Are you a mom thinking about starting your own business to bring in some extra income or replace your current job? That’s great! Running your own business gives you the flexibility to set your own hours and choose the kind of work that you do—and don’t—want to do. This flexibility is a big part of why moms, including myself, are often so drawn to entrepreneurship to begin with.
What business can I do as a mother?
Whether you’re happily married, newly divorced, or just a single mom, if you’re interested in starting your own business, the good news is there are tons of options out there to choose from. Below are many business ideas to consider, including a number of work from home ideas that can be done with little more than an internet connection:
- Business idea #1: Bookkeeping
- Business idea #2: Proofreading
- Business idea #3: Doula
- Business idea #4: Graphic design
- Business idea #5: Coding
- Business idea #6: Freelance writing
- Business idea #7: Project manager
- Business idea #8: Resale shop owner
- Business idea #9: Virtual Assistant
- Business idea #10: Blogging
- Business idea #11: YouTuber
Business idea #1: Bookkeeping
At its simplest, bookkeeping involves keeping track of financial transactions for a business. The work can involve recording financial details, updating various financial statements, and reading over financial documents for accuracy.
If you like working with numbers and want the freedom to work from home, then freelance bookkeeping could be an excellent business idea for you.
According to ZipRecruiter, freelance bookkeepers earn an average of $55,094 per year in the US, or roughly $26 per hour. While that's respectable pay, experienced bookkeepers with a mature client base can earn even more: Up to $100,000 per year or more.
How to become a freelance bookkeeper
All it takes to be a freelance bookkeeper is a computer, internet connection, bookkeeping software, and the skills to get the job done. With the right training, it’s possible to kick off your career in a matter of weeks.
Bookkeeper Launch, an online course launched by Ben Robinson, a certified public accountant, and our recommended bookkeeper training program, takes just 90 days to complete and teaches you everything you need to know about starting your own bookkeeping business, and earn into the six-figures.
Learn more about how to become a bookkeeper in this post. And how to start a bookkeeping business here.
Read our review for Bookkeeper Launch.
Business idea #2: Proofreading
More of a words girl than a numbers girl? Freelance proofreading can help you turn your love of reading into literal cash in your pocket. According to ZipRecruiter, the average proofreader in the U.S. earns approximately $56,762 per year, or about $27 per hour.
Proofreaders act as the final set of eyes to review a piece of content before it is published or otherwise pushed out into the world. Their job is to find and correct errors or inconsistencies in text.
Virtually any business that produces content can hire proofreaders. This includes book publishers, magazines, newspapers, websites, advertisers, television writers, grant writers, academics, business owners, speakers, and more. Anywhere you see words out in the world, there’s a good chance that a proofreader was involved at some point in creating it.
Become a freelance proofreader
Proofreaders need to have an extremely strong handle on language, spelling, punctuation, and grammar. For that reason, many freelance proofreaders who are just starting out will complete some form of proofreading training to learn the tricks of the trade.
Our recommended course is Proofread Anywhere, a course specifically designed to teach you how to start a freelance proofreading business from home. Over the course of 40 lessons, you’ll build the skills that you need to have a successful, lucrative proofreading business. Check out our full Proofread Anywhere review.
Business idea #3: Doula
The months leading up to and following childbirth can be some of the most magical, stressful months of a young mother’s life. Growing a child, birthing them into existence, and learning how to care for them takes both a physical and emotional toll on new parents, especially in those earliest sleep-deprived months.
Doulas play a critical role providing physical and emotional support to new parents before, during, and after childbirth.
If you are passionate about women’s health or have always wanted to work with pregnant women and newborns, then becoming a doula could be a great career choice for you.
What does a doula do?
Exactly what a doula does can vary significantly from professional to professional and also from client to client. These are some of the typical responsibilities a doula could have:
- Educating parents about childbirth
- Making parents more comfortable during labor
- Providing physical care during and after delivery
- Ensuring the mother has a positive birth experience
- After birth, ensuring that a mother is properly healing and adjusting to motherhood
- Educating the mother on issues of breastfeeding and childcare
How much do doulas make?
For the work, doulas make good money: $1,600 to $2,000 per birth, or $20 to $50 per hour, depending on how you choose to charge for your services. While doulas don’t currently need a particular license or certification to practice, earning such a certification can make it easier to attract clients.
Doulas of North America International (DONA), Childbirth and Postpartum Professional Association (CAPPA), Childbirth International, and the International Childbirth Education Association (ICEA) are all popular certification organizations.
How to become a certified doula
Business idea #4: Graphic design
For moms who are artistically inclined, starting a freelance graphic design business can be a rewarding and lucrative business idea. In fact, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), graphic designers earn an average annual pay of about $53,380 per year or roughly $26 per hour. Established graphic designers commonly charge more than $100 per hour, and can earn $100,000 or more per year.
