Stay-at-Home Mom Options: Part-time Job or Part-time Business?
Are you a stay-at-home mom who wants to go back to
work? Maybe you need some extra income? Maybe you want a new
challenge? Or possibly you’re just looking to get out of the house a bit
more often and connect with people like you?
The good news is that there are lots of opportunities in
today’s highly-connected world to get back into working, even if you only want
to work part-time and require lots of flexibility. More women today work
out of the home than ever. And if done right, they find that it can
complement their family life, not detract from it.
One of the first decisions you’ll want to make as a
stay-at-home mom looking for part-time work is whether you want to work for
someone else or whether you want to work for yourself. Let’s start with
working for someone else.
Part-Time Job Opportunities
If you’d really prefer to work for someone else, start by
making a comprehensive list of your work experience and skills.
One of the best sources of part-time jobs is at a company or
in an industry where you’ve previously worked, even if you’ve been away from
the industry for some time. If this is an approach that could make sense
to you, start by developing a resume of your previous work experience.
Include a statement at the top stating your objective (e.g., Seeking Part-time
Accountant Role in Financial Services Industry). Then reach out to your
old contacts in the industry and ask for their assistance in connecting you
with companies and people who might have interest. Make a target list of
companies that could have interest. You might even want to attend an
industry event.
Another source of part-time work for moms with relevant
industry experience is to pursue freelance jobs over the internet. There
are many opportunities available to list your availability for specific work in
today’s marketplace. Take a look at odesk.com, elance.com, freelancer.com
and staff.com to explore your options.
Maybe you’d like a job but don’t have relevant industry
experience. Or maybe you’d simply prefer to change industries. Then
you should take a different approach. I suggest picking an industry
that’s always appealed to you. Maybe cooking. Or wine. Or
clothing. Or travel. The easiest way to get into these industries
working for someone else generally involves taking a retail job, possibly at your
local mall. If you can only work out of your home, consider working as a
customer service home agent.
If working for someone else doesn’t appeal to you, fit with
your schedule or meet your hourly income needs, you might want to consider
starting your own business.
Part-Time Business Opportunities
Maybe you’ve always dreamed of starting your own business
and getting funding from Shark Tank. Like Wicked Good Cupcakes. Or
Cousins Maine Lobster. Or Scrub Daddy. Seems like a dream come
true, right?
The issue with starting your own business completely from
scratch is that it not only takes a great idea, it takes LOTS of time and LOTS
of money and LOTS of luck. It can be done, but industry data shows it
requires a commitment of a minimum of 50 – 60 hours per week to even get the
concept launched.
What if starting your own stay at home business from scratch
isn’t for you? Fortunately, there are great opportunities to start your
own local version of someone else’s proven national business. And you can
still pick a field that ignites your passion, like wine or clothing or even
perfume. And all of these businesses are completely flexible, allowing
you to work as much (or as little) as you want, entirely on your own schedule.
We started Pastiche Custom Perfume because we LOVE
fragrance. We were able to successfully launch this business last year
not only because we’re well-funded and not only because we have extensive
industry experience, but because we have a great concept. Unless you’re a
celebrity, it’s really hard to find a place to make your own custom perfume and
if you do, it will likely cost you $350 or more.
By contrast, our trained Fragrance Designers host events,
parties and gatherings where guests can make their own custom perfume for as
little as $42. That’s less than what you’d pay for a non-custom perfume
at a Department Store or Sephora.
We’ve received excellent press coverage for this unique
concept and are now expanding rapidly. All of our new Fragrance Designers
join by purchasing a highly-discounted custom perfume kit, which contains
everything they require to conduct an event. There is absolutely no
experience required, simply a passion for fragrance. We train each
Fragrance Designer on how to conduct a successful event. The good news is
that making a custom perfume with our kit is as simple as making an ice cream
sundae.
“I had absolutely no experience in the perfume industry”
says San Diego-based Fragrance Designer Kerin McGibben, “but picked this up in
an instant. I love fragrance and I love the fact that custom perfume is
so unique and popular. My events are always packed!”
“I needed something I could do completely on my own
schedule” says Louisville-based Fragrance Designer Alice Long. “I love
that I can dial my Pastiche business commitment up and down based on my
schedule. It’s wonderful to be part of a business that you enjoy so much,
as you’re then always looking for ways to fit more time into the day.”
An even though almost everyone starts a social-selling business
like Pastiche as a part-time endeavor, many find it surprisingly
lucrative. In fact, of all the women making $100,000 or more per year in
the U.S., 80% are doing it as part of the direct selling industry. That’s
probably because women genuinely want to help other women, so often receive
lots of support getting their new business off the ground.
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