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Mom Management
Money: 9 Money Makin' Mommas

Krista is a jeweler and jewelry supplier.	I am a mother of four kids ages 18, 12, 11, and 6. I started making jewelry after I stopped homeschooling and suddenly had a lot of time on my hands. I needed something to do that would help me feel productive so I took a local jewelry making class and my hobby has grown into a business. Now I have two Etsy stores; one sells jewelry and the other sells extra jewelry supplies and tools. Etsy has been a great adventure and I have met a bunch of local crafters. That has led to us working as a team to get together and sell at local events. As a team with more products and variety to offer, we are able to get into more events and share the cost of the booth. I also do a lot of custom orders for friends and through customers met online. My girls also like to make jewelry and they help me with teaching classes, parties and selling at shows. They also sell their own designs and have been very successful.
Amanda and Bonnie are sisters who team up for seasonal children's consignment sales.	My sister and I both left careers in teaching to stay home with our children. We quickly found ourselves with more time than money—and we both have a weakness for shopping—so we hatched an idea for a seasonal children's consignment sale. We formed an LLC, Jumping Jeans, created a website and started recruiting moms who were looking to consign their children's outgrown clothes, toys, and baby gear. We hosted our first Jumping Jeans Sale in the fall of 2009. Since those humble beginnings our network of sellers and shoppers has more than tripled! As sisters, we love working together during the planning stages and hectic sale days.
Lauren is a highly trained music teacher.	Lauren Murphy has a passion for music, a passion for teaching, and a passion for her family. Thanks to her education at the New England Conservatory of Music, Lauren now gets to indulge all three. After graduating, Lauren played violin professionally in orchestras in the Southeast. But, with two children, she wanted to spend fewer hours away from her kids and husband. So, she left a steady position as a professional musician and entered the world of teaching. Lauren has made the arrangement work for her by doing the following: Being highly trained sets Lauren apart from other violin teachers. Along with her professional experience, she has extensive Suzuki training. Parents of her students are willing to travel great distances because of her unique combination of expertise and nurturing. Lauren chose a studio space near her home; that way she can run home in between lessons to take care of household chores or start meals. She has a "no makeup class" policy. With so many students, it would be impossible to juggle schedules when a student misses a lesson. Plus, the policy makes parents less likely to miss lessons, since they know there will be no refunds or make up opportunities.
Virginia repurposes used and unused vintage postage stamps.	VerdeStudiois my part-time job, coming in second to my full time efforts as a wife and mother. I worked outside the home full time before my three beautiful children were born. My husband and I had decided before we were married that I would stay home with any children we had. After becoming a mom and trying (and enjoying!) direct sales as a part time job I discovered Etsy and realized that I could manage my own business and not leave the house. Perfect! VerdeStudio has taken over most of our formal dining room (which means I have to pack everything away when we have guests over!). I love being able to work our family schedule around my business. This wonderful flexibility of being my own boss means that I do have to be very intentional about how I use my time and schedule the important things in life so the urgent things that life throws at me don't run the show. Having a business is work – and I don't always feel like being in the studio – but I am so thankful for the opportunity to work as a mom and as a CEO (chief everything officer).
Jamie works as an assistant for a close friend.	A neighbor of mine (a certified family counselor) had a desire to stay at home with her children, and I was looking to make a few extra bucks, so we decided to help each other out. Five to seven hours a week I call insurance companies for her, return client calls, and re-schedule appointments. I do most of that while my kids (ages 3 and 6) are at school, but when the day gets away from me, I'll spend the 45 minutes waiting in the school pick-up line to make reminder appointment calls. The extra money I make goes toward pre-school tuition, and dance classes—extra-curricular expenses that I wouldn't be able to justify otherwise.
Ruth teaches voice lessons.	After graduating with a degree in Vocal Performance, and while working on my teaching certificate, I first started giving voice lessons and (occasionally) performing at weddings and other special events. Giving voice lessons now serves as a means of supplementing my income during the summer months when I'm not teaching. I typically charge by the ½ hour ($15) for lessons (or sometimes I trade lessons for babysitting). As a soloist, I charge $25 per song performance. Any extra money I make pays for rare luxuries like pedicures and lattes! Any lesson or event that I commit to is usually done either after my husband gets home at night or on the weekends. For any mom thinking of pursuing this, I would advise that you stick with teens (high school age). They typically have a stronger level of commitment.
Jessica designs and creates handmade felt accessories. www.graceinspired.etsy.com	I create handmade felt accessories for children and adults as well as home decor and all-natural skincare products. Initially, I started out making hair clips and headbands for my daughter. People always complimented me on them so I started making them as gifts. Then I learned about etsy.com, and decided to set up my own site hoping to generate a little extra cash. With a 2 -1/2 year old, a 3 month old it's hard to find time to be creative, and I haven't found the perfect schedule yet. Sometimes I'll put my toddler in the highchair with a craft while I cut fabric at the kitchen table. I usually sew during naps or bedtime. If I'm doing an Indie Art Show, my husband really pitches in to help me out. Pricing something that's handmade can be challenging, so I created a formula. I time myself when creating something new to get a feel for how long it takes, and add in the price for materials and the fees for selling online. Last year, I was shocked to learn that I made around $5,000! So far though, much of what I've made has gone back into purchasing materials (i.e. new sewing machine when mine died). At least I'm no longer taking money out of the budget!
