3 work-at-home ideas for housewives

CREATING AN ONLINE BUSINESS WITH HOMEMADE PRODUCTS

Considering a new working life and a change of career direction at the same time (often necessary to earn a good salary!) is complicated for everyone, especially for housewives who have to manage multiple responsibilities!

Knowing which types of job and which companies to target, whether on your own or within platforms or franchise networks, what training to take up depending on your skills and public support... That's a lot of issues, impossible to solve in the blink of an eye!

That's why, like many women who thrive in this type of business, you could consider creating and selling products from home, at your own pace. Selling your own products, either to supplement your income, or as a business in its own right...

Now's the time! Home-made, personalised, hand-crafted and creative items, or even natural products, have more room than ever for customers who love originality and authenticity.

Without needing to become a marketing or customer relations pro, start by taking a look on the internet at the various online designer sites, as well as platforms such as Amazon, to see where the market stands in terms of offers and prices. If you already have some design ideas in mind, test them out against your future competition!

In any case, this set of steps will be a very rewarding exploration of the web and a stimulating "self-training" experience.

Product ideas that are easy to make

Craft creation generally doesn't require a diploma or any special training, especially if you stick to products that suit you, and whose creation process you master. It's a world where the imagination bubbles over! It's all about having ideas... and the skill and talent to put them into practice, if possible with a dash of passion.

It can be all kinds of products, depending on your affinities and the type of customers you want to target: jewellery, candles, soaps, cosmetics, old-fashioned homemade household products, textiles, weaving, gifts and accessories for pregnant women or children, decorative objects and personalised tableware, toys and accessories for pets, etc.

If you're already an expert at cutting and sewing... making original textile products, for adults or children, is an excellent way to go. You can start with inexpensive fabric coupons: bandanas, cushions, armchair throws, household linen, cuddly toys and funny little animals... If you love jewellery and have some creative ideas of your own, go for it, bearing in mind that the market is highly competitive. As far as cosmetics are concerned, before offering your range of homemade products to potential customers, remember to check the requirements of the French Public Health Code and other standards, particularly European ones.

To avoid losing money at the outset, be cautious and opt for a business that doesn't require major equipment, capital outlay or stock. Stay in line with your objective, which is to work from home and earn money (even if it's only a few hundred euros a month)! And, whatever your particular expertise, don't rely on expensive supplies or materials from the outset, but rather on the originality of your creation!

Tips for selling online

There's no better place to sell your home-made products than at markets, in shops and, above all, on the internet. Online sales have never been better, with the e-commerce world exploding: €147 billion spent by internet customers in France, that's the impressive figure for 2022.

You'll probably find it hard, especially at first, to earn the equivalent of a company salary. But it's an excellent way for a housewife to get off the ground, to get to grips with web technologies and online marketing. And, more generally, to invest in a professional life, with its challenges, its adrenalin rushes... and its job prospects in the medium or long term.

The first thing to do is to organise your logistics, with a view to ensuring quality of service and the satisfaction of your future customers. There are many different ways of selling on the web, with a multitude of software and solutions to consider, depending on the stage of your online shop and the amount of money you want to make.

A successful first online sales campaign is essential if you want to get your business off to a good start! It's what will give you confidence, while allowing you to hone your business skills and Internet sales strategies. The first online orders are often the hardest to land, and you need to make sure you do!

The first tip is to build up a 'pre-launch' email list, by getting in touch with your acquaintances and their friends, as well as all the people you've told about your ideas and who have expressed an interest in your business and the products you've created and which you're going to sell online.

Above all, if you don't know much about marketing, don't hesitate to ask your family and friends to test your products, your blog, your online sales site, etc. frankly. They'll be your business's first customers, or even its ambassadors. And you'll soon see a snowball effect.

To broaden your target audience, try trial offers and free samples, which will create traffic on your web pages, generate positive reviews and give your fledgling business more visibility. At the same time, try social networking, advertising on the boncoin, and above all, start a blog!

Give life and soul to your new business by describing your project and promoting yourself as a woman with lots of ideas and a finger on the pulse! Don't hesitate to adopt a funny logo, a catchy brand name and an original colour code for your packaging!

Ensuring and managing your first online sales, and therefore the start-up of your business, is what will enable you to take your business further. Don't be afraid to spend time on this... And a few hundred euros may be a wise investment if, for example, you buy a file of customers in your field from a serious web marketing company.

The important thing is to find the right positioning (don't try to please everyone, it's impossible!). The resulting profits and income will follow, once you've identified your market.

