Business Idea

I've been thinking about a way to make some extra money lately. I currently work a job doing housekeeping for a well-to-do family. I enjoy cleaning and helping to make their household run more smoothly but I find that the daily management of someone else's household can be draining and even frustrating at times. I've stayed away from the standard 9-5 job because I enjoy the flexibility of housekeeping, the feeling of accomplishment and the wages are better than any other job for a relatively uneducated housewife and mother of two.

I really started thinking about the varies skills that I have and how they may be beneficial to others and even monetized. A stay-at-home mother has many skills that are lacking in many "professional" households. Salary.com estimates a mom's worth annually at $117,850 on the average. That is taking into account the many "jobs" that a mom has, the average pay for each job title, and the number of hours per week that each job is performed. If stay-at-home moms are really worth so much, why are there so few these days?

I read an article in a magazine recently that opened my eyes to the type of business that I think I'd really love. A busy, professional woman realized that her home was missing a housewife. She was busy with her job and found that her home was lacking in the domestic area. She was prompted to open a business to help professionals, like herself, who were too busy to perform daily domestic tasks. That's the business for me!

I've given it quite a bit of thought lately and even ran the idea by a few friends. I'm going to call it The Occasional Housewife. The Occasional Housewife will offer services like organization of any room, eliminating clutter, filing/bookkeeping, bathroom cleaning, decorating/un-decorating, personal shopping, running errands, packing for a move, cleaning vacated houses or apartments, spring cleaning, or anything else that that you don't have time to do. These services will benefit working moms, professionals, single moms and dads, bachelors, seniors, and large families. My rates will be $20/hour for 1-2 hour slots. Weekly customers will receive a discount and $.15/mile in addition will be charged for running errands. I may need some brochures and business cards made up (ahem). :) My overhead would be low so I think I can try out the business without much risk.