Five Reasons Why Freelance Writing is the BEST Job for Smart SAHMs
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Want to know why freelance writing is the BEST job for SAHMs?
Take it from me, a freelance writer with two young kids (and another on the way) — freelance writing is the best job for stay-at-home moms.
Combining Writing and Motherhood
I get it.
You love being home with your kids. (Well, most of the time.)
You wouldn’t trade these years for anything.
At the same time, if you have to sing “The Wheels on the Bus” one more time, then you might actually go insane.
You need something outside of the kids. You want to bring in a respectable income — one that doesn’t involve MLM marketing or pyramid schemes.
You want to remember what it’s like to be a professional. You have goals, damn it, and you’re not going to let motherhood put those goals on hold indefinitely.
Enter freelance writing.
Why Freelance Writing?
Freelance writing is the best job for stay-at-home moms because it’s flexible, it doesn’t require many specialized skills, and it is in extremely high demand.
There are very few overhead costs, it uses skills you likely already have, and (best of all), you won’t have to start cold-calling all your high school “friends” on Facebook just to tell them about “an exciting new business opportunity.”
Reason #1: Freelance Writing is Flexible
As a freelance writer, you’re the boss.
You determine your topics, the type of writing that you do, who your clients are, and when you want to work.
Toddler wakes up with a fever? You can take the day off.
Have a baby due in the summer? You can arrange your own maternity leave.
Brainstorm pitches during soccer practice.
Follow up on leads while nursing the baby.
Write during nap time or before the kids wake up.
More so, you call the shots when it comes to the type of clients you take on and the type of work you do. You can write breezy pieces for blogs or provide technical writing for a specialty business. And you can change your mind along the way! Experiment until you find that niche that you love.
As a freelance writer, you set the parameters for your job.
Reason #2: Freelance Writing is Portable
Online work — specifically freelance writing — is the ultimate job for stay-at-home moms because it’s so portable.
When I married my husband, who is in the Foreign Service, I thought I’d have to forget my dreams of having a long-term, sustainable career. With a background in public health and nursing, I couldn’t imagine starting over every two years, particularly in countries where I didn’t have a work permit or native fluency in the language.
Online work has allowed me to maintain my resume and grow in new fields while continuing to explore the globe with my family.
If your spouse or family situation requires frequent moves, then freelance writing is the perfect job for you.
Reason #3: Low Overhead to Start
Freelancing writing doesn’t require a huge monetary investment to get started.
Unlike traditional small businesses (most of which fail in the first year), freelance writers just need a platform (i.e., a website) and a laptop with internet access.
Once you have a home on the internet where you can attract clients and showcase your portfolio, your monthly overhead is surprisingly low.
All you really need to begin is a website, which can be built very affordably using WordPress.org and site hosting. I like SiteGround because their hosting is fast and their customer service is amazing. Their plans start as low as $3.95/month.
I also found it useful to invest in a few courses that helped me build my website, as well as a few resources that improved the look and feel of my site (a premium WordPress theme, a few paid plug-ins, and some graphics resources from Creative Market and Deposit Photos). But those things can come later, after you start generating income.
Reason #4: Income Potential
Depending on how much work you take on, freelance writing can generate anything from pocket money up to a (generous) full-time income.
When I started as an editor for medical research papers, I earned pennies on the dollar. But after just one month, that increased to $100-$200 per article once I proved that I knew what I was doing. Later, I could earn up to $250 just for writing abstracts.
And for established freelance writers in specialty niches? They can easily earn thousands of dollars for a single blog post. Business writers, content marketers, and technical writers can also earn very healthy incomes from this type of specialty writing. You might not start out writing this type of work, but it’s something you can grow into after you’ve established yourself.
With the growth of online business occurring right now, there is no shortage of freelance writing work. The only limiting factors are how much you want to work and how strategic you are when it comes to the type of work you take on.
Reason #5: Professional Satisfaction
Ten years ago, I wore power suits and casually mentioned my Master’s degree as much as humanly possible during conversations with strangers.
I never dreamed that a few years later, I’d spend 99% of my time changing diapers, nursing babies, and wiping up spills.
When I first started freelancing as a medical editor for healthcare research papers, I felt like I finally had breathing room in my life again.
I didn’t make much money in the beginning, but I had a job. Something to put on my resume. Something to talk about at office parties outside of the kids. Something that challenged my brain and allowed me to write about the topics I loved.
Over the years, I’ve honed my niche and grown my income. And I love that my kids see their mom pursue her passion and carve time for herself in an intellectual capacity. It’s important to me that I set the example that women can work and be a kick-ass mom. More so, I want them to see the value of being flexible, taking risks, trying new things, and refusing to settle.
Reason #6: No Specialized Skills Required
Okay, I know I titled this post “Five Reasons Why Freelance Writing is the Best Job for SAHMs” but I couldn’t help myself — here’s one more.
Freelance writing for SAHMs is the best possible job because it doesn’t require any specialized skills.
While there are a lot of ways to make money online, many of them require special skills. And if you have those skills — awesome!
Other ways to earn money online include:
- Photography/stock image production
- Virtual Assistant work
- Web Design
- Graphic Design
- Selling crafts on Etsy
These are all excellent business ideas, but not every SAHM has the skills to execute these ideas. On the other hand, many women have decent writing abilities that they can hone through practice and experience.
Even if you choose to market yourself in one of these business niches, freelance writing allows you greater range and income potential.
If you’re a photographer, you can run a photography blog or provide stock images. But you can also market yourself as a freelance writer in the photography niche, thereby drawing traffic to your photography business.
If you are a whiz with graphic design, you could earn a healthy income from making graphics for websites or printables. You could also provide expertise through freelance writing about this topic, thereby widening your audience and your income stream.
This also has the benefit of diversifying your income, which provides stability in the case of unexpected hiccups in one or another income stream.
Do you have what it takes to be a freelance writer?
You know you’re smart.
You were the one that everyone asked to edit their papers back in college. You tutored kids in English for extra money. When professors assigned 10-page papers back in college, you rolled your eyes — how about a real challenge?
Or maybe you’re coming from a different field entirely — healthcare, law, administration, or education. You had to think on your feet, learn new skills quickly, and find rock-solid evidence at the drop of a hat.
You were the one who noticed problems in the office, proposed solutions, and got things done.
Or maybe you’ve never worked in an office. But you are determined to make this work. You’ve got grit. You survived a colicky baby, a husband who deploys frequently, and a PTA board who loves to spring “surprise fundraisers.”
Starting an online business? That’s child play compared to what you’ve accomplished at home.
As a freelance writer, you get to exercise those skills — for a profit.
Freelance writing obviously requires excellent communication skills. But it also requires strong research abilities and a keen eye for detail.
Can you provide exceptional customer service? Are you a determined go-getter who never gives up? Then you just might be an incredible freelance writer.
It’s easy to forget just how smart you are, when your days include toddler music class and taming sibling squabbles.
But trust me — those skills are there, just waiting to be put to use.
What’s your biggest fear about taking the plunge as a freelance writer?
Share in the comments below.
We can figure this out together!
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