Top 10 Businesses for Work-at-Home Moms

With so many home business ideas, we have selected ten businesses that we found to be ideal and practical for work-at-home moms.

1. Candle making.

If you are interested in the creative craft of candle making, you can have a lucrative home business. According to the National Candle Association, candle consumer retail sales in the United States alone is projected at over $2.3 billion, not including candle accessories. Candles have become a must-have accessory in every home for its practical and decorative elements, and it is used by 7 out of 10 American households. It has become a popular give away as gifts at birthdays, Christmas, and housewarmings. Once merely a hobby of candle enthusiasts, candles are now sold in gift and specialty stores, home furnishing stores, through mail order, craft shows and through the Internet. While candles can be made at a relatively low cost, candle making is a time-consuming process and may require some space (working in your kitchen can both be dangerous and very messy). Some people purchase candles already made and add decorative touches such as pressed dried flowers to the outside. Research on the kinds of candles that are being produced, and develop your own unique candle line.

Associations:
National Candle Association (http://www.candles.org)

Books:
Candle Making in a Weekend: Inspirational Ideas and Practical Projects by Sue Spear (1999)


2. Antiques and collectibles dealer.

If you are interested in antiques and period collectibles, this business is for you. Many people have earned income from scouring around neighborhood flea markets and yard sales for valuable finds, and reselling them for a handsome profit. You need to be able to learn how to distinguish which items are a steal (and which are not worth it), and how to price the bargains that you find. Your start-up phase will be devoted to scouting for more merchandise to resell. As your inventory grows, you can spend time marketing your find. You can rent a small booth at the mall or flea market every weekend. The Internet has expanded the market for antiques and collectibles business. You can open an online store or sell your finds on eBay.

Recommended Books:

How to Start a Home-Based Antiques Business (Home-Based Business Series) by Jacquelyn Peake
Buying and Selling Antiques : A Dealer Shows How to Get into the Business by Sara Pitzer (Contributor), Don Cline

Web Resources:
Antiques and Collectibles Guide ( http://www.acguide.com)
Antiques Roadshow Online (http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/roadshow)




3. Cut-flower business.

Flowers are all around us in our lives, and work-at-home moms with skill in the garden are well-placed to profit from people’s love for decorating tables and sideboards with beautiful fresh flowers. Cut flowers is a huge business in many parts of the world, and you can profit from this business if you have a medium-sized garden with good soil. Begin by establishing your garden and plant for resale perennials like mum, carnation, orchid, evening primrose, or whatever flower type you fancy. You are ready to find customers once your garden is overflowing with mature blossoms.

Recommended Books:
Field Grown Cut Flowers : A Practical Guide and Sourcebook : Commercial Field Grown Fresh and Dried Cut Flower Production by Alan B. Stevens
Flowers for Sale : Growing and Marketing Cut Flowers : Backyard to Small Acreage (A Bootstrap Guide) by Lee Sturdivant, Peggy Sue McRae (Illustrator)

Associations:
Association of Specialty Cut Flower Growers (http://www.ascfg.org)
American Institute of Floral Designers (http://www.aifd.org)
International Flower Bulb Centre (http://www.bulbsonline.org)
Bulb.com Association (http://www.bulb.com)



4. Transcription services.

A transcription service involves the typing of notes made from recorded records. There are basically five major markets for the home-based transcriptionists: academic, business, medical, legal and professional writers. Academic typing, which is the most readily available market and the most lucrative, normally covers everything from a book report, doctoral dissertations, grant proposals, course outlines and everything in between. Business and commercial typing includes menus for restaurants, consultants’ reports, mailing lists, brochures, correspondences, and many others. The field of medical transcription requires knowledge of the terminology used, and covers filling up health insurance forms, transcribing medical reports, preparing case studies for doctors, typing pathology reports and helping medical/dental offices with overload work. If you have acquired legal experience, you will be marketable in a typing business specializing in legal documents. Transcription can also be part of a business service such as a secretarial/word processing service or office support service.

Books:
Complete Typing Business Guide : Everything You Need to Know to Start and Successfully Operate a Home Typing Business by Frank Chisenhall
Start Your Own Medical Claims and Transcription Business (Start Your Own Business)


5. Handicrafts.

If you are making crafts now, think about kicking your hobby into a higher gear and turn it into a profit generating endeavor. With the craft craze nowadays, experts in the handcraft field estimate that the crafts industry generates almost $10 billion in annual sales. Depending on your craft, you can sell your crafts retail, wholesale, or one-of-a-kind in fairs, bazaars, boutiques as well as mail-order catalogs, gift shops and department stores. The challenge for many craft enthusiasts is turning their hobbies into full-blown businesses, and developing a more professional attitude toward their home business. Finding the right price for their products has always been a difficult task, but the cardinal rule is to always make at least twice as much as you have paid for your supplies. Keep up-to-date with the latest trends by reading crafting magazines and try to find your own "niche" market for your crafts.

