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June 15, 2023

Finding Balance as a Work-at-Home Mom: Lessons Learned and Tips for Success

As a mom who left a career in higher education to start a business and work from home, finding balance has been a journey. It’s not easy to juggle work and parenting, especially when you’re trying to grow your business at the same time. However, I’ve learned a lot along the way and would like to share my experience with other work-at-home moms.

When I found out I was pregnant, I knew it was time to take my business seriously. I started by setting a realistic schedule that allowed me to work during my most productive hours while also being present for my family. I also made sure to take breaks throughout the day to rest and recharge.

Once my baby arrived, I had to adjust my schedule again. I quickly learned that nap time was my most valuable work time. I also had to learn to let go of some things and prioritize what was most important. I outsourced some tasks and delegated others to free up more time for my family.

One of the biggest challenges I faced was learning to say no. As a work-at-home mom, it’s easy to say yes to everything, but that can quickly lead to burnout. I had to learn to set boundaries and only take on projects that aligned with my goals and values.

Overall, finding balance as a work-at-home mom takes time and patience. It’s important to remember that it’s okay to make mistakes and that every day is a new opportunity to do better. With the right mindset and systems in place, it’s possible to grow a successful business while also being present for your family.

As my baby is growing, I’ve had to continue to adapt to new challenges. I found that having a designated workspace helped me stay focused on work during work hours and transition to mom duties when I was with my baby. I also learned the importance of self-care and making time for myself, even if it was just a few minutes here and there.

Another thing that helped me find balance was connecting with other work-at-home moms. Having a support system of people who understood the unique challenges of balancing work and parenting was invaluable. We were able to share tips, offer encouragement, and remind each other that we were all doing the best we could.

One thing that I wish I had known earlier in my journey was the importance of setting boundaries with clients. I found myself working crazy hours and responding to emails at all hours of the night, which led to burnout and resentment towards my business. Once I started setting clear expectations with clients about my work hours and response times, I felt more in control of my schedule and was able to provide better service to my clients during designated work hours.

In conclusion, finding balance as a work-at-home mom is possible with the right mindset, systems, and support. It’s a journey with ups and downs, but with patience and persistence, you can grow a successful business while also being present for your family. Remember to take care of yourself, set boundaries, and connect with other work-at-home moms for support and encouragement.

 

Lisa Trinidad is an entrepreneur with a background in communications. She started a mommy blog, Busy Brilliant Mom, in 2016, offering tips for managing motherhood. Despite being a working mom, she left her corporate job in higher education to start Desk On The Run, a service that offers strategy and business management to small business owners. In 2022, she founded Latina Mom Meetup, which provides a space to meet and share resources with other moms in the area. Lisa resides in Brooklyn, NY and is a mother of three girls. Her journey is driven by a desire to establish a community among moms and meet them where they are in the journey through motherhood.

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November 5, 2022

How to Prepare Your Resume for a Remote Work Position

Guest Contributor: Corissa Peterson

Working remotely has become common and acceptable in the last few years. According to Forbes, 97% of people working from home don’t want to go back to work at the office, and an increasing number of companies offer either fully remote or hybrid positions. 

But if you’re looking for a job that lets you work from home, you’ll need to prepare a resume tailored for a remote position. Hiring managers want to know that you can handle the challenges inherent to remote work, so it’s important to make sure your resume demonstrates your qualifications.

In this article, we’ll show you how to customize your resume for an out-of-office job:

Tailor your resume introduction

An effective resume introduction can determine whether a hiring manager looks closer at your resume or simply skims it. If your resume summary impresses them, they’re likely to give your resume a thorough look. If not, it will probably wind up in the “no” pile. 

Your resume introduction is your first chance to catch a hiring manager’s attention in a positive way.

In this section of your resume, you need to make it clear that you can succeed in a remote position. Think about the job requirements and how your specific experiences and skills mesh with them.

Consider this example of a well-written resume introduction.

  • Award-winning graphic designer with six years of experience working remotely to create logos, product illustrations, ad graphics for print and digital assets, and web design. Work independently to develop graphics using Adobe Illustrator, Canva, and Affinity Designer, collaborating with others via Figma and Trello as needed

Remember that the hiring manager will see this short paragraph first, so you need to make every word count. 

