – or maybe even thousands – instead of small, inexpensive items. In other words, you want to flip things you can buy for $50-$100 and resell for $500 or more instead of flipping things you buy for $5 that you flip for $20.

If you focus on flipping low-value items, you will have to flip too many of them and work too hard for this business model to be worth your time. With high-value items, however, you can earn more money with less work.

Where do you find things to flip?

There are many ways you can source things to resell on eBay. You can find things in flea markets, thrift stores, yard sales, and auctions. You can also find things in your community by shopping online on Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace, OfferUp, and other buy and sell apps.

Flipping is something you can do as a side hustle to earn some extra money, or it’s something you can do full-time. Many people flip full-time, like Rob and Melissa Stephenson.

Like many flippers, Rob and Melissa started flipping as a way to earn some extra money. Just a few years ago, they decided to go all-in with flipping and it’s now the primary source of income for their family. That’s one of the great things about this business – you can start slowly and build your flipping business over time as you gain experience.

In addition to working their thriving flipping business, Rob and Melissa also help other aspiring flippers get started in the business and learn the ropes. Their online course, Flipper University, teaches you how to get started, how to find and negotiate deals, how to ship items, and other things you’ll need to know.

Rob and Melissa offer a free webinar workshop where you can learn more about the flipping business. There’s no cost to attend the online webinar and it answers many common questions that people have about flipping.

Check out the free online Flipper University webinar to learn more about the flipping business.

2. Freelance Writing

Do you enjoy writing? Maybe English was your favorite subject in high school or college. If writing has always been your thing but you never thought you could make any money from it, you may be wrong in your assumption.

When most people hear that someone is a writer, unless that person is a famous author, they usually assume that he or she is some kind of starving artist. Get a real job, right?

There is one type of writing, however, that pays very well that you might want to consider. It involves writing things for businesses. Of the stay at home mom business ideas, this is one that requires very little money to get started in.

Many businesses need people to write all kinds of things for them like blog posts, website content, brochures, case studies, white papers, and other marketing material.

Many writers earn full-time incomes working from the comfort of their homes as freelance business writers. The key is landing several clients that each give you repeat business each month.

3. Virtual Assisting

Another business idea for stay at home moms to consider is to offer your services as a virtual assistant to businesses. A virtual assistant is someone who works from home doing a variety of tasks for companies like responding to customer inquires, data entry, bookkeeping, and other things.

Similar to freelance writing, it’s possible to earn a full-time income as a virtual assistant by working for multiple clients simultaneously.

Kayla Sloan is someone who earns a full-time income working as a virtual assistant for personal finance bloggers. In addition to running her business, she also helps others start and grow their own virtual assistant businesses through her online course $10KVA.

If you would like to learn more about this business idea, Kayla offers a free online workshop where she goes over the step-by-step process to starting and running a virtual assistant business. Your college degree doesn’t matter in this business (or lack of a degree). If you do good work and actively market your services, it’s possible to land clients.

Check out Kayla’s free workshop to learn more about starting a virtual assistant business.

4. Bookkeeping

Another stay-at-home option to consider is to be a virtual bookkeeper. A virtual bookkeeper is someone who works from home helping businesses maintain their financial records.

Thanks to the internet and the fact that many accounting systems are now cloud-based, you no longer have to work in an office somewhere to be a bookkeeper. You can do everything from home.

Bookkeeping is a great opportunity for many. And you don’t have to have a degree in accounting or professional certification to be one. You just have to have a willingness to learn some new skills, a strong work ethic, and a marketing strategy to land clients.

If you are interested in becoming a work from home bookkeeper, you may be wondering how you can get started and how you market your services. Good news: Bookkeeper Launch is an online training program that teaches you all about the bookkeeping business. It teaches you the bookkeeping skills you will need, how to land clients, and other important things.

Check out Bookkeeper Launch to learn more about how you can start and grow a bookkeeping business that you operate from your home.

5. Proofreading

Did you know that many court reporters use proofreaders to go over the court cases they transcribe? The reason they do this is very simple to understand. It’s because of the way they get paid.

Court reporters get paid for each case they transcribe. Therefore, if they have to spend a lot of time going over their work to make sure everything is correct, they might miss out on transcribing other cases.

That’s why they often hire proofreaders to go over their work to make sure everything matches the audio recordings. Proofreading is another business opportunity for moms who stay at home. Like some of the other opportunities on this list, you can choose to work with one or two court reporters or several to earn more money.

If you would like to learn more about proofreading, Proofread Anywhere is an online course that teaches you how to get started and grow your business. Taught by Caitlin Pyle, who has been proofreading for court reporters since 2009, the course takes you step-by-step through the mechanics of proofreading, launching and marketing your business, and other things.

Check out Proofread Anywhere to learn more about the proofreading business.

