If you haven’t noticed already, the internet is skewed toward business and side hustle ideas for stay at home moms.
Though there’s nothing wrong with that, you’ve probably arrived here because you’re looking for side hustle ideas for working moms.
As a working mom, I get it.
Though all moms are busy, working moms typically have less flexibility in their schedules when it comes to building an online business or side hustle.
So with such limited time, how can a working mom make extra money?
In this post, I’m going to share vetted online business ideas that are realistic for a mom who works outside of the home.
Whether you’re just looking for a way to make extra cash or to start building a business that will allow you to come home, these ideas will work!
Check out these extra income ideas for working moms.
Selling Digital Products
Selling digital products is one of the best side hustle ideas for moms.
Digital products are items that can be delivered digitally (by email or download) to an end-user.
Example of digital products include, but aren’t limited to:
- Ebooks
- Printables
- Audio files
- Photography
- Spreadsheets
- Video
This is my number one recommendation because it is also a great source of passive income that you can do with no upfront investment.
I absolutely love creating and selling digital products online for this very reason.
Earning Potential
The earning potential with digital products is truly unlimited. This is because your arent confined by inventory and your products can be evergreen.
In addition, you don’t have to be present for sales to be made on your products.
I love sharing the story of how I made a sale on one of my products 24 hrs after giving birth to my daughter.
What other business does that happen in?!?
That is the amazing benefit of selling digital products.
Start-up Costs
You can literally start selling digital products for $0.
There are so many free apps that make creating digital products possible.
If you’re interested in creating your own, I’ve come up with a Digital Product Starter Tool List that outlines all of the applications that you can use to start!
I’ve made multiple 4-figures from selling digital products online and I love showing other moms how to do it.
So grab the starter tool list if you want to start earning money online with digital products, too.
It’s absolutely free to download.
I’ll be opening doors pretty soon for my course on selling digital products. Be sure to get on my email list to get notified when enrollment opens.
Proofreading
It’s time to brush off those language arts skills from grade school and put them to work.
Starting a side hustle as a proofreader is working mom approved for more reason than one.
The benefit of starting an online proofreading business is that you can do it from anywhere on your own time.
As long as you have access to a phone or computer, you can do this side hustle in your spare time or on the go.
Because you’ll be doing this as a freelancer, you can set your own hours and decide which projects you want to take on.
You have the ultimate flexibility as a freelance proofreader.
Earning Potential
Proofreading can prove to be a very profitable online business.
The industry standard for proofreaders is $30-$35/hr with an estimated pace of 9-13 manuscript pages per hour.
You can choose to only take on the most lucrative projects to maximize your time.
The great thing is that there is always a demand for proofreaders. Literally, as long as writing exists, there will be a need for someone to edit for correctness.
Start-Up Costs
With apps like Google Docs and Dropbox, the minimum that you’ll need for this business is a smartphone.
If you own one already, then you can literally begin this side hustle today.
If proofreading sounds like something you’re interested in, check out my post on how to become a proofreader.
Freelance Consulting
Consulting is another great extra income idea for a working mom.
Much like proofreading, it offers the same advantage of flexibility and high earning potential.
As a consultant, you’re merely sharing your expertise in a specific area in exchange for payment.
This is typically something that you’ve either learned through formal education or experience.
If anyone has ever asked to “pick your brain,” you’re officially a consultant.
Here are the benefits of this online business as a working mom.
Earning potential
Because you are the expert, consulting is something that you can charge a premium fee for.
Also, depending on the field that you’re in, you may be able to charge even more.
As a consultant, I have charged as much as $97 for an hour of my time.
However, I’ve also paid $250/hr for someone else’s time.
Your rates will depend on how much you value your time and expertise at.
Start-up Costs
Whereas running a proofreading business can be done absolutely free, consulting may require an upfront cost if you want to do is seamless.
Fortunately, you don’t need a website for this online business. Instead, you can use a website like Acuity which allows clients to schedule an appointment with you based on your predefined availability.
I recommend this website because it also takes payment.
This means that before someone can even book your time, they’ll have to pay and even answer specific questions to prepare you for the call.
Acuity can be integrated with your Gmail or other calendars, as well as Zoom if you plan on conducting video calls.
It’s literally all you’ll need to run an online consulting business.
Freelance Writing
As a working mom, I personally enjoy the ability to earn money as a freelance writer.
Like the aforementioned, you can take on as many jobs as your schedule allows and work from anywhere.
As long as you have access to a phone or computer, you have all of the tools you need to get started.
As a matter of fact, I’m even writing this post from my phone!
With freelance writing, you will need to build up your portfolio of work before you’ll be able to land higher-paying jobs.
Though you don’t need any experience, you can take writing courses to learn how to market yourself and gain more business.
Earning Potential
It’s not uncommon to make between $150-$200 for articles up to 1,500 words.
As you become more efficient with your research and writing process, you can easily make over $1,000 extra in a month.
Start-up Costs
You can get more details on this side hustle idea in my post on how to become a freelance writer with no writing experience.
Final Thoughts on Side Hustles for Working Moms
These business ideas are all worth trying if you’re a working mother trying to make extra money from home.
They are easy to start and don’t require much or any start-up costs. The best thing about these side hustles is they offer the most flexibility and earning potential.
More importantly, they don’t take up too much time.
You can literally start earning from each of these side hustles in no time!
Would you try these side hustle ideas for mom?
If you’re interested in learning more about selling digital products online, don’t forget to grab my free tool list to help you get started!
As Certified Financial Education Instructor (CFEI), she has been teaching personal finances to women & youth for over a decade.
Fo is an established writer and expert contributor on the topics of personal finance, budgeting, debt payoff, money mindset, saving, entrepreneurship, investing, motherhood, personal development, and more.