Stay at home moms know that they’re providing their family with the care and attention they need. A couple of my friends have chosen to stay home with their kids, and they love it!
But at the same time, they’ve both said that they’d still like to contribute financially by finding a way to make money at home. Based upon a lot of the comments I get from my readers, there’s a lot of other mothers who feel that way as well.
So today I’m going to talk about how to make money online for stay at home moms–check it out below!
Why Working Online Is Perfect For Stay At Home Moms
When you’re looking to make money working from home, there are a lot of ways to do it. You could run your own daycare, refinish and resell old furniture, maybe grow produce and sell it at the local farmer’s market.
But as a stay at home mom, many of you have demands on your time that don’t have to be considered by others–children at home! You’ve got to have a way to earn income that gives you the flexibility to take care of the kids and still keep up with all your responsibilities.
A daycare may not work for your home and there’re all kinds of state regulations you may need to consider. Projects like refinishing furniture or gardening can take a lot of time and you need to have the room for them away from curious little ones.
But there’s one way to make money from home that is ideal for a stay at home mom–an online business!
Here are some great benefits that you’ll love:
- It’s inexpensive to start an online business–If you’ve already got a laptop, you have the equipment you need. No other business is as cheap to start as creating one online.
- Work any time it’s convenient–No matter what activities you’re doing with the kids, you can work on your business whenever you have free time or after you’ve put them to bed!
- No technical or programming knowledge–Technology has made it so easy to work online that any beginner can start and run a successful business.
- Run your business from anywhere–As long as you have your laptop and an internet connection, you can work on your business. Sit on your patio and work while your kids are enjoying the sunshine in the backyard!
- No strangers coming to your home–I’ve never been comfortable with people coming to my house to see things I have for sale, especially when my children were younger. No worries about that with an online business!
- You’re in control. You are in charge of all aspects of your business, so you can make it work around you and your family’s life any way you want to.
So you can see that an online business is a great opportunity for stay at home moms. But what kind of business can you start and which one is the best for you? Let’s take a look!
Business Models To Choose From
While there are many, many ways to make money online, there are 4 basic business models that I feel a beginner should look at:
- Affiliate Marketing
- Selling Products Online
- Freelance Writing
- Creating eBooks
Let’s go into each one in more detail to see which online business is right for you!
Affiliate Marketing
Affiliate Marketing is my #1 recommendation for anyone who has no experience making money online. It is the most inexpensive business model to start and you don’t need special skills or knowledge.
Plus, your income potential is unlimited as far as how much you want to earn and how big you want your business to grow!
Affiliate marketing is simply referring people to retail websites and earning commissions if they make a purchase. To do this, you create a website and provide information to others who are interested in your topic, which is called a niche.
Now, a lot of people I talk with are immediately intimidated at the idea of starting a website. But creating a website is super easy–it can be done in less than 3 minutes with no technical knowledge needed!
Another worry is, “But I don’t know how to sell things.” That’s easy–you don’t have to!
All you’ll be doing is providing information in the form of informational blog posts, product reviews, how-to guides, etc. You won’t sell anything, you’ll just provide links to retailers where your visitors can get more information about purchasing items.
So where do you learn how to run an affiliate marketing business? Unfortunately, there are an enormous amount of scams out there who will try to convince you that they have the secret to making enormous amounts of money fast, and with hardly any effort!
I can tell you from experience that all you’ll accomplish with these programs is a smaller bank account. In my case, a much smaller one. Finding out how to avoid scams is the best knowledge you can have when starting an online business.
My #1 recommendation for a full service affiliate marketing program is a legitimate platform that offers tremendous value at a very low cost. The best part is that you can try it out for free!
The program is Wealthy Affiliate, and their platform has everything you need to create and successfully earn money online. Step-by-step guides and video training modules, world-class website hosting, live training events, and so much more.
You can create your first website for free and see if affiliate marketing is for you. If you’re like me and see the potential for earning income online, you can have 10 websites and access to their entire platform for only $49 per month. It’s an absolutely awesome value!
You can check out my full review of Wealthy Affiliate and get your free website today!
Selling Products Online
The second best way to earn money is by selling products online. If you have some experience with running a website and a budget to work with, this can be a very lucrative way to earn money.
You’ll set up an online store, find suppliers for the products you want to sell, build your inventory, drive traffic to your store, and ship out the items to your customers.
