I want my next book to be really rich with resources on making money from home and running your own business successfully. I have compiled a list of many different resources I love, but I’m sure I’m missing some fantastic other resources.
So I thought I’d pose the question to you all to give your input: What are your favorite books, podcasts, sites, or blogs related to working from home, being a working mom, or having your own business?
Share them in the comments or email me at crystal @ moneysavingmom.com. I can’t wait to check out the resources that you share!
Gina says
I lovee Freelance Parenthood (htp://www.FreelanceParenthood.com). It doesn’t really talk much about low paying gigs and instead focuses on ex-professional Moms who want to maintain a part of their career with freelance or consulting.
Carrie Gray says
http://www.christylargent.com and her podcast Encouraging Words for Working Moms has some fabulous interviews that give me a lift when the laundry seems to be multiplying but the hours seem to be diminishing! Christy is really fun to listen to and has such insightful questions for her guests. Not only have I been encouraged, but I’ve learned some really cool things that I wouldn’t have been exposed to without her great podcasts. And her blog posts are funny and thought provoking!
Hannah Hill says
Here’s my favorite resource for effective business blogging: http://www.thesaleslion.com/
Alexa says
Podcasts are definitely my favorite business resource. Right now I have been enjoying Side Hustle Nation. I also like Smart Passive Income, Entrepreneurs Journey, and the Suitcase Entrepreneur podcast.
Oh and SheTakesontheWorld.com Natalie MacNeil always posts very encouraging videos specifically for women entrepreneurs. I love her.
Kim Sullivan says
I love http://www.chalenejohnson.com. I found Chalene when I was introduced to her workout video Piyo (amazing, by the way) and then I started following her on Facebook and realized she had so much more to offer in terms of business coaching, personal development, and organization. I am currently in the middle of her 30 day challenge and it has made an amazing difference in my focus and productivity.
Guest says
I think part of the challenge with WAHM is that there is such a significant difference in how people define that. I personally haven’t found any blogs that are helpful for me in my WAHM situation. I work for a global company in a senior leadership position. It’s a traditional job being performed in an non-traditional setting (my home) though it is becoming more common for traditional jobs to be done from home.
That said, it always stuns me a bit when I see people posting comments wanting to work from home when they really want is to make money while also being a stay at home mom. I feel like there are a lot of blogs and posts for women looking for this type of a situation but not so much for women like me who have a full-time career, full-time childcare and work from home.
Melissa Kaiserman {A Time for Everything} says
To be stunned by people who express a desire to “work from home when [what] they really want is to make money while also being a stay at home mom” seems a bit condescending toward those of us who run businesses with kids at home, but perhaps I’m misunderstanding what you’re trying to communicate.
Though you’re definitely a WAHM, resources aimed at that population do tend to assume that you’re juggling work and kids concurrently rather than utilizing day care and going to work in a more traditional sense. You sort of fall in between! While you don’t run the risk of telephone calls being interrupted by children, I imagine your work situation is frequently misunderstood.
These articles/blogs may offer some encouragement:
http://www.workingmother.com/content/telecommuting-tribe
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/sara-sutton-fell/debunking-the-biggest-myt_b_3117490.html
http://worklifefit.com/blog/topics/teleworktelecommuting/
Guest says
Hi Melissa – It was certainly not my intention to be condescending. My kids are at home as well – with a nanny – which has always seemed like the best of both worlds for me personally. The stunned part comes (for me) when people want HIGH paying jobs but don’t want to pay for or have their kids in childcare. If someone wants to make some extra money by working a few hours here and there while their kids are playing or napping, there are a ton of resources out there providing direction on how to do that. But to make a sustainable “living”, you may need to have help with your kids. Crystal, Tsh Oxenreider and many other successful bloggers have help. They aren’t churning out good content and signing business deals while also being a full-time caregiver to their children. I’m not sure people always recognize that.