Recommended Books:

Arts, Crafts and More by Barbara Lyerly Goins (Editor), Karen J. Goldfluss, Doris J. Guerrette
The Complete Book of Dollmaking : A Practical Step-By-Step Guide to More Than 50 Traditional and Contemporary Techniques (Watson-Guptill Crafts) by Pamela Peake

Web Resources:
National Craft Association (http://www.craftassoc.com)
Crafts Report Magazine (call 1-800-777-7098 for subscription)


6. Niche newsletter.

Small newsletters are emerging to serve the many needs of many different groups, from silk painting, parenting twins to stock options. If you have special talents (like writing), live in special locations (tourist areas), and have special knowledgeable (money saving tips), you can publish your very own newsletter and earn from it. Your newsletter need not be extravagantly designed or extremely colorful, but it must be well designed and readable. Your first step is to find a valuable topic that will sell. By far, saving money and making money are two of the best topics for newsletters. There must be something in your idea that will compel audiences to buy your publication ­ will it help them improve their lives and can they learn anything from it? It is also important if yours is a researchable topic to ensure longevity of your home business. Your idea must have a large potential audience, and there must be a way to reach your target market.

Web Resources:
Newsletters and Electronic Publishers Association (http://www.newsletters.org)
Newsletters Only (http://www.newslettersonly.com)

Books:
Publishing Newsletters by Howard P. Hudson (1998)




7. Home sewing.

Consumer interest in sewing and crafting continues to expand, as the home sewing industry grows to $3.5 billion in 2000. According to the Home Sewing Association, the continuous demand for home sewing is fueled by the current interest in home-based activities, the technical appeal of sewing machines with computerized functions, and the growth in the number of sewing-related sites on the Internet. If you have the ability to sew, you can offer such services as alterations, canvas repair, antique quilt restoration as well as sewing your original creations such as custom bedding, Christmas ornaments, custom slip and chair covers, hats, Christening gowns, prom dresses, chef and barbecue outfits, swim suits, ladies’ suits, soft toys and sculpture, and many more!

Recommended Books:
The Business of Sewing : How to Start, Maintain & Achieve Success by Barbara Wright Sykes

Associations:
Home Sewing Association (http://www.sewing.org)
American Sewing Guild (http://www.asg.org)



8. Herb farming.

Herbs nowadays are very much in demand, particularly with the popularity of specialty foods and cooking, and homeopathic medicines. Many people are into aromatherapy, which uses herbal oils and fragrances. Culinary herb varieties, such as basil, chives, parsley, oregano, thyme, mint, rosemary, French tarragon and many others, are growing in use. One particular herb, the medicinal herb ginseng once grown in Asia, is now grown in some parts of the United States and Europe. The growing interest in alternative medicine and healing both in America and the rest of the world ensures that this is a market set to expand.

Small-time herb farming can be an ideal business for those who love farming, as herbs can be grown in almost all seasons, in greenhouses, sun rooms and/or outdoors in relatively small spaces. Dried herbs can also be sold to crafters and florists for wreaths, floral arrangements, etc. Your first step is to decide what area of the business you want to develop (e.g. plants, herb products, aromatherapy, etc.). You can sell your herbs wholesale to local grocery stores and specialty food markets, sell directly to customers on and off the Internet at retail prices, herbalists and aroma therapists, caterers and restaurants specializing in gourmet cooking, mail order, and several other channels.

Recommended Books:

Resources:
Herb Growing and Marketing Network (http://www.herbnet.com)



9. Party planner.

If you love children and enjoy planning for parties, a party planning business is right for you. You can give busy parents help by planning the parties and arranging the cake and entertainment, etc., or doing the entertainment yourself. You can develop theme parties, from Power Rangers, 102 Dalmatians, Teletubbies, Pirates Treasure, and many more. You can also offer theme menus and sell all the "fixings" for the parties (related to popular children’s characters or themes) in bags that can be ordered from you in advance containing all the decorations, favors, and even game ideas.

Books:
The Birthday Party Business : How to Make a Living As a Children's Entertainer by Bruce Fife(Editor)
Life of the Party : A Guide to Building Your Party Plan Business (Fifty-Minute Series) by Betty Bowes

Web Resources:
The Party Works (http://www.thepartyworks.com)



10. Bookkeeping business.

Bookkeeping is a necessary evil for most business owners: they know they must maintain their records but it is a chore that these entrepreneurs would rather avoid. Other business owners are overwhelmed by business bookkeeping and do not have the time to do an adequate job or they may relegate a (reluctant) family member to do this. Paying someone like you to handle their bookkeeping is a smart business decision as it allows the entrepreneur to concentrate on their business.

Bookkeeping is an ideal home-based business: it requires minimal start-up costs, has high profit potential, and enjoys a steadily growing market. Knowledge of bookkeeping and accounting is needed, as well as a head for numbers, computer affinity, an eye for detail and personal qualities such as trustworthiness and discretion.

Books:

Bookkeeping & Tax Preparation : Start & Build a Prosperous Bookkeeping, Tax, & Financial Services Business by Gordon P. Lewis (Paperback - June 1996)