Top 10 Home-Based Businesses for Stay-at-Home Parents

To be a stay-at-home parent, a home business should offer a flexible schedule, minimal customer interaction, and must generally fit in to your lifestyle. Here are 10 top recommendations for jobs that fit those criteria.

When you have children, it is natural to want to spend as much time with them as possible. But being a stay-at-home parent does not mean you can't contribute financially to your family.

To be a good fit for a stay-at-home parent, a home business should offer a flexible schedule, minimal customer interaction, and must generally fit in to your lifestyle. Here are 10 top recommendations for jobs that fit those criteria.

1. Medical transcription is a great choice for people with a good command of the English language and excellent keyboarding skills. Many doctors prefer to outsource their transcription function. This business requires a very low overhead, a minimum of necessary equipment, and a good income.

2. Accounting offers a flexible schedule for parents who already have extensive financial skills. You can either purchase a tax and accounting franchise for your area or start your own company right in your home.

3. Child care allows you to spend a great deal of time with your own children while taking care of other people's children. This business is a good choice for parents who are already experienced in caring for kids.

4. Assembling and selling custom gift baskets let you combine your creative skills with your desire to work from home. These baskets can range from simple fruit baskets to complicated executive gadget baskets.

5. Making and selling candles and crafts is a great way to involve your children in your work. If you are handy at making attractive crafts, you can have your children help you create them and you can easily market these items from your home.

6. Catering can be a good fit for busy parents who love to cook and entertain. Most of the work can be done in your home while looking after your children, with only a minimum of time spent out of the house.

7. Medical claims billing offers another opportunity to showcase your accounting experience in a steady work-from-home job. There are many opportunities in this field for busy parents with financial backgrounds.

8. Freelance typing jobs are a great way to earn money from home. Even in this age of ubiquitous computers, there continues to be a demand for skilled typists.

9. Publishing e-books can be a great way to share your knowledge with a vast market. You can write and sell e-books on any number of topics. If you have been successful at juggling a family and a home business, an e-book is a great way to share your secret with others.

10. Online affiliate programs do not require you to directly interact with customers or worry about finding room for products in your home. You can start a successful affiliate business by finding companies that offer products you are interested in and marketing them on the Internet.

There is no shortage of home-base business opportunities, but there are also numerous scams you will need to be aware of. If an opportunity sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Do your research before you commit to anything.

In the end, you will need to arrange your business so it doesn't interfere with your other priorities. There are many home-based businesses that will never require you to set foot outside your home, allowing you to spend the majority of your time with your family.

Also read " Home-Based Franchises" and also this listing: " Bring it home: Get moving with our ranking of the top 101 homebased franchises."

Help your home-based business succeed with tips on setting up a home office and maintaining work/life balance at AllBusiness.com.

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