I do think there is a real lack of content out there for women who have full-time careers and work from home (though thank you for the links – can’t wait to check them out!). For those of us who have professional/traditional jobs and work from home, you would not be taken seriously if your kids were popping in and out while you’re on conference calls or cartoons were playing in the background. In fact, most large companies also have policies about those sort of things for individuals who telecommute.
I may not be the target audience for Crystal’s book and that’s fine. I would just love to see more resources for people in my situation and I would LOVE for women to know that there are many options. So many smart, talented women leave the workforce because they think they can’t be moms and have a career. It is possible to make a high salary (six figures) and work from home but not without childcare.
That may not help explain my post at all, but that’s where I’m coming from.
Crystal Paine says
Just to clarify: now that my husband is home full-time, we don’t have a regular babysitter anymore like we used to. (We actually don’t have any other local help right now other than a gal who comes and helps with deep cleaning once a week. My husband and I tag-team on homeschooling, errands, and housework and the kids help out a lot with laundry and cleaning.)
But we definitely had help whenever our kids were younger and my husband was running his law firm. There’s no way we could have done it and had margin in our life otherwise. I’ll be talking more about this in the book and about childcare options that are affordable.
It’s very, very important to me to be upfront about how much help I have/have had, because I don’t want people to think I’m a one-woman show! There’s no way I could do all I do without a great team in place and a wonderful husband and kids who do so much to keep our home running!
For those who are interested, you can see everyone on my team and what they do here: https://moneysavingmom.com/about
Laura Vanderkam says
Crystal (and to the guest poster) – so glad you’ll be talking about childcare and what it takes to run a larger business. That’s a great thing to be upfront about. There are all kinds of ways to work at home. Some people do a bit of work during naps. And then there are those of us with FT childcare. I think I have a similar set-up to the Guest commenter. I pay a nanny for business hours, but I get to take breaks with my kids (like lunch) which is a nice perk. Also, being in my jeans when I’m not on video calls 🙂
I have been writing down all the blogs listed above because they sound like ones I want to check out!
Guest says
Laura – Thank you for sharing! It’s great to hear of other women in similar situations. It is a beautiful thing that there are so many options available to women these days and I don’t think any of them are superior or inferior to the others. I was just trying to explain that I feel the content for women in my situation is limited and that I think childcare is something women need to think very carefully about when considering these various work from home options. It’s important to be realistic about what you can do while also taking care of your kids.
Like you, I have absolutely loved that I am able to eat with my kids, step away to hear about the stories they read during library time, praise the artwork they made at the museum or tuck them in for naps. I thank God every single day for the opportunity I have to be a mom, a wife and have a career. It’s a GIFT!
Guest says
Crystal, you have been very transparent about having help in many posts. My personal experience has been that there are many women who would like the success you or others have had but that they don’t always know (or consider?) the sacrifices, the help, etc. I’ve had quite a few female colleagues whose husbands have stopped working to stay at home because their work/life situation wasn’t doable. I am incredibly blessed to have my career as is my husband. What has made it possible for me to work from home, have time with my kids and have this career is having a nanny. That said, there are so many different paths and of course we all define success differently!
Crystal Paine says
I so agree that there are trade-offs and pros and cons to every situation… and it’s important to consider, understand, and count the costs. I’m so glad you found a situation that works so well for you, your kids, and your husband!
Alexa says
I use childcare a lot of the time when I’m working from home too. The bulk of my income comes from freelance writing and there’s no way I can get anything done with my youngest daughter hanging all over me.
I send her to to the babysitter anywhere from 10-25 hours per week depending on how much work I have for that particular week.
My intentions for working from home were not to be a stay at home mom, but to build a career that I love. (And also one that pays more than any job I could get in my town.)
I also know other women in my space (freelance writers) with young kids who go to daycare.
I definitely understand where you’re coming from. Being a work from home does not equate to being a stay at home mom. (Although big props to those who do make that work!) But being a work from home mom allows you to have more happiness and flexibility in your career which is an amazing thing!
