11 Side Hustles Perfect for Stay-At-Home Moms and Dads
If you’re looking for a part-time, “side-hustle” gig to keep you busy now that the kids are older (and bring some extra revenue into the home), this comprehensive list will kickstart your part-time career mojo!
More: Challenges and Opportunities for the Self-Employed
Do Odd-Jobs on TaskRabbit
If you’re super organized and reliable, consider joining TaskRabbit, where you can engage in a variety of errands-style jobs for busy people. You can offer to help families wash and fold piles of laundry, pack up a home, organize a kid’s playroom, set up IKEA furniture, wait on line at a no-reservations “hot” restaurant for someone, and more. Think about what daily tasks you excel at, and sign up. The best part? You set your hourly salary! Be open-minded about performing a variety of errands and tasks, and watch the extra money just pour in. Those who hire you for your services, leave feedback and a rating on your TaskRabbit profile.
Food Delivery
LushDollar.com blogger Tom Nathaniel says: “Grubhub, Doordash and UberEats–in that order. Schedule when you want and it’s as easy as it sounds, deliver food and get paid handsomely during the lunch and dinner rush!” Adds Nathaniel: “I have been doing this for two years now as a side hustle and LOVE it.” Doing food delivery (from local restaurants to customer’s homes or office) on your hours is a great part-time gig to consider during the weekday; you can get home after the busy lunch rush and be there when the kids get off the school bus.
Transport Teens Safely
You can be an Uber or Lyft driver and pick-up and drop off customers, or you can look into driving for VanGo, the car service for tweens and teens. (Technically and legally, most mainstream ride-share apps don’t allow teenagers inside the vehicle without an adult over 18.) Invented by mom Marta Jamrozik, VanGo provide safe rides for pre-teens and teens, with trusted, vetted drivers. According to Jamrozik, over 85% of VanGo drivers are actually moms themselves, making this is the perfect side hustle gig for parents hoping to help others in the community by safely transporting their teens around town, and making some extra moolah while doing so. Says Jamrozik: “To me, this is a feminist company that's all about women supporting women!”
Mow Lawns
Father-of-two Zach Hendrix co-founded GreenPal which is best described as “Uber for Lawn Care.” Basically, if you want to make some extra money mowing lawns for neighbors–a great way to make extra money that never goes out of style–sign up with GreenPal. Says Hendrix: “Many of our lawn care vendors are part-timers. Some are firemen , some teachers that use our app in the summer to make extra money , others are college students that work afternoons and weekends , and it is the perfect way for them to make extra money.” GreenPal’s average vendor makes around $55 per hour mowing lawns. If you grew up doing it, mowing lawns for locals is probably second nature (pun intended) to you. “As an added bonus mowing lawns is great exercise and can burn up to 500 calories per hour,” says Hendrix. “It's the perfect healthy side gig to do for an hour to a day.” You need your own lawnmower or you can use the client’s if they have one.
Sell on Etsy
If you’ve got an artistic talent; for example, you can silk-screen cute patterns on to baby onesies or are an amazing calligrapher, offer your services on the numero uno online marketplace: Etsy. According to SmallBizTrends.com, 33.4 million buyers purchased items through Etsy’s handmade and vintage marketplace. Create your account and start selling today. Just remember: price yourself fairly, but be reasonable, and answer all emails, meet client deadlines, and be sure to upload eye-popping, impressive photos of your homemade goodies. Think soaps, party favors, and painted wine glasses.
More: How to Sell a Child's Crafts
Take Surveys
No, really. If you have tons of patience–which is tested often as a parent for sure!–this is an easy way to make some money. After working in the financial industry for several years, Stephen Hart left his role as Chief Financial Officer at WorldPay to launch the UK’s first payment processing comparison site, Cardswitcher. According to Hart, market researchers paid by big retail companies will carry out research by asking people to fill in online surveys. Legitimate sites exist where you can actually get paid for filling these in, such as SurveyJunkie and RewardBee. “Admittedly, the earnings aren't incredible, but on most sites you can get paid between $1 to $10 dollars for each survey that you fill out,” says Hart. “They're normally on lifestyle issues, like shopping habits and brand awareness, so they're not too taxing – perfect for filling out while you're watching your kid in the park.”
