What are legitimate side businesses for stay-at-home moms and dads? When I became a mom and wanted to stay home with our baby, I started researching ways to earn money from home. It’s been four years, we have two kids, I started homeschooling, and have been shocked by discovering so many ways you can earn extra money on the side.
Stay-at-home moms and dads can earn a part- or full-time income with legitimate side businesses as a virtual assistant, writer, tutor, daycare provider, crafter, digital creator, blogger, mask maker, dog walker, pet sitter, realtor, YouTube creator, proofreader, and social media manager.
These side business ideas are things I’ve done myself or I know stay-at-home moms and dads who have done them to help provide financially for their family. Read on to help you find the right side hustle for your skills, interests, and schedule.
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ONLINE SIDE BUSINESS IDEAS FOR STAY-AT-HOME MOMS AND DADS
Here are perfect flexible online side businesses you can do while being a stay-at-home parent.
1. VIRTUAL ASSISTANT
Virtual Assistant work has been booming and it’s expected to continue to rise. In 2020 many businesses realized a lot of work can be done remotely. Virtual assistants can be regular employees, or they can be indepedent contracts.
Several of the job ideas listed below could be considered virtual assistant work. Things like customer service, data entry, transcription, proofreading, and a variety of other tasks can be considered virtual assistant work. My first side hustle as a stay-at-home mom was providing remote virtual assistant work!
To get started, check out this guide of virtual assistant training to become a virtual assistant. If you want to jump into a step-by-step course, I highly recommend the Savvy System! Many stay-at-home moms have had success building an online virtual assistant business with that program.
2. START AN E-COMMERCE STORE
Selling goods through the internet is easily a small business idea you can do part-time. Several of my stay-at-home mom friends sell products through websites, Etsy, or Facebook.
Here are a few examples of physical and digital products they sell:
- wood crafts
- macrame wall hangings
- succulents
- printables
- onesies
- knit hats and headbands
- soy candles
3. YOUTUBE CREATOR
Video is taking over the world one screen at a time. If you have a unique style or approach, you can earn a legitimate income with a YouTube channel.
Most YouTube creators I know earn money through ad revenue, sponsorship, affiliate income, and driving traffic to their blog, but there are more creative ways to make money on YouTube as shared on Lifehack.
4. VIDEO EDITOR
If you’re good at video editing, this is another great way to earn money on the side. As people start and become more popular on YouTube, they often hire someone to do the video editing.
I’m part of a YouTube Facebook group, and people are often asking for recommendations of who to hire for good video editing. With social media like Tik Tok and Instagram, video is becoming more in-demand. Even Pinterest started adding videos on their platform.
5. PODCAST PRODUCER
You know what else is growing in popularity along with video and social media? Podcasts!
You know what businesses (small and large) need to hire people for? Producing and sharing those podcasts!
Wondering if podcast production is a good fit for you? Grab a free workbook from Podcast Production School to find out!
Wondering if podcast production is a good fit for you? Grab a free workbook from Podcast Production School to find out!
6. WRITER
Do you love to write and have a way with words? Writing is a highly sought after service that you can do while your kids are sleeping or otherwise occupied.
Many stay-at-home parents get hired to research, write blog posts, write emails, or write the text for websites and sales pages.
Some authors, politicians, and celebrities even hire ghostwriters to write books for them when they have an idea but don’t have time to write it themselves.
7. EDITOR OR PROOFREADER
While videos are becoming more popular, the written word is not going anywhere. Some people have loads of great ideas, but they don’t know how to write without a ton of grammatical errors.
That’s where freelance proofreaders and editors come in. You can get paid while working flexible hours to edit manuscripts, proofread blogs, and more.
Check out our guide on how to become a proofreader for more on this side hustle idea or sign up for this free workshop!
8. SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER
People spend more time on social media than ever before, so businesses realize the benefit of having a page on social media. But it’s hard to keep up with the daily business demands and keep up with the algarithm changes, messages, and questions that come with having social media business profiles.
That’s why social media marketers and community managers are one of the first positions business hire. This is a perfect side hustle for stay-at-home moms who enjoy helping someone else’s business shine on social media.
9. WEBSITE DESIGNER
Freelance website designers can make a great income and work flexible hours. These are typically project-based assignments, so stay-at-home moms can take on work when they have time and hold off on new projects when needed.
I know a stay-at-home mom who was earning $10,000 per month offering virtual assistant and website design services, while being a stay-at-home mom of two kids.
10. GRAPHIC DESIGNER
If you’ve got graphic design skills, this is another good side business idea. People are often coming up with new business ideas or rebranding, which means they’re looking for custom logos.
Graphic designers can also help create eye-catching animations, presentations, and more to help businesses create polished and consistent branding.
11. DIRECT SALES REPRESENTATIVE
People often have a love-hate relationship with direct sales. Some people think it’s a scam. In fact, I used to be one of those people!
While direct sales aren’t the best fit for me, I have several stay-at-home mom friends who earn good money with various multi-level marketing brands. Things like essential oils, leggings, children’s books, and green cleaning products are popular among my friends.
So if you’re wondering if there is anyone who makes good money with a direct sales company, yes, there are. These moms are often ones who are good at selling products AND recruiting fellow sales reps to join their team.
