3 Ways for a busy parent to Make Money from Home!

Guest post

There is no doubt the entire concept of employment has changed recently. More people than ever before are exploring the idea of self-employment, and even more importantly, home-employment. The rules have changed, but there is no shortage of work that needs to be done. There are many different jobs which you can do from home, giving you time with your children while still making money.

Business Services Provider

With all of the downsizing, right-sizing and reductions in the workforce, jobs still have to be done. Employers won’t have the same access to deep workforces that are capable of doing all of the simple but time-consuming tasks of the past. Expect for employers in your area to have spot work in the following areas:

Word processing and spreadsheet design, and data entry jobs of all kinds. The software you learned to work with is just as much in demand now as it ever was. If you know Microsoft Word or Excel, there are many businesses that need you.

This is the perfect kind of employment for those that have family obligations and children at home. Employers will always have the same pressing needs to do these tasks, but they simply no longer have staff to do them. The work hasn’t disappeared, but how it gets done will be a cottage industry.

All it will take to have an abundance of work in the supplementary role is the ability to call people on the phone and tell them what you do and price it reasonably. You can also check online job sites, even Craigslist, for these types of opportunities. There will be no shortage of foreseeable work as more employers make cuts of administrative support staff.

Ebay Auctioneer

In the online world, if you have anything to sell (who doesn’t?) Ebay is the place to do it. If it is in your attic, turn it into cash and eliminate clutter at the same time. This job only needs registration with the site and setting up a Paypal account to accept money. Some people fall in love with becoming auctioneers and make it a career.

When you start getting that cash from items you no longer use, this can be addicting. As a full time occupation, you can make a career of finding and sourcing high demand products. You only need to have the ability to source goods effectively, price them competitively, and keep customers happy.

You can also create an ebay store and sell off items you make, so if you have a talent for sewing, designing, or making anything that people might want to purchase, there is a spot for you. Some people are able to make quite a good living by selling their own products, and as long as it doesn’t take you too long to make and is original in some way, you could as well.

Software Expert

This is a way for anyone to start a business with what they have already learned. It differs from method one in that this is all about having extensive knowledge and skills with one of the major applications. If you have very good or excellent skills with any program like:

●       Photoshop

●       Adobe Acrobat

●       Dreamweaver

●       Quickbooks

●       MS Word

●       MS Excel

These are just a few of the many applications that involve a wide array of skills and talent. There are many other powerful, highly specialized applications that businesspeople will always need help with. Perhaps they even need training to become better themselves.

If you can work well with any of these, you can position yourself as a “go to” person for area employers. Few people can handle many of these high powered applications well. If you can design logos or work with graphics in Photoshop, you can almost write your own ticket. If you can dress-up presentations in Adobe Acrobat, someone needs your skills.

Further, if you have kept anyone’s books using Quickbooks or other software, there are many employers that can use your skills. Best of all, the list of applications is nearly endless. Not everyone knows how to code a website using Dreamweaver, so you’re extremely useful to businesses if you do.

The story here is simple – this is a question of personal adaptability. There is a lot of work to be had and much of it is simple, pleasant work that anyone can do from home. There are many options for you. All you need to do is choose one and take action, and as long as you have or learn the skills necessary, you can be successful.

Photo credit: Money at hand by Don Hankins/flickr

Candace Hobson is a stay at home mother and freelance blogger for work at home info.org, a site she often recommends as a great resource for learning how to work at home.

Linking up with Jess over @ Diary of a SAHM for some IBOT