Guest says
Completely agree, Alexa. If someone can make that work (and it isn’t against company policy :-)), go for it! Each of us needs to be very, very honest and realistic about our individual situations. When my kids are in school, we won’t have a nanny because I won’t need childcare but while they’re small, I can’t do my job while also watching/caring for my kids. And truthfully, I don’t want that for them either. I’d rather they have someone take them to the park, do crafts, etc. than ask that they sit quietly or stay in their rooms for hours at a time.
Guest says
Okay, really funny …the first two articles you posted say exactly what I was saying. 😀
Tracey says
These are my go-to sites for work at home –
forums: wahm.com and workplacelikehome.com
blogs and websites: theworkathomewoman.com
workathomemomrevolution.com
realwaystoearnmoneyonline.com
wahadventures.com
ratracerebellion.com
I also check Indeed for work at home listings, it’s a big job search site but it’s mostly scam-free things.
Anna @ Real Ways to Earn says
Thanks for mentioning Real Ways to Earn! I am glad you find it helpful. 🙂
Anna says
For freelance writers, Carol Tice’s blog:
http://www.makealivingwriting.com/
has great resources. She also has a $25/month subscription site called “The Writer’s Den” where gigs are posted.
Sam Ross says
I have been a part-time tutor for schooltutoring.com since April. I set my schedule and they have been prompt in payment. It’s an easy side job.
Melissa Kaiserman {A Time for Everything} says
Podcasts are my favorite business resource since I can listen to them while I run or walk, clean, cut fabric, sew, etc.
I enjoy several that are probably already on your list (such as This is Your Life, Rory Vaden, EntreLeadership, Chris Locurto, Entrepreneur on Fire, Smart Passive Income, The Portfolio Life) but the one I’m currently loving most is fairly new and is called Brilliant Business Moms. The practical takeaways from other podcasts are hit-or-miss for me depending on the subject & interviewee, but I find something to apply–either personally or professionally–in every episode of BBM. I think it’s because they specifically focus on regular moms who are entrepreneurs rather than high-profile people with intimidating resumés that many of us can’t relate to in this season of life.
http://www.brilliantbusinessmoms.com/category/interviews/
Beth Anne Schwamberger says
Melissa,
Thank you SO much for sharing us here; how sweet of you! Our goal is definitely to feature everyday moms who are working at home while also spending time with their kids. (Talented, brilliant business moms like you!) So glad you’re enjoying the podcast, and as always, we love hearing any and all feedback and suggestions for how to make it even better.
P.S. Looking forward to having YOU on the show too!
~ Beth Anne
Jessica Walker says
I LOVE working mostly from home with party plan businesses. I’m specifically doing Clever Container (organizing products …so tempted to put my link, but I’ll be good and not shamelessly promote) – with which I do both home parties and online sales – and can’t believe how great of an answer it has been for me.
That being said, I really like Mary Christensen’s “Be a Party Plan Superstar” book. Actually, I love everything from her 🙂 Another person I like is Amy Walker Consulting (no relation). She is for business of any sort and teaches how to build up specific areas and even covers finding “balance” between work and home life.
Dawn Dart says
Amylynnandrews.com is my favorite!
Anna @ Real Ways to Earn says
I love getting Amy’s weekly “useletter.” She almost always shares something I didn’t know before that proves to be immensely helpful to me as a blogger! Very resourceful girl.
Tina says
I love Allie and her site http://www.ramblingsofawahm.com/
She always has great articles!
lej says
I frequent this site often…I like the reviews:
http://www.wahadventures.com/
Angela Santana says
I make money using fiverr.com. I do a lot of writing gigs.
Miranda Grimm says
Thanks for sharing wahadventures!
Meg says
None of my favorite blogs are specifically geared for WAHM. However, three of them offer good financial advice including work-at-home or ‘side job’ information and sections about owning/operating your own business. They also have good basics on getting debt under control, budgeting, and investing.
http://www.getrichslowly.org
http://www.thesimpledollar.com
http://www.gogirlfinance.com