GIVING PRIVATE LESSONS ONLINE

Distance learning, long established in the corporate world, now has a real place in the lives and practices of individuals. We could even say that they are exploding in France, for all ages and in all fields. There's something for everyone!

Languages, school subjects and disciplines, technical and artistic specialities, gardening, cooking and pastry-making, animal training and care, and so on. All, of course, in the form of online courses, for all levels... There are plenty of opportunities for housewives who want to supplement their income by providing services in the home!

All subjects in demand

The aim of private tuition, unlike professional training, is not to give access to a diploma or a job, but to pass on practical knowledge or expertise in a personalised and very human way. You won't really be dealing with a customer, but rather with a learner, who just wants to be put at ease and reassured. That's what makes this activity interactive and rewarding, for both sides!

Unless you've got a teaching qualification, you're hesitating and wondering what skills to mobilise, what to pass on and how? So remember all the times you've shown a friend how to make their garden bloom in spring, or a child how to overcome their phobia of English or Spanish, how to solve a problem or read a range of notes... or your elderly neighbours how to use their computer or unlock the PIN code on their mobile phone!

What you did in the past on a voluntary basis, just to be of service, and with success, you can now do to earn money, in the form of short courses or paid private tuition. All you need to do is define and present your expertise clearly! Then all you have to do is go online and register on specialised websites... You'll probably be surprised at the number of contacts you receive, if what you're offering makes sense.

Video conferencing tools for giving lessons

Are you wondering how you can give a private lesson at a distance? For academic subjects, it seems simple enough in theory, but for other types of training, technical or artistic in particular, it intrigues you. But thanks to the latest communications technology and the applications offered by various websites, anything is possible. A webcam, a microphone, a Skype or Teams account (or other video application), and that's it! Interaction takes place via your computer, and your 'students' benefit from the same advantages as with a home teacher.

For you, it's a bonus because you won't have to commute, so you'll save time. Which will quickly turn into money, as you'll be able to significantly increase the number of students you have, and therefore the number of hours you teach. Pamper them, because here again, relationships count! The more positive the reviews you receive, the more customers you'll have!

BECOME A SELF-EMPLOYED HOME SALES ASSISTANT

If you're a dynamic woman with lots of ideas, sales is undoubtedly one of the most promising and lucrative careers. A housewife (even one without a diploma, recent training or a glittering CV) can easily find a job in sales. The job market is full of advertisements for selling all sorts of products and services: all you need to apply is to be communicative and ready to get involved in your job...

ELORA, one of the leading ready-to-wear home shopping brands, invites you to join its team and become a VDI. What does it mean, and is this job really compatible with the aspirations, availability and family life of a stay-at-home mum?

Becoming a VDI, i.e. a self-employed home salesperson, generally means using the name, logo or trademark of the company that entrusts you with selling its products or services. However, the self-employed home salesperson carries out his or her work independently.

This is not to be confused with opening a shop or service business as part of a franchise, and certainly not with working as an employee!

The VDI is not the holder of an employment contract for this activity and carries out his or her activity without any link of subordination (i.e. a link by which the employer exercises his or her power of direction over the employee). In practice, the brand that uses your services does not have the power to give you orders, to monitor their execution or to penalise you if you do not carry out your instructions properly.

A written business contract (which does not come under the Labour Code but under the Commercial Code) specifies in particular your status as a self-employed worker, the nature of the services expected of you, the conditions under which you will work and the terms and conditions of your remuneration. With ELORA, remuneration is in the form of commission on sales made each month, which quickly amounts to the equivalent of a real salary!

All this is an extremely positive point in your situation: The VDI is free to manage the organisation and interaction of his or her work and personal life. He or she alone determines his or her level of activity and financial objectives, without the company being able to give him or her instructions.

What's more, at ELORA, we want to give our team members every opportunity, so we provide assistance when they start up and/or during their career:

• Coaching by an experienced and enthusiastic "godmother
• Provision of the documents and materials you need to run your business
• Advice on organising meetings and managing stocks of products and articles
• Provision of specific remote or live training courses
• Promotional and marketing activities in the form of samples, catalogues or gifts for customers.

It's easy to become an independent door-to-door salesperson. All you have to do is set up a micro-business (also known as an auto entrepreneur). All you need to do is click a few times on the web, on official, dedicated and highly secure sites.

Don't panic, you'll be guided through the process step by step! Start by exploring the ELORA website, checking whether the offer suits you and consulting the testimonials of VDIs already in business. All that's left to do is post your application and you'll be contacted very quickly.

So, see you soon? For more information, don't hesitate to send an email or call ELORA HR!