Top Online Income Streams for Mums: How to Turn Your Skills into Cash

As a busy mum, you may be looking for ways to earn extra income online while still having time for your family. The good news is that there are many different ways to make money online, and you may already have the transferable skills needed to get started.

No matter what online income stream you choose, there are a few key transferable skills that will help you succeed, and if you are a mum theses skills come hand in hand with that!

• Time management: Being able to balance your work and family responsibilities is crucial for success.

• Communication: You'll need to communicate effectively with clients, customers, and other professionals.

• Organisation: Keeping track of tasks and deadlines is essential for staying on top of your workload.

So, how can you put those skills to work for you and build a flexible income that works for you and your family?

Here are some of the top online income streams that can provide that work life balance:

Completing Online Surveys: This is a super simple way to get started making money online! Not only is there no barrier to entry, it can be done in small pockets of time and often while completing other tasks. Different survey websites pay you to complete online surveys, test applications and review products or be part of focus groups and they can pay anywhere from a few cents to a few hundred dollars! Some survey sites will pay in cash or others pay in gift cards. It can be a simple yet lucrative way to earn extra income in your spare time. Some of my fave survey sites are- Attapoll, PureProfile, OctopusGroup and Surveyz.

Online Coaching: If you have expertise in a particular area, such as business or parenting, you can offer online coaching services to individuals or groups. Think about what you have expertise in. Often we are very quick to think our skills could not be utilised by others, but you would be amazed at what people want to be coached in. Think about what you do well, it could be budgeting, cooking healthy meals, play activities, literacy coaching or so much more the opportunities are endless. You could provide guidance, support, and accountability to help clients achieve their goals. You can offer your coaching services via a website or webinar, or even an online course. You could build a course online or find online course builders here.

Freelance Writing: If you have a talent for writing, you can become a freelance writer and create content for websites, blogs, and other online publications. There are so many services that require ghost writers or copywriters. You can use tools to support your writing, but to have great success in this area you would need to learn Search Engine Optimisation (SEO), as this is the key that many are looking for so others can find the services provided. You can offer your services on sites like Fiverr or Upwork.

Virtual Assistance: Outsourcing and freelancing is becoming so common for businesses and it is the perfect role for a mum with excellent admin skills, and lets face it, as a mum we are often managing all the admin of the family, so this skill can be easily transferred into payment! As a virtual assistant, you can provide administrative support to businesses from your own home office. This could include tasks such as scheduling appointments, answering emails, and managing calendars. You can be a general administrative assistant or could specailise if you have advanced skills such as spreadsheet creation or social media management. You can offer your services on sites like Fiverr, Upwork or Indeed.

E-Commerce: If you have a knack for sales and marketing, you can set up your own e-commerce store and sell products online. This could be anything from handmade crafts to digital products such as e-books or online courses. You can do this in a variety of ways, if you manufacture a product or even use dropshipping. E-commerce does take skill and lots of market research to ensure that you are targeting the right people, although the rewards from building a product from the ground up can be immense. Small entry can be made from Etsy if you already craft your own products, or you can use Shopify or WooCommerce to build more complex shopping sites.

User Generated Content: Another way to make money online is by creating and sharing user-generated content, such as photos, videos, or blog posts. You can earn income through advertising or sponsorships, or by selling your content to businesses or other websites. This is great for those with merchandising experience or skills in photography and videography as you want to be able to demonstrate those products with skill. It is a super fun way of bringing your personality to the products you recommend and can fit into any industry that you love to engage with.

Affiliate Marketing: Affiliate marketing is recommending others products through your online channels. When you recommend a product to another person, you can earn a commission. Commissions range from cents to thousands of dollars and can be recurring. This means that you do not need to constantly promoting individual products. Unlike being an influencer or creating content for products, Affiliate marketing does not need a large following and can be done through social media, email marketing, or a blog, youTube videos and so much more. Affiliate marketing is a skill, that does require a little bit of learning, but in most cases, course are low cost and can actually set up a business in as little as days or weeks and can start earning very shortly after. You can access a free course here, if you are interested in affiliate marketing.

If you do not have a readily available skill set that you think you can immediately get started, there are plenty of ways that you can learn online. To develop the digital skills needed for these online income streams, you can take advantage of online resources such as online courses, webinars, and blogs. Platforms such as Udemy, Skillshare, and Fiverr Learn offer courses on everything from social media marketing to affiliate marketing, while blogs such as HubSpot offer insights and tips on various digital marketing strategies. You can also find a wealth of knowledge on platforms such as TikTok, Pinterest or Facebook.

Remember, the most important thing is to choose an online income stream that aligns with your skills and interests, and allows you to create a flexible lifestyle that works for you and your family. With the right skills and mindset, you can turn your online income stream into a thriving business that brings in extra income while giving you the freedom to enjoy time with your loved ones.

Laney Digital utilises affiliate links and may be paid a small commission from purchases made on links within this content. This is all at no extra cost to you. Please read the full disclosure statement here