Virtual Assistant/ SecretaryVirtual Assistants (VAs) are there to help small businesses who can’t afford full-time secretarial support or need to delegate occasional typing or admin work. You will need a spare room (or at least a clear desk, away from the kids, TV or any distraction), a phone, modem and PC with all the usual software applications plus the ability to correct unintelligible emails while talking to suppliers you’ve never heard of about products you don’t understand! If you can do all that, you can typically charge between £10-20 per hour for routine secretarial work done by phone or email.ChildmindingAs a childminder you can look after other people’s children whilst tending your own, although you’re only allowed up to six in total: that’s up to three under fives and up to three more between five and eight years old. You will need to go through some training first and you, your family and your home will need to be approved by your local council before you can even be put on their list.”There’s no fixed fee per hour, per child,” says Kay Lyons from the National Childminding Association, “and it varies all over the country, but the average pay per child is about £2.30 per hour for full-time care and about £2.44 for part time.”Be a DoulaDoulas are birth-partners and post-birth partners- like surrogate mothers to new mothers- and any woman who has had a baby can become one. You will need to take a doula course with British Doulas who run day courses for women who want to become birth partners and post-birth partners. You don’t need academic qualifications to go on the course but do need to be willing to do what it takes to help new mums. Work can be both full and part time, doing essential everyday tasks such as making sure the mothers fridge is full and preparing meals and snacks for the new mum. You can also work as a birth doula where you will be with a mother when she goes into labor and throughout the birth. Doulas in Britain make, on average, about £10 per hour for post-birth work and between £250-500 for a birth.Market ResearchThere are a few companies in Britain that have a pool of people they regularly call upon to join a focus group. Sometimes they specifically need mothers or fathers to test out child or baby-related products. You can make between £30 to £100 for a session depending on what you are talking about, plus more if you manage to recruit extra members. Saros Research is one company that conducts focus groups like these, and more information can be found on their website.FosteringThere is a huge need for foster parents in this country and if you have enough love, patience and experience in caring for children this can be a very worthwhile way of making some extra money. The exact amount you are paid depends on the local authority, and although between £100-176 is the Government’s recommended minimum some councils pay less. The Fostering Network recommends a minimum of £115-200 per child (depending on their age) outside London per week. Of course, it’s hugely important that you do this “job” for the love of children rather than just the need for cash. Foster-net, the British Association for Adoption and Fostering and The Fostering Network are all good ports of call for further advice.Become a Lactation ConsultantIf you have breastfed your baby you may be interested in helping other women to do the same. Train first to be a breastfeeding consultant – a voluntary role – with the La Leche League or the Association of Breastfeeding Mothers. Then, after gaining many hours of experience you could move on to train as a lactation consultant and charge for work in hospitals or private practice. Sue Saunders, a lactation consultant in Kent, says that depending on where you live and what your experience is you could charge between £15-50 an hour for consultancy.
making money, mother, baby money, fostering, market research
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