If you need help crafting a strong resume introduction, consider using an online resume builder. Resume builders can help you write an industry-specific resume summary that pairs your experiences with the job requirements.

Demonstrate your remote work skills

For a remote job, employers want to know you can work effectively outside of the office. To show them that you’re capable, you need to demonstrate your remote working skills. 

Make sure to showcase both hard and soft skill sets that are relevant to remote work. Hard skills are specific skills you’ve acquired through hands-on experience or training, like use of specific software. Soft skills like time management are also incredibly important for success as a remote employee. 

If you can demonstrate that you have both the hard and soft skills necessary to succeed in a remote position, hiring managers will take your resume more seriously, and you’ll be more likely to get an interview.

Remote work hard skills

Employers will be more willing to consider you for a remote position if you already have the necessary hard skills. Often, this means familiarity with specific software, including project management tools and team collaboration platforms. 

Showing employers that you have these skills demonstrates your added value, and lets them know that they won’t need to invest a lot of time training you in new tools. 

Here are some examples of hard remote skills to include in your remote work resume:

  • Asana
  • Trello
  • Scoro
  • WorkZone
  • HubSpot
  • Zoho Projects

By including these hard remote skills, you can show the hiring manager that you’ll be ready to jump in and collaborate with their team and start making valuable contributions immediately.

Remote work soft skills

When it comes to hiring people for a remote position, it’s important for employers to know that they’re hiring someone they can trust. If you can show an employer that you’re responsible, trustworthy, and can get work done without their supervision, then you’ll increase your chances of landing the job. 

Some soft skills that show employers you’re a capable remote worker include:

  • Self-Motivation: You need to have the skill of self-motivation to work towards your employer’s goals on your own. Show this on your resume by describing an accomplishment you pursued and completed on your own, like completing a programming course you took to develop your skills and elevate your professional performance.
  • Time Management: Do you manage your time well? Employers want to ensure they don’t have an employee who wastes time. Add this soft skill to your resume by relaying a time you managed a tight schedule calmly and successfully.
  • Communication: Good communication skills will ensure that you can effectively navigate the channel of communication with your boss and colleagues while you’re working remotely to make sure everyone is on the same page. To demonstrate your communication skills, include an example of how you solved a problem using strong communication.
  • Organization: If you work remotely, you must be able to keep everything organized, from your home office setup to your work projects and schedule. To show off your organizational skills, think of a time when you brought order or structure to a messy system. For example, perhaps you introduced an office management tool or streamlined an outdated process.

When people think of including skills on their resume, they usually think of a list under a “Skills” section. And while it’s fine to add your skills here, this section is better saved for industry-specific hard skills and maybe two or three relevant soft skills.

Finding ways to demonstrate your soft skills in your work experience section is a better way to include them on your resume, as this shows employers the context for your soft skills and how you’ve used them in the past to benefit your employers.

For instance, here’s an example of how to demonstrate leadership in your work experience section:

“Led a team of 10 software engineers in creation of a new app, communicating with all team members and across departments to ensure clarity of goals. Project was completed on schedule and under budget and the app received an average star rating of 4.9 and raised revenue by 5%.”

Highlight your remote work experience

Demonstrating your past remote experience significantly strengthens your application, because employers can see that you’re already an accomplished remote worker. 

Here are some tips and examples to help you highlight your remote experience:

Make it explicit

When writing your resume, the most straightforward way to highlight your remote work experience is to explicitly mention it in your work experience section. There are a couple of ways to do this.

  1. If you worked from home or out of a virtual office, write “Remote” instead of listing the location of a job under your title and company name. 

Here’s an example: 

Customer Service Representative

Jane’s Footwear, Jan 2020 – Present
 Remote

Making this simple change will draw attention to your remote work and immediately let employers know that you’re experienced.

  1. Describe your remote experience in your bullet points

For example:

  • Worked remotely to answer an average of 100 customer calls each day, providing information about products and services, helping customers with complaints, processing returns, and taking orders.

