how to work from home

March 16, 2020

How To Start Working From Home – 5 Important Steps

As we enter 2020 there has been a shift in the way we work.

About a decade ago working from home was considered a luxury but with the small to medium sized businesses booming and becoming the key drivers in our economy, remote employment is emerging as the new trend.

If you’re thinking about transitioning over to a work from home job this article is for you!
In this article, we’ll cover five steps to help kick-start your journey to remote employment.

STEP ONE: Do You Have the Right Stuff?

It takes a certain type of work ethic to be able to sustain and succeed in remote employment.

Here are some of the most important core competencies:

Time Management

Time management is an extremely important skill to have. You’re doing everything remotely from communicating with your boss and coworkers, answering emails, and handling day-to-day tasks as they come in. This is where time management comes into play. Being able to quickly prioritize and plan out your day from the start will help ensure success as a remote worker.

Discipline and Focus

It’s easy to get distracted when you work from home. With family at home, unexpected guests showing up at the door, and being tempted to complete a chore or two, things can quickly add up.

Stand your ground, have some rules of the home in place while you’re working remotely, and set your business hours so that friends and family know when they can contact you or even put your phone on “do not disturb” when you have work to complete.

Strong Communication Skills

Because you’re working remotely, strong communication is a vital skill to have. Whether you’re sending out emails, conferencing in a phone call or jumping in on a Zoom meeting, communication is the key to success in the remote work world. It’s important to communicate and acknowledge tasks, deadlines and project statuses to your team.

Ability to Work Independently

For the most part, you’re all on your own. If you’re someone who needs to be around others and socialize, remote work can sometimes feel isolating.

The good news is that there are ways to still socialize when you have a work from home job. You can join an online Facebook community (HireMyMom has an Online Community for example) or make time to attend networking or social meetings in your area.

Check out this blog for a more comprehensive piece on the core competencies.

STEP TWO: Finding Your New Work From Home Career Path

Transitioning to a work at home career can be life changing (in a good way), and it’s important to make sure you’re setting yourself up for success. There are so many different remote work professions to choose from. Here are some of the most popular:

Virtual Assistant
Copywriter / Content Developer / Blogger
Digital Marketing Specialist / Marketing / Advertising
Accountant / Bookkeeper
Customer Service / Client Support Specialist

It’s important when deciding on what jobs to apply for to assess what you have in your “toolbox”. Your toolbox contains your education, work experience, and any additional training you received that you could incorporate into the position you are applying for.

It never hurts to take a course or two to brush up your skills or learn some new ones. There are several online and in person options available. It’s best to do a Google search to find out what programs are offered as well as a search on YouTube to find any free training.

If you’re interested in becoming a Virtual Assistant we offer two great programs; our 31 Day VA Training Program and our 6-Month In-Depth VA Training Program.

For a more in-depth look at these professions and others including pay rates check out our article “10 Work From Home Jobs For Moms”.

STEP THREE: Do You Have the Right Tools?

Working from home does require some necessary tools to get started. Here are some you may need:

Computer and Backup
It’s important to have a good computer to work on plus a backup system in place should your system go down. And having a laptop is convenient for those working remotely since you can pick up and work from anywhere including the coffee shop, the pool or even on vacation.

Programs / Apps
Some key programs and apps you may use when you work remotely include G-Suite / Google Docs, Zoom, Slack, Trello, Asana and other project management tools. There are also time tracking services like Harvest that are helpful for tracking hours.

Designated Workspace
It’s important to have a designated area so you can tune in to your work and tune out any distractions. You should have a desk area, proper office chair, and good lighting.

STEP FOUR: Where to Find Legitimate Work from Home Jobs?

The best place to find work from home jobs is online. There are however some considerations as to which job sites you should avoid.

Some questions to ask yourself when deciding which sites to apply to:

Does the website take commission every time you are paid?

Do they carefully screen employers before allowing them to post a job? (See Spotting Work at Home Scams)

Are you competing with thousands of applicants all over the world or is it a smaller niche site?

Is the website easy to navigate and use?

Do they have customer testimonials and good reviews?

It’s important to go with a website that features high quality job postings from reputable businesses. There may be a small cost to join the website but this is a good thing. It means there’s a filter in place to provide quality employment opportunities and greatly reducing the candidate pool so you are not competing with hundreds or thousands of other job seekers.

(HireMyMom has a great selection of jobs to choose from. Give your career a kick start, learn more here).

