How to become a work-from-home mum – Milsy Girl

Are you making the transition from being a stay-at-home mum to becoming a work-from-home mum. Did you give up work to have a family and now your children need less of your time? When this happens it’s very common for some mums (like me) to feel the need to get back to work for their own sense of wellbeing, mental stimulation and purpose.

This is not only to boost the bank account but for the all-important mental stimulation as well. Many women find ways to make money from home independently. Others look for employment with companies who will allow them to work from home. In this post I’m going to talk about the following topics:

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How to make money as a work-from-home mum

Is it possible to earn a living from home?

Absolutely! It certainly is possible to earn a living from home. There are a multitude of options here. All of these take time and hard work if you want to make a full-time living. There is no quick option, but it is definitely possible. Read on to find out more….

How can I make money from home with no money?

Are there real ways to make money from home for free?

Yes, there are. Here is a list of ways that you can make money from home without spending a penny:

• Sell pre-loved clothes and belongings on websites such as Facebook Marketplace, Vinted or eBay.
• Freelancing – If you have skills from your previous career or training.
• Participating in medical trials.
• Selling your hair – a little extreme but definitely one way to make a bit of money.
• Become an extra for TV and film.
• House sitting for people while they are away.
• Looking after pets for neighbours and friends.
• Offer a dog walking service.
• Offer tutoring – If you are academically trained.
• If you have a spare room in your house, you could rent it out or take part in a programme such as Airbnb.

How to make money from your home office

If you have a home office and you want to make money at home, becoming a virtual assistant could be an option for you or computer driven freelance work in a field you are trained in. However, the most popular option for making money from your home office is to make money online.

How can a work-from-home mum make money online?

The joy of the internet is its unique ability to give you access to customers literally all over the world. You are not limited by your location and with so many courier and fast delivery options these days the sky is literally the limit.

The options for making money online seem to improve as the years go by. Here is a list of the current most popular ways to make money from the Internet:

Taking part in online surveys – Websites such as surveyspotter.com or yougov.co.uk are great ways of earning a little extra cash. You don’t earn a huge amount per survey. However, if you are willing to put in the time, then the pennies will stack up. Make sure you choose the online survey company carefully. There are some fraudulent ones out there who will not necessarily pay you regularly if at all. Check reviews and do a little bit of online research before signing up.

Or…..

Blogging – Blogging is booming at the moment. Websites such as WordPress.com allow you to very quickly and simply set up a professional looking website without investing a large amount of money. This particular platform is great for bloggers who are more focused on getting their thoughts and opinions out into the world.

If your aim as a work-from-home mum blogger is to monetize your blog, then a better option would be to create a website that you own. This is done by choosing a hosting company such as Bluehost, purchasing your own domain name and downloading the software such as WordPress.org to use to build and manage your website.

Once you have your blog up and running it is possible to monetize it by adding adverts. Companies such as Google AdSense or Media Vine can do this for you. Affiliate marketing schemes such as Awin or Amazon Affiliates will allow you to add links to products that you mention in your blog.

When these links are clicked on by a reader, you earn money as long as that click converts in to a sale. Some bloggers use their blogs to sell items such as printables or online courses that they have produced. This can be very lucrative, but the courses need to be of a high quality. You must be an expert in your field if you want to make a go of this.

Trading stocks and shares – I tried this one as a work-from-home mum and it is not as easy as it sounds. It can be quite a high risk method of making money and you must never invest more money than you can afford to lose.

Free training courses are available on YouTube or from companies who wish you to start trading with them such as ig.com. They can be very informative and if you have a numerical brain, then this could be a great money earner for you.

Trading stocks and shares should be started off with a small investment and gradually grown by reinvesting any profits over time. Constant research into companies and current affairs is essential if you want to make a real go of this.

Different stock markets around the world open and close at different times so this industry is never 9-5 Monday to Friday. Please be aware you will be working nights and weekends.

and……

Become an influencer – An influencer is a person who has the ability to influence buyers in to purchasing particular products or brands. Now, I always thought this one might be quite a fun thing to try if you like that sort of thing, however, to be a successful influencer you need to generate a very large audiences.

This can take a lot of time and hard work, but once you have that following on social media you can promote products and advertise which will generate your income.

