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 at how 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 assistants, writers, tutors, daycare providers, crafters, digital creators, bloggers, dog walkers, pet sitters, realtors, YouTube creators, proofreaders, social media managers, and more.
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.
This post may contain affiliate links. We appreciate your support!
ONLINE SIDE BUSINESS IDEAS FOR STAY-AT-HOME MOMS AND DADS
Here are legit 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 could be done remotely. Virtual assistants can be regular employees, or they can be independent contractors.
Several of the job ideas listed below could be considered virtual assistant work. Things like customer service, data entry, transcription, proofreading, writing, graphic design, social media management, 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 for a successful blogger.
To get started, check out Virtual Assistant Training to Become a Successful 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 Etsy, Facebook, or clothing re-sale sites.
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
- chicken wire frames
- old milk cans
If you’re crafty and enjoy making things, this could be a great way to earn money on the side while also being home with kids!
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 as an interesting YouTube creator.
Most YouTube creators 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 to save time.
I’m part of a YouTube Facebook group, and people are often asking for recommendations for who to hire for good video editing. With social media like TikTok and Instagram Reels, video is becoming more in demand. Even Pinterest started adding videos on their platform, so if you’re skilled at video editing, this could be a great flexible gig.
5. PODCAST PRODUCER
Do you know what else is growing in popularity along with video and social media? Podcasts!
Do you know what businesses (small and large) need to hire people for? Podcast producers! Many freelancers are hired to help others create and share podcast episodes.
6. WRITER
Do you love to write? 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 bunch 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 ultimate guide to becoming a proofreader for more on this side hustle idea or sign up for this free proofreading 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 constant algorithm 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 people businesses 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, so we’re talking full-time income potential.
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 is. These moms are often the 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 for stay-at-home moms and dads to earn money.
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 mask 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 as masks are making their way back in 2023.
14. DO ODD JOBS ON TASKRABBIT
More and more people are using Task Rabbit to hire people for random jobs around the house, office, or even shopping and delivery.
Common home projects for Taskers are:
- Cleaning
- TV mounting
- Painting
- Furniture assembly (hello, IKEA!)
- Moving
- Heavy lifting
- Yard work
- Room organizing
Visit Task Rabbit to learn how to get paid for random tasks.
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? No matter the time, someone always needs to buy and sell real estate due to job relocations, illnesses, etc.
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. In fact, I did this stay-at-home mom side job for a while 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 for Real Estate Virtual Assistants in the Fully Booked Virtual Assistant training program.
17. RENT EQUIPMENT
Starting an equipment 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
The average Airbnb host earns $646 per week in my area. So if you have some extra space, consider making money as an Airbnb Host!
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.
There are always people looking in local Facebook groups for childcare, both for daily and occasional care for date nights.
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
Another flexible stay-at-home mom or dad job is dog walking! This is another fairly 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 town has a dog walker who is always busy helping people take care of their dogs.
22. MOW LAWNS
Mowing lawns would be a good side business for moms and dads who enjoy mowing 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.
There’s a teen lawn mower in our neighborhood who mows 12 lawns per week in the summer, so there are plenty of people looking for help keeping their lawns trimmed.
23. PAINTING
We’ve hired someone with a painting side business, and I know many others ask for painter recommendations.
So if you’re a stay-at-home mom or dad who 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 or had medical hardships.
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
Many households have two people working full-time and they don’t enjoy or can’t keep up with cleaning, so they pay someone to do it weekly, monthly, or bi-monthly.
If you’re a mom who enjoys or is good at cleaning, this could be a good flexible option for making money or bartering. A popular cleaning business in our area is a mom who uses only non-toxic cleaning products like these.
SHARE THESE LEGIT SIDE BUSINESS IDEAS FOR STAY-AT-HOME MOMS
I hope this list of flexible side business ideas for stay-at-home moms or dads has helped spark an idea or two that might work for you. Please consider sharing it and check out our related content:
- How to Afford to Be a Stay-at-Home-Mom
- 26 Time-Saving Gifts for Busy Moms
- Best Toys to Keep Toddlers Busy (From a Work-at-Home Mom)
MORE TIPS FROM MOMS FOR MOMS
This post was originally published in 2021 and was updated in 2023.