STEP FIVE: Resume, Cover Letter, and Interview Skills

Having an updated resume and cover letters tailored to each individual job increases your chances of getting hired with a quality employer. It’s also helpful to brush up on your interview skills so you can leave a lasting impression and land the job you want.

Need help? We have a collection of articles that offer tips on writing cover letters, advice on how to make your resume stand out, things to think about while preparing for a job interview and more. You can check them out here.

Are you ready to take that next step? Here are a few work from home success stories to inspire you:

Written by Jessica Nicklos

June 11, 2018 0 Comments

3 Challenges with Working From Home – and How to Solve Them

Working from home has many benefits, from more time and flexibility to a non-existent commute. Although it’s mainly a positive experience for most, there can be challenges involved, especially in the beginning.

Check out this week’s blog for some tips on working through those challenges successfully.

Kids or Family

While kid, family, pet and friend time can be a huge bonus to a more flexible job, they can also require a lot of time. Sometimes you’ll need to have focused work time, meetings or conference calls that demand your attention.

For your kids, ask your mom friends or moms in your groups if there are any play groups during the day. You can exchange playdates while other moms need to get things done as well.

You can also take your work outside! Since most home-based jobs involve only a computer, you can bring your office with you. Take your kids or the dogs to a park while you work.

Distractions

Distractions are part of every job, but can be even more prevalent at home. Between the aforementioned family members and dogs, there’s postal deliveries, homes to be cleaned, and TV shows that can be a little too tempting. If you struggle at all with independent work, it can be even more challenging.

Instead of eliminating these things entirely, give yourself breaks to do what you’re tempted to do during work time, such as watch a TV show, put in a load of laundry, or start dinner.

Your distractions can become a healthy part of your life, as long as you work to manage them while still getting things done. Create a schedule that allows time for the extras or “distracting” parts of your day while still completing your work.

Socialization

One of the first concerns when accepting a work from home job is the possibility of isolation. Whether you have kids or not, it can still be lonely to not work out of a traditional office.

To combat this, it’s important that social interaction remain part of your life. Can you plan to work with a friend at a coffee shop? What about a weekly happy hour date with a friend or family member?

If you can, look into co-working spaces and spend a few mornings or afternoons working from Starbucks. Even though you might not be working with anyone else, the energy from others, as well as social interaction, will help you feel a bit more normal.

Also, if it’s possible in your situation, be sure to meet up with your co-workers from time to time. If you aren’t local to each other, schedule frequent Skype dates. Video conferencing can still feel like an in-person conversation much more than the phone!

Written by Jessica Nicklos

February 26, 2018 0 Comments

Hire My Mom Success Story: Shannon Culp

What’s your success story with HireMyMom.com?

I cannot stop shouting HireMyMom.com from the rooftops! I’ve enjoyed introducing it to so many moms out there looking for exactly what I found through hiremymom…my DREAM JOB. It’s hard for people to believe there’s a site out there focused on helping moms. When in fact, the companies who advertise jobs here have a strong understanding of what career moms like myself are looking for. I wanted to find inner peace and perfect work/life balance that allows me to put my family first and not lose sight of my career goals.

I joined the website and actually got two awesome jobs in the span of 6 months!

For me, my career aspirations included finding the “diamond in the rough” position I just knew was out there. I wanted something I could be passionate about and proud of. I found BestSelf.Co’s posting for a Project Manager and instantly fell in love with this company and everything it stands for. Their post told me I could work 100% remotely, have fun at my job, and be a part of something truly amazing?!? Was this company for real? So, I checked out the website and learned all about Cathryn and Allen. They created an insanely successful business out of a need for organization and accountability. Not only was I going to focus 100% of my efforts towards landing this DREAM JOB with a company that was clearly cooler than I was, I found myself actually wanting to buy and try the products!

I got the job with BestSelf.Co. around the middle of September and less than a month later I joined my new team in Key West for my first (of hopefully many) bi-annual team retreats!

HireMyMom.com fatefully connected me with a company and a job I didn’t even know existed! Never in my life have I truly gotten to tell people about what I do with such amazing passion and pride. I have so much gratitude and thanks towards HireMyMom.com. What a perfect season it is to reflect on that!

What’s your educational and experiential background?

My education is in Business Management & Accounting, and up until very recently the majority of my work experience was in Property Management.

What is your top tip for landing a gig on HireMyMom.com?

