Many women interrupt their careers to have children but then find themselves wishing they could do more. If you are a mom who left a high-flying job to spend time with Junior after one too many guilty nights, or if you never made it to the workforce and are now desperate to get involved but finding it difficult being a full-time mummy, Bayt.com, are just some ideas of jobs you may be able to do from the confines of your home which require very little overhead and labour and need not be overly stressful.
Most of us in the Middle East are at least bilingual and many are fluent in3 languages and more. If you are very comfortable at a professional level with more than one language, why not sign up with a translation company/ office and do some freelance translation work in your free time. Talk to corporations that you think may need translaters, publishing houses and translation companies directly.
Are you a college graduate? What subject were you best at? Why not consider tutoring children in languages or music or math - whatever you are qualified in, from the privacy of your own home. Of course you need to be extremely comfortable at a professional level with whatever subject you end up teaching. But there is a lot of demand for help with Math homework, English, Economics etc. after school especially before exams.
You need not be Martha Stewart yourself. You need a basic interest and skill in the area and can hire talented professionals with a creative flair to help you. Be different - there is always a market for highly original party/ cocktail food served with style. Keep in mind that the Mid-East market is a very discerning market when it comes to eating out given the plethora of excellent restaurants so aim for originality in textures, flavours and presentation. You may want to specialize in just one thing you do brilliantly eg. chewy chocolate chip cookies served in delectable baskets, or you may be the caterer of choice for haute-cuisine Indian, Thai etc. Maybe its children's parties you do best, or office cocktails. Could even be those delicious pastries you do so well that you could churn out by the hundreds. One lady in New York made a home business - you won't believe this - decorating sugar cubes. She used a special kind of icing to draw absolutely delectable miniature works of art on little sugar cubes which were then sold individually in specialty shops. They look absolutely fantastic on a silver plate in a fancy tea party. How's that for an idea here in the Middle East? The important thing is to find your niche, be as ambitious as you want and can, market well and stay professional.
Very popular in the UK - not as common here. Our children are not as aesthetically challenged as they could be. If you are a budding, talented, or better yet, trained artist, set up a bowl of fruits on your dining table, buy a dozen easels and train the neighbourhood hooligans in the fine art of drawing still life. That's just one way of doing it. How about an art and crafts club where they can get their hands dirty making toys, pictures and all manner of interesting and fun objects. This is an ideal activity given the indoor lifestyle in the Middle East, but if you have a garden, the kids will love setting up outside on the grass when the weather is good. A great way to see a lot of children having fun while 'working' yourself. Again, if you are not qualified artistically, advertise for the right staff to handle the artistic side while you take care of the business/ marketing side.
Children love to learn in groups. French clubs are a great way to immerse children in the language. They learn through songs, flashcards, stories and activities from fluent teachers. For the children, it's a fun way to spend the afternoon and the language learning comes with the territory. Maths clubs make the subject fun as well as interesting; a great way to take the phobia out of the numbers. Research existing math clubs in the UK and USA before you start one and make sure you are qualified. Finally, music clubs are a lark for all. Kids sing, dance and play with different kinds of instruments; a great way to exercise the vocal chords and make friends. All these clubs can be set up at home. Remember to set them up as a little business with professional planning, good organization, a keen eye on quality and professionalism and the best support staff.
Are you a closet writer? Have you always dreamed of writing a novel or a children's book? Why not start by freelancing. That way you can earn some money while you get your name out and develop a reputation and experience. Thanks to the internet, there is a tremendous number of jobs out there for the freelancer. Check out freelance sites as well as regular job sites for freelance writing jobs.
