Are you a Muslim woman looking for ways to earn money from home?
Whether you’re a mum looking for something you can fit around your children, someone who wants to work for herself, or simply looking for a flexible way to earn an income, there are more options available today than ever before.
I’ve been working for myself since I had my eldest child, so I’ve spent a lot of time figuring out what you can actually do from home to make money. I started out selling on eBay and eventually became mainly a content creator, but I’ve tried and explored lots of different things along the way.
So, if you’re wondering “What can I actually do from home?”, here are 10 ideas to get you started.
1. Become a Content Creator or Blogger
Of course, I’m going to start with this one!
Content creation is what I mainly do now, and there are so many different ways to approach it.
You don’t have to sit in front of a camera and talk to it if that’s not your thing. You can create:
- Videos
- Written content
- Audio
- Tutorials
- Educational content
- Faceless content
- Reviews
- Content around your hobbies and interests
You can also choose from a huge range of platforms, including YouTube, TikTok, Facebook, Instagram and blogging platforms.
There are also different ways to make money from content. Depending on the platform and your audience, this could include advertising, memberships or subscriptions, affiliate marketing, sponsorships and selling your own products or services.
And you don’t necessarily need expensive equipment to get started.
If you want to write, you could start with a laptop or even your phone. If you want to make videos, your smartphone camera may be perfectly adequate when you’re starting out. You can always invest in better equipment later.
You can even create content without showing your face.
If you have a hobby, skill, area of knowledge or something you’re passionate about, think about whether there are people who would enjoy or benefit from content about it.
2. Start an Online Shop, Resell or Become an Online Retailer
Another option is selling products online.
You could sell things such as:
- Clothes
- Books
- Homeware
- Handmade items
- Second-hand goods
- Products you’ve sourced wholesale
And you don’t necessarily need to spend lots of money to get started.
In fact, one of the easiest ways to test whether reselling is something you enjoy is to look around your own home.
Most of us have things sitting around that we no longer use. You could sell some of those items and learn how online selling works without investing a lot of money.
You could also source second-hand items from charity shops and resell them.
Once you’ve gained some experience, you might decide to grow the business by purchasing products wholesale or creating your own products.
There are lots of platforms available too, including eBay, Amazon, Facebook Marketplace and your own online shop. Live shopping has also created additional opportunities through platforms such as Whatnot and live selling features on established marketplaces.
The important thing is to start small and learn as you go.
3. Start a Home-Based Business
If you already have a practical skill, why not turn it into a business?
There are lots of possibilities for home-based businesses, depending on your skills, interests and local requirements.
For example:
- Baking
- Catering
- Tailoring
- Hairdressing
- Handmade products
- Other creative or practical services
If you need to develop your skills first, you could look into a course at your local college or another reputable training provider.
Once you’re ready, you can advertise your services through social media, local groups, word of mouth, business cards or leaflets.
Social media can be particularly useful because you can showcase what you do and allow potential customers to see examples of your work.
You don’t need the most expensive equipment when you’re starting out either.
Start with what you have, make sure there’s demand for your service and then invest in better equipment as your business grows.
Just remember to check any relevant UK rules, licences, insurance and food or hygiene requirements that apply to the type of business you’re starting.
4. Teach People What You Know
This is closely connected to the previous idea.
Perhaps you’ve spent five years baking and have become really good at it.
Or maybe you’ve developed a particular skill through your work, hobbies or life experience.
You don’t necessarily have to sell the actual service. You could teach other people how to do it.
There are lots of ways you could do this:
- Online courses
- One-to-one coaching
- Group coaching
- Membership communities
- Workshops
- Educational content
Think about something you know how to do that other people would like to learn.
You don’t have to be the world’s leading expert.
You simply need to have useful knowledge or experience that you can teach to someone who is further behind you on that particular journey.
5. Become a Virtual Assistant
If you’re organised and good at administration, becoming a virtual assistant could be worth investigating.
Businesses often need help with everyday tasks such as:
- Emails
- Appointments
- Bookings
- Customer enquiries
- Administration
- Organisation
A virtual assistant essentially provides those services remotely.
You can work from home and provide your services to businesses that need extra help without necessarily employing someone full-time.