This can be pretty intimidating for beginners, but there’s a way you can eliminate a lot of the hassles and still turn a great profit. It’s with a business model called dropshipping!
With dropshipping, your customers purchase products on your site, then you order them from a supplier who processes it and ships the items directly to your customer.
You don’t keep any inventory, you don’t ship any merchandise, and you’re not dealing with a lot of customer service issues. This saves you an enormous amount of time and stress while you’re running your business at the same time you’re taking care of your family.
There are 2 platforms I can recommend where you can create a beautiful online store, learn great tips for selling products online, and find great suppliers:
~ Shopify–Probably the most popular today, Shopify is an eCommerce platform where you can create any kind of online store and sell any product you choose.
Their Basic package starts at $29 per month plus various credit card and processing fees. They also offer a great deal of information to help beginning sellers set up and run their store.
==>==> Start a beautiful Shopify store with their free trial today <==<==
~ SaleHoo–The SaleHoo Supplier Directory is an invaluable tool when trying to find legitimate suppliers for merchandise to sell in your store. Their strict standards ensures that you can be confident of any company listed in their directory.
==>==> See 8,000+ Legitimate suppliers with the SaleHoo Supplier Directory <==<==
The price to access this list, which contains 8,500+ reputable supplies, is just $67 for a full year or $127 for lifetime access. Many of these companies are dropshippers, and I believe the price is a terrific value!
While selling products online is a great way to make money online, it does have a few disadvantages for beginners when compared to affiliate marketing.
Even if using dropshipping, running an online store requires a longer learning curve in order to start earning money. You’ll need to learn:
- How to choose the right products
- How to choose the best suppliers
- How to manage product availability
- How to handle customer service issues
- How to handle returns, complaints, and refunds
Another disadvantage is the expense of getting visitors to your store. While you can learn to drive organic traffic to your affiliate marketing site, that is impractical with an online store.
You’ll want to use paid advertising, such as Google Ads, Facebook Ads, Microsoft Ads, etc. to get potential customers to see your products. For beginners with no experience, this can be very expensive with no guarantee of getting enough sales to cover the costs.
On the upside, if you have a budget to work with, you can usually start to make money faster than with affiliate marketing.
==>==> Get my FREE Proven 5 Step Plan For Making Money With Affiliate Marketing <==<==
Freelance Writing
Do you have any experience writing? If so, freelance writing might be just what you’re looking for!
Here are the most popular freelance writing gigs:
~ Copy/Content Writing–Have you ever written advertising copy, a blog post, eBooks, or website content? If so, you could freelance for any number of companies or website owners looking to outsource these tasks.
~ Feature Writing–Magazines, newspapers, and online publications will pay for article/feature writers. You will need some experience to be successful with this type of writing. But if you can inform and entertain readers, there is a market for you!
~ Social Media–With the explosion of social media, like Facebook and Pinterest, many businesses hire freelancers to schedule and post on these social media accounts.
~ Blogging–Creating and writing your own blog is becoming a very popular way to make money online. There are many ways to monetize your site with advertising once you start getting substantial traffic.
Blogging and Affiliate Marketing can also enhance each other. Many bloggers start to monetize their site with affiliate links as their traffic grows, and most affiliate marketers write a blog on their sites to develop organic traffic–Win/Win!
~ Technical Writing–Do you have a background as an expert in a subject? Many companies are looking for freelance writers who are knowledge in their field to write manuals, policies, and other documents.
~ Proofreading/Editing–In addition to writing jobs, there are many opportunities out there for editing and proofreading. The income is higher for these jobs than many other writing gigs, but most freelance editors need to have a degree in English, journalism, or communication.
If freelance writing looks like a good fit for you and you’d like a great guideline to get started, I recommend reading my full review of My Freelance Paycheck.
==>==> Is your dream job to work at home and make money online? You can do it here! <==<==
Creating eBooks
Most of the freelance writing jobs above will require you to adhere to deadlines and other restrictions that may not be practical for those with very small children or those with super busy schedules.
If that’s you, but you’d still like to earn money by writing, you could look into creating and publishing your own eBooks!
Now, if that seems intimidating, it shouldn’t. There are many platforms out there that are making self-publishing easier every day, and many charge a percent of the sale as payment. So that means you don’t have to pay upfront costs for distribution.