Consider making a dedicated remote work section

If you have two or more remote work experiences, consider listing them in a separate section titled “Remote Work Experience.” A section like this will draw attention to your extensive remote work experience, and show the employer that you have the capability to succeed at a remote job.

Here’s an example:

Remote Work Experience

Real Estate Acquisition Sales Specialist

Jayden & Lewis Realty

June 2019 – Present

  • Manage sales leads and discover prospective buyers
  • Place calls to possible sellers to understand their needs and concerns
  • Use CRM Daily to stay up-to-date and on task 

Adding a distinct remote work section to your resume will ensure that hiring managers pick up on your experience and take that into consideration when vetting your application, giving you a better chance at winning an interview. 

Quantify your remote work successes

You need to include specific facts and figures to quantify your accomplishments in a remote work setting. Hiring managers don’t just want to know that candidates have remote work experience, they want to know that the candidates were able to perform at or above expected levels. 

Anyone can say generic things about their remote work experience, but when you use numbers to back up your experience, you create a well-defined picture of your abilities. Being exact and including details shows the employer that you can excel in a remote position. 

Add your remote work experiences with precision, quantifying them with facts and numbers, like this:

  • Managed sales team remotely to improve company’s customer service, increasing customer satisfaction by 50%.
  • Created a new company website, collaborating with writers and designers, resulting in a 90% rise in website traffic compared to the previous website.

Adding numbers to your experience helps put your achievements in context for employers and makes your resume more compelling. By making sure to quantify your remote work experience, you demonstrate the tangible benefits you can bring to future employers.

============

Corissa is a Career Advisor and Staff Writer at Resume Genius, where she loves equipping others with the tools they need to pursue their dreams. She graduated from the University of Colorado at Boulder with a degree in Philosophy and a certificate in Peace and Conflict Studies.

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August 8, 2022

How to Ask for a Raise When You Feel Underpaid

Whether you’re an entry-level worker or have been with your company for years, if you feel like you’re being underpaid, asking for a raise can be one of the most stressful and intimidating conversations you have to have at work. You don’t want to appear ungrateful or greedy, but you also need to get paid what you’re worth — it’s not just about your paycheck; it’s about building a life that leaves room for financial flexibility and freedom, too.

Gather evidence that shows how you add value

If you’re going to ask for a raise, you need to be able to back up your request with evidence. Gather data that shows how much you contribute to the company and how your work has helped improve things. If you can show that you’re an invaluable asset to the team, you’ll be in a much better position to negotiate a higher salary. Put together a list of goals that you want to achieve over the next six months and then track them on a spreadsheet or app like Asana. Show this list to your boss so they can see how valuable you are!

Understand why it makes sense for them to pay more

It’s important to remember that when you’re asking for a raise, you’re not just asking for more money. You’re asking for more money because you believe you’re worth more money. And in order to convince your boss that you’re worth more money, you need to be able to articulate why: 

  1. Think about the company and how you can contribute to its success. 
  2. Look at how much time you spend on projects and how much impact it has on the company. 
  3. Identify all of the things you do as part of your job, and make sure they match what the company wants from their employees. 
  4. Be prepared with specific examples of why the company would benefit from paying you more money.

Prepare yourself mentally

Before you go into your boss’s office to ask for a raise, it’s important to prepare yourself mentally. This means getting rid of any self-doubt and having confidence in your abilities. You should also have a clear idea of what you’re asking for and why you deserve it. Remember, your boss is more likely to give you a raise if you’re able to articulate your value.

Practice your pitch before asking in person

Before you ask for a raise, it’s important that you have a clear idea of what you want to say. You should rehearse your pitch so that you can deliver it confidently and calmly. Here are a few things to keep in mind: 

Have you asked for a raise before and wished you knew something before going in? Send us your advice so we can share it!

 

 

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May 16, 2022

A Checklist for Your Team Before Someone Leaves for Vacation

Besides managing the normal workflow, it’s that time of year when people head to the beach, the mountains, or wherever they want on vacations! While your team members are recharging at their favorite relaxation spots, vacation time for those that are still working can be very stressful.

Is your team ready for one of them to go on vacation? Even if it’s you as a manager and business owner (yes, you deserve time off too!)? Below is a checklist that should help you answer those questions with a resounding YES after you’ve completed it!

