When I got pregnant with my son I loved the idea of becoming a stay at home mom but we never thought we could make that work financially, so when the option to be a work from home mom presented itself I knew I couldn’t let that opportunity pass by.

MY WORK FROM HOME STORY

Maybe it was hormones or maybe I’m just that emotional but I remember crying (ugly crying) about how we couldn’t afford for me to stay home with our son once he was born. I didn’t work a full 40 hours a week at my main job so we had to save up for my maternity leave and even then we were pushing it at 2 weeks off.

As it turns out, my dream to be a stay at home mom would become a reality when my company let go of the entire marketing department. RIGHT after I gave birth. Crazy, right?

SO WHAT DID I DO?

Well at this point I could have wallowed in self-pity and just gotten another marketing job I hated but as it turns out, every single person that was in our department had the same thought as me. Forget this corporate greed crap, I’m just going to freelance!

My husband and I were certainly nervous (he was more than me) but as it turns out, this is the best job I’ve ever had. And now I really can’t imagine working for someone else.

Now you know my story and before we jump in to the juicy stuff, I want to say CONGRATS! You reading this post is an awesome first step to financial and family freedom. I don’t know why you want to work from home but I want you to think really hard about that reason as you read this. Your WHY is going to be how you get through the tough parts of being your own boss.

THE SECRET SAUCE – FACING REALITY

The secret to success as a work from home mom is to start a business using the skills you already have, then add on or pivot your business as your skills and dreams grow. A lot of people think they can succeed by jumping into something that other people succeed at but that’s not true for everyone (and this may guarantee failure).

Just because that one mom you know was immediately successful with her blog in her first year doesn’t mean you will be too. Not that I’m knocking blogging, I obviously like it!

But it is what it is.

Success starting out is much more likely to happen if you start with something you already know. And don’t worry, if you aren’t sure what your skills are I assure you there is a business you can start asap knowing what you know.

It takes a lot of faith in the universe to jump into something like this but (most importantly) you need to believe in yourself.

The biggest hurdle you’re going to face as an entrepreneur (and get used to calling yourself that CONFIDENTLY) is feeling like you aren’t good enough.

Ever heard of imposter syndrome?

You may feel like this right now. Maybe you’re reading this post because you really want to be your own boss and stay home with your kids while also making money. And I know from first-hand experience that’s a scary feeling to have.

It’s frightening to think you’re meant for bigger and better things but then be smacked in the face by all the ‘what-ifs’ and that voice in your head saying “maybe you should just stop dreaming”.

And I agree. It’s time to stop dreaming! And time to start doing.

It’s not okay…

• if your job makes you miserable and you hate putting 8+ hours in every single day to fatten up someone else’s wallet.
• that you want to be home with your kids but society has taught you that you can’t be both a mom AND a boss!
• that you feel unfulfilled by your current life path.

It’s time to face your own reality. You’re miserable, something has to change and you can’t spend your time daydreaming about making 7-figures overnight.

It’s time to gather your skills, invest time in self-improvement and jump right in!

LET’S TALK ABOUT BAD MOVES

Like I mentioned earlier, you are more likely to be successful if you start with a business that utilizes skills you already have.

For example, I was a social media manager so I took on my own clients. Then I blogged for a while and now I’m a Pinterest Strategist.

I started with what I knew and as I grew and learned new skills, I transitioned. You can do this too!

Here are my major DO and DO NOT’s for newbie entrepreneurs:

DO NOT

• Pay for advertising before establishing yourself. By establishing yourself I mean you’re making more than enough money to pay yourself, pay your bills, put money into savings, and pay for your business expenses/taxes.
• Worry about branding or your blog before your services. Yes, things need to look nice when people drop by your site but keep it super simple in the beginning so you can focus on creating your packages/products and getting clients.
• Try to take on too many clients too fast. It’s no fun have more clients than you can handle. That’s overwhelming and stressful and if you don’t provide the quality of service you promised, you can lose clients and even get bad reviews.
• Quit your job without having a PLAN and PROOF of income. If you lost your job like me then you have all the time to dedicate to your new business. But if you’re still working another job, make sure you’re making a consistent profit before quitting.

DO

• Utilize your pre-existing skills. Sit down and list everything that makes you awesome. These could be skills you’ve learned at work or even something people just ask you about all the time.
• Determine 3 times during the day that you can work (fairly) uninterrupted. For my moms, create time blocks. If this is early morning, during nap time, when your husband is home, late at night or whenever, it doesn’t matter. These also don’t have to be long time frames. Just make sure you have time to work efficiently.
• Master time management before adding too many tasks to your schedule. If you find you’re getting distracted a lot then you need to put less on your plate and learn how to get major tasks done before adding in the little random things that don’t take priority.
• Use Linkedin to update your resume & find clients. This is important! Linkedin is an amazing tool to get your new business off the ground, especially if you don’t have a website up yet. Put your new business in your jobs, add to your skills list, get endorsements, add your new title to the top of your page, create a post about your business, get a professional photo and connect with people!
• Engage in Facebook Groups where your ideal client hangs out! Alternatively you can also seek out and connect with your ideal clients on Instagram. I do both but if you’re feeling overwhelmed, just start with one platform.

MAJOR STEPS TO TAKE

If you’re ready to get started working from home there are a few major things you need to figure out.

What are your skills?

What services will you offer?

How much will your services cost?

How will you find clients?

Once you figure out these 4 major components, everything else you need to do is comprised of little details and daily tasks, like creating your brand and starting a website. If you’re ready to start your site, I highly recommend SiteGround for your hosting!

You’ll also need to figure out your schedule. See how I manage my time as a work from home mom in this post.

Time management is so crucial when you have kids and you’re starting a business. You may have some late nights at first but remember that doing it right in the beginning will set you up for long-term success. And if you can get a babysitter while you work distraction-free at Starbucks for even just an hour, DO IT!

21 BUSINESSES YOU CAN DO VIRTUALLY

I know you’ve been waiting for this part of the post! Here are 21 business ideas that are all virtual-based and can be started utilizing skills you may already have.

And remember, if there’s something on this list that does match your skills but something else sparks a passion you want to pursue, focus first on establishing yourself and earning an income. Then, after or even simultaneously, work on your passion-driven business for your long-term goals. You may be surprised how quickly you develop your dream biz!

1. Virtual Assistant
2. Pinterest Assistant
3. Social Media Manager
4. Graphic Designer
5. Website Designer
6. Financial Consultant
7. Tax Consultant
8. Blogger
9. Freelance Writer
10. Stock Photographer
11. Life/Health Coach
12. Tutor
13. Photo/Video Editor
14. Blog/Article Editor
15. Grant Writer
16. Podcaster
17. Social Media Marketer
18. SEO Consultant
19. Adwords Specialist
20. Blogger Assistant
21. Game/Book Reviewer