Here are some examples of some very successful lifestyle influencers according to nealschaffer.com: “Joanna Gaines (12.8 million followers) Joanna is a family woman who owns two stores in Waco, Texas. The stores sell a wide variety of gift, home décor and fashion items. Rosanna Pansino (4.4 million followers) Like some other lifestyle influencers, Rosanna has more than one platform where she is famous. In fact, her YouTube channel is famous. Lilly Singh (9.6 million followers) Lilly is a Bollywood actress who was able to make it in Hollywood. An author and YouTuber, she shows off her acting.”

More online ideas for a work-from-home mum……..

Build an ecommerce site and sell products on-line – A website building platform such as Shopify.co.uk can be a very easy and quick way to create an ecommerce website. If you already have products to sell, then this can be a quick start option.

If you haven’t already got a supply of products, you will need to do some research to decide what it is you would like to sell. Like any business, if you are wanting it to be successful you will need to market it once it is set up.

Marketing will need some funding and in addition, this option will also require some start-up capital to buy stock. Try to buy a small quantity as there are no guarantees it will sell. You don’t want to be out of pocket.  Start small and build up.

Or……

Sell handmade items on websites such as Etsy – Amongst all the ways to make money from home as a work-from-home mum, this is one of may favourites. I’m a bit biased as I had a handmade jewellery store on Etsy called Fawn & Shaw selling handmade leather bracelets.

If you have a creative side and you enjoy creating quality products, then this is the perfect solution for you. Turn your hobby in to a business. Because it is something you are already passionate about, putting in the time and effort required should be easy.

Etsy is one of the largest handmade product ecommerce platforms out there currently. It is very easy to set up a shop. You can be up and running within a day.

Some good photography of your products is essential to attract customers. You can simply start your shop with as few as 10 items. Etsy provide basic marketing for you, so you don’t need to spend a fortune before you have made any money.

and…….

Affiliate marketing – “Affiliate Marketing Definition (investopedia.com). “Affiliate marketing is a marketing scheme in which a company compensates partners for business created from the affiliate’s marketing tactics”. Many bloggers use this as a method of monetizing their blogs, but this isn’t the only method of using affiliate marketing.

Some companies pay for and use the email database of other companies to spread the word about their product. For the purpose of a work-from-home mum using affiliate marketing, setting up affiliate links on your blog or website is the best way to make this option work for you. Amazon is the easiest affiliate program to join when you are just starting out.

This can be quite lucrative if you get it right

They don’t require you to have a large number of page views on your site to be able to join their scheme. The amount you get paid from each product is not very high. Therefore you will want to work on getting as many views to your website as possible.

This will then hopefully convert in to clicks. When you are receiving thousands of views a day on your website or blog you will be able to join some of the other affiliate schemes such as Media Vine. These are harder to join but pay a lot more per advert.

Read on for a few more……

Print on demand – Print on demand can be a good option for a work-from-home mum. And a way to make money from home by selling custom products with low risk. Shopify is a great place to start a print-on-demand service.

They define it as: “Print on demand is a process where you work with a supplier of white-label products (like baseball hats or tote bags) to customize those products and sell them on a per-order basis under your own brand and with your own designs.“

You don’t pay for the cost of the product until after you’ve actually sold it. So there’s no need to buy in bulk or hold any inventory yourself. Plus, with print-on-demand services, everything after the sale, from digital printing to order fulfilment and shipping, is handled by your supplier. Once you’ve set everything up, it takes only a few clicks to fulfil an order after you’ve made a sale.”

An example of a successful blogger and work-from-home mum is Sarah Titus. She sells printables from her blogging website and is very successful at it.

Or……..

Drop shipping – This “earn money from home” option is another low risk way to create a shop and sell the products on-line. The difference is you don’t have to buy any stock. You create the website and build customers through marketing.

You then advertise products from a third-party company on your website. A customer purchases an item on your site. You then order it from the third-party supplier. They then deliver it straight to your customer on your behalf.

All of your transactions are done straight from your PC without you having to leave home. An example of a drop-shipping company would be AliExpress. They stock such a huge selection of products from third-party suppliers, mostly in China.

Finding a job for a work-from-home mum

Is it hard to find a job as a mum?

