August 25, 2025
Let’s be honest: many of us dream of starting our own business. You may wish to start your own business for a variety of reasons. Maybe you need supplemental income. Or you’ve had an idea in your head you’ve wanted to carry out for a long time. Maybe you just want to start a new hobby and see where it goes. This applies to mothers who work and don’t work. For those who work, maybe you aspire to one day break away from a traditional work schedule and operate on your own terms. For stay-at-home moms, maybe you feel you need extra money to compensate for not having an income. Motherhood is a diverse experience, and your reasons for wanting to begin a business can be just as varied.
But starting a business isn’t something that can be done in your sleep, and many avoid ever starting because of the challenge and costs. As with most everything in life, beginning a business is rarely ever free. You don’t want to sink money into something if you’re unsure what you’ll make out of it. The good thing is, there are still some business ideas you can start for very little money that can, with time and effort, turn into something larger (or stay small, if growth isn’t your main goal). Not every business requires thousands of dollars to build.
Here are three micro-business ideas that can be started for little money and at home.
- Babysitting
The thought of babysitting may feel like the task you’re most qualified for or the task you least want to do (since you’re occupied with your own!). Some moms may feel that babysitting is a cinch since they have experience (or maybe they just really love babies). Others may want nothing to do with other children if they feel preoccupied enough with their own. If you fit into the latter category, don’t worry—there are more ideas down below. If you think you fit into the former category, remember that babysitting isn’t only for the high schoolers. There are many parents out there busy with work or going on vacation that would be willing to pay you for your services. And the best part is, sending out the word of your services won’t cost much of anything. If you feel ready to start a babysitting micro-business, here are some tips to follow:
- Plan. First begin by creating a plan. On what days and times will you babysit? What will your rate be? How will you take payment? Will you create a separate work email? Will you use scheduling software to keep yourself on track or just write everything down in a hardcopy planner? Having a solid plan written or typed down will help the business plan feel real and not just like a dream.
- Make it real. To bring the plan to life, you could create your own website. Don’t be worried about hiring a professional; some website-creation services are free and easy to use, like Wix. You could even create separate business profiles on social media. Eye-catching, easy-to-make graphics can be made for free with a service like Canva.
- Advertise. Advertising can be done in many ways. Spread the word to neighbors and coworkers and ask them to gab about you. Post on all your socials. Google if there are any magazines in your location taking free ads. Ask local independent coffee shops if you can put up flyers on any cork boards. Go on Facebook to any private or public local groups and join them. These could be general groups for your city or specific groups that cater to your demographic (ex. City of Richmond, TX group versus a Moms in Richmond, TX group).
- Start. Once you start getting calls, emails, or in-person requests, your business has begun.
- Baking
Many people find baking enjoyable. This is especially true if you feel you have some unique cuisine to bring to the table, or perhaps you’re secretly really good at making that one specific type of bread. But just because you bake doesn’t mean you have to go all out with a shop on Main Street. While the ingredients will obviously cost, the price to start a baking micro-business doesn’t have to drain your wallet.
- Lock down your recipes. Before starting, consider what you will sell. Will you make desserts or bread native to your culture (ex. starting a Hawaiian-specific baking micro-business)? Will you make only one thing, like specializing in sourdough or cakes? Will you have a theme, like all your baking being centered on Halloween? Maybe you want to do bake-to-order and let others tell you what to make.
- Plan. Once you solidify what exact type of baking you want to do, follow step one from Babysitting. Plan all the logistics. How much will things cost? What will be your primary baking time in your current schedule? How will you deliver baked goods to buyers?
- Advertise. Just like with above, consider all avenues for advertising. If any function is coming up (office party, birthday, holiday, etc.) bring a baked good to the event and ask for the opinions of others. If they like it (and you’re certain they’re not lying), ask them to spread the word about your work. Remember, it’s perfectly fine to let others put in effort for you. Businesses are never started completely solo. You could even create business cards to hand out, because believe it or not, that’s still a thing. I’ve even seen fresh baked bread for sale on Facebook Marketplace.
- Start. Once those requests start rolling in, start baking!
- Bonus: This concept can be used for other forms of food, not just baking. Maybe you love cooking certain dishes or brewing kombucha. The same business structure still applies.
- Making artwork
Just like with baking, many people enjoy making art. Art is something you perhaps did before becoming a mom. Or maybe you started making art as a way to relieve motherhood-related stress. My personal favorite part about art is how incredibly diverse it is. Absolutely any material whatsoever can be used to make whatever you can dream up. The possibilities are quite literally limitless. Want to make stickers? Tote bags? Crochet alligators? Bug-themed art made out of recycled materials? (Yes, I’ve seen that). No one’s stopping you. And while parting with art is sad, it can bring in some side money. Here’s what you can do if you would like to sell your art:
- What to make. Again, consider what you will sell. Do you have a specific theme or medium you work in? Maybe multiple mediums? How will you price things? How will you ship or distribute items, especially if they’re fragile? How will you carve out time each week for “art-making time” to keep the business alive? Consider the culture of your area and how that may have an impact on your art. For instance, beachy or manatee-themed art would likely sell well in Florida.
- Plan. You know the drill by now. Think out the logistics.
- Advertise. Selling art might feel like the reverse of the two business ideas above. With baking and babysitting, you only begin working once a request or order has been made. With art, you may already have your wares on hand and are waiting for someone to come along and want them. The agreement to sell is the “end” rather than the “beginning.” This, of course, isn’t true for art-by-order, but most of the time this is how selling art happens. Consider going to an art fair. Don’t panic—art fairs aren’t as fancy as they may seem. Google events or businesses holding art fairs in your community. While some art fairs are big time, others are small and will accept applications from humble local art makers. You’d be surprised at how easy it is to get in. The entry fee likely won’t be free, but a small art fair shouldn’t have an exorbitant price tag either. You can also follow the recommendations above for Babysitting and Baking. You can make business cards, post on your socials, or even advertise/sell on Marketplace or Etsy (or other art selling platforms).
- Sell that art. While selling art won’t make you a billionaire, people will eventually notice your talent and decide to purchase from you.
What is your favorite micro-business idea from this list? While you may get jitters from thinking about starting a business, remember that no good business owner in the world started their business with utter confidence—even the biggest had doubts and fears too. And it should go without saying, but don’t go it alone. Talk to friends. Brainstorm with family. Maybe your friends and family could even become part of your business endeavors. Don’t try to build the whole foundation by yourself. Consider speaking with small business owners to see if they would be willing to give you some free guidance.
About the Author
Krista Ruffo, born, raised, and still living in Orlando, Florida, began blogging with South Project in February of 2025. She’s a UCF alum with a BA in English and a Certificate in Editing and Publishing. A passionate writer and reader, Krista aspires to work in book publishing in the future. She currently works as a Content Coordinator for a family magazine. In her free time, she enjoys writing poems, taking photos, making art, hiking, and gardening.