Working from home options - ADVICE NEEDED PLEASE!

[BexEvs83]

Hi
I am new to mumsnet but am really looking for some advice.
I am due to give birth in May next year, and unfortunatly only get statutory maternity pay from my employer whilst on maternity leave.
We will be able to cope (tightly!) during my SMP, but after that I am going to need to get back to work to start bringing home some money again.
I can't realistically return to my current role as it's based in central London and with the ever increasing costs of public transport, plus childcare my salay wouldnt cover even that.
So, I am considering working from home. My first idea was Childminding - but I know this is a tough career choice, can take a while to become fully registered and is hard work with children all day long.
Does anyone have any advice on earning money from home, or whether childminding really is as scary as some people say it is?!
Any advice would be really appreciated as we're starting to worry more about our finances, instead of enjoying being pregnant and looking forward to baby arriving.
Thanks
Becky

Hi, and congratulations on your pregnancy!
Can you tell us anything about your skills and experience? What field do you work in at the moment? That might make it easier to suggest some options.
I have no experience of childminding, but I would imagine it would be hard with a newborn to give much attention to other people's children as well. I do know people who have taken up childminding because of the way it fits in with their own DC, but mostly when their children are a little older.

Thank you! :)
I am currently a PA in a marketing company. Been doing this for 6 years now. So I guess you could say my skills are office based, administration as well as event organising and trip planning. I also manage diaries and a small amount of financial stuff too. Fairly broad spectrum!
Childminding does fit in well with being at home with newborn (although the baby would be closer to 1 by the time i'd start this), and does pay well - I am just worried that it will be extremely hard work and not what I expected.
If there are alternative ways to earn money from home, or work locally with cheap childcare options then I'd be keen to learn more!

Hi Bex - have you thought about any of the home based selling companies? I do Phoenix trading and also an office job. The admin skills, event organising and financial stuff I've learned in that job are really useful for the Phoenix stuff as well. There are lots of different companies you could do this with - Avon, Usborne Books, etc.

Virtual PA? Look at peopleperhour for ideas

ive been a childminder for around 8years i love childminding at the moment im not registered for reasons i wont go into i was registered for a number of yearsWithout bieng registered you can mind children age 8 and over without any restrictions children under 8 can be minded for no more than 2 hours in a day So i mind children age 4 to 11 before and after school which prob would be okay for u and bring in some extra money Its poss to get insurance as a child minder exempt from compulsory registration with morton and michel saves all the stress of ofsted so long as you dont mind children under 8 for more than 2 hours in a day I am also a self employed cleaner