Stacy is a renowned children's photographer.	I am a mom of four amazing kids ages two to fourteen. I spent ten years working as an orthodontic assistant before discovering my true passion, photography. In 2004, I took a huge leap of faith by putting all my eggs in one basket, quitting my job and starting a photography business—specializing in newborns, maternity, children and families. I recently started teaching photography workshops to help moms with a knack and passion for photography live out their dreams successfully. All of my passion, plus four kids, and a husband means our life is not perfect; we run late, make messes and there are many days when caffeine is the only thing keeping me going.
Alisha is a playdate hair stylist!	Before having my daughter, I was a stylist in a busy, swanky salon. I knew that the weekend and weeknight hours wouldn't offer me the opportunity to be the wife and mommy I had hoped to be, so my husband and I made the decision for me to stay at home. I wasn't home for very long before former clients, family members, old friends, and new "mommy" friends were all knocking on my door with hair in desperate need of a cut or color. That's when I started forming "cut, color and play-dates"! As my own boss, I can charge them a lot less than what they would normally spend in a high-end salon. Plus if they're also mommies, I can come to them during naptime! If that doesn't work, we can wait until our husbands are home to watch the kids. That way we can get in some uninterrupted girl talk! This rarely feels like work! The money I make throughout the year goes toward groceries, plane tickets to visit family back home, girl's night out, or I save it for rainy days.
Sarah is an accountant for small business owners.	I'm a number cruncher. Calculators and spreadsheets thrill me! Imagine my elation when I landed a job after grad school, as a CPA at one of the country's largest accounting firms. After a few years, I was laid off. Several months later my husband left his job in the investment industry to pursue a calling to fulltime ministry. Needless to say, our income was cut by two thirds in a year. In the midst of all of this I became pregnant. An opportunity arose from some friends who needed help with bookkeeping, and I agreed to help them. At first it was pretty crazy; learning how to juggle my family needs with a client's needs. So I outlined some priorities. My husband and I determined that caring for our family would come first, my husband's ministry at the church was second and my work was third. I talked with my clients about my goals and what they could expect, and they were really understanding and glad to hear it. I learned that it's best to charge by the hour for this type of business. That way, they're more inclined to be prepared for me when I need to update their financial books. The income I've received over the years has helped pay for my children's preschool and other extras. Most recently, I traded my QuickBooks skills for my daughter's tuition at private school! What a perk!
Katie is a stay-at-home nanny.	I was pregnant with my son when my brother's nanny unexpectedly quit. I knew I needed/wanted to make some extra money, since I wouldn't be returning to teaching. I desperately wanted to be at home with my new little guy. So I offered to keep my niece that first year, and the rest is history. Before establishing a rate, I researched several other day cares and nannies. I set my rates slightly lower than theirs. I charged by the week and stuck to my payment schedule (a must!). Here's my other advice: 1. Keep records. When tax time comes, you need to report what you made, and it needs to match what your clients report that they paid for child care that year (what they paid you). Keep an attendance/billing calendar if you're watching multiply family's kids. 2. Figure in expenses. If you drive to a client's house, figure out if you will eat up all your earnings in gas money. If the day care is in your home, factor in the cost of supplies. The money I have made over the years is considered an "income boost" for my husband and me. It helps with everything from groceries to dinner out. We've even put a little in savings!
Jan is an in-home Fashion Consultant.	I work for a company called Etcetera, a women's fashion line out of New York that is sold exclusively through sales consultants in their homes by private appointment. I recruit, train and manage a team of sales consultants who sell our collection four times a year. I am always looking for women who are motivated, well connected, and who love clothes and want to have a small business at home. I am able to set them up and help them get started---sort of like having a boutique in their home for a week at a time each season: spring, summer, fall and holiday. It is a business that is flexible but profitable, and my consultants love being able to work from home, which makes it easier to balance a business and family.
Amy makes custom apparel.	Here's how PieceswithPurposegot started. As the ONLY woman in a household of "football lovin'" men, I wanted to invest my volunteer time where I knew my sons' passion and time would be spent. So in 2005, I became the operations director for my son's high school football team. I soon realized that many of the moms were not happy with the boring men's fan apparel. Although a finance major in college, I had always had a creative side that I secretly desired to explore further. So after a lot of research, I and my business partner produced our first shirt. Our concept was to create designs with a unique combination of embellishments to make our shirts stand out in a crowd, while drawing attention to whatever "cause" we were promoting. Advice for moms getting started: 1. Always know your priorities and guard them closely. You are a wife and mom first. Be careful not to compromise in this area, or your relationships with your husband and children may suffer, and nothing is worth paying that price. 2. Find out what your God-given gifts are and what you're passionate about. That is the key to finding meaning in what you do, loving what you do, and being really good at it. 3. Work hard, do your due diligence. 4. Be humble and teachable, and get advice from people who are experienced in areas where you need help. 5. Always be more than fair, and don't be greedy. Let your work be a way to touch others' lives in a positive way.