When you have children with special needs, you know your life is very different from others. You’ve had to quit your job because you didn’t have enough time to work and care for your children. Hiring a dedicated caregiver is an option, but it can be expensive. And there’s a chance money might be tight too, so starting a business of your own might not be such a bad idea. That’s where we come in. If you want to make better use of the time you can spare, here are five easy ways moms of special needs children can start their own business. Let’s dive right into it, shall we?
Difference Between Choosing Your Hours and Keeping Set Hours
One of the best things about owning your own business is that you get to choose your hours, and you are your own boss.
And time is crucial when you have children with special needs as they’ll need to visit therapy sessions and their doctors regularly. If you can figure out a way to work around your child’s daily schedule, then there’s a high chance you can find something to do with your time.
You can run several businesses from home if you have the necessary skill set. For instance, you may be good at crafting or building things; you can use this skill to sell whatever you make online!
Not only will you have the flexibility regarding your children’s schedule, but you’ll also have the freedom and time to work on your creative passion.
Keeping Set Hours
That being said, other businesses give you the space to choose your hours, but they’ll be more restrictive because you have to work within a specific time window. Here’s a list of examples that may help you understand better:
- Massage Therapist
- Cosmetologist
- Hairdresser
- Tattoo artist
These businesses mentioned above require you to set scheduled appointments with your clients. Yes, you can choose the hours yourself, but whether or not you’ll be able to keep your scheduled appointments will be what makes or breaks your business.
Even with jobs that need you to keep set hours, you can also schedule them around your child’s schedule. But, in emergencies, it can be difficult to cancel appointments with your clients.
5 Easy Ways Moms of Special Needs Children Can Start A Business
Now that we’ve discussed how time can be on your side, let’s talk about how you can operate your own business while taking care of your special needs children.
While your children might not be able to take care of your business after you’ve retired, they can benefit from it once they’re eligible. If you’re unfamiliar with what a special needs trust is, learn more here!
And so, without further ado – here are five easy ways that might just be up your alley:
Put Your Culinary Skills to Good Use!
Why not get paid for it if you have a passion for cooking and feeding people? It’s time to put those culinary flairs of yours to good use.
If you’re good at baking, starting your own cookie business will be a great idea. There’s always room for improvement, and you can do that by offering a variety of other baked goods as well.
You can also offer your services as a personal chef or have a home-based catering business. But, if cooking or baking is not your scene, then you can always try your hand at food blogging instead. You can share recipes you have been attempting, tips and tricks of your own, etc. Other moms of special needs children can learn from you too!
Becoming An Online Tutor or Instructor
If there’s one good thing that came from the recent COVID-19 pandemic, it’s the number of remote jobs increase.
Gone are the days when you had to be present inside of a classroom to teach students or go to their houses to tutor them. Now you can do that online. And the best part is that you’ll have students from all over the world!
With the power of a good Internet connection, you can now help people learn a new language or get better at one, provide academic lessons, teach a skill or an instrument, become a yoga instructor, or even give cooking lessons. The possibilities are endless.
Let Your Creativity Flourish
Speaking of possibilities, here’s another way you can start your business – being creative. If you have a knack for all things artistic and crafty, it’s time to utilize it to your advantage.
The Internet has made it possible for you to make things at home and sell them online to people worldwide. Sites like Etsy are great for selling your unique goods. You can also build your website and sell your items there too.
In this line of business, the options are endless. You can make or sell items like paintings, miniature figures, jewelry, potteries, baskets, and more.
Join In On The Blogging Trend
If you’re not aware already, then you’d be happy to know that there’s a significant amount of success for moms who run their own blogs. The only downside is that the market for any kind of blog is heavily overcrowded, whether mom-related or not.
To have a successful blog, you’ll need to find a niche and figure out a way to reach the target market for it. Once you’ve done that, you’ll see many ways to make money through blogging, like advertising, selling or creating information products, affiliate marketing, etc.
This can be great for stay-at-home moms to earn a living on the side and also have enough time to look after their children. This also allows you to potentially connect with other moms of special needs children as well.
Show Off Your Writing Skills
Whether you have good writing skills or a natural way with words, there are ways to earn money through it. Right now, more and more online magazines and websites are popping up in need of content. The best part is that they’ll pay to get it, so that’s where your talents come in.
Freelance writing gigs like copywriting are the most profitable right now, including writing articles, resumes, etc. Some companies hire several copywriters and assign them articles on a first-come-first-served basis.
The great thing about this work style is that you can work more when you can spare the time and take a break when you’re busy with your children. Other companies have a more structured set-up where the writers must fill a certain quota daily or weekly.
Final Thoughts
In conclusion, we’d like to say that being a mom is hard enough. Plus, being a mom of children with special needs is entirely different. The time, energy, and effort you have to give after your children can easily take up all of your time. But it doesn’t have to be that way.
Now that you can start and grow a business in several ways, why should moms be left out? If you have a skill, make good use of it and earn some money on the side. Let us know in the comments if you’re a mom and you have found a way of your own to work and also take care of your special needs child.
