It's not all working in your pajamas, sleeping late and eating cereal at all hours, but part-time work from home can help you earn money while you watch the kids.
Plus, you'll avoid a commute and earn great experience you can take into the world for a later career.
Here are five of the most popular expert-recommended work at home businesses:
Business plan service
One of Entrepreneur's "55 ideas for starting a home-based business for less than $5,000," a business plan service costs less than $1,500 to get off the ground. You'll complete market research, a business plan narrative and financial statements for clients. Author Cheryl Kimball advises, "Base your fee on whichever deliverable the clients wants most and bill the others as 'add on services.'" Along with the ability to work from home, this idea has the added advantage of expansion possibilities, so you can start small and grow as you're able to devote more time and resources.
Accountant
Those willing to perform financial services for small businesses can easily choose their level of involvement, from simple bookkeeping to providing analytic tools like income statements and financial reports. If you have the requisite background and certifications, you can offer specialized services like tax accounting. If you're new to the field, beware employment ads promising big profits, as they're probably not legitimate accounting jobs.
Small engine repair
Not every part-time home-based job is for white collar workers, according to Entrepreneur. Stay-at-home parents or those looking for a profitable after-hours side hustle might want to consider small engine repair. Of course, you'll need experience or licensing for this garage-centered business, but most community colleges offer courses on engine repair. You also might be able to start out at someone else's shop to learn what you need to know. Before you put up fliers or a Craigslist ad, you'll want to know how to repair different types of lawn mowers, rototillers, chainsaws and generators.
Airbnb
If you're considering ways to make money working part-time from home, spend a few hours evaluating whether your home itself could provide sideline income. Airbnb is simply a website that acts as an online community, connecting travelers and hosts. Members list and rent lodging to other members, from entire houses to a spare bed. Airbnb handles all the transactions for a small fee from both host and renter. You'll need to consider whether you can attract enough business travelers or tourists to your home, according to the Simple Dollar, which offers tips for creating an alluring listing and for scheduling your opening at the same time as a big local event that will boost demand.
Home call center
As more companies shift to an increasingly remote workforce, there really are opportunities for legitimate work-at-home call center positions, according to the Spruce. Having experience in a office-based call center or even previous retail experience is often enough to land you a job with a home-based call center. Speaking more than one language will also make you an extra-appealing call center candidate. Avoid scams by watching out for job offers that include testing costs, application or training fees or reqests for the job applicant to pay for specialized equipment and software.
