4 Small Business Ideas for Stay-at-Home Parents

Not all businesses require you to work a 9-to-5 schedule.

Raising kids could well be the hardest and most expensive thing you ever do. The average cost to raise a child to age 18 is now over $300,000. Plus, the cost of childcare has risen sharply over the last few years, and for some parents, it doesn't make much sense to take a job outside their home, as they'll just have to turn around and hand a good chunk of their paychecks to a childcare provider.

The good news is that stay-at-home parents have options in starting a small business that supports their financial goals and allows them to care for their kids. There are plenty of businesses that don't have to conform to a particular schedule, thankfully. Give these potentially flexible options some consideration.

1. Care for other people's children

One of the businesses in my house when I was growing up was a home daycare center, and even all these years later, my parents still take care of other people's kids every day. Their business is full time, with a part of their home 100% dedicated to the daycare's operations, and they must get licensed (and re-licensed) through a state agency.

You may not want to put in the upfront costs and effort necessary for such an undertaking, and may instead elect to watch kids on a more casual basis. Laws around licensing for childcare providers vary from state to state; for example, in my current state of residence, you would only need a license if you intend to care for three or more children for three or more hours a day on a regular basis. If you'd rather take on a few neighborhood kids for after-school care, you can make some money and take care of your own kids at the same time. It's a good idea to take childcare and CPR classes, however -- other parents will be a lot more comfortable relying on you.

2. Become a bookkeeper

If you're interested in helping other businesses with their finances, you might consider becoming a bookkeeper. There's a little training involved, but it generally only takes about six months to train as a bookkeeper if you get a position with an accounting firm. If you decide to approach this as a freelancer, you can teach yourself to use accounting software. And once you have some clients, you can likely do your tasks at any time of day, freeing yourself up to ensure your kids are cared for, too. Note that you may need to carve out a little time during the day to speak to clients on the phone about their financial reports, if they have questions.

3. Resell clothing

Reselling businesses are hot, and with good reason. If you can spend some of your precious free time sourcing clothing items (say, from thrift stores, estate sales, and beyond), you can create your online sale listings and prepare shipments to customers at any time of day. You might even be able to schedule package pickup so you don't have to drive to a shipper. Others have turned clothing reselling into a profitable business, and as a result, there are a ton of resources out there to help you research fashion trends and appeal to customers. You can sell through existing sites like eBay or Etsy, or rely on an e-commerce platform if you want to create your own website for sales.

4. Write

There are many work opportunities for writers of all kinds, and speaking as a freelance writer, it's wonderful to have a job that doesn't depend on a set schedule or even a set location. If you're shuttling kids around to extracurricular activities, you can bring your laptop along and get some work done. If you want to become a freelance writer, you'll have to turn in quality work and meet deadlines, so while this job can be done while your kids are napping or otherwise occupied during the day, it will still require a lot of attention to detail.

The work-from-home revolution we've experienced these last few years has made it possible to maintain a flexible schedule while still earning money, and this is great news for stay-at-home parents who are ready to start a small business.