#1 Get the 411

As vacation time nears, schedule a time to sit down with your team. Discuss who is going on vacation, what they are working on, and what the plan is to handle that workload. Now is a great time to delegate tasks so that projects don’t slow down while employees are able to relax.

The sooner you do this, the better. That way small tasks can be handed off bit-by-bit rather than all at once in a mad dash on the final day before someone leaves for vacation. This allows your team to ask questions, get acquainted with new pieces of projects, and not feel so stressed.

#2 Get some ICE

We aren’t talking about the cold kind of ice; we’re talking about In Case of Emergency. Create an emergency vacation coverage plan just in case something goes wrong. What if a website you’re building for a client breaks in the middle of the night? What if in the middle of running an accounting report, the numbers just aren’t adding up? Don’t let it scare you. Run through those crazy what if scenarios. Come up with solutions on what to do so that (hopefully) you don’t have to disturb anyone’s vacation.

Also, get key contacts. If the website does go down, who do you call? Or, what if you normally manage a team of remote workers, do your other employees know how to get in contact with everyone else if it’s you going on vacation? Write it all down where everyone can get access to it. If you are working at a physical location, make sure people that need keys get them. You don’t want to wake up and realize your keys are on their way to the beach!

#3 Get out of the office

Besides literally getting out of the office, ask your employees to set out of office notifications on their emails, instant messages, calendars, and even voicemails. This will make sure that clients know what’s going on if they call; make sure to include who to contact while that employee is out of the office in the meantime!

#4 Get out of your head

A vacation is all about relaxing. If an employee is taking a break, make sure they stick to it. Everyone needs time to recharge, so they shouldn’t be worrying about work. The same goes for you as a manager! Don’t worry about work the whole time. Rest. Relax. Recharge. Get out of your head for a bit! Resist the urge to send that vacation email to your team.

By following this short checklist, vacation time should be a little more relaxing for everyone involved, but if your team is already stretched to the max, you can always look at outsourcing some of the work as well.

Now we need to know, did we miss anything on this checklist? Reach out to tell us about your procedures for employees taking a vacation!

 

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April 11, 2022

Surviving Summer: 4 Tips to Stay Productive

Do you remember what it was like, waking up on the first day of summer as a kid?

The morning air was cool with a hint of the heat to come. Dew covered the grass as morning doves cooed. You were excited; excited to feel the grass on your bare feet, or play your favorite video game, or catch up with friends, or maybe even go on a big family vacation.

You felt free.

As adults, the first day of summer looks a little different. We know you’re excited to spend time with your kiddos, but there’s some apprehension because you are working from home. 

How are you going to balance working with creating a summer of freedom and fun for your kids?

After working from home for several years, and with several different aged kids, we have some experience in this area. Here are our four favorite tips on how to have a productive summer while your children are home on summer break.

#1 Schedule, schedule, schedule

The number one thing we recommend is to create a schedule for your summer. Map out your vacations, meetings, and even time that you need to set aside for yourself. Let’s be honest, there are so many distractions without kids, that summertime can seem daunting.

Writing everything down on a calendar will help you and your family. In fact, you should also make a summer calendar for your kids too. Block out times when you know they will be at a friend’s house, or when they like to play outside.

If your kiddo goes to a summer camp in the morning, schedule it! If you have a really important meeting you can’t miss, schedule it! Write it all down before the summer starts, but also remember that the best laid plans will encounter problems.

Plan on revisiting your schedule once per week. Sunday nights are a great time to evaluate the coming week.

Most importantly of all, when creating your summer plan, make sure to include lots of flexibility because you never know what the day will bring!

#2 Beat the heat

You’ve heard of the afternoon slump, but did you know a summer slump exists too? The heat tends to make people lethargic, and if you already find yourself experiencing afternoon slumps no matter the season, then summer will make you even more tired.

So, beat the heat! When you’re planning activities or creating your summer schedule, keep in mind what times of day you work best and what times of day you do not.

We recommend comparing that with your child’s sleep schedules.

If you work best in the morning and your child sleeps in, plan on working in the morning so you can spend afternoons playing (or napping together!). Have a productive summer switching your normal 9-5 schedule around.

