Home Business Options for housewife?

[Ciprian]

Hello,

My wife wants to start a business from home. We have two kids, one 5 year old and one 7 year old. Kids and I leave for office by 8 and she is home alone until 1 pm at least.

So, now she wants to do something in her free time. But she is not interested in blogging or writing. She wants to do some serious work. I have given her many options but she doesn't like any of them.

Can anybody give some suggestions?

[shinyjourney]

Hi Ciprian,

She could read the book of Tim Ferriss "The four hour workweek" which explains how to start an internet business from home. The only thing is that the idea behind the book is to work the minimum and still have a great income.

So, if it's just to do something on her free time, maybe it's not what she wants. But if she wants to have the freedom financially to make more hobbies on her free time, this is the place to start i think.

Virginie

[moonrambler]

Ciprian, what do you mean by "serious work"?

[James81]

My thoughts are to let her figure out it for herself. The option that she wants to do is going to come from herself. It's probably not going to come from anybody else.

Another thing I'd keep in the back of my mind is that if you keep throwing out options and she keeps batting them down, it might mean that she is passive aggressively telling you that she's bored with her free time and is wanting more attention from you. She may not even want to start a business at all. Someone who wants to start their own business, do their own work, is already thinking of ideas of what they want to do and ways to make it happen. If she's not doing that, then it probably means she's communicating something different than the idea that she wants to start her own business.

She may just be telling you that she's feeling lonely and wants more attention from you.

Something to think about.

[ssandra]

What James said!!

And also;

She can start thinking about what she absolutely LOVES doing, and than finding ways to make that into a paying job.

Or maybe she can look into volunteer work?

Why does it have to be a home based job anyway? Maybe she can look for a "normal" part time job outside of the home?

[Carl73]

If your wife is good at cooking, then she can start her own catering business. This is not a completely Work From Home option, but most work will be at home. She can even hire chefs to do the cooking and manage clients herself.

[curiouslyrandom]

Yeah, define that "serious work" statement. In my book, simply raising kids has got to be the most demanding work there is.

Has she considered opening a shop on Etsy.com?

[silicon toad2000]

MY family has been in exactly the same position.

The freedom my wife had while bringing up the kids allowed her to explore what she wanted to do.
MY wife began studying and has slowly re-entered the workforce. Her studies, which are continuing, have placed her very well for quick advancement.

Really though as far as your wife goes, what can't she do?
She can't do the 9-5 thing by the sounds of it but that doesn't limit what she can, just how she can do it.

She needs to figure out what she enjoys doing and follow that path. The thing is if she can do something she is passionate about, advance and progress quickly, she can earn enough income and you can quit and stay home with the kids (yeah ok it's not everyone's cup of tea but I cant wait till I can do that).