Let’s be honest—being a stay-at-home mum is already a full-time job. Between nappies, snacks, laundry piles, school runs, and 500 questions before 8am, your day fills itself. But maybe, just maybe, you’ve got an hour during nap time. Or a quiet evening once the kids are down and the house stops buzzing. What if that little pocket of time could become something more?
No, you don’t need to build an empire by next week. But a side hustle that brings in extra cash and fits around your life? That’s something a lot of mums are doing right now. Here’s a list of real business ideas—nothing too fancy, no jargon—just things you can actually do from home, in leggings, with a toddler climbing you like a tree.
Online Gift Shops (Yes, Yours)
You know those adorable baby milestone cards or personalized nursery prints you see on Instagram? Someone made those—why not you?
If you’re good with design, try making digital prints. Sites like Canva make it ridiculously easy to create things like planners, birthday cards, or cute family labels. You can sell downloads on Etsy UK and never even have to ship a thing.
Not arty? You could still sell physical products like gift boxes, scented candles, or baby shower goodies. Lots of mums start off selling to friends on Facebook and then grow from there.
Freelance Admin Work
You already organize your family’s entire life. Appointments, snacks, socks, and birthday invites. That’s half the skillset of a Virtual Assistant (VA) right there.
Many small businesses need help with things like replying to emails, booking appointments, making spreadsheets, or uploading to social media. If you’ve got a laptop and know your way around Gmail, you’re halfway there.
Try PeoplePerHour or Upwork to find gigs, or offer your services locally. Flexible hours, decent pay, and no commute? Yes, please.
Selling on Vinted or eBay
Kids outgrow clothes faster than you can say, “but that still fits!” If you’ve got bags of old baby clothes, why not sell them?
Vinted is especially good for clothes, shoes, and accessories. Just snap a photo, upload it, and post it when it sells. No fees either. Some mums turn this into a mini-business by buying bundles and reselling them as outfits.
You don’t need a warehouse or a barcode scanner. Just a few spare minutes and a good eye for what sells.
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Pet Sitting or Dog Walking
If you’ve got a garden and don’t mind muddy paws, pet sitting might be your thing. Lots of people need dog care during work hours or holidays, and if you’re already home, it’s a natural fit.
Services like Tailster or Rover help you find local pet owners. You decide what works for you: just walks, overnight stays, or daytime cuddles and belly rubs.
It’s good company too, especially if you’re used to talking to a toddler all day and could use a quiet, furry friend.
Tutoring From Home
You don’t need to be a qualified teacher to tutor—just confident in your subject and able to explain things clearly.
If you’re great at math, English, or science (or speak another language), you can offer tutoring online through platforms like MyTutor or Tutorful.
You choose when you work, and it pays better than you’d think. Evenings are popular for lessons, so it’s ideal if you’re busy during the day.
Blogging About Mum Life (Seriously)
You don’t need a perfect home, photogenic kids, or Pinterest-worthy lunches to blog. In fact, being honest about the chaos is half the charm.
Start a blog about your real-life mum journey—be it co-sleeping, weaning disasters, or hilarious potty training tales. Use WordPress or Substack to get going. If your content resonates, you could earn from sponsored posts, affiliate links, or ad revenue.
Check out UK mum bloggers like Mother Pukka, who turned honest, relatable parenting into a full-on career.
Cake Making and Baking
If you’re the mum people ask to bring cake to school fairs, take the hint. Whether it’s birthday cakes, cupcakes, or themed biscuits, there’s a market for home baking—especially if you decorate them beautifully.
You’ll need a food hygiene certificate (quick and easy online) and to register with your local council. Once that’s sorted, promote your bakes on local Facebook groups or Instagram. You could also do DIY cookie kits for kids’ parties.
People pay good money for sugar and sprinkles, especially when it looks Insta-worthy.
Home Hair Braiding or Nails
Got a knack for braiding? Love doing gel nails? With a bit of training (or YouTube research), you can offer home-based beauty services to local mums.
Even simple services like kids’ party hairstyles or holiday braids are always in demand—especially before school events. You can even run mini “Mummy & Me” pamper days from your home.
Just post a few pictures on social and watch the bookings roll in.
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Create an Online Course
Know how to batch-cook for a family of five? Got tips on toddler tantrums or surviving teething? Turn your skills into a mini online course or e-book.
You can create a course on platforms like Teachable or Thinkific, or even sell it directly through Instagram using something like Gumroad.
Keep it simple. Even a 20-minute video or checklist can help someone and earn you passive income over time.
Laundry or Ironing Service
Honestly? People hate ironing. If you don’t—and you’ve already got the setup at home—this is an easy business to start with very little risk.
Offer pick-up and drop-off locally. Even just two regular clients a week can add up to hundreds of pounds a month. Perfect if you’re already at home anyway and love the smell of fresh sheets.
Word of mouth works well here, so start by asking around at school pick-up.
A Few Final Thoughts
You don’t need a big budget, a website, or five spare hours a day. You just need a small idea, a little time, and a whole lot of patience.
Start with something you already enjoy or something that fits naturally into your life. Don’t overthink it. Try it. Tweak it. Drop it if it doesn’t work and move on to the next thing. You’re already doing a million jobs as a mum—this one just happens to come with a side of income.
Whether you want to bring in £50 a week or eventually go full-time, there’s something out there for you.
No suits, no stress, and no leaving the house if you don’t fancy it.
