Just as you reinvent yourself from sassy 20 something party girl to loving caring mommy, you find it’s time to reinvent your career too. Being a stay at home mom can be lucrative if you can find the right opportunity.
A good stay at home career need three elements:
Quick to train and start earning
Level of income to meet your family’s needs
Flexible working hours
Become A Marriage Celebrant
A Marriage Celebrant, (also known as Marriage Officiant or Commissioner) can be easy or difficult to do depending on where you are from. In some areas (especially in parts of Canada) there are a limited number of positions available and there is an application process similar to a job application. In other places, you simple read a hand book, fill out some exercises and apply – check with your district or state’s website for more information. If you are unable to easily qualify in your state, there is nothing at all stopping you from conducting (non-legally binding) Baby Naming Ceremonies, Vow Renewals and Commitment Ceremonies. These are all easy to research and pay around $300 for less than one hour’s work.
Once qualified, A Marriage Celebrant mostly works evenings (for couple meetings) and weekends (for actual ceremonies) when the kids can be left with dad or other family. The best news is that Celebrants charge up to $600 per couple for marriages – which means that you may only need do one or two jobs per week to make ends meet. Bear in mind though, weddings are planned long in advance so it could be some time before your first gig. With more than half of all marriages conducted outside of churches these days, there is definitely room for you in the market!
Become an Auctioneer
Becoming and auctioneer is quick and relatively easy. You will learn about your legal obligations and the best methods for selling particular items. The training is usually relatively cheap and many schools even offer finance plans. Look for a training academy that has auction houses attached and find out if they will help you get a few under your belt as your technique will improve with each auction. With all the fluctuations in the domestic and commercial property markets, auctioneers are rarely out of work and charge anything from $400 to thousands of dollars for their services. Auctions can happen any day of the week and at any time but many property auctions happen on Saturday and Sunday when children can stay with family or friends.
Become a Freelancer
Writing, typing, translating, marketing, selling, admin, graphic design… if it can be done over the phone or internet, it can be done at home! If you’ve got any skills and experience, you are already in high demand, if you have neither, start building them today. There are literally thousands of freelance jobs posted daily on hundreds of websites (Google freelance work – you’ll be shocked). You will need a Paypal account and be registered for tax as a sole trader (this involves different things depending on where you are from, check your tax office website for more details). Without experience, you may be forced to take low paying jobs at first until you can prove you are an asset to companies. You can write in your own time (when children sleep) and usually start earning within a week of taking your first job.
Become a Mortgage Agent (Broker)
The fluctuations in the property market over the past twenty years have created this relatively new industry. Depending on where you live, becoming a mortgage agent (also known as broker in some areas) can be as easy as learning some software or as difficult as gaining a university qualification. Generally though, you will need to take a course in the software and legal requirements, pass a test and then become registered with a licensed brokerage firm. Before signing with a firm, ask about work referrals and territories.
Mortgage Agents/Brokers work on commission so if you are not good with sales, this might not be for you. The commission is either based on the whole mortgage value (and continues for the life of the mortgage) or by the number of mortgages you bring to a brokerage. The former will make you more money in the long run and the latter will offer you more protection and stability.
You are responsible for scheduling appointments with new clients (most will request evenings or weekends) so you can decide when you work.
Become a Beautician, Nail Therapist or Masseuse
If you love all things bright and beautiful and have a genuine love of people, a part time career in the beauty industry is a great way to make extra money. Qualifying is usually not too expensive because there are plenty of beauty schools around and many will let you choose which therapies you’d like to learn and only charge for those.
It is a competitive industry but you can start by offering services to friends and friends of friends in their homes on weekends and build from there. It may take a little time to build your business up but it is an industry with a high incidence of repeat customers so with a few good ones, your business should grow quickly.
Become an ESL Teacher on SKYPE
There are an estimated 2 billion English Language students on Earth, some of whom are looking to pay around $40 per lesson (sometimes much more) to be taught over SKYPE. You can do this with no qualifications but you won’t make much money. A CELTA or TESOL certificate is the way to go and usually costs under $2000 and takes less than 3 months to qualify. After that, you can book students in for weekly lessons at times to suit you. There are lots of “kind hearted souls” doing this job for free which makes the industry very competitive but if you are qualified, have organized lessons and have a good understanding of English Grammar, students will quickly come to understand you’re worth every penny.
Every woman has the right to spend time with her young children if she chooses. It doesn’t mean you have to give up a satisfying career, it just means finding a niche that suits you and your family.
About the Author: Dana Flannery is a qualified Marriage Celebrant, English Teacher and Freelance Writer who stays at home with her lovely little boy. She makes more than enough money to meet the monthly bills and plans to never go back to full time work! View some of Dana’s work at Brisbane Civil Celebrant and at Talk About English
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