I remember facing the decision to return to work after having my son. I weighed all the options and, in the end, chose to stay home. The close attachment I was building with my son won. I became a full-time stay-at-home mom, but there was still a part of me that wanted to develop the work I do in the world.
I wanted to work. I just wanted to work on my terms.
I didn’t want to go to an office from 9 AM-5 PM every day or commute, so I was left with finding remote work options and/or starting my own small business that I could run mostly online.
At first, I found miscellaneous project management work that allowed me to work on my own schedule as long as I met the deadlines. There were a few meetings I had to call into but I leveraged the difference in time zones to schedule work-meetings before my child would wake up in the morning. This part-time work helped me have a little spending money and to finance the growth of my own small business.
I started my own small business because I realized that to be fully flexible for my family I would need to be my own boss. I know there are many moms who are like me and who chose to stay home with their children for some time. Some of us are perfectly happy just being a mom. Afterall, there is a full-time workload in that role! But then there are some of us who also want to bring in a little income, keep their skills sharp, and build a legacy through their work. For those moms, I’ve come up with a few bridge jobs that are flexible enough to do while your child is sleeping or having quiet time.
Virtual Assistant: For the tech-savvy, organized mom being a virtual assistant can be a fun job. Completing tasks like scheduling, organizing and replying to emails, or coordinating events can be completed in short spurts throughout the day or night. Becoming a virtual assistant is a great way to get started in remote work because most online executives will tell you their priorities and the different roles they want you to complete. You can hit the ground running while learning the world of online work. Assisting a business owner in their success is also a rewarding way to put your skills in tech and organization to good use.
Social Media Manager: Fill a room with small business owners and more than 75% of them will tell you that they know social media is essential to their business but that they don’t want to spend their time doing it. What’s the solution? You are! Imagine getting paid to post on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. That’s what a Social Media Manager gets to do on a daily basis. Keep in mind that this role is a little more technical. You’ll want to learn some basic design and copywriting skills. You’ll also want to understand the current trends that are helping grow social media audiences and be ready to help the business come up with campaigns to support their growth. If you love social media, this remote work option could be a great fit for you.
Bookkeeper: Most small businesses would gladly hand over their bookkeeping duties to a qualified and organized bookkeeper. The great thing is that besides the occasional client meeting most of the work can be done remotely and within your own schedule. Most clients will want their accounts balanced and recorded monthly. If you are strong in finance and/or have a good understanding of small business tax write-offs this job would be a great fit. There are many courses on how to do bookkeeping and what tools to use. Once you’ve mastered these tools reach out to any small business owners that you know. Likely, there are several who need your skills (especially when preparing for tax time!).
Project Manager: Do you have experience managing a team or projects? There are many small to medium businesses who are looking for part-time project managers to help move their projects along. Remote project management often leverages different time zones to get projects completed with team members from around the world. If you like managing tasks and meeting deadlines consider this option.
Consultant: Consider the skills and knowledge that you already have. Can you package what you already know as an expert and offer your skills as a consultant? This is a great way to command a high return for your time while adding more flexibility to your life. As a consultant, you have more freedom in choosing which projects you take on and which companies you choose to work with.
All of the above remote-work ideas can also be turned into a small business opportunity. Depending on your knowledge and level of expertise you can start a business right away or work for someone else for a while to learn the skills you would need to start your own business. What’s important is that you find a great fit to enjoy the work that you do and to enjoy the way you spend your time.
We are incredibly lucky to live in a world where we have the opportunity to design how we spend our time to fit the life we want. The question is no longer do you want to be a stay-at-home mom or a working mom but rather how much of a stay-at-home mom or a working mom do you want to be? From there, you are able to start designing the life that works best for you.
I spent seven years in a project management career (in a traditional office) and spent another year working remotely as a writer/editor for a social media manager, and they are both fantastic options for remote and part time work! I honestly forget that project management can be done in a remote/online platform, so I needed this list to get my brain thinking of my old career as a new possibility post-baby. Thank you!