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 has identified10 ways to ease you into work without shocking your mummy system disproportionately. Here, from the career experts at 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. bayt.com often advertises freelance writing jobs. Also approach directly magazines, newspapers and journals you like with articles you have written that you think would be of interest to them. That way they see your writing style and maybe you can work together in the future on titles/ topics of mutual interest.
This type of business was set up very successfully in the UK by a friend of mine with two children after leaving a highly paid marketing position with a multinational. She started off with weddings, then branched out to baby showers, corporate gifts and now has her own site on the internet. Purely by word of mouth referral, she has become one of the vendors of choice for wedding party favours for Indian society weddings in the UK. She had no artistic experience but a creative flair and a keen appreciation for quality and for 'beautiful' objects. Her favour 'boxes' and 'objects' are sourced from Italy mostly and the chocolates, other delicacies, papers and fabrics required she finds in the UK. She now employs4 women to help her and is extremely busy and satisfied with the work. Do you have ideas for corporate gifts, or gift baskets, or original and well-presented gift baskets using materials sourced from the Middle East perhaps?
Is this something you always wanted to do? Do you have the talent and the eye? Why not start practicing - first on your home and then using that as a showcase, on other people's homes. If you are interested but not comfortable, why not take this time to take a course in Interior Design. Many excellent ones are offered long distance from the UK or US. Some of the best interior designers never studied the subject in an institution but have a talent for putting colours, textures and proportions together in original and aesthetically pleasing combinations. If you are confident you have the talent, build a portfolio showing your work and start developing a reputation working on your friends' homes.
Many ladies in the Middle East have taken courses in and are keen to learn more about art. Why not set up an art appreciation seminar series in your home? Invite either local lecturers from the colleges or to be more ambitious, fly in famous specialists in different eras, artists and types of art for a series of weekly seminars. Target an era, style, subject or artist. You may opt for a sweeping course such as ' British Art through the Centuries' or 'Italian Art: Botticcelli to Today'. Or a very specific course such as Italian Renaissance Furniture or Picasso's Women or Caravaggio. Whatever you choose, consult the experts first and approach it in a very professional manner. Set up a room with a slide projector, a stand for the lecturer and a professional seating arrangement and make sure you prepare all the reading materials before-hand and plan a social cocktail session prior to the talks. Try to attend some of the lectures offered by Christies or Sotheby's in London for some ideas.
Are you an art lover? Do you travel a lot to places with great local artists who are not well represented in your country? Do you have friends/ acquaintances who are art lovers? Why not buy or lease or borrow a stock of paintings from that wonderful budding Tunisian artist next time you are in Tunis, display them in your house and try to sell them. Try to arrange a private showing for up-and-coming young artists you discover in Lebanon, Tunisia, Turkey, Russia and other parts of Asia in your travels. This only works if you are confident you can secure a good-sized audience for the collection. Much of the artwork in the Middle East is purchased through exactly this type of private showing. Make a little brochure with photographs for the different paintings and their prices and market the events to reach the widest targeted audience you can handle.