Finding a job itself, as a mum, is not necessarily that hard. Most of us have skills from previous jobs that we can apply to a variety of careers. Just being a mum and managing and juggling all the tasks involved in that can be useful experience in itself.

That makes most of us qualified for a good number of jobs out there. However there is a problem (unless you want to pay for fulltime childcare). From the ages of 0-4 years your child needs full-time care at home.

From 4-16 years your child will be attending school. Most schools start around 9am in the morning and finish at around 3 pm. This means that you can only work in a job that starts from about 9.30 and finishes at about 2.30pm.

Working around school hours is tricky

Finding a work-from-home mum job to fit those hours can be a big problem. This is why an increasingly large number of mums are desperately trying to find a job they can do which fits in around the children. I am a work-from-home mum.

I also struggled with this initially, so I totally sympathise with anyone stuck in this situation. If you didn’t see any ideas that may suit you from the previous section “How to make money from home“, hopefully this next section of my post will give you some more ideas.

Are there any jobs for a work-from-home mum?

There are plenty of mum jobs to choose from. Jobs for stay-at-home mums include:

• Managing social media for local companies – If you are a wiz at social media and you enjoy sitting on your phone or tablet scrolling through Twitter or Pinterest, then this could be the job for you. It is usually part-time and can be fitted in around raising a family.

• Tutoring online – If you have a specialized skill, or are academically trained you can join a website such as www.mytutor.co.uk which enables you to advertise your skills and set up tutoring sessions with students all around the world. You can fit the sessions in to suit your availability.

and……

• Transcribing notes and calls – Those of you who have fingers that can type at the speed of light can apply for jobs with companies such as transcribeme.com. They enable you to login whenever you can and transcribe audio files in to text.

• Offering Virtual Assistant Services – A virtual assistant is someone who answers the phone and responds to emails for a company remotely or at home. You do not physically need to be in the same office as the company. However, to the customers calling in, you are in the same office as the person they are trying to get hold of. This service is used a lot by one-man bands such as tradespeople. They want a more professional façade for their business and don’t have time to answer the phone.

What are the best jobs for work-from-home mums?

It is hard for me to say what the best job for a work-from-home mum is. Each person will suit a different job based on their experience and availability. I personally think blogging is one of the best jobs for stay-at-home mums because of its flexibility. But if writing isn’t your thing then hopefully I have already covered something that might also work for you.

Can mums start their own business?

Yes indeed. A work-from-home mum can start their own business and a lot of them do. However having your own business, even a small one can be a real drain on your money, time and energy. Any business takes time to become established and can take a few years before it makes a profit.

Before embarking on that path, I would seriously consider whether this is a viable option for you at this time. Have a look at my post Working from Home: Jobs for mums, useful ideas and valuable resources.

In there I talk about a few companies I started when my kids were younger. It should give you a good idea as to the amount of work involved. I don’t want to put you off by any means. If you feel you have the resources available to make a success of it, then go for it and don’t hold back. Remember a positive attitude breeds success.

Home Office ideas

How to set up a successful home office?

When you are working from home it is essential that you create a warm, comfortable environment. This allows you to focus and be productive. It should be in a quiet area, ideally with its own door that can be closed and a window for light and fresh air.

What should be included in home office furniture design?

The furniture you choose as a work-from-home mum should make you as comfortable as possible both, physically and aesthetically.

• As you are sitting in the room for long periods of time the most important item of furniture is your chair. Your chair should have adjustable height and a fully supportive backrest. If your spine is not supported correctly this could lead to long term back and neck pain. The chair should also be comfortably padded to prevent you from getting what I call a numb bum. This is caused by the lack of circulation in your upper legs and buttocks.

moving on…..

• The next most important item is your desk. It is extremely important that this is set to a good height. Before purchasing your desk, sit at your chair and measure what height you need the desk to be at. Desks are very rarely adjustable in height, so this is important to check when researching desk ideas. If you buy a desk that is too low for you this can give you severe back pain and neck ache. Depending on how much space you have in your home office try to get a desk that gives you space for your computer as well as for any paperwork. This will also help with maintaining a clutter free work area.

Next……

• On your desk I recommend you have a bright desk lamp to prevent your eyes from becoming overworked.

• Somewhere in your office you should also have a bookshelf for files and papers that is easily accessible from your desk.