6. Selling Things on Amazon

Did you know that a large percentage of the products on Amazon are actually sold by third-party retailers? It’s true. Not all of the products you see for sale on Amazon are sold by the company.

Why would Amazon allow other businesses to sell products on its platform?

Amazon does this to increase the number and variety of products it sells. In Amazon’s early days it was primarily a bookseller. To rapidly transition to an “everything store,” the company started a program where third-party sellers could sell their products on the platform.

The great thing about selling on Amazon is that you don’t have to be a big company to do it. Many sellers, in fact, are small businesses operated out of people’s homes.

It’s hard to ignore the main benefit of selling products on Amazon. Because millions of people shop on Amazon every day, there’s a very strong chance that your products will be seen by many shoppers.

Another great benefit of selling on Amazon is that you don’t have to ship products from your home to customers when they sell. You ship your products to Amazon’s warehouses where they are stored until someone buys them. Amazon takes care of picking, packing, and shipping the products for you. They also take care of customer service issues and returns.

Amazon does charge a monthly fee to participate in the Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) program, as it’s called. They also charge a fee for each product that is sold. Still, when compared to setting up your own store somewhere and having to pay for a monthly lease, employees, and other things, selling products through the FBA program is very affordable.

The Proven Amazon Course is an online course that shows you how to start and run a business selling products on Amazon. It teaches you how to set up an account, source products, ship products to Amazon’s warehouses, and other things.

Check out the Proven Amazon Course to learn more about selling products on Amazon.

7. Start a Blog

Blogging these days isn’t about online diaries where people write about random things. They are money-making businesses. Many people, in fact, earn full-time incomes from their blogs.

There are several different ways that blogs make money including display ads, affiliate income from product recommendations, digital product sales, and sponsored posts.

If you are thinking about starting a blog, it’s important to keep in mind that the blogging business is not a quick way to earn money. It can take a while for the search engines to give you enough traffic to start earning. Many blogs, in fact, don’t earn anything in their first 2-3 years. Some blogs never earn anything.

If you are interested in learning more about how to start a blog of your own, Launch Your Blog Biz is an online course that shows you how to set up a blog, make your blog look professional, create content that readers will enjoy reading, and many other things. The course was created by two professional bloggers.

Check out Launch Your Blog Biz to learn more about starting a blog.

8. Social Media Manager

A social media manager is someone who posts regularly to social media accounts on behalf of a company. The manager is also responsible for responding to any questions people post and inquiries.

Many businesses now recognize the power of using social media platforms to promote their products and services. It’s a new form of advertising that could lead to increased sales and revenue. Because the staff in many businesses are stretched thin as it is, companies often outsource the management of their social media accounts to professionals.

As a social media manager, you will most likely need to work with several clients to earn a full-time income (if that’s your goal).

9. Pinterest Manager

We just touched on how many blogs are money-making businesses. But did you know that many blogs get a lot of traffic from Pinterest in addition to the search engines?

If you’ve ever browsed Pinterest and clicked on an attractive pin that led to an article on a blog, that’s what I’m talking about. Some blogs get hundreds of thousands of page views per month from Pinterest alone. That’s why Pinterest is such a big deal to bloggers.

If you enjoy Pinterest and you are good at making pins and doing other things on the platform, you may be able to earn money as a stay at home mom by offering your services to bloggers as a Pinterest manager. A Pinterest manager is someone who does all of the Pinterest marketing for a blog.

Many bloggers prefer to hire someone to take care of their Pinterest marketing for them to save time. Creating engaging new content can be very time-consuming, and outsourcing tasks to others is how many bloggers get more done.

10. Website Designer

This option isn’t going to be for everyone because it requires a combination of both artistic ability and technical skills. To be a website designer, you do need to know how to build websites. It’s a skill that can take some time to develop. Some colleges offer programs of study in website design, but it isn’t necessary to have a degree to do this type of work.

11. Graphic Designer

Are you a talented artist? If so, you may be able to earn money as a graphic designer. Many people need someone to create brochures, flyers, banners, and other marketing materials for them. Just a few industries that use graphic designers include:

• Corporate Branding and Consultation
• Publishing Companies
• Advertising Firms
• TV Studios
• Video Production Companies

To be a graphic designer, you need to be both a talented artist and skilled in the use of graphic design software like Photoshop, InDesign, Inkscape, and others.

12. Facebook Advertising Manager

Many companies now use paid ads on the popular social media platform to attract new customers to their products and services. This is different from posting on social media accounts and responding to posts and inquiries.

Facebook ads are very powerful. Its advertising system can zero in on the people who are most likely to buy a product or service. For example, if you sell a dog training program, Facebook knows which of its millions of customers are dog lovers. You can also choose to display your ads only to people living in certain regions or countries.

Do you see how powerful Facebook ads are?

While most businesses recognize the importance of Facebook ads, most of them don’t know how to run effective advertising campaigns on the platform. They often outsource the task to Facebook advertising managers.

