One of the many stresses for new mothers is the question of work: will you go back a month after the birth? Six? Twelve? Never? The answer is different for each new parent and can depend on so many different factors. How much maternity pay does your company offer? How will childcare responsibilities be shared once you’re ready to go back to work? Will your family be financially supported if you choose not to go back into the traditional workforce?
An option many moms are opting for is to start a business from the comfort of their own home. Whether you invent a new product, sell arts and crafts, re-sell old toys, or offer a service related to your professional skills, the possibilities of creating a profitable business hold exciting potential for new moms to switch up their financial options and make their job work for them. We’ve listed below the must-do steps to help you get your work-from-home business off the ground.
Designing A Website
So you’ve decided what business you want to start. Exciting! After going through the right paperwork to register your company, your next step is to build an easy-to-follow, fun but detailed website where potential customers can get to know your brand. Multiple different companies offer clean-cut templates for you to follow that don’t require any prior knowledge of web design to make your business stand out. Deciding things like what fonts and colors to use may sound like a small task, but are important details to consider; customers will remember details like these and they will make your brand recognisable when people see them only a few times online. Make sure to include an ‘about’ section to introduce yourself and your brand to potential buyers, as well as a ‘contact’ section and a space for buyers to leave reviews. You might want to hire a professional photographer to take photos of your product to display it in its best light.
Payments, Pricing And Returns
Once your website is designed, you’ll need to look into an online credit card processing company so that your site can process card payments. To make your brand more consumer-friendly, you might want to consider making your returns policy stand out as more flexible and friendlier than your competitors. First-time customers will feel more confident when purchasing your product or service if they feel your business is understanding of the doubts that can come with a new purchase, especially if you’re running a particularly expensive, luxury brand. In a similar vein, you may want to offer a trial period to give customers extra time to decide before committing to your product. These aspects of your online business will mark it as a trustworthy and reliable one, and make your customers feel more comfortable parting with their money. Make sure to do some research in similar businesses; are their prices higher or lower than yours? Are you able to offer a competitive price while turning a profit? Packaging is an important factor to consider when initially pricing your product. It’s also worth considering, when orders start to roll in, if your packaging is both economically and financially viable. While sometimes slightly more costly, more sustainable packaging is a great way to do your bit for the environment and is overall a justified cost in your pricing model. It’s also an angle to help with marketing your product.
Putting Your Business On The Map
You’re ready to get your website out there! There are so many options for online marketing, it can seem overwhelming at first. If your budget allows it, buying online advertising space is a fantastic way to get your brand name out there. However, it can be expensive, especially when you consider the costs of raising a child – or children! – alongside running a business. Instead, look at sharing your brand on relevant Facebook pages, or creating a business Instagram page where you can directly link your website for users to find. This works best when you create social media pages that match the marketing style of your website. Try contacting other small brands, or businesses slightly more established than yours, to review your product. When your brand has gained some momentum, you can return the favour. You might want to branch out into video content and create how-to videos if customers would benefit from seeing it in action. If you decide to set up a fashion brand or sell homeware goods, you could encourage customers to post themselves wearing or using your items with their thoughts; seeing other people interact with your product will give your brand a more personal edge compared to competing businesses, and will foster a genuine relationship between your brand and your customers.