Graphic designers perform a variety of tasks depending on what their clients need. This can include designing anything from logos and websites to business cards, books, magazines, newspapers, ads, images, product packaging, and literally everything in between.
How to become a freelance graphic designer
But being a successful graphic designer requires more than just solid art skills. It also requires that you have a solid grasp on design best practices, the specific computer programs used for design, and the business acumen required to handle, manage, and communicate with clients.
While some graphic designers learn these skills by completing a degree in graphic design, it has become increasingly common for graphic designers to be self-taught through online courses.
Coursera, for example, offers a number of great graphic design courses that can help you learn what you need to do the job well. Classes and certifications start at $29.
Business idea #5: Coding
Moms with a more technical bent or who are interested in computers and technology might want to give coding a shot. Coders perform the important task of designing, writing, and testing computer code for various applications, from web development to app development, software development, and everything in between.
Whether you work as a coder for a large company or you are a freelance coder, coding is by far one of the most lucrative careers today. According to the US BLS, coders earn an average annual salary of just under $90,000 per year, or about $43 per hour.
Better still, demand for coders is only increasing as more and more businesses find themselves needing websites or apps to interact with their customers. And because all you need is a computer and know-how to do the job, it’s possible to do this job from anywhere, including your home.
Many coders will enter the field after completing a college degree, but this isn’t always required. More important than holding a specific degree is being able to demonstrate your proficiency in the specific language needed by an employer or client. Depending on the job, coders might need to know one or multiple programming languages. The most popular include Python, R, Javascript, C, C++, and PHP.
Before enrolling in a degree program, you might want to consider a self-paced, online course like those offered by Coursera, which are usually very affordable and high-quality.
How to become a coder (high paying and you can work from home)
Business idea #6: Freelance writing
Freelance writing can be a great career choice if you love to write and want to run your own business. You can make money as a freelance writer either by contracting with clients (there are literally thousands of businesses that rely on freelance writers to create the content for their websites) or by launching and monetizing your own website and blog (more on that next). Many full-time blog owners earn in the six-figures, or even millions of dollars per year.
New freelance writers serving clients commonly earn between $30 and $60 per hour for their work, but more experienced writers can earn anywhere from $100 to $300 per hour—or more!—depending on their niche, client base, and how efficient they are at completing assignments.
Freelance writers monetizing their own websites will often start off making small amounts of money until their site truly starts taking off, but once it is rolling, the money can likewise be substantial.
All you need to launch your freelance writing business is a computer and access to the internet. Well, that, strong writing skills, and a little bit of business know-how.
Business idea #7: Project manager
When a business has a complex project to complete, they turn to project managers to get the job done. Project managers perform a variety of tasks designed to usher a project from planning all the way through to completion. This can include everything from scheduling and budgeting to assigning tasks, managing personnel as they work on tasks, removing roadblocks, communicating with everyone involved in a project, and more.
According to the Project Management Institute (PMI), project managers earn an average salary of roughly $116,000 per year. This amount can vary depending on how much experience an individual has as well as the type of industry they operate within, from a low of around $93,000 to a high of around $140,000 on average.
Most project managers work as employees of large organizations, but it is possible to work as a freelance project manager as well, especially for smaller businesses.
How to become a project manager
Many project managers will earn a degree in project management, with master’s degrees being very common amongst more senior-level PMs.
That being said, for those who are first starting out, certificate programs can be a great way of testing the waters and seeing if the work is right for you. They can also be a great way of learning enough of the basics to get an entry-level project management job. Google offers certificate programs that you might want to consider if you think project management could be for you.
Google's project management program:
- No experience or degree required
- Job ready in 6 months or less
- Flexible schedule with 100% of courses completed online
- Certificate upon completion
- Financial aid available for those who qualify
If you think of yourself as a natural problem-solver, consider going for Google's Project Management certificate. Free 7-day trial >>
Business idea #8: Resale shop owner
When it first launched in 1995, eBay was a platform for people to make a few extra dollars on the side selling items they no longer wanted. But in recent years, online resale shops have become a gold mine for savvy sellers looking to launch lucrative businesses selling new and used goods.
The fastest way to get your feet wet in the world of online resale is to start by selling your own items online. Once you’ve become familiar with the process and see what people are buying, you can start sourcing items through thrifting or wholesaling.
Successful resale businesses understand which items to sell on which platforms and how to set prices to increase profitability. Different resale shops have different commission models.
Popular resale sites where you can make money
Here are some of the most popular sites for selling items:
Poshmark
Poshmark is like a social media site for resale. You can like and share listings to help them gain more traction, and people can follow your account to shop for new items you add. Poshmark began as a site strictly for clothing and accessories but has since expanded to include jewelry, children’s toys, art, and home goods.
