Reuters
NEW YORK – Lara Lewis used to be a stressed-out single mother whose teaching job left her little time for her young daughter. Now she works from home, selling an estimated $60,000 a year worth of jewelry online.
The 37-year-old from State College, Pennsylvania, is one of an estimated 5.1 million stay-at-home U.S. mothers, many of whom juggle child-rearing and generating an income, and a growing number of whom are starting their own businesses.
The web is redefining “women’s work” and giving stay-at-home mothers the flexibility that eluded them in the corporate world. The Small Business Administration says the number of self-employed women around the country jumped by 10 percent from 2000 to 2006, to 5.3 million.
For Lewis, an online marketplace called Etsy provided a place to sell her estate-style and faux vintage pieces. The website, www.etsy.com, lets craft makers set up their own virtual shops and has more than 4.2 million users. Read the full story.
