Whether you’re staying home with your kids amid the pandemic or you’ve been a stay-at-home mom or dad for years, there are plenty of ways to create an additional income stream while still taking care of your children. From working online to starting your own side business, we’ll discuss three great options in the sections below. Read on to get started!
1. Working Online
If you’re comfortable spending the bulk of your workdays sitting behind a computer, an online job could be a great option for bringing in more income and keeping your career going as you stay at home with your kids. According to Entrepreneur, a few great online jobs include:
- Affiliate marketing
- Blogging
- Transcribing
- Proofreading
- Virtual assisting
- Customer service representative
To find online jobs like these, conduct your search through websites like Indeed, Monster, or LinkedIn — and enter keywords like “telecommuting,” “work from home,” “online” or “remote” into the search bar.
When working online, however, it’s important to protect yourself and your tech devices against security threats, fraudulent activity, and other cybersecurity concerns. Verizon’s tech hub can provide you with the tips and support you need to keep you and your personal information safe on- and- offline.
2. Starting a Side Business
As another option, you could start a side business if you have a special skill, passion, or idea to share with the world. For instance, you could start your own home-based business as a freelance writer, drop shipper, data entry specialist, consultant, or another type of self-employed worker — and you may be able to work online and/or from the comfort of your home. Plus, plenty of free resources are available to guide you as you get your side business up and running. Let’s Talk About Money shares expert advice on starting an online business, building a website for your home-based business, and selling your products and services online.
In order to operate a side business from home, however, you’ll need to invest in a few pieces of equipment — including a computer or laptop, printer, scanner, desk, comfortable office chair, and noise-canceling headphones. When buying a printer, review Mopria’s list of certified products to find top-rated equipment that’s compatible with Windows 10 and Android devices for effortless printing.
If you’ll be interacting with clients via video conferencing software such as Zoom or Microsoft Teams, you’ll also want to purchase a high-quality webcam that can be used for face-to-face communication. When shopping around for a webcam, however, be sure to take the product’s price, customer reviews, microphone quality, and resolution into account.
3. Freelancing
In addition to working online and starting a side business, you could work as a freelancer if you’re skilled in a specific area and looking for more flexibility in your schedule. Whether you pitch yourself to potential clients or use online job boards like Upwork, FlexJobs, Freelancer.com, or Toptal to search for available opportunities, you can find freelance work in industries such as writing, proofreading, editing, marketing, web development, accounting, information technology, project management, data entry, and more. Plus, many freelance opportunities will allow you to work from home, set your own hours, and easily juggle other things like childcare, cooking, and cleaning.
The Bottom Line
Today, being a stay-at-home mom or dad doesn’t mean putting your career on hold for the next several years or surviving solely on one spouse’s paycheck. Thanks to the internet and modern technological advancements, parents can choose to remain at home with their children while bringing in additional income, growing their careers, and enjoying the many perks that remote opportunities can offer workers and their families.
