I am a single mother of a wonderful child and I work from home online.
Over a period of time, I’ve worked with several different types of online income generators, but I’ve found that some are more viable than others for people who are time-constrained and already have high demands, like moms.
You can see almost everywhere online the promise to “make your own hours”, “work on your own terms”, etc. But that’s not always true. Sometimes, if you want to do it right and be successful, the business requires working around other people’s schedules, at least to a degree, as well as other unpredictable elements. Combine that with the demands placed on a mother (especially with very young children) and you have a recipe for disaster.
My intent here is not to step on your toes or cheapen any kind of online job, but just to convey what I have found from my own experience to be feasible and practical for someone who is already very busy, like a mom.
My strongest recommendation for a mom who is interested in making money from home and eventually building a full-time online career is to start with a mix of offline and online work.
It’s not too hard to find something you can do at a time of your choosing. One can, for example, place an ad in the “services” section of CraigsList for something they can do or are good at. You can start your own business pretty quickly that way. I recommended this to a neighbor of mine, and she had several people interested in her services within a week, and she is working on her other demands to do so.
To then look towards a longer term online career, my strongest recommendation is affiliate marketing. (Marketing of products/websites in exchange for commissions). This is an operation that has to learn to do it very well, and it’s not something that’s likely to take off overnight. But in terms of a long-term online business, this is perfect for a mom because it can definitely be done on one’s own terms and schedule. It takes time to educate yourself in this business, but you can work during naps, when the kids are in bed at night, or at other times, and it doesn’t involve other people’s schedules or demands. After learning and starting well, it builds on itself and therefore generates income over time.
Combining offline and online work is a great way to start, as income can be earned immediately while gradually building your internet marketing business, and does not require a work commitment with a daily commute. I started an offline marketing business with a friend who needed someone to bring people to her appraisal company. That business is now successful and I am working on it part time while continuing to build my affiliate business.
AND I can stay home and be a mom.