13 Small Business Ideas for Moms (+ How to Get Started)

Have you ever thought about how you can start a business as a mom?

If you have, you’re not alone.

In a survey of 1,532 parents in the US, 62% of mothers expressed interest in earning extra money, with over half of them showing some interest in starting their own business.

You might be thinking, “Starting a business isn’t that easy,” but the truth is, every big success begins with a single small step.

In this blog post, we’ll explore 13 proven small business ideas for moms that can help you make a living and bring a smile to your face along the way.

So, keep reading.

Why You Should Start a Business as a Mom?

Becoming a business owner as a mom has many benefits.

Having your own business allows you to create a schedule that works for your family. This gives you more control over your time and lets you be there for your children.

If you think about the skills you are good at, like doing multiple tasks, solving problems, thinking creatively, and understanding others’ feelings, you can greatly increase your chances of having a successful business.

Making your own money also gives you a sense of financial stability and allows you to contribute to your family’s financial well-being.

And a business idea that matches your passions and interests can bring you a lot of personal satisfaction.

It can also help you grow both personally and professionally.

Things to Consider Before Starting a Business as a Mom

I know that starting a new business can be exciting.

However, before you start a new business, it’s important to consider the following things:

(I mean, you probably have more knowledge about this than me, but I just wanted to bring it to your attention.)

• Time Management: Balancing work and family can be challenging. Consider how much time and effort you can dedicate to your business.
• Childcare: Decide how you will take care of your children, either by getting help from family or by arranging for a work schedule that allows more flexibility.
• Startup Costs: Figure out how much money you need to start and run your business, and make a budget that makes sense to ensure it can succeed.
• Work-Life Balance: Set limits and plans to maintain a healthy work-life balance, avoiding burnout and making sure you can still spend quality time with your family.

Now, let’s look at 13 small business ideas that can help you earn a living as a mom.

1. Freelancing

Freelancing is when people work for clients on a project basis instead of being employed by one company.

It’s a great opportunity for moms.

They can use their existing skills in areas like writing, graphic design, web development, or video editing to offer services to clients on their own terms and schedule.

The greatest advantage of freelancing is the ability to select projects that align with personal interests and values, all from the comfort of home.

There are many freelancing websites available, such as Fiverr and Upwork, where moms can choose the platform that suits their needs and preferences.

This option helps mothers like you achieve a balance between work and personal life.

If you’re unsure how to start, I found a great course on Skillshare called “How to Freelance on Fiverr” that’s perfect for beginners.

As you gain more experience, you can even make your own website to offer your services.

2. Virtual Assistant Services

As a virtual assistant, you have the opportunity to provide valuable support to clients by helping them with various administrative tasks.

This can include managing schedules, organizing emails, entering data, and providing excellent customer service.

Whether you prefer traditional office hours or want the freedom to choose when you work, being a virtual assistant allows you to customize your work-life balance.

To become a virtual assistant, you need to have skills in organization, communication, time management, and computer literacy. It can be useful to have experience in administrative or customer service roles, but it’s not always required.

Networking and building connections with potential clients or other virtual assistants can also be helpful.

You can even start freelancing as a virtual assistant to see if you really like it before making a long-term commitment.

3. Online Tutoring or Teaching

If you know a lot about a specific subject, you might want to think about offering online tutoring or teaching.

With technology, you can make interesting video lessons, have virtual classes, or give personalized one-on-one tutoring in different academic subjects or specialized skills.

You can use popular tools like Google Meet or Zoom to have smooth online sessions and communicate well with your students.

If you want to make money without actively working, you can even create complete courses on platforms like Teachable. This lets you share your knowledge through videos and interactive materials.

This way, anyone can buy the course and learn at their own pace, so you can earn good passive income.

However, creating a course requires some effort, such as recording and editing videos.

Tools like VEED.IO make this process much easier, even if you don’t have video editing skills or expensive software.

4. Handmade Goods

Tapping into your creative side can open up possibilities for starting your own business.

One option is selling handmade crafts.

There is a market for these one-of-a-kind items, from jewelry to clothing and home decor. You know what I mean.

To reach more people and increase sales, you can use online platforms like Etsy or create your own eCommerce website.

These platforms allow you to list and sell your carefully crafted goods to a diverse customer base.

And you can even sell them in the local market.

However, it’s important to remember that you are responsible for managing your own products, marketing, orders, and shipments. This may require some effort, but the rewards can be very valuable.

5. Blogging

Starting a mom blog can be a fulfilling way to share your experiences, connect with other moms, and make money online.

You can start by choosing a blogging platform like WordPress (which is highly recommended). These platforms are user-friendly and offer many customization options.

And the great thing is, you don’t have to learn coding to start a blog. It’s all made easy with step-by-step instructions from web hosting providers like Bluehost.

To make it easier, just create an account and follow their instructions.

If it even feels like too much, I’ve already made a guide for you. You can read it here.

Once you’ve created your awesome blog, you can share your thoughts on parenting, lifestyle, or any other topic that resonates with your target audience.

Think about what you’re passionate about, whether it’s sharing parenting tips, delicious recipes, work-life balance strategies, or fun DIY projects.

For example, you could write about your most recent do-it-yourself craft project with your children or share a simple and healthy recipe that your family enjoys.

After writing a few posts, you can either promote your blog on social media platforms like Pinterest (which has mostly female users) or optimize it for search engines to attract more readers.

By doing so, you can earn money from your content through advertisements, sponsorships, or selling digital products and Amazon affiliate marketing.

Talking about being an affiliate, think about the wide range of products available on Amazon that you can promote in your content.

This is a good way to make money online without actively working, but things are changing a lot, especially with new AI trends, so blogging is not as easy as it used to be.

