Are you a stay-at-home mom (or dad)? Hoping to kick start an entrepreneurial dream or simply looking to bring in some extra income? Starting a home-based business is a great way to do this. In fact, 52 percent of U.S. companies operate as home businesses (source) and many of today’s biggest brand names were established by stay-at-home moms – (Dorothy) Gerber, Mrs. (Debbi) Fields, and Julie Aigner-Clark (Baby Einstein), to name but a few. But what types of businesses can grow and thrive in the home environment? Here are some business ideas and considerations for stay-at-home moms! Perhaps the easiest form of business to delve into and operate is freelancing. Whatever your skill – writing, web design, marketing, tax advisor, or photography – freelancing affords an enormous amount of flexibility and freedom, and can be started with little cost or paperwork. Many freelancers get their start by approaching a former employer or customer who could benefit from their services, then branch out as their body of work and reputation grows.

Freelancing does have its challenges and requires discipline – you are running a business after all. Common mistakes freelancers make include not setting the business up properly and legally (getting the right permits, or licenses), forgetting to put money aside to pay estimated taxes, and not planning for peaks and valleys in cash flow. Check out these blogs for tips and guidance to help you through the process of starting and operating your freelance business: Virtual assistants (VAs) provide a wide variety of “virtual” services to other businesses including administrative, marketing and technical support from a home office. My local window cleaner, for example, uses a VA to answer his calls and manage his calendar while he’s busy on-site. VAs are growing in popularity, too, as firms look to cut costs and outsource administrative functions. If you are organized and have an administrative background, this might be for you. Start with your own connections or take advantage of the services of a VA organization or association who can help you get started and connect you with clients.

Yes, you can make money by blogging. I follow several stay-at-home moms who happen to be fashion and style bloggers – and it’s their business. If you can write and have a passion for a specific topic or hobby that you know will garner some attention, then this might be for you. Income generation opportunities can come in the form of affiliate marketing and advertising on your website or from companies who ask you to review and blog about their products. Look for ways to get traffic to your website through social media, search engine optimization and by getting involved in the wider blogosphere (networking with and commenting on the blogs of others in your niche). Whether it’s making gift baskets or offering interior design consultation services, if you have a creative streak and the room to store and create, then why not consider making money out of your talents? Get to know the market and do some planning to identify an untapped niche. SBA has several tools that can help including the Build your Business Plan tool and SizeUp a market and business analysis tool that lets you benchmark your business against competitors, map your customers, competitors and suppliers, and locate the best places to advertise.

Start a Home-Based Bakery or Food Business Food production from a home is heavily regulated but it’s not impossible. Take Martha Stewart, for example—she famously entered the food service business with a basement-based catering company in 1976. Before you start a home-based food business you will need to understand the rules and regulations that govern the production of food for public consumption in an at-home environment. business for sale sippy downsFor example do you need a separate kitchen? owens handyman serviceWhat about product labeling? handyman service in northern virginia Home childcare businesses offer a potentially lucrative and long-lasting business opportunity. handyman in salem or

A home environment is often appealing to parents and once their kids are settled (and assuming you are doing a great job), then it’s likely you’ll have that business until they are old enough not to need care. Of course, this is another regulated business and you’ll need to ensure you comply with state and local regulations that govern issues such as the provision of meals, minimum space requirements per child, and the number of licensed care workers per child.business for sale ross on wye Start an Online Marketplace Storebusiness for sale sydney florist If you have clutter that you want to get rid of and like the idea of selling products to an established worldwide network of consumers, consider starting a business on eBay, Etsy or Amazon. You can source products to sell from junk/yard sales or charity shops.

If you want to get a bit more sophisticated, then consider buying wholesale or adopting a drop-shipping model. The goal is to find products that are in high-demand and not readily available from other sources. Read more about getting started here: More Than Just a Seller – How to Start a Business on an Online Marketplace. Other business ideas including a dog walking/pet care business, a travel agent, start a home-based franchise business, event planning, architectural design, or tutoring students! Whatever your idea make sure you start, structure and operate your business according to legal and regulatory requirements. Check out SBA’s 10 Steps to Starting your Business for the facts. Shane Conlan uploads DIY videos to YouTube when he's not caring for his son. Like many new parents, Shane Conlan found being the primary carer of his third son both rewarding and frustrating, but starting a YouTube channel helped.Shane, Emily and Billy Conlan moved from Melbourne to Sawtell, on the mid-north coast of New South Wales, in 2011.

Interview with Shane Conlan Mr Conlan had run his own carpentry business for 20 years but injury, and becoming the primary parent of his baby son, meant he was looking for a new outlet when he found a gap he could fill."I was trying to find out the best method for applying silicone and I thought, 'I'll try this You Tube thing out', but everything was American, so I thought perhaps I could do it," Mr Conlan explained.So he started DIY for Knuckleheads, a handyman channel on YouTube. Not only was the shift from hands-on building necessary, Mr Conlan also thought it would help him overcome his shyness."I thought if I get myself in front of a camera and get out of the comfort zone, maybe it would help my shyness," he said.Mr Conlan has found watching himself for hours on end while editing an hour of video down to five minutes does make him more self-aware which has helped him feel less shy.He also found the channel gave him an outlet because while the role of being a primary carer was challenging, he needed something more creatively fulfilling."

I get heaps of satisfaction doing the DIY stuff [and] when I started doing it, it made the stay at home-dad part easier," he said.Mr Conlan said the thought of people responding with bad comments and hate did concern him at the start but while he spends hours reading and responding to comments, he has received only a small amount of negative feedback."The trick is don't fuel the fire. Delete them, block them, don't listen to it," he said.Living in a major city and running a YouTube channel is one thing but moving to a country town and continuing it could be seen as a challenge, but Mr Conlan said internet speed had never worried him."The only time that the internet is an issue is when I'm uploading videos and that's only once a week, or once every two weeks," he said.What he does feel is made more difficult living in regional Australia is the lack of a YouTube community."If you were living back in Melbourne, there's an opportunity to meet with other people who are doing the same thing but here, I think I'm the only person who does it so I'm flying solo a bit," he said.