If you’re anything like me, becoming a mom has caused you to re-think your priorities. Recently, I wrote a blog post about how starting my own business as a consultant has allowed me the flexibility, income, and freedom I fantasized about while sitting in my cubicle.
It’s not that moms don’t want to work hard or advance our careers, it’s that we want the ability to work, take care of our home, and spend quality time with our family and friends. This proved to be impossible for me while working 40 hours a week, and became a strain on my home, health, and relationships.
I explored several options, did countless hours of research, and met with many strangers to find out what’s out there in terms of remote and/or flexible jobs.
Here are some of the options I discovered:
- Start your own consulting/freelance business. According to The Mom Project, since 2013, the contingent or freelance workforce has grown at a rate 3x faster than the U.S. workforce overall, and millennials and moms are the most active segments of the growing freelance workforce. This cheat sheet I put together can help you get started. (This is one of the most lucrative options)
- Join a multi-level-marketing (MLM) company. I initially joined Rodan + Fields as a consultant because I love their products and my girlfriend has seen tremendous financial success with it. The business is actually legit and I earn some extra cash every month while helping women gain confidence in their skin.
- Become a Virtual Assistant (VA). VA’s are in high demand right now, and it’s a job that anyone with an education could do from home.
- Become an online teacher: VIPKids inspires students all across China by leading one-on-one English classes. They do it all through an online learning platform (aka you can teach from anywhere!).
Other resources that are/were helpful for me:
- Flexjobs.com: think indeed but with only flexible/remote job opportunities, and was created by a mom herself. You’re able to view current job openings, but you do have to pay a monthly fee to see all the details.
- The Mom Project: this is a company that supports women who are building careers and families. You can fill out a profile and they will reach out if any opportunities are available that match your skill set.
- Temp or staffing agencies: a staffing agency helped me land my first client and gave me a source of income while I was getting my business together. If you’re a creative, check out Creative Circle or The Creative Group. Make sure you’re honest with the recruiter about how much you want to work.
I hope this was helpful for you and you are inspired to think outside of the box. You’d be surprised how many options are out there. And, if you decide you may want to branch out and start your own business, I’d love to help you come up with a plan. I did it, and you can too!
-KB