6. Event Planning

As a mom, you may have already become skilled at organizing small events like birthday parties and school functions. You can use this experience to confidently start your own event planning business.

By sharing your expertise, you can help clients create memorable occasions, such as weddings, corporate events, and social gatherings.

Also, don’t forget about the digital tools available for event planning, which can make things even easier.

However, starting a professional event planning business requires some effort.

As an event planner, it’s important to be good at administrative tasks and customer service. It’s also important to understand business practices like profit margins and critical thinking.

You can look for specific courses or programs in event management or event planning in your area.

Many universities, colleges, and vocational schools offer these courses, both online and offline.

These courses can give you the basic knowledge and skills necessary to plan and carry out successful events.

7. Home-based Bakery or Catering

If you enjoy baking or cooking, think about starting your own bakery or catering business from home.

Imagine the joy of crafting customized cakes that bring smiles to faces at birthday parties or the satisfaction of providing delicious homemade baked goods that become the highlight of family gatherings.

You could even offer full catering services for special events, using your excellent cooking skills to create tasty and memorable experiences that will impress your customers.

There’s no doubt that moms are the ultimate cooking gurus.

They know their way around the kitchen like nobody’s business. It’s like they have some secret superpower or something. I mean, why would I write anything else here when you’re the one who can make a tasty meal?

8. Personalized Gift Services

Personalized gifts are special items made specifically for the person they are given to. They often have their name, initials, or a special message on them.

These gifts are important because they show that the giver put thought and effort into choosing something just for the recipient, which makes the recipient feel appreciated.

A study found that more than half (55 percent) said they keep personalized gifts longer than generic, store-bought ones. On average, people keep personalized gifts for an extra year, and almost 40 percent said they would keep them forever.

This indicates that personalized gifts are not just any old presents; they are special and unique.

By offering customized items like jewelry, artwork, photo albums, clothing, and accessories, you can attract customers who want unique and personalized gifts.

9. Organizing or Decluttering Services

Moms are naturally good at organizing.

With this expertise, you can help clients transform their living spaces, work environments, or personal areas into well-organized havens.

You can offer tailored solutions and individualized approaches to create a more organized and productive environment that enhances efficiency and mental well-being.

The best way to learn is by watching instructional videos on platforms like YouTube and TikTok. This allows you to learn new techniques and apply them in your own way.

Likewise, you can also use these platforms to promote your own services.

10. Social Media Management

Many businesses, no matter how big they are, struggle to keep their social media profiles engaging.

As a social media manager, your job is to help clients come up with effective social media plans, create content, and manage their online communities.

To start on this path, focus on improving your skills in creating content, analyzing data, and communicating effectively.

You can take online courses or attend workshops to learn more about social media platforms and how their algorithms work.

Practical experience is also very important, so you can think about managing social media accounts for local businesses or non-profit organizations to create a collection of your work.

One effective way to do this is by connecting with businesses on LinkedIn.

Additionally, attending relevant events can also provide valuable opportunities to expand your network.

11. eCommerce Business

One of the best businesses for moms to start is an eCommerce business, which is an online store where you can sell products or services.

Start by finding a niche that you’re passionate about, such as handmade crafts, children’s clothing, toys, or anything that actually benefits people.

You can choose to sell a collection of products, own branded items, or offer a service-based business model like an online subscription box.

You don’t need a lot of money to get started; platforms like Etsy, Shopify, and Amazon make it easy to set up an online store with low upfront costs.

You can simply use social media to promote your products and connect with potential customers.

For example, consider setting up an Instagram shop or a Facebook page where you can showcase your products through appealing photos and videos.

And if you don’t have anything to sell, you can create products that are printed on demand.

This means you can make and personalize different things like t-shirts, mugs, or phone case designs and have them produced and shipped to your customers only when an order is placed.

This removes the need for you to maintain inventory or invest in large quantities of products ahead of time, as well as the challenges that come with shipping.

The easiest way to do it is by building an online store using Shopify and connecting it to a print-on-demand provider like Gelato. This can be completely automated with just a few clicks.

12. Professional Photography

If you’re skilled in taking pictures and editing, you could start your own photography business.

Start by taking pictures of your own kids, your friends’ families, or events in your community.

This will help you practice and create a varied collection of photos.

Share these pictures on social media sites like Instagram and Facebook to show off your skills and attract potential customers.

Instead of quickly buying the newest equipment, start with the basics like a good DSLR camera, a few lenses, and editing software.

As your business expands, you can slowly get more advanced tools.

And if you believe you lack skills, SkillShare offers many photography courses that you can learn from.

You can try it for free for one month, and after that, you can continue learning not only about photography but also thousands of other courses with a single subscription.

13. Consulting or Coaching Services for Moms

Why not use the knowledge you’ve gained from your own experiences to help others?

You can offer consulting or coaching services to other moms out there.

This can include topics like balancing work and family life, effective parenting techniques, starting a business as a mother, or any other area where you can provide helpful advice and guidance.

The most important things are having the necessary skills (which may require certification in some cases) and expertise, knowing how to package and price your services, and effectively marketing yourself to the right clients.

You can start by building a target audience on social media sites like Pinterest, Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook.

Share helpful information, real-life examples, and relevant news to establish yourself as an expert in your field.

You can also make a list of people who have subscribed to your emails or are potential customers. This can be a valuable resource for your business to send a newsletter every month.

Final Thoughts

These 13 business ideas I mentioned are meant to be easy to start and profitable.

I also mentioned all the possible ways you can learn to improve your skills.

Now, it’s time to start making your dreams of being a business owner.

By considering the opportunities mentioned in this article, you can find a business idea that matches your interests, values, and family responsibilities.

Remember, every successful business starts with an idea and the courage to pursue it.