To get started you can take advantage of a lot of free software available, and get a great book and logo from a site like Fiverr. Here are just a few places you can publish your eBook:
- Amazon
- iBooks
- eJunkie
- Lulu
- Blurb
- Smashwords
- Apple eBook Store
So if you’ve always wanted to be a published author, creating and selling eBooks could be just what you’re looking for!
How Much Money Can You Make?
Before you can decide which business model is right for you, you need to know how much money can be made with each one.
The good news is that you can earn considerable income with any of them. However, there are definitely some things you need to consider:
~ Affiliate Marketing–The income potential is limited only by how much time and effort you’re willing to put in. In fact, there are many affiliate marketers who are making $100,000+!
But it can take a few months or longer before you start earning any income at all, and a year or more before you’re making significant, consistent income. On the flip side, affiliate income can be a passive income source long after you put in the work.
So if you would like to start earning money right away, freelance writing or selling products online may be the way to go. Check out the following video to learn the realistic timeline for earning money online with affiliate marketing:
~ Selling Products Online–Once you get your online store set up and advertising going, you can start earning money faster than with affiliate marketing. The earning potential is also virtually unlimited depending upon how much work you do.
However, keep in mind that if you’re a beginner, your sales may be slow until you get more experience with choosing products, creating ads that convert, and working with suppliers. You’re also going to be limited by your ad campaign budget.
~ Freelance Writing–Freelance writing gives you the best combination of earning income faster without having to spend a lot of money to do it. However, those with experience will be able to earn more significant money sooner than beginners.
The average writer earns between a few hundred and a few thousand dollars a month. While not as much as affiliate marketing or selling products online, freelance writing can be a terrific way to start bringing income to your household much more quickly.
~ Creating eBooks–Earning money from selling eBooks is very satisfying and enjoyable, however, it’s probably the least lucrative business model as far as income.
A good 20,000 word eBook sells on average for $2.99-$3.99, and some self-publishing platforms like Amazon can take up to 70%. So you’ll need to sell many copies to earn any kind of substantial income.
The most successful authors write many eBooks or a series that they can package together to increase the chance of having a big seller that becomes very lucrative.
==>==> Is your dream job to work at home and make money online? You can do it here! <==<==
How To Find A Legitimate Program
No matter what business model you choose, a huge part of your success is going to be choosing legitimate programs to facilitate your business.
Making money online is a subject that has spawned an enormous amount of poor quality or just downright scam programs designed to empty your wallet. It’s extremely easy to fall prey to one of these scams and lose money, and I speak from experience.
In order to avoid these, there’s one piece of advice you need to remember–there is no fast, easy money online!
No legitimate program will ever make a promise like that. But nearly ever scam I’ve ever reviewed will swear to you that thousands of dollars are just waiting for you if you buy their system!
When you see one of these, remind yourself that there is no fast, easy money online and walk away. Avoiding online scams is the very best way of ensuring that your online business has a chance to succeed.
==>==> Get my FREE Proven 5 Step Plan For Making Money With Affiliate Marketing <==<==
Stay At Home Moms Can Make Money Online
If you’re a stay at home mom who wants to contribute financially to your family, you’re not alone. There are thousands of women starting their own online businesses and earning a very lucrative income from home.
So what is your goal? Do you want to earn some extra money to pay a few bills? Or maybe you want to make a full time income working at home?
No matter what you want to achieve financially, you can have success learning how to earn money online as a stay at home mom.
I’d love to hear your comments below!
Very good post that you have here on ways for people to make money online. Affiliate marketing is the best overall, because it’s the easiest, and you can actually get more from it, if you are patient to wait until up to a year or so to make steady income. Freelancing is another attractive opportunity, If you have good writing skills, this helps you make money faster than affiliate marketing. Selling items yourself takes more money, but if you have it, it can be very profiting. I’ve always wanted to try writing an ebook, and I can see this option is easier than I thought it would be.
Stay at home moms, and anyone else who wants to earn an extra stream of income, have so many great opportunities that are growing every year. I agree with you that affiliate marketing is the best overall, which is what I choose to do. It took time, but the high income potential made it worth it!
