Q1: Are you handy with a needle and thread?
Q2: Do you enjoy sewing clothes for yourself or your children?
Q3: Are friends and relatives always asking you to make sewing repairs?

If your answer is “YES” for the above questions, then you have the perfect beginnings for a work at home sewing business.

Sewing is a skill that is coming back into fashion as more people seek to reduce their clothing costs and make the clothes that they have last longer. Many WAHMs find profitable businesses in offering their sewing skills to people who do not have the time or the skill to make repairs or alterations on their clothes. There are even several profitable sewing niches, like cloth diapers and slings, which have found interest online.

Getting started with your sewing business starts with deciding what you want to do. You can specialize in one type of sewing (bridal party gowns) or you can take a wide variety of jobs. Since it is your business, it is totally up to you how to run it. Some people specialize in children clothing, alterations/repairs, women clothing or formal wear. Although sewing clothing is the most profitable field, many WAHMs enjoy offering home decor services and make curtains, slipcovers and other home accents.

Before you start advertising, make sure that you have the supplies that you will need. If you have an older sewing machine that has bad days, you might want to consider getting a new machine so you can work more efficiently. The cost of a new machine is worth it compared to the time that you will save. Plus, the new sewing machine is a tax write-off. You probably already have the sewing notions that you will need to get started. If you need something for a specific project, you will just buy it at the time.

You will also need to decide on set prices before you begin advertising your services. If you are doing repairs, you can charge a certain price per task. If you are custom sewing clothing, you can either charge a flat fee or charge by the hour. For larger projects, like wedding dresses, charging by the hour can work out to be a better deal for both you and the client.

Start your business off on the right foot by getting a business license. You will want to make sure that everything is legal and that you keep accurate records of your expenses and income. There are also several tax deductions that you can take as a business owner, and you will have access to wholesale sewing supplies.

Make some business cards to distribute to people you know. Also, leave them at certain places around town depending on what type of sewing you are specializing in. For example, if you sew children clothing, you can arrange to have your cards available at local daycare centers. One of the most powerful ways to advertise your business is through word of mouth. Your friends, family and acquaintances will surely send clients to you once they know you have hung your shingle up for business.

Having a sewing business is a great way to do something that you love, help other people and make some money all at the same time. There are many WAHM jobs to choose from, but having a sewing business definitely offers the best deal for those who love to sew.

Mothers who work at home (or WAHMs) are a growing population around the world. As more and more women want to spend time with their children and need to bring in an income, there has been a boom in the work at home industry. Making the decision to work at home is not always an easy one. Before you decide that being a WAHM is right for you, you need to take a few things into account.

You will need to decide if being a WAHM is right for you and your family. There are many benefits to working out of the home. You can set your own hours, you do not have to commute to work and you can be there for your kids when they need you. However, there are some downsides as well. The isolation of working at home can be an issue for some women. There are also challenges related to juggling work time and family time. 

You will also have to look at the impact that working from home will have on your family’s financial situation. If you are moving from a high-paying full time job to working part time from home while you care for your child, there will definitely be some financial adjustments. However, whatever your cut in pay will be, you have to weight that versus the costs of putting your child into daycare full time. Although it may seem like your work at home pay will be minimal compared to your full time out of the home job, you need to consider how much it will cost for daycare. If you can make an equal amount of money or more by working part time from home and taking care of your child yourself, it is well worth it financially to stay at home.

However, some women see that raising their child without the use of daycare, whether or not they make a significant income, is the real benefit of being a WAHM. The perks of raising your own child, while still bringing in money for the family, are many. Children are only young once, and being able to stay at home with them is one of the top reasons that women choose a WAHM career.

There are also several qualities that make a WAHM successful. Before you start working at home, evaluate whether you have these qualities or can develop them.

Working at home normally fits into two different categories. You can either work as an independent contractor for a company or you can work for yourself. Either way, you are going to be in charge of your own schedule. You will need to be extremely self-motivated and work well without having a supervisory presence in your work environment. Even those who choose to work for a company are responsible for scheduling their own time and meeting deadlines without a lot of input from supervisors.

Another important skill to have as a WAHM is time management. When you work out the home, you are confronted with two sets of challenges each day. You will be faced with the work you need to get done, but you will also be in the midst of your household, where there are always things that need to be done. If you focus too much on your work, your house will get out of control, and vice versa. Having good time management skills will help you tackle the diverse challenges of being a WAHM.

Making the decision to become a WAHM requires a lot of thought and consideration. If you are thinking about working from home because you are having a baby, or because you are tired of sending your children to daycare, take some time to write down the pros and cons of becoming a WAHM. Talk things over with your family to ensure that you are making the right decision for the family unit. Once you have considered your position and done the necessary research, you will be better equipped to make the right decision for you.