Want to earn some extra money? Here are some jobs for stay-at-home mums (or side hustles for working mums). Read on to also find out how to successfully start your own side hustle business.
I personally love side hustles. In fact, my “She’s on the Money” workshops started out as a passion project—something I did whenever I could fit them in. Like many side hustles, it evolved to become one of my main hustles!
That’s the thing about side hustles—they can be big or small, long or short, monetarily driven or purely done to feed our mind, body and soul.
Jobs for stay-at-home mums
Here are 26 job ideas that you could do either at home or when you have some free time.
Love real estate? Your side hustle could be:
- Airbnb host
- property cleaner
- holiday home or real estate photographer
Love animals? Your side hustle could be:
- pet sitter
- dog walker
- dog groomer
- obedience instructor
- cat whisperer (I don’t know if that’s a thing, but I definitely think it should be a thing)
Love writing? Your side hustle could be:
- blogger
- copywriter
- proofreader
- journalist
- product reviewer
Highly organised? Your side hustle could be:
- virtual assistant who can:
- transcribe
- enter data
- organise meetings and travel
- create budgets
- send invoices
- make customer service phone calls
In the video below, financial advisor Kate McCallum shares her top ways to earn money from home.
Know how to find a diamond in the rough? Your side hustle could be:
- furniture restoration
- house flipping
- selling vintage goods
Are you a hot-glue gun expert? Your side hustle could be:
- importing and selling custom T-shirts
- manufacturing 100 per cent non-toxic bamboo dinnerware
- consulting for local and international businesses
Got mad design skills? Your side hustle could be:
- web designer
- graphic designer
- illustrator
Love kids? Your side hustle could be:
- nanny
- babysitter
- hair braider or face painter at birthday parties
Winning tips when setting up jobs for stay-at-home mums
1. Separate your finances
It will make your life much less muddy if you keep your personal and professional finances separate. This means having an account that is purely for business like subscriptions, order-taking, expenses and saving money for tax. Yes, money earned from a side hustle is considered income, so make sure you’re putting money aside for tax.
2. Set yourself up to scale
- Register your business with the tax office.
- In Australia, if you anticipate earning over $75,000 a year, you need to register for GST.
- Research how much money you need to be putting aside for tax.
- Pay yourself superannuation from the start (if you can!). While some people feel they need to reinvest every possible dollar back into their business to grow, it’s important not to shoot yourself in the foot when it comes to your ability to retire. If you focus on paying yourself super, then you will price yourself correctly from the start. Also, making super contributions can be a smart way to save on paying higher tax rates by dropping your taxable income. Remember: super contributions as a sole trader/contractor/freelancer are also tax-deductible!
- Invest in software like XERO or MYOB that makes accounting and customer communication easier.
- Research what insurance you may need. This is particularly important if you’re doing a job that requires you to enter someone’s home.
- Treat your job as if it makes a lot more money than it does.
- Factor in fuel, wear on your car, cost of software etc, so you can price your work appropriately and also claim the necessary items at tax time.
- Make assets that legitimise your offering, eg a logo, website, booking forms, customer reviews and newsletters. When you’re just starting out, there are plenty of affordable options to get you going.
Need a website? You can buy and personalise themes yourself through companies like Squarespace, WordPress and Wix. Alternatively, a web designer can do it for you (and also help with branding, logo creation and copywriting).
Need a logo? If you don’t go the classic graphic designer route, you could try companies like Fiverr or Canva.
Need help scheduling and planning content? I personally love Planoly! There are heaps of options out there.
Need a digital newsletter? Companies like Mailchimp make it super easy to design and integrate on-brand email opt-ins, lists and campaigns to any website.
3. Stockpile content
Chances are you’re probably pretty busy as a mum or working your main job as it is. One of the main reasons side hustles fail is the inability to keep up with content. Let’s say you want to become a blogger and deliver weekly or bi-weekly content. I suggest writing 20 ready-to-go pieces so that if things ramp up at work, you don’t have to stress about punching out a blog post. Same goes for advertising. If you want to do one social media post every three days for your hand-sewn baby-clothing business, plan and schedule that content! It’s also a good way to test out if you actually have time for said side hustle.
4. Outsource
Ever spent 10 hours on something that you know someone else could have done in one? Don’t be afraid to outsource work that will allow you to generate revenue in a different way.
5. Stop undervaluing yourself!
Putting a value on your work is difficult, but incredibly important. This is particularly important for writers, designers and illustrators who have trouble understanding their worth. Believe it or not, I know many freelancers who’ve closed more deals when they raised their prices! Look at what your expenses are, from software to hardware to time. What amount per hour makes you feel comfortable? If your current customers aren’t willing to pay it, market yourself to a new group.
Tips for renegotiating your fees with existing clients:
- Don’t be apologetic
- Be factual
- Let them know they’re a valued customer by offering them a preferential rate
- Be prepared to walk away if they say no
6. Bonus hot tip
If you’re feeling unsure about how best to approach your side hustle, find someone who’s already doing it and ask them! This is as easy as a friendly call or email inviting them to catch up. On a behavioural psychology level, people love talking about themselves. If they’re a good person, they won’t see you as competition. If they say no, they could simply be too busy. Don’t take it personally. It might also be a referral down the line!
Remember, you don’t have to work for yourself to be successful. Your side hustle doesn’t have to replace your employment. You can be passionate, enthusiastic, well-rounded and successful without being a business owner. Plus, when you’re employed, you can take way more swings with your side hustle because you have a full-time job to pay bills.
And if your friend has a side hustle and is breaking their back trying to supplement their income, do not ask them for a discount. Support them by using their services and buying their products.
This is an edited extract from She’s on the Money by Victoria Devine (published by Penguin Random House, $32.99, out now).