Set your career search goals high and thoroughly read each career posting that intrigues you.
Take the time to learn what they are looking for and promote yourself in a unique way that will make you memorable over hundreds if not thousands of other applicants:
Tell a short, yet intriguing story about yourself.
Find a way to relate reading and/or education that you’ve completed in a way that will make you shine in that position.
Bottom line, in your cover letter, don’t repeat your resume. Find a new and interesting way to tell your prospective employer about yourself.
Take care in every. single. application you submit. Don’t phone this in. If you expect to land an amazing job – you have to put amazing effort towards achieving it.
Don’t copy/paste for multiple positions. Research each company and reflect on that in your application.
Many of the jobs on HireMyMom are with aspiring startup companies who embrace the “work productively from home” mantra. If you want to be part of something amazing from the ground up, HireMyMom.com is an awesome place to find that!

Written by Jessica Nicklos

November 6, 2017 0 Comments

3 Ways to Adjust to Work From Home Life

Working from home has many wonderful benefits. From productivity to more time with friends and family, it’s a great way to work with more flexibility.

If you’re new to working from home, you’ll notice it’s a big change from a traditional work environment and schedule. Read along for our best tips and advice for a seamless transition.

Start slowly

If you have the opportunity, start slowly into your work from home career. HireMyMom.com offers freelance and part-time jobs as well as full-time, so start small if you feel like it will be a big transition for you and your family. Many of these positions also often advertise as part-time with the option to go full-time if things work out; this can be a great compromise!

Whether you’ve quit an office job or chose to stay home with your kids, there’s an in-between option for working from home. You can still create income and contribute with a freelance, project-based, or part-time position. This way, you get the best of both worlds while doing other things, or while you prepare to go full-time.

Have a plan

As with everything in life, having a plan and schedule is ideal. Since it’s been proven time and again that home based work results in more productivity, you’ll need to get a sense of what you can accomplish during a day.

Whether you’re staying at the same job but moving to a home office, or starting fresh in your home based career, it’s important to map out your days with a plan. It’s still easy to get distracted at home, so it’s best to work from a to do list and work schedule.

Get everyone on board

Work from home is just that – work! Many people assume that since you’re home, you’re available 24/7. This could be true, but not if you want to get any work done.

It’s important to set boundaries and expectations with friends and family as much as you need. Whether that’s setting up specific times for meeting friends, or having your spouse pick up your kids at an inopportune time for you, it’s still important that your schedule is considered.

When your spouse, friends, or family members go to their traditional office job, they are essentially unable to leave for many obligations. This is great for you to be able to step in, but it’s not always assumed that you will be available either. To take some tasks off of your plate, it can still be helpful to have a few babysitters on call to help you out when your work is also demanding.

Beginning your work from home journey is so exciting, but also comes with transitional changes. Take your time, make a solid plan, and set expectations with others and you’ll do just fine!

Written by Jessica Nicklos

July 24, 2017 0 Comments

5 Top Tips for Work From Home Success

Working from home is often the goal of many moms. It affords flexibility, more time with family, and a comfortable work environment. While it’s a goal that can lead to a big increase in the quality of your life, it also comes with challenges.

Between distractions and the lack of traditional work environment, it can take a while to find your footing in the home based working world. Read along for some best practices for a smooth work from home life.

Separate your spaces

While it might be comfortable to work on the couch for a while, it can lead to posture issues and a lack of focus. It’s better to establish an office or a separate space in your home specifically reserved for work. If you don’t have the extra space to make a bedroom into an office, you can set up a space at the dinner table, or place a small desk in another room.

It’s best to eliminate as many distractions as possible, while keeping the environment as “businesslike” as possible while being from home.

Get out of the house

Some people find home based work too isolating and mundane. If you start to feel this wya, it’s best to get out of the house as much as possible. You can even work from a coffee shop, park or office space daily. Even if you obtain a “work from home” job position, you might still look into something more social like a coworking space.

Coworking spaces combine people from a variety of industries and businesses into one location. This provides the social, office environment while allowing you to keep a flexible schedule and unique working arrangement.

Treat it like work

Working from home is still work! It can be easy to see it as a way to work less and spend time all day with family or friends, but unfortunately, work still needs to get done. Use the first few weeks to find a good balancing act between the two, and then be sure that you’re working when you should be.

Of course, the benefit of home based work is flexibility, so there will be times when you can use evening or early morning hours to work. Going outside of the schedule is more than permitted, but a routine work schedule (most days) makes for more effective, productive work.

Unplug

While you should treat your home based career like work, it’s also important to unplug! As home based workers, it can be tough to turn it off. Your computer is essentially your workspace, but it needs to be turned off once in awhile.

