To ask those SAHM who are self-employed to tell us what they do?

[Dryjuice25]

I have seen posts of mums who work for themselves from home and always wondered just being nosey what they do and how they get their money.

I expected no posts so come on here and tell us if you don't mind.

I have to say that I'm looking for something to do at the moment as I have 3dcs, single and find it hard to get child-friendly jobs that don't involve travelling to London(1 and half hours drive!) Preferably something that only requires a small capital outlay.

Thanks in advance

I retrained as a beautician and work from home.

I don't make a lot of money, but I enjoy the work, the hours are convenient, no commute and I have some lovely clients. More of a hobby to earn a bit of pin money than an income though.

I used to earn money as a marketing consultant working mainly from home with the odd meeting with clients thrown in. I used to work as a senior marketing manager for quite a while so I already had some contacts and build on them through online networking.... I got fed up with it all in the end though. Ultimately I am too lazy (I'm honest!) And I'd rather live on a lot less money and not have to worry about self assessment tax! (Although if you earn under a certain amount I don't think you need worry about that, I'm not sure now).

I make cakes.

I'm a childminder. I don't think of myself as a SAHM though, just someone who works from home.

Writer - no outlay at all! Work from home, here for school runs, take all school holidays off.

What did you do before you had children? Have you got any old work colleagues you could tap up for some freelance work?

In these times employers might feel more comfortable about throwing some work to a freelancer than they would taking someone on full time and permenantly (with all that entails) so you might get some interest.

I'm a legal PA who works remotely for her bosses, works very well for all of us, very fortunate for me.

Like NickNacks I don't describe myself as SAHM either. This is my job, I'm self-employed and I work from home. I work in a way that allowed me the time I want to spend with my children, but I never describe myself as a SAHM.

What kind of work did you do in the past? Can you do some consultancy work?

I was a recruitment consultant for years and built up my client base through previous contacts and clients I used to work with. I work from home (or the park!) as with a tablet and a smart phone I can work anywhere!

I also do window dressing a few times a month.

I eBay anything with a value for myself and I'm just thinking about doing it at a 50% cut for friends and family (after many requests). Its completely flexible no outlay, i can do messages in the evenings etc and I have the space to store stuff whilst I sell it. Just with selling the three DC's (and our) old clothes/ toys/ furniture we no longer want and things like pushchairs which I've changed my mind on I regularly have little bouts bringing in £200 - 500 a time.

Its not an income as such but it helps buy the next size up in clothes, new to us furniture etc. I think if I did it more seriously for friends and family as well it could be a reasonable 2nd income.

sex cam work

Host foreign students. On a good month its £1500 a month on a bad zero. No childcare/office sitting required. You need a biggish house though but outlay is minimal.

accountant/bookkeeper - though I also don't call myself a SAHM. Not that it really matters to me either way I have been a WOHM, SAHM and currently SFHM (shirk from home mum)

Artist / Illustrator / Printmaker

Not a SAHM mum though - just work from home - DCs are school age.

It's great to be able to work around holidays etc. but very hard too. When they were little i had to have folks look after them as it's not something that's compatible with having small children around.

That said - i'm not sure most work is compatible to having them around - i have found that if you seriously work from home you do still need to have child care in place.

And make sure any friends and family know you are working - nothing worse than having someone 'pop in for coffee' when you are working as they know you are home. You can see i have had issues

It's a hard balance - wish i had a studio elsewhere

Complementary therapist.

Of course you do have to take the courses which costs money, but I did one as a hobby a few years ago and the other last year to keep me sane. I'm doing just enough to cover my expenses and a little more, at the moment, but once DD1 goes to school in Sept I'll be looking to expand my client base.

I have a dog handling business, so I look after, groom, walk and train dogs in term time. I also write fiction and draw comics, which I do from home.

Im a Childminder too, but I also work in Pre School, so Im self employed and employed..

I'm an architect.

Although I have an accommodation address for work-related post and on my calling card, I actually work from my back room. Nearly all the current commissions are for public bodies - most of them via an intermediary - so my name doesn't even appear on my drawings!

As DD is school age I can easily manage my time around her (apart from a site meeting last week which was totally unnecessary but at the whim of a very irritating and smug 'project manager')

kerala that sounds interesting, how would one find out more info on that. By contacting universities perhaps?

Yes gashly - I can;t work with DS around except on a very limited basis - eg answering a few emails. Mind you I find it hard enough to bring myself to actually do any work without DS at home!

I write. Anything but mostly it is technical stuff. White papers, case studies, commercial analysis. Like the others I am not a SAHM but a full time worker who works from home. I do six solid hours while children are at school, and another two hours after they go to bed, or I work a Sunday and the other half takes over. Is really stressful, and I find it a huge relief on the one day a week where we use after school care. In the holidays I do a mix of swaps with other parents, holiday club, and getting up bloody early. I got up at 4am every day for the second week of the Easter holidays to get in a few hours of work time.

I don't like the loneliness, the never being able to switch off, and managing tax etc sucks big time. But, I get to do drop offs and picks ups and school holidays, and I can do things like PTA stuff because I can move my work hours around. Also I can do things like go out for lunch or coffee, or go see a movie in the middle of the day, if I can manage it!

My house is permanently in need of housework though.

I'm self employed with two jobs:

I work two mornings (3hrs) a week teaching baby signing. Initial investment was approx £900 and made profit from year one. Averages out about £550 pcm take home.

I also work as a Pampered Chef Consultant. Averages about £250 pcm take home based on working 3 evenings a month with a £120 investment.

Thanks all for quick replies.

I worked as a tax advisor in my previous life. Didn't make any lasting contacts as I'm rubbish at that sort of thing. Made redundant before I obtain robust experience and had retrained as a career change initiative!! So this move went really badly.

Fairylea Start your business again I will do your SA!

Some really imaginative/interesting ideas here.

Kewcumber I suppose that is not too far from reach for me but I'm rubbish at networking though.
Kerala If only I had a bigger house..
Twirlyagogo That sounds like a dream. I would love to do that but I'm rubbish at seeing a written piece to completion! I do write just for my eyes though as a hobby and I'm rubbish

Ebay sounds good though I wouldn't flog the dcs but I suppose I can spring clean a lot of unwanted items in the house

Silversmith

Starting set up when dd1 was 2.5 and dd2 was 7 month old