#3 On the next episode of Kid Swap…

Remember that show, Wife Swap? While it produced some interesting characters, it also gave moms across the U.S. a great idea: let’s swap kids.

Seriously, it’s that simple. On days when you really need to be productive working from home during summer, ask your neighbors to watch the kids. Then, you can watch their kids when they need it.

Maybe even plan play dates with your child’s friends so that one week the kids go to your house, and the next they are at their friend’s house. As part of your summer calendar for your kids, they are sure to love it, and you will too when you get some time to yourself to power through work.

#4 Once upon a time at the library

Sure, you’re used to home based work, but what about working at the library? Find your nearest library, and check out what is available. Some libraries offer fun summer programs with different activities. Others have rooms you can rent to work out of while your children read books. No matter what, your local library has a kid’s section that can be fun for them to work on puzzles, read books, and play while you get access to wifi and a quiet location.

When you have a stay at home mom job, summer might seem extra stressful when you think about balancing productivity with spending time with your kids. We are here to say that you can do it, and have fun in the process.

There are lots of great resources available out there to help you create a schedule, track your productivity, swap kids, and even spend some time out of the house at the local library.

Don’t be afraid to ask for help, and remember that summers aren’t about huge vacations. Your kids will thank you for the small things like a surprise popsicle from an ice cream cart on an extra hot day, or spending time at their friend’s house building blanket forts.

As a kid, summer is all about freedom and free time. As an adult, that changes a bit, but that does not mean the summer has to be less fun for you! Put these four tips to use on how to have a productive summer, and you will find yourself balancing work and fun with your children just fine!

Do you have another tip you use to stay productive when kids are home for summer break? Let us know about it!

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February 14, 2022

How to Make Your Freelance Business Soar

Here are our Top Secret Tools

Congratulations on your decision to launch a freelance business. Whether you are launching a social media business, starting a bookkeeping business or starting a virtual assistant business, you are about to take one of the most rewarding journeys of your professional life. The HireMyMom team is excited to help you take the first steps.

If you are like most freelancers, you have questions as you get started. Likely, you have lots of questions–because that sense of curiosity (combined with a healthy dose of courage!) led you to this point. You are eager to see your business succeed–and so are we! 

We suspect a lot of your questions center around logistics–questions like:

  • What tools and apps are most helpful for me and my business?
  • How to find good people when I need to outsource parts of my business?
  • How do I grow personally and professionally through this process?

We are here to help! This blog answers many of those questions for you. Let’s get started.

Use the Right Tools

Today, many people rely on online tools and apps to help with their work, but choosing the right tools for your business can be challenging. We get that! 

The HireMyMom team has gathered our collective experience to compile a list of the best online tools we’ve found to help you run your business smoothly. We’ve put them all into one document where you can quickly learn more–and it’s available for free right now.

Our Online Tools & Apps Every Entrepreneur Needs download is chock full of tips that make it easier for you to select the right tools for your business. It covers:

  • Organizational tools that let you share your personal and work to-do lists and a tool that reduces email spam with just a few clicks. (We know, it sounds too good to be true!)
  • Collaboration and online storage programs that can help make your business sing and ensure that your whole team is singing the same song.
  • Options for email marketing–including ways to find leads, manage lists, and send messages out to customers and prospects.
  • Social media resources that give you more control over your posts.
  • Resources for creating great graphics to help craft an image for your business.
  • Apps to manage phone calls and scheduling like the pro you are.
  • Payments and accounting tools that help make payments and bookkeeping a snap.
  • Online resources to help you up your blog game, describe your business with greater precision and increase your SEO scores.

This guide is free and easy to use. It shares our best tips to save you the hassle of trying different things. Download it today and let us know which tool saved you the most time.

Find the right people and clients

It may seem far-fetched to think about hiring people when you first start, and many freelancers are solo operators. However, you may find that you need to bring in targeted expertise early–possibly much earlier than you expect. If you need to find administrative support, writing help, or social media expertise, look to HireMyMom for great people who share your passion and commitment to working moms. When you are ready to make your first hire, use this free downloadable Top 10 Interview Questions To Ask to help guide you.