• A filing cabinet that can be locked is probably a good idea if you share your house with others or if you have young children. This way you can be sure your work is not damaged and can be locked away safely each night.

• Finally, a waste paper bin also next to your desk is a must have for every home office for obvious reasons.

There are many other items of furniture you can have in a home office, however I would suggest these are the bare basics that you would need to start off with.

What makes a good home office design?

Well, good home office design is based on achieving the highest productivity from its worker that it can. So, for example if your home office is in a garden shed with no heating, no windows or lights, clearly you’re not going to be very comfortable and therefore not productive.

On the other hand, if you have set your home office up in a light, airy, warm and quiet room you are much more likely to be able to focus and maximise your time while working. Based on this I would recommend designing your home office as close to the latter as possible.

How can I make my home office look more professional?

If you have a job that requires customers to visit your home office it is important that you make a good impression. Your office must look as professional as possible. Try to keep it tidy and clutter free.

Keep any unnecessary items out of the office if you can such as children’s toys, storage boxes etc. When bringing your customers or clients into your office, try to bring them through a door of your house that avoids any other living areas.

If you don’t have that luxury of a separate entrance, then make sure you have a tidy up before your customers arrive. Décor in your office should be welcoming, but not overcrowded.

Remove clutter

Keep any windowsills and shelves for professional items such as books and maybe a plant or two. There is no need for candles or ornaments. Do not have any loud music playing when your customers arrive. Be able to offer them tea or coffee in a smart looking mug. Definitely not the “I love Mum” mug that you got for Christmas.

If you have the space to provide a chair for your customer, make sure it is, for example a smart leather chair. Do not use a plastic chair from the garden or Grandads old armchair that has seen better days.

How to make your home office more luxurious?

Creating a more luxurious appearance may not be appropriate for every office. However if you’re particular industry or service requires luxurious office décor ideas then there are a couple of things you can do to make your home office more comfortable.

• Add a large floor lamp in the corner of your home office to make the room feel cosier.
• Add a smart rug on the floor to help to add warmth and atmosphere.
• Good quality heavy curtains or lined blinds will also add an elegant touch to any office.
• Depending on the size of your walls in your home office, a large mirror can work wonders to lighten a room. It can also add illusion of added size if needed.
• A large plant, usually a palm as these don’t need a great deal of looking after, can help to purify the air. It will also add a touch of sophistication to any room.

For further ideas on home office design, a store such as Dunelm can be an Aladdin’s cave of inspiration. If you feel you require a bit more guidance then visit a website such as livingspaceuk.com to give you some more advice.

Work-life balance

What is the meaning of work-life balance?

Work-life balance is created by equally sharing your time between your working life and your personal life.  

What does a good work-life balance look like?

Well, if you have a good work-life balance it means you are spending enough time working to be productive and achieve all of your set tasks in the time given, without your friends and family feeling neglected. You are keeping your work time within the work day. You are also allowing yourself be free the rest of the time to spend time with family and friends.

What is the importance of work-life balance?

When you become a work-from-home mum, work-life balance is important for so many reasons. It is important for your family and friends and for yourself. If you are unable to find a balance between your work and personal life then one of those suffers. For example, if you are working from 7:00 AM in the morning until 11:00 PM every night there really is only time left for eating and sleeping.

When you have a family, this can cause some severe problems. Your partner may feel that they are doing all the work with the family, and they would like you to help out more. They may even feel lonely and upset that your work is taking priority over your relationship.

Work-from-home mum guilt is a real thing

You then, subsequently, may start feeling guilty that you are not helping out. Working too much is the cause of many relationships breaking up. It is essential for a partner to feel that they are your priority. Children can also suffer if a work-life balance is not found.

They can also feel neglected through lack of contact with you. You may end up missing certain milestones in their lives if they are young. As they grow into their teenage years not having one of the parents available to show them attention can leave them feeling neglected and unloved.

Work-life balance isn’t easy

Looking back at my childhood, I remember a similar feeling when my father used to leave the house before I had woken up and return late in the evening from work. He was usually very stressed and tired. We were told by Mum to leave him alone and give him space.

Because of this I don’t really recall spending much time with my dad as I grew up. He retired in his late 40s due to stress. It was from this point that I actually started to get to know him. I have to add at this point that we now have a super relationship as adults. However, I do look back on those years and feel a little sad.

