Top 10 Business Ideas for Housewives At Home: Whether you’re just starting out in the workforce or are trying to find another stream of income after leaving the office, business ideas for housewives at home can help you earn extra money while raising your family at the same time.
Top 10 Business Ideas for Housewives At Home
From crafting handmade products and selling them online to offering local services such as babysitting or tutoring, there are plenty of ways to run your own profitable business from the comfort of your own home and make a little extra money without having to go back to the 9-to-5 grind. Here are 10 business ideas for housewives at home that you can try today
1) Start A Part-Time Florist Business
If you’re a housewife who has a green thumb, why not put it to good use? If there are flower shops in your area that are open part-time and cater mostly to home delivery, consider starting a floral business out of your home. Depending on how much time you can devote to it, you could earn extra income while still making sure your family is taken care of.
And, if you live in an area where local florists are scarce or overpriced, then now’s your chance to bring some competition into town! To learn more about starting your own part-time florist business read our guide How To Start A Part-Time Florist Business From Home. To find a floral design course near you, visit The National Association of Flower Arranging Societies.
2) Start A Cake Decorating Club
First, you need to identify what kind of cakes and pastries you want to learn how to make. Also, learn how to decorate cakes without using fondant. Club members can bring in cakes and muffins they’ve baked at home, and they can also learn how to bake goodies from scratch. In order to get started, create a Facebook page or invite friends who might be interested in joining your club into a private Facebook group.
Don’t forget a catchy name! Once you’ve gathered a few people, arrange a meeting in person or over Skype where you discuss topics like prices per cake/pastry (in case there are multiple tiers) and decide if everyone wants full-sized pieces or if mini bites work better. It’s important to keep in mind that some recipes will yield more than others, so you may have to adjust your pricing accordingly. When it comes time to actually start baking, set up a schedule with each member so that no one is left waiting too long for their treats.
You could even offer special discounts on certain days of the week or during specific seasons (think: holiday-themed cookies). As an added bonus, hosting parties at home is usually less expensive than renting out space somewhere else—so once you’ve got all your business costs covered, consider turning any extra profit into savings for future investments.
3) Make & Sell Homemade Soap
It’s a super simple business that requires no start-up capital but can be a big moneymaker. For example, if you craft cold-process soap at home and sell it on Etsy, your profit margin could reach as high as 50%. A large number of Etsy sellers supplement their income by selling through online marketplaces.
But if you make soap from scratch, have a niche product (such as handmade soaps scented with natural essential oils), and offer some customer support to those who purchase directly from you (for example, ship out free samples before they buy), it’s entirely possible to earn $100,000 per year or more in revenue from your homemade soap business.
Here’s how one woman earns over $80K/year selling homemade bath products. You don’t need any special equipment or training—just time and patience. Learn everything you need to know about starting an Etsy store here. You’ll also want to read up on How to Sell Your Crafts Online. And don’t forget that there are many other places where you can sell your homemade goods. To learn more about all of them, check out How to Make Money Selling Homemade Goods.
4) Offer Interior Design Services
Because you’re used to working in and around homes, helping homeowners make them a more beautiful place to live is an excellent business idea for housewives. As an interior designer, you can help owners get rid of old furniture, choose new colors and fixtures that complement their home or area, and even assist with staging. Not only will you make some extra cash, but you’ll also be making your community a better place to live. You can also do landscape design as a side business idea outside of your normal day job.
This may require getting licensed if you don’t already have it. If not, becoming a licensed landscaper requires time and effort. It’s a good thing you’re retired! Getting licensed is a requirement in most states so it’s something to keep in mind when thinking about starting up your own landscaping company at home. While it’s often easier said than done, try doing something on nights and weekends while keeping up with your full-time gig before committing full-time hours.
The key to starting any type of small business at home is having enough work to keep yourself busy without driving yourself crazy and trying to figure out how much time each task takes so that you can bill accordingly.
5) Sell Handmade Jewelry Online
Some people turn to crafting when they retire, looking for a way to be productive while enjoying their golden years. If you enjoy working with your hands, selling handmade jewelry is a great way to make some extra money online. There are many different types of businesses you can start as a crafter, but one of the easiest is knitting or crocheting clothing and selling it online.
Simply find free patterns online and then use your free time at night or on weekends to produce clothing that can be sold in retail stores or online. It’s an easy business idea that produces tangible results, making it much easier to go home after completing a project and feel like you accomplished something substantial during your day off. (If you want to know more about how to get started with a craft-based business, check out these tips from Shopify .)