HireMyMom is also a great place to find small businesses looking for the types of services you offer. Many small business owners depend on the HireMyMom site to find freelance talent. When you are ready for new clients, check posts frequently to grow your business. You can also find links for training opportunities to help you build your business and expand your client base.

Visit our website each week and check out our blog for the latest thoughts on workplace issues and working motherhood. Also, follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Pinterest,  YouTube, and Instagram for all the latest news. 

Cultivate Resources 

As a new freelancer and business owner, support can help you navigate the early days of your business. One great way to do this is to connect with the U.S. Small Business Association. The federal government operates the SBA. The service and information are free and top-notch. Its excellent website features information to help you plan, grow and manage a small business. Visit the local assistance tab to find out more about resources in your area. There’s even a special section for women-owned businesses and an opportunity to get free business counseling from a partner organization. 

Also, check your local Chamber of Commerce as another good source of information and contacts. Often, the chamber keeps a list of retirees or seasoned executives who are willing to mentor new freelancers and business owners.

Consider Coaching

When you launch a business, hang out your own shingle as a freelancer, or transition to working at home, it’s easy to second guess yourself. Confidence is essential as a business owner and freelancer. Rather than waste time fretting, take action by finding a coach or a group of like-minded people to help you move through this phase confidently.

An experienced, independent, outside voice can help provide feedback on what’s not working and give you the clarity you need on the best way to use your time and energy.

A coach can help you define what success means for you, guide you as you start or grow a remote career or business, and help you work through any fears that hold you back. 

HireMyMom’s Coaching & Masterminds program can help bring out the best in your business and in your life. We currently offer two options:

Elevate You: CULTIVATE: Mastermind & Coaching for Women can help you gain the clarity and focus you need to pursue your dreams while connecting you with a community of like-minded moms. You’ll find the path for meaningful growth and success through the program based on what matters to you. You’ll create deep and authentic relationships with women on the same path and benefit from coaching from our founder and HireMyMom CEO, Lesley Pyle.

Best of luck with your new business–we are cheering for you!

 

 

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October 11, 2021

How to Make Money from Home and Save on Childcare

At HireMyMom, we work with mom professionals at every stage of their motherhood journey. We have moms with newborns considering their professional options and mothers with kids entering college who love working at home and can’t imagine any other way of working. 

One of the most common questions we hear from mom professionals with young children considering working from home is: can I work at home without childcare? And, we get it! Childcare is expensive, it can be tough to arrange, and using it can be a source of stress. 

The answer is that it depends on lots of factors. Let’s dig into what’s possible, based on our experience working with thousands of mom professionals as well as employers who seek them.

A General Rule of Thumb

If you have young children who aren’t old enough to go to school, you can probably work about ten hours a week without childcare. Any more than that is difficult because your kids need your attention just like your work. 

Without childcare, squeezing in those ten hours will take creativity and discipline. Many moms who work from home with little kids rise early to knock out work before their family wakes up. Others burn the midnight oil, and some are committed to working every second of nap time. Some moms establish routines that include specific hands-off kid activities that allow them to work while the kids keep themselves busy. 

The great news is that HireMyMom offers many part-time opportunities that can work with this schedule. But, if you find that you want more hours, you can likely find a part-time childcare situation that meets your needs and your budget.

Finding Part-Time Childcare

The prospect of finding high-quality, full-time child care can be daunting. But, there are several ways to find part-time child care, perfect for work-from-home moms. Here are some ideas:

  • Ask nearby family members if they are willing to commit to helping a few hours one or two days a week. 
  • Share childcare duties with another work-from-home mom who has similar needs. Take turns on kid duty a few hours each day or every other day, giving each set of adults a chance to work kid-free and the kids a chance to play with friends.
  • See if local churches offer a mother’s day out program where you can enroll your children and establish a regular work time while the kids attend the program.
  • Consider a preschool program that your kids attend a few mornings a week. Many pre-schools offer a session that meets from 9 to noon. Usually, you can pick the number of days your child attends, choosing between two and five-day programs.
  • Enroll your kids in a sports camp that meets a few times each week and work while they attend. 
  • Look for a local high school or community college student who could provide a few hours of support each week. Community college students often have a few free hours midday between classes, which can be ideal if you are looking for mid-day care.
  • Ask a neighbor to consider swapping tasks with you–trading a few hours of child care for a service you’d be happy to provide like shopping, cooking, or organizing.