For sales under $15, Poshmark takes a flat commission of $2.95. For items $15 and up, Poshmark has a 20% commision rate. Read our full Poshmark review here >>
Mercari
Mercari has a similar structure to Poshmark. Sellers can list items for free on Mercari — everything from clothing to electronics — and the site takes a 10% fee on each item when it sells. See our Mercari review here >>
thredUP
Unlike other resale sites, thredUP does not have individual seller profiles. Sellers submit their items to thredUP in free Clean Out Kits, then thredUP decides the value of the items and pays out commissions on a sliding scale of 5-80% (commission percentage increases with the value of the item).
thredUP only accepts about 50% of the items submitted and donates anything unusable, though sellers can choose to have their unsellable items returned for a $10.99 fee. Check out our review of thredUP here >>
eBay
It’s free to post items for sale on eBay — unless you start listing more than 250 items per month. High-quantity sellers pay a $0.35 insertion fee per listing. In either case, if your items sell, they’ll be subject to a fee between 12-15%, depending on the type of item, plus $0.30 per order.
Business idea #9: Virtual assistant
Don’t worry — as a virtual assistant, you probably won’t have to memorize coffee orders. Rather, most virtual assistants handle tasks like scheduling meetings, responding to emails, managing social media accounts, drafting presentations, and supporting the day-to-day operations of a company or individual. If you can type and have basic computer skills, you can start your own business as a virtual assistant.
Most virtual assistant jobs are remote, offer flexible hours and pay well (depending on your skillset, you could earn between $20 to $75 a year).
As more companies shift to a remote model, more of these positions should become available. If you start your own business as a virtual assistant, you can pick up multiple clients and market any unique skills you have (like marketing, copywriting, or graphic design).
Learn how to become a virtual assistant and market yourself and get started on a lucrative new career.
Business idea #10: Blogging
Most moms prefer to have a flexible career, and work at home at least part of the time, studies find. I get why! When you’re your own boss, own your time, decide how much money you can earn (opposed to a boss telling you what your salary is), you are in control. That is power. Control. Freedom. Joy.
Starting a blog is easy.
First, find a URL, also called a blog address or domain name, and buy it. (My URL is Wealthysinglemommy.com).
In the past, I had good experience with the hosting service BlueHost that will help you buy your domain name quickly and cheaply (a few years ago when my site was getting really big and I needed high-end security and tech support, I upgraded to WPEngine as a host. WPEngine is amazing but costs about $3,000+ per year. Start small and cheap and upgrade as you grow).
Find partnerships either directly through the company sites, or through networks like:
To build a successful affiliate blog requires focusing on search engine optimization, or SEO. Spend some time with SEO expert Neil Patel‘s blog and videos to get the basics as well as deeper insight into this critical and frankly complicated and competitive industry.
Bloggers and social media influencer income ranges from $0 to millions of dollars. I recently attended a blogger conference where a few of my colleagues shared their experience in building sites that they all recently sold for between $6 million and $7 million.
What they shared is not highly technical, or complicated. It is what many of us can do, but they were diligent and ran their sites like businesses. It took them years — between six and 11 years, in these cases, but it is possible.
Business idea #11: YouTuber
Like a blogger, a YouTuber can take on many forms — from posting funny videos about your kids, to teaching your audience how to do a certain professional or creative skill, to social activism.
YouTubing is very competitive, but those who stick it out long-term and invest time and money in their platform can earn six figures or more through advertising, affiliate revenue, selling a product or course of their own — or a combination.
Many YouTubers take the audio from their videos and turn those into podcast episodes, and repurpose their material on a blog and social media accounts like TikTok and Instagram.
What business can I do from home?
One of the great things about being a working mom today is the fact that so many jobs can be done from the comfort of your own home. This gives you the freedom to stay on top of mom-life while still making money. Of the jobs discussed above, the following can commonly be done working from home:
- Bookkeeping
- Proofreading
- Graphic design
- Coding
- Blogging
Bottom line: What is the best business for a woman to start?
There truly is no one-size-fits-all approach to deciding which business to start. Choosing the right business for yourself is all about figuring out what you love to do and how you can make money doing it.
There are three key questions to ask yourself when you’re thinking about starting a business:
- Am I passionate about it?
- Do I have the skills or knowledge to run it?
- Can I make money doing it?
If you answered yes to all three, you’ve found your match. But whatever business you decide to start, you can’t run it successfully without a top-notch website. A website is the primary way you can communicate the value of your business and build trust with the people who will become your customers.
Looking for more ways to earn extra income? Here are 86 side hustles.
7 recession-proof businesses to start now to earn more money
Whether you’re happily married, newly divorced, or just a single mom, if you’re interested in starting your own business, the good news is there are tons of options out there to choose from, many you can do with little more than an internet connection.
One of the great things about being a working mom today is the fact that so many jobs can be done from the comfort of your own home. This gives you the freedom to stay on top of mom-life while still making money.
There are four steps to get started: 1. Decide what kind of work you want to do. 2. Forming an LLC. 3. Buy a domain name and launch a website. 4. Start building a client base.
