A Parent’s Guide to Starting a Home-Based Business

Many parents are interested in starting a business. If you have kids and are looking for ways to begin your entrepreneurship journey, read on as this article explores the best ideas to explore and how to start a home-based business.
  
Here are four of the best low-cost business ideas you can pursue as a stay-at-home parent.
 
Sell Products Online
 
Selling products is one of the easiest ways to have complete control over your work hours and income. You can decide the number of goods you want to sell and undertake the necessary expenses and effort. Popular goods to consider selling include – jewelry, collectibles, paintings, t-shirts, and accessories. 
 
Etsy is a great platform to sell your goods as a newcomer. It is a well-established marketplace with a large customer base and low listing fees. But, they do charge a commission per sale which should be taken into account while pricing your products.
 
Become a Virtual Assistant
 
As a parent, multitasking becomes second nature. So why not monetize this skill by working as a virtual assistant (VA). As a VA, common tasks you can expect to be hired for include data entry, call/email screening, appointment scheduling, making travel arrangements, and more. 
 
A laptop and reliable internet connection is all you need to start a VA business. As a beginner, you can find gigs on Upwork or Fiverr. As you gain experience, you can earn more.
 
Work as a Digital Marketing Manager
 
If you have prior experience in the field of marketing, you can start a lucrative business as a digital marketing manager. With an increasing number of companies moving operations online, the demand for experienced marketing professionals has increased. You can plan to sell various services such as graphic design, strategy creation, social media management, performance marketing, and more. As an independent contractor, you’ll be able to work with multiple clients and increase your earning potential.
 
Start a Blog
 
Blogs are an inexpensive way to earn a steady income. Yes, it will take some time to generate adequate content and views on the blog, but once you get the ball rolling there are various avenues to monetize. For instance, you can start running ads, engage in affiliate marketing, and write sponsored content. 
 
Tips to Grow Your Business
 
Along with a great idea, the success of your business will depend on having strong foundations and good management, which you can achieve through the following steps:

• Write a Business Plan: This should include information regarding your target market, short/long term goals and steps to achieve them, a financial plan, product insights, and pricing.

 

• Leverage Social Media: When it comes to promoting your business, Instagram is one of the best platforms, as it is actively used by consumers to find new products. This is reflected in research done by Sprout Social which states that over 90% of Instagram users follow at least one brand.

Posting on social media platforms is free, and with a business account, you can add links to your website/contact form directly on feed posts and stories, through which customers can make purchases. Keep in mind that you'll need to cater to unique post requirements. Fortunately, an easy to use image resizer online will allow you to adjust image dimensions in under 30 seconds.

• Learn to Delegate: As a parent running a business, you’ll have numerous things on your plate at all times. Instead of trying to tackle everything yourself, hire professionals who can do the work for you, this can include a babysitter for your child, writers for your website, or a virtual assistant.

Not only will delegation improve business efficiency, but provide greater free time which you can dedicate to spending with family, taking a rest, or pursuing a hobby.

Being an entrepreneur as a parent will provide you with the perfect balance between pursuing your professional goals and experiencing the joys of parenthood.

Be sure to visit Real Online Career for more actionable tips for working from home!
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