Why is work-life balance so difficult to achieve?

Work life balance can be so difficult to achieve if you are the key provider for your family. You feel a constant pressure to earn money. You don’t want to put your job at risk by not committing 100%. Unfortunately this commitment, which so many large corporations demand and expect these days, can put a serious strain on any employee and their family.

You are constantly juggling the pressure from a company who demands your body and soul and a family or partner who needs your attention to feel wanted and loved. Some 9-5 jobs are not so difficult to manage. You can walk away from them when your day is done. But jobs that require you to work evenings and weekends make it very difficult to maintain work-life balance.

How to work from home as a mum around the kids

As a work-from-home mum with kids around it can be very difficult to stay focused and concentrate. When children are very little going through the baby phase ,the best time to work is when they sleep. If you have a child that is happy to be put down, you can set up a playpen with toys. This will allow you to get work done while keeping an eye on your child.

As children grow, they become more demanding. Very often a mum will find themselves in a situation where they cannot take that eyes off their child. They want to grab everything, climb on everything and generally wreak havoc.

Distractions are everywhere

Trying to do work while managing a toddler  is almost an impossible task. This is when working from home may have to be put on hold for a few years. When children start school, you will find you begin to get a little bit of time to work.

At this point some of the jobs I mentioned previously might be an option. Children can be very different in how much attention they require so choose a job that you know you can complete successfully. It must fit in around your child’s daily routine.

I recommend not choosing a job that requires a very quiet background such as telephone work, as a crying baby or screaming child in the background does not sound very professional. Looking after young children at home is a very stressful job to have and so do not choose a job that requires a great deal of concentration.

How to save money

How do I start saving money?

Saving money can be started very quickly. A fantastic place to begin is by looking at your everyday costs and routine. You will see where you can immediately save a few unnecessary expenses. I know in my daily routine I could easily cut out a trip to Costa coffee. This would instantly save me approximately £3.00 a day. If you multiply that by 5 that is £15 a week I am saving.

A total of £780 a year just like that! To help you to start an effective money saving plan, I recommend creating a list of all your daily and weekly expenses. When you have done this, I am sure you will see that there are some unnecessary costs. These are usually on luxury items, that can be illuminated immediately.

How can I save money at home?

Saving money from home is the perfect place to start. For example, if you have a large family, a grocery shop each week can cost you a considerable amount. However if you took the time to go through each item there are going to be some items that can be changed from your current brand to a cheaper brand without compromising on quality.

Here are a few more ideas:

• Pick your supermarket or grocery store carefully
• Turn off electrical equipment when not in use
• Utilize retailer loyalty card schemes where available
• Buy in bulk
• Buy own brands

How can I save money on my bills?

According to Ofgem the average household spends approximately £1200 per year on power and heating. It can be such a huge cost but unfortunately water, gas and electricity are essential for our health and comfort. We cannot do without it, but there are ways to keep your bills as low as possible and save money. For example:

1. Make sure all your electrical equipment is turned off when not being used. Do not leave them on standby.
2. Turn off lights when you leave a room.
3. Change all your light bulbs to efficient LED bulbs.
4. Install a smart metre which can monitor your power and gas usage.
5. Ensure your heating system and boilers are serviced regularly to maintain their efficiency.
6. Install double glazing in your windows to keep in the heat.
7. Insulate any loft space in your house.
8. Close curtains and blinds in the evening to prevent heat escaping.
9. Use thermostats in your rooms and on your radiators and keep them low.
10. Wash your clothes at a lower temperature.
11. Do your washing up in a bowl rather than under a running tap to save water.
12. Buy a more efficient shower head. This could save you approximately £18 a year on energy bills.

Compare quotes

One more great way of saving money on your bills is to compare quotes with other energy companies. Not every energy company will charge the same for your usage of water, gas and electricity.

There are a number of very useful websites out there which make it super easy for you to compare what you are currently paying to what you could be paying if you transferred to another provider. Moneysupermarket.com and Uswitch.com are just a couple of well-established websites.

You can use these to very quickly see where you can save money on your bills. They will also offer you lots of money saving tips. So I highly recommend you visiting one of them as soon as possible.

READ MORE: How to raise a healthy happy family