Hello there, Thanks for sharing this awesome article I know it would be of great help to the public as it has been of help to me. For me, I think affiliate marketing is the best option for stay at home moms as it involves a lot of time and I think stay at home moms have that time off as all they need to do is write reviews on good product e.t.c
Writing reviews is a staple of affiliate marketing, and for those who can write detailed, honest reviews of great products, there is definitely money to be made!
hello Janelle, thanks alot for sharing such an amazing post with us all, i was actually doing some research online when i saw your post, its hallerious to say but i wash i had a very big speaker now to tell all mom, that they can earn money from there home from the internet, i must say i am glad to see such helpfull post, like you said most wemen dont know what to do with thier free time, they just believe in office work, not that its a bad thing, but being your own boss is the best, and i believe your post has what it takes to lead us to a bright future, thanks alot for the info
I appreciate your thoughts! Although I don’t believe that most women don’t know what to do with their free time or that they just believe in office work. On the contrary, I think that most women have a lot on their plates being at home raising children. That’s why an online business is ideal for them, they can work on it at their own schedule and the income potential is limitless!
Jannelle this is very inspirational and great piece of information. After staying home for sometime after corona, i also realized that its actually doable. You have expanded on my horizon for making money online.
I agree with you that as long as you have a laptop, investment is little. With dedication money can be made.
Through your article i have learnt something new, creation of my own online shop. Will try it out some time to come
I’m so glad you found it helpful and wish you every success with your online business!
Thank you a lot for this. Just because one is a stay at home mom does not mean they should not at the very least contribute to the finances of the house no matter how little it is. This in my opinion would be very appreciated by their partner.
There are a lot of ways a stay at home mom can make money online that really does not involve a lot of investments and risk which is the idea. Though some of these business ventures can take some time before they start receiving profits but the good thing is they probably might not be in a rush and would be able to take their time before they start achieving success. It is very possible to be a stay at home mom and still contribute financially as I have seen a lot of people that have been able to do this.
An online business is such a great choice because of the low cost and the ability for someone to work on it at their convenience. For those who want to earn extra money, they can take care of their families and potentially make a full time income from home!
Wow, I was searching for a friend of mine but well, it inspired me just as much. She will definitely love this post. There are so many opportunities. I’m guessing she will opt for the affiliate marketing one because she does love helping people to find what they need and her writing is on another level of awesome. Thank you for sharing.
You’re welcome, and I wish her every success!
Thank for sharing such a great opportunity. i am very sure that my wife would love to utilize opportunities like this.
women have a strong power of convincing and this makes marketing easier for them. affiliate marketing will do great and thank you so very much for the helpful tips.
The great thing about affiliate marketing is that you don’t need to do any convincing. You give honest reviews about products and services and try to give as much helpful information as possible to your readers. If they see that they can trust you to give them worthwhile info, they’ll use your links to go to the retailers to check the products out.
So you don’t have to do any selling or convincing, which is a great plus for this business model!
Hi Janelle
You have all the information in your article that I needed to make a decision to work from home. Affiliate marketing is certainly an excellent way to start your own business without all the other headaches.
I have had my own traditional business in the past, with all the expenses and overheads. I don’t want to do that again. I like the Idea that you can work from home and have the flexibility to work your own hours. this gives mums and dads a great opportunity to have an early retirement.
Regards Bernardo
You are exactly right! The benefits of an online business make it so rewarding in more ways than just making money. Not having to deal with all the expenses and hassles of a brick and mortar business is one of the greatest benefits, in my opinion.
Good luck with your affiliate marketing business–I wish you every success!
Hello and thank you for this article! As a father who lost his job before the quarantine, I can completely relate to this article. When I still have a great paying job, I always ask my wife to stop teaching and just be at home to care for our children and maybe start a online business (baking cakes, sweets, etc.), to no avail. I know teaching is her passion. So I started affiliate marketing a few weeks ago and I am willing to take in the effort. I don’t want to work in corporate companies forever. I love writing blogs about my passion and my experiences. I love how you presented this article, the many ways you can earn money online, the pros and cons, etc.
It sounds like you have the ambition, skill, and passion to make your online business a success. Good luck, and thank you so much for sharing with us!
Hi Janelle. My wife and I have been staying home with the kids during this coronavirus crisis. But we have been discussing ways we could make money online. This post is not only useful for her, but I’ve discovered that also I can generate income online. We feel attracted to the concepts of affiliate marketing and freelancing. I think she’ll give affiliate marketing a try and I’ll go with freelancing.
Thanks for explaining things easy to understand in this post.
You’re welcome, and good luck with your online business endeavors!