As a mom, you love staying at home with your kids and being available to drive them to school and music practice while also volunteering for field trips. You know that your kids will grow up into teens and beyond in figurative minutes, and you want to be there for them as much as you can.
Of course, you also know quite well that motherhood is a pricey endeavor — one that involves lots of expenses for everything from school and sports supplies to toys, braces, college tuition and more. After looking at your well-stretched budget, you recently decided to give freelancing a try. In addition to offering a pretty flexible schedule that will allow you to work when the kids are in school or away at camp, you are definitely looking forward to having some extra income. To help get started in the freelance world, check out the following ideas:
Consider Becoming a Direct Seller
One great way to get started as a freelancer is to become a direct seller for a well-known company. This way, instead of having to start your own business from scratch, you can capitalize on the fine reputation of an established company that has helped moms like you make money for years. A great example of this type of company is Amway; they are a prestigious business that has a number of direct selling opportunities — everything from cleaning supplies and vitamins to skin care products and more. You can set your own hours, work around your kids’ schedules and make some much-needed money. If you would like to learn more about Amway, their website offers a wealth of info on the business, how it works and the freelancing opportunities that are available.
Identify Your Marketable Skills
If you would rather work for yourself and make money selling your own products or services, start by finding a profitable niche. Take an honest look at your hobbies, interests and skills and determine which ones could be turned into a freelance side gig. Examples include photography, writing, baking and website development. Once you have figured out which skills could help earn you money, it is important to figure out which services are most needed in your area. In some cases, this may involve taking a skill that you have — for example, baking or cooking — and honing it to a specific audience like wedding cupcakes or offering catering services to children’s birthday parties. Yes, you might have your heart set on starting a gourmet cookie business, but if you discover that there are already 10 similar businesses in your small town, you may have to tweak it to focus on tarts, cupcakes and/or scones.
Use Your Past Experience and Education to Help You
Don’t be bashful about using any certifications, degrees or past work experience to help you launch your new freelance career. For example, if you have a degree in English and you are dreaming of writing for community magazines and newspapers, you can use your educational experience to help establish your good reputation. By leaning on your degree and/or certification to get started, you can let potential employers know that you have the experience and know-how to write high quality articles on a number of topics.
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