This is why it can be helpful to establish specific work times, so it’s not too tempting to work well into the evening. Use your off time for friends, family, and personal time, and work on a schedule that works best for you. Avoid the trap of working around the clock – it can cause unnecessary burnout, stress, and fatigue.

Set your boundaries

Boundaries are important when you work from home. Since you typically become the point of contact, person who’s there for appointments in the home, caregiver, and so on, it’s important to maximize your schedule and set boundaries so you can still get work done.

Working from home requires some forethought and effort between you, your employer, and your family, but it can be done. It’s a wonderful working arrangement that affords more flexibility and less missed good times, but ensure that you’re being smart about it and setting boundaries that keep you healthy, happy and productive.

Written by Jessica Nicklos

May 30, 2017 0 Comments

5 Ways to Get Your Employer to Let You Work From Home

While there are plenty of work from home jobs out there, sometimes it takes a less traditional route to get there. If you’re currently in an office setting, but would like to make the case for working from home with your employer, read along.

We’ve compiled some best tips to work with your boss on a home based arrangement. While it’s becoming more and more common, there are still traditional bosses who see the office as the only way. Fortunately, we know that working from home offers flexibility, increased productivity, and other benefits that may sway their decision.

Present the benefits

This is the time to make your case! It’s proven that working from home increases productivity by a large margin. According to remote.co, “two-thirds of managers say employees who work remotely increase their overall productivity.”

According to Forbes.com, productivity increases can be attributed to more well-timed distractions, the environment of working at home, and optimized communication, to name a few. One might initially think that productivity would decrease, but it’s exactly the opposite. Additionally, sick days are reduced – yours and your kids’. You might still be able to work from home while ill, and also care for a sick kid without taking hours away from the office. There are a host of work from home benefits that directly benefit your employer!

Give a demonstration

If you can get your boss partially on board, now is the time for a demonstration. Ask if you can set up a trial for 2-3 days per week for a couple weeks. This is the time to be productive, show that you’re still available for communication, and generally show why you should be allowed to work from home.

Show the costs

Since saving money is a large benefit with remote workers, you can also give statistics on monetary savings from an employer’s perspective. From commuting, to office space, to computers and office supplies, a lot of money can be saved by remote workers.

Additionally, there are fewer travel costs, far less sick days, and higher retention rates, due to higher job satisfaction reported in remote workers, according to Entrepreneur.com.

Show your productivity

Show what you can do! While it’s important not to go all out and exaggerate the amount of work you can get done from home, really focus your efforts during your trial period.

It’s important to show that while you’re not in a traditional office setting, you can still get your work done – and then some!

Negotiate

If your work from home experiment goes well, do your best to negotiate something that makes everyone feel comfortable. Since your boss may be more traditional, a full-time home based arrangement may not be best in this case. Working from home doesn’t need to be all the time, but perhaps begin with 1-2 days at home per week.

If this arrangement continues to go well, and your employer is seeing your productivity and the benefits, you may be able to arrange it into a full-time position.

If your goal is working from home, it’s worth the effort to have an honest discussion with your employer. It might not fly for everyone, but it’s worth the conversation. Working from home saves money, boosts productivity, and allows for better work-life balance and happiness!

Written by Jessica Nicklos

May 1, 2017 0 Comments

HireMyMom Success Story: Anza Goodbar

What’s your success story with HireMyMom?

Hire My Mom has been a wonderful tool for me to find clients over the years. I have been an active member off and for more than 6 years. Every client I have found on this site has been wonderful to work with and flexible with my schedule. Whenever my business is in a lull, HireMyMom is the first place I go to find new clients.

What’s your educational and experiential background?

I have a degree in communications. I have been a business owner since 2004. I have owned a mortgage company, a video rental company, a wholesale distribution company, a branding and packaging company as well as my online business services company. I have recently started a coaching certification program to enable me to grow my virtual company by including business coaching, masterminds and webinars to teach entrepreneurs business basics. I work primarily with coaches who want to grow their businesses. I also enjoy writing articles and blogs.

What is your top tip for landing a gig on HireMyMom?

Take your time to answer the questions the potential employer is looking for. Also add a cover letter and follow their instructions for applying. Many small business owners will use a sequence of directions to see who can pay attention to detail and follow directions, if you don’t follow their directions you’ll be disregarded before you even have the chance to sell yourself.

What’s your favorite thing about HireMyMom?

The ease of use on their website.

What’s one fun fact about you?

I’m a competitive ballroom dancer.

Hire My Mom

Legit work from home jobs