When you’re a stay-at-home mum, you’ll have plenty to keep you occupied – especially if you are new to parenthood and your child is particularly young. However, for the more experienced, or those who have
When you’re a stay-at-home mum, you’ll have plenty to keep you occupied – especially if you are new to parenthood and your child is particularly young. However, for the more experienced, or those who have managed to find a local nursery, a home business can be a great way to earn some extra money and give you something else to do for yourself.
However, there are certain questions you’ll want to ask before you get started. These will range from what kind of business insurance you might need to what it is likely to cost to set up. Sites like MoneySupermarket will help you get a good deal on the former and there are plenty of places like this online where you can get advice on planning. But what type of project should you undertake? Here are a few tips:
Do something you are interested in
There may be loads of great ideas you have that you believe will be perfect for making money, but often the best ideas will come from something you already know. It’s tempting to aspire to being a high-powered businesswoman that puts those idiots on The Apprentice to shame, but the reality is if you aren’t doing something that interests you – you’ll struggle to find the motivation on a daily basis. If you love to cook, think about catering. If you love to write, think about that. You never know where it may lead in the long run.
Be cautious of time constraints
Let’s face it, you probably don’t have an abundance of time on your hands as it is and even if you do, anything could pop up to take you away from developing your new business project. With that in mind, think carefully about starting simple and taking something on that will only take one or two hours of your day each day until you are sure you have more time to dedicate to it. Very often a budding entrepreneur will take on too much, too soon and either give up or face an impossible amount of work that can cause problems elsewhere.
Look at what other people are doing
There are plenty of great ideas out there for stay-at-home mums looking to start up a business, so it’s wise to spend some time looking at what these options are and doing some research to find out what has been successful for some and what has failed for others. Think about joining up with one of the many online parenting websites that offer support networks and forums where you can ask questions and benefit from the experience of others. Even if you are new to being a mum, you may find these sites give you the confidence to branch out and think about doing something for yourself that will help provide for the family too!