12. BLOGGER
As a stay-at-home mom whose side business is blogging, I couldn’t leave this one off the list. I know so many other stay-at-home moms who have a blog as a side business too.
If you’re comfortable with computers, enjoy writing, and have a figure-it-out attitude, you can earn legit money blogging. Check out my guide for how to start a blog for beginners if you’re interested in setting up your new blog the right way to make a profit.
IN-PERSON SIDE BUSINESS IDEAS FOR STAY-AT-HOME MOMS
If you’d rather do something that’s in-person rather than online, these part-time business ideas are good ways stay-at-home moms and dads can get paid.
13. MAKE MASKS
The year 2020 brought a huge business opportunity for those who know how to make cloth masks. There were many women selling creative masks at farmer’s markets, shops, and even through Facebook pages.
Popular masks trends I noticed among people who seem to collect masks now were:
- holiday themes
- sports teams
- camouflage for military and hunters
- trendy colors
- patriotic
If you know how to make unique masks, this could be another side business perfect for stay-at-home moms in 2021.
14. DO ODD JOBS ON TASKRABBIT
More and more people are using Task Rabbit to get odd jobs done around the house, office, or even shopping and delivery.
Common home projects for Taskers are:
- Cleaning
- TV mounting
- Painting
- Furniture assembly
- Moving
- Heavy lifting
- Yard work
- Room organizing
Visit Task Rabbit or Download the iOS Task Rabbit App to learn how to become a tasker.
15. TUTOR
Tutoring is a side income idea for those who love to teach. Tutoring is something you can do in person or online through programs like this stay-at-home mom who earns $20/hour through VIPKID.
With the increase in families who started homeschooling in 2020 and 2021, I suspect the demand for tutors will continue to rise.
16. REAL ESTATE AGENT
Love real estate? Even in 2020, the real estate industry did not slow down in our area.
Becoming a real estate agent is a flexible way to earn money in a legit side business. I know several stay-at-home moms who are realtors too.
If you like real estate but don’t want to become an agent, consider becoming a real estate virtual assistant! There’s special training just for Real Estate Virtual Assistants in the Fully Booked Virtual Assistant training program.
17. RENT EQUIPMENT
Starting a rental company is a unique side business that can be flexible for stay-at-home moms or dads.
People make money renting out so many things like:
- bicycles
- baby gear like strollers, walkers, and carriers
- bounce houses
- tents, tables, and chairs for graduations, weddings, and birthday parties
- dumpsters
- moving gear like trucks and dollies
- sports gear like golf carts and clubs
- tools like unique ladders, saws, or power washers
- camping equipment
- RV or boat
- fishing or hunting gear
- animals (1 pony + 1 sparkly horn = 1 magical unicorn = makes some little girl’s birthday dream come true!)
18. AIR BNB HOST
Have some extra space? Enjoy hosting? In my area, Airbnb estimates an earning potential of up to $1,249 per month!
Guests book it all:
- entire houses
- tiny houses
- guesthouses
- bed and breakfasts
- apartments
- condos
- castles
- private rooms
- finished basements
Find out if your space is a good fit for Airbnb.
19. DAYCARE PROVIDER
Another booming business idea for parents who are home with the kids is providing childcare. With schools in our area opening and closing on a whim, flexible childcare was in high demand.
20. PET SITTER
If you prefer people over children, like one of my friends, pet sitting is a way to earn extra money. The hours are flexible and the average starting rate is $10-$25 per hour. Those who are experienced or going to school for vet tech, vet assistant, or any animal care field could make even more money pet sitting.
PetSitter and Rover are popular ways to find pet sitting jobs. You can also check your local social media groups to get your side hustle as a pet sitter out there. This is a growing business as more families prefer to hire a pet sitter over boarding their pets.
21. DOG WALKER
Make money walking dogs and doing something you love. This is another fairy easy way to earn extra money if you’re a dog lover.
Bigger cities like Chicago, Denver, Las Angeles, and New York have more demand, but even our small subdivision has a couple of known dog walkers.
22. MOW LAWNS
I can’t be the only stay-at-home mom who enjoys the exercise and fresh air I get from mowing the lawn. Also, I can’t be the only one who lives in a neighborhood where 1/4 of the homeowners hire someone to mow their lawn.
Mowing lawns would be a good side business for moms who enjoy it and live in an area where there are lots of laws to be mowed. Most people don’t care what time their lawn gets mowed, so this is a side hustle where hours are flexible.
23. PAINTING
We’ve hired someone with a painting side business and I know many others who ask for recommendations. So if you’re a stay-at-home mom or dad that likes to paint, consider starting a painting business to earn extra money.
24. MAKE FREEZER MEALS
Another mom business I know of is a freezer meal business. I’ve personally purchased her freezer meals and gifted them to others as condolence after they’ve lost loved ones.
Her handmade meals are a time and sanity saver, so if you love to cook, you could make freezer meals a legit business too.
25. HOUSE CLEANING
We also know stay-at-home moms and retirees who started side businesses cleaning houses. Many households have two people working full-time and they don’t enjoy or can’t keep up with cleaning.
If you’re a mom who enjoys or is really good at cleaning, this could be a great side business idea. A unique small business by a mom in our area is a non-toxic or green cleaning business, where they only use non-toxic cleaning products.
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