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

[mnistooaddictive]

I am a maths tutor. I spent 22 years as a maths teacher beforehand. I work evenings and weekends when DH is home to look after our children. I love the fact it is flexible but am really sick of working weekends. It is seasonal do I don't work at all July/August which is great time wise but means I don't earn anything! I earn about £200 per week which makes a massive difference to us. My youngest starts school thus September so I am going back to school teaching so we can have family time again. Easter holidays was hard as I had both my DVD all day and then went to work on the evening so I never got a break! My students wanted extra sessions however and it is hard to turn down the extra money!
I am somewhere between pin money/ proper job but would class myself as a SAHM.

[motherinferior]

April, I think you mean pedants' corner

[AprilFoolishness]

[DolomitesDonkey]

I'm a small business advisor. Most definitely not SAHM!

[Dryjuice25]

Drama You used to work in tax too! I'm finding it hard to find flexible work locally and I totally get you. Not sure why I'm even studying for more exams in this field to be honest. Good luck with everything.

Books Sounds like an exciting move that you're planning to make there. Enjoy it.
X1V1980 Just goes to show you where a hobby can take you. I also love your resilience. Good on you.
Tattydevine I love that idea. Sound like a lot of fun. I love jewellery too.

So many ideas here. I am inspired. Totally.

Thanks to all of you for sharing, amazing women. What you have is my idea of having it all, so to speak. Single or married. Big or small scale . All empowering stuff.

[CocktailQueen]

I'm a copy-editor/proofreader. Fits round the kids but lets me do fun things as well unless I'm working all day on a very tedious book with a tight deadline and do all pick-ups and drop-offs, as well as go in to hear readers at school and do PTA stuff. But it's also a career and pays for all our holidays, everything for the kids and so on, and gives me great satisfaction.

[EddieVeddersfoxymop]

I'm a dressmaker/seamstress/crafty sewer. Set up for myself 2 years ago, now my DD is as school so I work around 20 hours a week through school time. Means that I am always around for school things, helping in the classroom etc as I can re jig my working hours to fit DD and her extensive list of after school activities.

It's hard work, I class myself as self employed rather than a SAHM although I sometimes feel a fraud when people ask what I do......

[zaphod]

Clown for children's parties. Except for school events, it's week-end work, short hours, good pay.

[Doubtitsomehow]

Aid consultant. Work from home, but have to travel. Definitely not a SAHM. Need full concentration when wfh, and therefore childcare. Can do the school run but often at the computer at midnight.

I think to start something up you would be best to:

• Use your prior skills - I bet if you placed an ad in the local paper, or contacted local firms saying you were looking for freelance work, you'd get replies
  
• Use your prior networks - you said you were no good at networking, but I bet you do have some prior contacts through work. Would it help to sit and write down a list of names, however random, of professional contacts, then go through and select a few to email, saying that you're looking to get back into the workplace and would be interested in any freelance work that comes along?
  

Good luck op! It's a lovely life, imo.

[Elefant1]

I have been reading this thread with interest as I have been looking for something else to do along side my part time job. I have been thinking about book keeping. May I ask Kewcumber please if you know what courses are any good for getting the right qualifications, there seem to be lots of different ones out there and I am worried about paying a lot of money for a qualification that is not very good or usefull!

[piprabbit]

I'm trying to start a small business offering Basic IT Skills training, aimed at people with little or no experience of using computers (think retired people wanting to keep in touch with friends and family, start online shopping etc,). I know there is a lot of demand, what I'm not sure of is if anyone is willing to pay.
It's sort of based on my professional career plus volunteering work I've been doing since becoming a SAHM.

[Kahlua4me]

I work for my husband who is a self employed tradesman. I do all paperwork, invoices etc.

[Amykins]

I work for Oxford open learning as a tutor. All done by Skype/email/phone. I was a secondary teacher before having my daughter.

[InMySpareTime]

I'm a storyteller.
I tell stories at local cafes and schools, make puppets, sell illustrated stories and am writing an e-book.
Not megabucks, but it keeps me out of mischief and I love doing it.

[kerstina]

Interesting thread. I am a stay at home mom to one school aged child. My DP gives me a weekly allowance for doing 99% of the housework and being around for DS. I also have 2 voluntary jobs reading in school and doing art activites with pre school children. I earn extra money by making cards. I sell them at craft fairs and to friends and family.Would love to turn this into my own business but at the moment it is just a bit of extra cash rather than earning a living so am grateful that my partner is happy for me to stay at home as I like my life at the moment.

[DoTheStrand]

I do affiliate marketing - I promote other people's products and services on my sites and blogs and get commission when I sell something. It is all done through cookies and tracked links.

I was originally a web editor and have done contract work in that field for ex employers (they like that I know their style guide inside out, quite often because I wrote it ) any contract work was also done from home so I earned less than if I worked in London for a daily rate. But I saved massively on travel costs, clothes, childcare for that commuting time.

Mumblechum you did our wills - I had no idea you were answering my emails in your pyjamas, I am one of those people who has to be dressed with full make up before I even sit in front of my computer

[cuillereasoupe]

I'm a translator. Nice little earner once you've got your network built up.

[emma123456]

Im a chartered accountant. I work with small to medium sized businesses doing their accounts and tax. I work from home and work my hour s around the kids. I do somewhere between 20 and 30 hours per wk .

[lovesherdogstoomuch]

Kerala. i have quite a big house. kids flying the nest etc. me twiddling my thumbs. foreign students? tell me more. i was thinking of running a B&B. too much investment tho. can you send me a link?

[jennywren45]

I run a livery yard from home .

[ImTooHecsyForYourParty]

I run a tourism website.

I also do the website d&d, book keeping, some admin and all policies and procedures for my husband's business, including the 4 ISO systems the company has. (they took me bloody months to do and I had to get myself banned from MN in order to get them done on time )

And I do some consultancy and design training days now and again (I'm an accredited trainer) - but I'm not in that business any more and don't take new customers, so I just update procedures for those who already bought from me and one whole system for a friend of someone who had hired me to do their entire system a few years ago. Maybe a couple of jobs a year on that side and tbh I'd rather drop it altogether, but I feel mean

[mumblechum1]

Mumblechum you did our wills - I had no idea you were answering my emails in your pyjamas, I am one of those people who has to be dressed with full make up before I even sit in front of my computer

here I am again at 4.30am having just written 4 wills since 1.30am; being an insomniac helps!

[TheFallenNinja]

I'm a SAHD and I organise Mud Running events.

DP works a shift system so it works out quite well.