You could find clients through freelance platforms or advertise your services through social media and networking.
One advantage of this type of work is that you’re selling a service, rather than needing to create a product or build a large audience first.
6. Become an Author or Publish Books
If you enjoy writing, why not explore becoming an author?
You don’t necessarily have to find a traditional publisher.
Platforms such as Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing allow authors to publish books and make them available to a large marketplace.
You could write about something you’re knowledgeable about, create children’s books, produce activity books or develop ebooks.
For example, you might create:
- Islamic children’s books
- Ramadan activity books
- Children’s colouring books
- Practical guides
- Educational books
- Ebooks
Your book doesn’t have to become a bestseller.
There may be a relatively small but specific audience looking for exactly the type of book you’ve created.
And if you have experience in a particular area, that knowledge could become the basis for a useful book or guide.
7. Create and Sell Digital Products
Digital products can be another interesting option, particularly if you’re creative.
You could create things such as:
- Planners
- Invitations
- Printables
- Educational resources
- Homeschool resources
- Templates
- Designs for print-on-demand products
Tools such as Canva can make it relatively straightforward to create designs, even if you’re not a professional graphic designer.
You could then sell digital products through platforms such as Etsy or your own website.
Another option is print on demand.
With print-on-demand, you create the design but don’t necessarily have to buy and store lots of physical stock yourself. A third-party company can produce the item when someone places an order and handle much of the fulfilment.
This could be worth exploring if you’re creative but don’t particularly want boxes of stock taking over your house!
8. Become a Social Media Manager
Perhaps you enjoy social media but don’t actually want to become an influencer yourself.
You could work behind the scenes instead.
There are now lots of businesses, influencers and content creators who need help managing their online presence.
Depending on your skills, this could involve:
- Managing social media accounts
- Scheduling content
- Responding to messages
- Organising emails
- Helping with brand collaborations
- Managing day-to-day social media tasks
If you understand social media and you’re organised, there could be opportunities to provide these services to people who don’t have the time or inclination to manage everything themselves.
You could start by working with one client and gradually build from there.
Over time, this could potentially develop into an agency where you have other people working with you.
But don’t get carried away at the beginning!
Start small, learn what you’re doing and build your experience.
9. Become an Online Tutor
If you have a degree, teaching experience or strong knowledge in a particular subject, online tutoring could be an option.
You could provide tutoring sessions to students who need additional support with their studies.
One of the attractions of tutoring is the potential flexibility. You can often arrange sessions around your existing commitments, depending on the tutoring model and platform you use.
You could find students through tutoring platforms, your own website, social media or word of mouth.
And you don’t necessarily have to be a current teacher. Retired teachers or people with strong subject knowledge may also be able to explore tutoring opportunities, depending on the subject and any relevant requirements.
10. Look for Remote Customer Service or Admin Jobs
Finally, perhaps you don’t actually want to run a business at all.
And that’s completely fine.
Working from home doesn’t necessarily mean becoming self-employed.
There are employers who offer remote or hybrid roles in areas such as:
- Customer service
- Reception
- Administration
- Live chat support
- Customer support
You can look for these types of opportunities on job boards such as Indeed and other employment websites.
This could be a better option if what you’re looking for is a regular wage rather than having to find your own clients or customers.
Remote jobs can be competitive, so it can be useful to set up job alerts and apply promptly when suitable positions are advertised.
Which Work From Home Idea Is Right for You?
As you can see, there isn’t just one way to make money from home.
You could:
Create content.
Sell products.
Provide a service.
Teach a skill.
Write books.
Create digital products.
Work for an employer remotely.
The best option for you will depend on your skills, interests, available time, finances and how quickly you need to start earning.
And you don’t have to know exactly what you’re going to do for the next ten years.
You can start small.
Try something.
See whether you enjoy it.
See whether people are willing to pay for it.
Then learn, improve and build from there.
You don’t need to have it all figured out before you start.
Sometimes you just need to take that first small step and see where it takes you, inshaAllah.
And if you’re a Muslim woman who wants to build an income while working around your family and your existing responsibilities, I hope at least one of these ideas has given you something to think about.