If you can learn how to advertise on Facebook (courses are available), then you may be able to sell your services to businesses in your community. Just a few examples of businesses that may want to advertise on the platform include chiropractors, dentists, vehicle dealerships, restaurants, retail establishments, and many others.

13. Etsy Store Owner

Do you enjoy making craft items? Maybe you make beautiful quilts or wreaths. If so, you may be able to sell your crafty creations on Etsy, an online marketplace for selling handmade items.

Etsy makes it very easy to set up a store and create listings. The platform does charge fees, of course, so be sure you read the fine print and you know about the current fees and other things before you get started.

14. Home Daycare

Do you have kids? Maybe one of the reasons why you are looking for a way to make a living working from home is because you want to be with your children while they are still young.

There’s certainly nothing wrong with that.

An option to consider if you already take care of your own kids during the day is to open your home to other children and operate a daycare in your home. Many people need someone to watch their children for them during the day while they are working.

If you have plenty of space in your home, you may be able to earn some money by watching other people’s kids during the day while taking care of your own kids at the same time.

If you are thinking about opening a home daycare, you must follow all local and state laws and regulations. Depending on where you live, you may have to obtain a special license to operate a daycare business. You may also have to have your home inspected. Other laws and regulations may also apply.

15. House and Business Cleaning

Another opportunity for busy moms to consider is cleaning houses for people. This option is a little different from most of the others on this list. Although you will be able to operate your business from home, you will have to travel to other people’s homes and offices to do the work.

Many people prefer to hire someone to clean their homes for them because they work long hours and don’t have time to do it themselves. There may be others who just don’t like doing it and would rather pay someone to do it for them.

Many small businesses also need someone to clean their offices for them. Just a few potential clients include lawyers, chiropractors, insurance agencies, and staffing agencies. There are many possibilities.

If you decide to start a cleaning business, you will need to purchase and use your own cleaning supplies.

16. Pet Boarding

Many people need someone to keep their pets for them while they are away on vacations, business trips, and for other reasons. Pet boarding is great for animal lovers and those who have a good place in their homes to keep them.

As a pet boarder, you will have to provide the animals you keep with plenty of food and water. You will also have to give them plenty of attention. If you board dogs, you may also have to take them on frequent walks to prevent accidents from happening in your home.

17. Wedding Cake Bakery

Do you enjoy making culinary treats? Maybe everyone raves about the cakes and other things you make. If so, making cakes for weddings is another option to consider if you are a mom who is looking for a home-based business idea.

Wedding cakes are big business. It’s not uncommon for these culinary works of art to go for $500 or more each. And people get married all the time. If you are really good at baking and decorating wedding cakes and you do a good job of advertising your business, you may be able to start and run a wedding cake business that you operate out of your home.

18. Romance Book Author

Do you enjoy reading romance novels? Maybe you’ve even tried your hand at writing one before. If so, you may be able to earn money by self-publishing romance novels to the Kindle and other e-reader platforms.

This is one of the more unusual opportunities to consider. But it’s never been easier to get a book published online and potentially reach thousands of buyers.

Publishing books to the Kindle platform is very easy. You can find instructions online that guide you through the process. The great thing about publishing romance books is that many people who read them are prolific readers, more so than readers of other genres.

Romance is one of the most popular book genres there is, and many people read dozens of these books every year.

19. Catering

Similar to baking wedding cakes, a catering service is another opportunity you can operate out of your home. Many people hire caterers to do the cooking for their events. You could cater weddings, for example, or corporate functions. Other options include holiday parties, bar mitzvahs, graduations, and community events.

This is an opportunity that you could combine with baking wedding cakes. Why not do both? With catering, you can do the food preparation at home, but you will have to travel to your destination to deliver the food.

20. After-School Childcare

This option is similar to running a daycare in your home, but with a twist.

Many people are still at work when their children get out of school each afternoon. These kids need a safe place to stay until their parents can come and pick them up.

This is an opportunity that you may be able to combine with a daycare. It really just depends on how late of the evenings you want to work. Some people may not get off work until very late, for example.

In addition to providing a safe place for kids to stay until their parents arrive to pick them up, you may also have to provide meals, snacks, and entertainment for them.

Opportunities Abound

If you are a stay at home mom who is looking for business ideas, you do have options – 20 of them, in fact. It’s up to you to find the right opportunity and pursue it.

The final thing I want to mention is that you don’t have to limit yourself to just one opportunity. Why not do two or more of the opportunities on this list? For example, why not be a freelance writer for businesses and also bake wedding cakes? You could also board pets and be a social media manager. There are many possibilities.

Just because you are a stay at home mom, it doesn’t mean you can’t operate a business. It doesn’t mean you can’t earn money and contribute to your family’s finances. The first step is figuring out which business makes the most sense for you based on your skills, abilities, finances, and other things. The next step is to take action to turn your dream into a business you can be proud of.