6) Be An Influencer
Some bloggers and social media personalities are making serious bank by promoting brands, affiliate products, and other businesses. While it might be too early to tell if influencer marketing is sustainable or scalable—and traditional brands may still be hesitant to jump onboard—social media influencers continue to play a large role in online marketing strategies. There are numerous ways that you can make money as an influencer, whether you’re promoting your own products or others’ products through sponsored posts on social media.
If you have experience working with brands already or even just a strong presence on a platform like Instagram, Twitter, or YouTube, then doing something similar as an influencer could definitely be a worthwhile pursuit. You’ll need to do some research into which platforms will net you higher payouts (like Facebook) and which ones will not (Instagram). You should also check out our post on How to Make Money from Social Media.
7) Organize Classes or Workshops
If you want to stay home with your kids but need income, consider starting a small business that focuses on other people’s children. You could run craft or sports classes at local parks, offer homework help and tutoring services or organize workshops about key parenting issues such as healthy eating habits or positive discipline strategies.
If you’re really ambitious, you might even start a business that provides childcare services. Just be sure to follow all applicable laws and regulations first! To learn more, check out Small Business Administration (SBA) resources.
8) Rent Out Your Extra Room on Airbnb
Airbnb has exploded over the past few years. With an estimated 35 million people using Airbnb globally, you’re just as likely to find a place in your neighborhood as you are across town or abroad. By simply renting out your extra room (or couch) on nights and weekends, you can easily bring in extra income to help supplement your household income.
Learn how with Airbnb: The Ultimate Guide to Making Money with Your Place by Stay Forever (Stacy Jones, Elizabeth Keathley). If it sounds like too much work, consider working with a site like Roomorama instead—it matches travelers seeking rooms to rent with hosts looking for additional income. However, be aware that these sites take about 20% of your earnings if you book reservations through them.
9) Write Ebooks to Teach Others How To Cook, Do Crafts, Etc.
What better way to get started than to teach others how to do what you’re good at? In fact, it’s probably one of the best ways to earn money online. That is if you have something helpful or unique to say. Think about your hobbies or personal expertise and start sharing in your content area of choice. The great thing about ebooks and online courses is that they’re usually quite inexpensive, far more so than tuition at a traditional university.
You can buy yourself a nice stack of books on Amazon or even sign up with a place like Skillshare where you can spend a few dollars per class on workshops or other classes that help extend your knowledge base. And if you’re interested in writing an ebook but don’t know much about self-publishing yet, here are some resources that will walk you through it: 1) How to Self-Publish Your Own Book (Entrepreneur) 2) How To Write An Ebook (The Huffington Post) 3) How To Self-Publish A Kindle eBook (Forbes).
4) How To Publish A Book On Amazon Kindle (TechCrunch). 5) Six Secrets For Writing Your First Ebook (Forbes). 6) Everything You Need To Know About Self-Publishing An Ebook (Business Insider). 7) Everything You Need To Know About Publishing An Ebook On Amazon Kindle Platforms: Step By Step Guide For Beginners!
10) Work from Home with Others as a Virtual Assistant / Consultant (VA/VC)
There are thousands of job openings for virtual assistants and consultants. Some of these jobs include project management, graphic design, search engine optimization (SEO), social media management, and customer service. If you have skills in any of these areas you can make good money working from home as a virtual assistant/consultant. However, be prepared to work long hours: many companies will require you to dedicate up to 50 hours per week or more at times in order to meet your deadlines.
You’ll also need excellent organizational skills and stellar communication abilities if you want to succeed in this business venture! Working as a VA/VC is a great way to get started in e-commerce because it requires minimal start-up costs, you don’t have to worry about storage space or inventory, and there’s no risk of losing money when starting out.
The best part is that once you’ve proven yourself to be reliable and hardworking, many employers will offer you opportunities for additional responsibilities such as blogging or running Facebook ads. These opportunities allow you to take advantage of residual income by earning commissions on future sales that were generated by your efforts. It’s just one example of how working from home can actually turn into an entrepreneurial opportunity—and even potentially earn enough income so that one day you won’t have to work from home anymore!
Also Read: Top 10 Business Ideas for High School Students
Conclusion
Most business start-ups fail. In fact, according to Harvard University, 70% of start-ups won’t last longer than five years. So you’re not alone in your concerns that trying to grow a small business at home might be too risky. But it’s worth remembering that even some of today’s most successful companies started out with just one or two people who had faith and vision.
Whether you choose to pursue your idea from home or in an office park, there are ways to mitigate risk and maximize growth potential. Here are 10 smart business ideas for housewives at home who want to work on their own terms.
