How to start a business as a stay-at-home mom

Types of businesses for a stay-at-home mom entrepreneur

B.C. (before child), I tried my hand at freelance writing, MLMs, owning a magazine publication business, and becoming an author (selling books). All very different business models and all require very different financial and time commitments.

I’ve learned a lot through trial and error and by investing my time, energy, and money in these different businesses. However, based on the pros and cons of each, there’s only one business model I highly recommend for a stay-at-home mom entrepreneur. 

Let’s go over a few and explore the pros and cons.

MLM. 

PROS: You can get started in many MLMs (multi-level marketing businesses) for less than $100. This opportunity is great for two reasons. You can get started in business with a company that already has a reputation, branding, logos, and products ready to sell. Another reason this is great is that you can pick one that makes sense for your lifestyle and interests. For example, if you’re a skincare fanatic, there’s an MLM for that. If you’re into health and wellness, there are MLMs for that. And if you’re into loungewear, investing, insurance, or makeup, there are MLMs to suit those interests. 

CONS: With these business ventures, the products you’re selling are usually less than $100, which means there is a low-profit margin. It’s also important to note that even if you sell a $100 product, you’ll only get a portion of the profit. A percentage of your earnings is awarded to your higher-ups. That’s the main reason why I wouldn’t recommend MLMs to a stay-at-home mom entrepreneur. Because it is a quantity-based business model, you need volume in order to start earning a full-time income. You’ll maybe have to make anywhere between 20-50 sales per month to make a dent. 

Product-based business.

PROS: A good thing about starting a product-based business is the fact that you can start pre-selling your product before you fully invest in the production of it. For example, if you create a product like a book, for example, you can start taking pre-orders once you have the completed story, book cover art, ISBN, and a way for people to pre-order it. 

You can do the same thing for custom products too. There are print-on-demand companies that allow you to create and sell custom products like clothing, mugs, and journals, etc. and they will handle the fulfillment for you.

CONS: Just like with MLMs, this is also a quantity-based business model, which means you’ll need volume in order to earn a full-time income. So if your goal is to make $1,000 – $2,000 a month, how many products do you need to sell to make that happen? 10 – 20? Although this isn’t the first business model I’d choose for stay-at-home mom entrepreneurs, I do like this better than MLMs. That’s because you’ll have more control over the pricing and how much profit you keep. However, because this is a company you’re starting from scratch, you’ll also have to consider how much more time, energy, and money you’ll have to invest towards marketing for brand awareness and customer acquisition.     

Freelancing.

PROS: If you have the skills, you can get started freelancing with little to no money upfront. Skills in design, writing, editing, website development, and photography, etc. all translate great in the freelance world. What I love about this business model is the fact that it is a quality-based business model. That means typically you can work with fewer, more ideal clients because there is a higher profit margin potential.

With freelancing, you can make anywhere between a few hundred to a few thousand per client. That means you can hit your income goal working with 2-4 clients per month. So when you’re been spending your days prioritizing being a homemaker, raising your family, and trying to burn your little one’s energy out, within a month, I believe any mom can handle knocking out projects during nap time or bedtime for 2-4 clients. When I was just getting started, I found clients willing to pay $250 per project. Now that I have a lot more experience and understand packaging, I have clients paying an average of $1,000 – $3,000 a pop.

CONS: You may be good at what you do, but it’s not the most talented who gets paid the most. It’s the best marketer. A con to starting a business in freelancing is the time it takes to get over the learning curve. Sometimes it takes a while to understand how to find clients and how to make money online. However, once you get this part nailed down and find a system that works for you, the rest gets better and better over time.     

Things to consider before starting a business

Regardless of what business you decide to start to become a stay-at-home mom entrepreneur, here’s what I’ve found over the years to be the most important.

Where to start and where to focus as a stay-at-home mom entrepreneur

Have an offer with a proven concept.

Whatever you decide to sell, make sure it’s offering a solution to a problem or a desire. Your offer isn’t for everyone. But it would be valuable to the person who’s the perfect-fit a.k.a. your ideal client. Ask yourself, what problem or desire is your offer solving? If you don’t know, figure it out before you try to sell it to someone so you can actually sell it to someone. Then once you make your first sale, rinse and repeat whatever process worked. 

Invest in quality branding.

The truth is everyone’s starting a business, but not everyone’s showing up client-attractive. You have to admit, as women, we are visual people and we like to buy things that look good or professional. So with that in mind, if you’re starting a business from scratch, make sure it looks nice and clean. If graphic design isn’t your strong suit, you can use sites like Canva to help you get started for free using templates.

Learn good copywriting skills.

If you haven’t learned this yet, guess what? The money is in the message. There are several resources like books, blogs, courses, classes, etc. to teach you how to write good copy. If you want to collapse time, you can also invest in hiring a good copywriter when you’re able to and when you’re ready. Having quality copywriting is like having an “always-on salesperson” to help you market your business. The purpose of good copywriting is to help you attract, nurture, and compel your dream clients to take action.

Find a system and strategy that works best for you.

There is no one size fits all. You don’t have to be on every platform to earn a full-time income online. In fact, there was a period of time when a large percentage of my income came from just Instagram. Whatever strategy you decide, you have to be consistent. Decide which platforms and which systems you can commit to and then follow through until you see results.

Continue to grow your mindset.

Another truth and arguably the most important is realizing that your business grows just as much as you do. You’ll have to learn how to get out of your own way and learn how to stop self-sabotaging yourself in business. Entrepreneurship is a personal development journey. That’s why it’s important to have a positive and a growth mindset.

What I’ve come to learn is that you were perfectly made to serve your perfect-fit people in your perfect fit way. Your perfect fit people have been praying for you! They will know you when they see you, they will recognize your value, and they can’t wait to get their coins together to pay you. You’re someone’s solution!

Hang in there! Inch by inch and everything’s a cinch. Just keep showing up. You’ll find your rhythm in business too! 😘

Jasmine Ball is a wife, mom, and founder of BTM Writing Services. She created this dedicated lifestyle blog to empower women and stay-at-home moms with information to help them live more informed, inspired, and overall better lives as they embark on their journey of balancing motherhood and entrepreneurship. 

Are you a stay-at-home mom looking for more entrepreneurial friends? Let’s connect!