Be a Dog Walker or Pet Sitter
If you’re an animal lover, this is a great way to earn some extra money while spending time with pets. Dog walking is not just for kids; it can be a very lucrative side gig, especially if you’re reliable and generate clients with ease. You can offer to pet sit for friends and family members (outline a contract/agreement and payment beforehand; and make sure you have the animal’s vet’s number on hand in case of emergency). You can also let local veterinarians know you pet-sit, and in turn, they can refer you. Create a profile on Rover.com, the nation's largest network of loving and trustworthy dog sitters and walkers. This site connects pet parents with locals that are willing to provide in-home care for dogs, while their owners are away or at work. (Yes, you can also sign up to just walk dogs, if you prefer.) You set your own hours, dates, and times.
Write a Blog
Parenting blogs are all the rage lately. Once you generate some readers via social media, you can find some sponsors and advertisers for your site and who knows, perhaps you can turn those blog posts into a book someday. “Blogging can be a pretty lucrative trade, bringing you money in from advertising, sponsored posts and affiliate marketing over time if you're successful,” says Hart. Also, think about what topics you know well and blog about those if you’re not interested in writing about parenthood. California-based Mom and writer Cynthia Brown is the Editor-in-Chief of Only Top Reviews, an online home and gardening publication. “It started out as a side gig while I was still pregnant and has now grown to be a full-on business with income to replace my day job,” explains Brown, who would wake up early and write blog posts before commuting to her day job. “The downside of blogging is that it can take a long time to see the results, to see traffic and money,” she adds. ‘It pays off in the long run if you're consistent and when you keep building your content and authority. My blog income comes from reviewing products and it took me about six months to a year before I started seeing any noteworthy results ($500 per month).”
Tutor
So many parents joke they pop brain cells as they age. Get those brain cells back by tutoring kids. Is math still your strong point? Do you have the patience to help grammar school kids complete their homework with confidence? Then tutoring may be for you; especially if you speak more than one language. Advertise your tutoring services with local schools and on social media, set an hourly price, and help motivate youngsters. Says father and freelance writer Marc Andre of VitalDollar.com: “Sign up with VIPKid (must have at least a Bachelor’s degree) to teach English to Chinese children (ages 4 – 12). VIPKid provides the lesson plans and you can teach from home, so it’s a great way to make some money on the side. You can earn $14 – $22 per hour and pick your own schedule.” Other online tutoring resources include: Tutor.com, Chegg, and Wyzant.
Write Resumes
If you have recruiting and hiring experience under your career “belt”–along with stellar grammar, consider helping others create their resume for a fee. This is what Paula Goldman of Manhattan does. “I have a seven-month-old and work from my home with a business that reviews and writes resumes for professionals, and I also do recruiting research for executive firms.” Adds Goldman, who has a career background in HR: “I am actually building my own HR consulting business and I help professionals from all over the country to build better resumes. I also work with a business called Five Star Resumes, which focuses on resume writing and career coaching. We advertise on LinkedIn and also will be working with career offices in various universities.”
Sell Wine
If selling skincare or beauty products isn’t really your thing, consider selling wine to earn extra money. Tiffany Bradshaw of Southern California works as a wine ambassador for Boisset Collection which has a luxury wine portfolio. “Full disclosure: It is direct sales and there is a MLM side of the business, but that is ONLY if someone wants to build a team,” says Bradshaw. “If not, then they simply sell wine, jewelry, custom label wine bottles, etc. and make a commission on their their sales.” Adds Bradshaw: “There are 26 wineries in our collection and I sell them via social media, my network, and also networking events.” Great gig for someone who is social, and a wine enthusiast!
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