Need More Childcare?

If you need more hours of child care than these ideas provide, consider partnering with another family (or two) to hire a shared nanny. This is an excellent solution if you both need a fair amount of childcare but don’t want to use a child care center or commit to a full-time child care provider. 

There are many ways to split the nanny’s time. One option is arranging different days/hours but ensuring the nanny will have a set number of work hours each week. Or, you could arrange to have the nanny take all the kids to alternating houses throughout the week. This type of setup makes it easier to find a professional, full-time nanny without having to shoulder the expense on your own.

If you go this route, do the work upfront to make the arrangement successful. Start by agreeing on a general framework for hours and days at the outset. This type of arrangement works better when everyone is on the same page in terms of schedules. But, be prepared to be flexible, as schedules and needs can change. 

Also, talk with the other family about general expectations for kid behavior and activities while the nanny is in charge. For example, will kids watch television with the nanny? Do you expect the nanny to supervise while the kids play or actively engage them in activities? Many nannies provide light housekeeping services like dishes and laundry. So, map out expectations in those realms, too. Discussing these topics in advance can ensure a smoother partnership.

Another idea: Invest in Yourself

Many moms with young children use the time when their kids are tiny to take training classes and launch a virtual assistant (VA) business. As a VA, you take care of many tasks, including email response, appointment setting, travel planning, and calendar management. These businesses are flexible and can be scaled as your family life changes and your children grow. 

VA work is catching on quickly. You can work as a general VA who does a wide variety of tasks or become one with a specialty in a particular industry or need. It’s a great business model because it solves a problem so many people have — squeezing more tasks into a day. It’s also an excellent lifestyle for moms who want to control their own time while keeping professional ambitions alive. 

At HireMyMom, we’ve partnered with four different training programs to help our members learn more about this business opportunity and acquire the skills needed to launch a VA business.

Find support

No matter how much you love your kids or how much you love your job, it can be tough to be a working mom. Join our Community of moms working from home and share your struggles, ideas, or best tips for managing child care and connecting with other moms like you.

 

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September 20, 2021

How to Save Money, Attract Talent and Grow Your Business Like a Pro

As a savvy small business owner, you are always looking for new ways to gain a business advantage. One option you may be considering is moving to a fully remote workforce. For many businesses–large and small–this move makes a lot of sense.

As the labor market tightens, a fully remote workforce can make it easier for you to source high-quality candidates from across the country. Also, offering remote work leads to greater flexibility, which can mean greater productivity and increased retention. Finally, if your entire team is offsite, you can save money by cutting back on or eliminating office space.

Whether you dipped a toe into the remote office waters during the COVID-related closures or if it’s new to you, a few key strategies can make it easier for your business to thrive. Here are our top tips from the team at HireMyMom.

 

Build the Right Team

Many people–especially moms–love working from home. The right people make it easier for your to build a remote team that works. 

Before moving to a remote work model, talk with your current employees and explain your plans. Outline the vision you have and give people a chance to share their thoughts.

If you need to add to your team or find new team members, your best bet is to search for those who are actively looking for jobs that can be done from home. Using a platform like HireMyMom is a great way to source qualified candidates specifically looking for remote work. You can find and hire a team member who’s located anywhere with good internet access–which can save you time and money.

If the prospect of a nationwide search daunts you, consider our concierge service to help reduce the amount of leg work you need to do. We created HireMyMom’s Concierge service for busy entrepreneurs and small business owners, like you, who need to hire help but don’t have the time or desire to go through the time-consuming process.

With our full-service Concierge service, our HR Specialists will do it all for you from start to finish and present you with the top candidate(s). 

 

Let Communication Flow

Effective communication can be a challenge when your team moves from on-site to remote. The challenge is on two fronts–keep track of the work and maintain the critical relationships that connect staff members to you and each other and make it easier to work through issues, solve problems and innovate.

When you are accustomed to leaning over for a quick, impromptu chat, it can feel unnatural when you can’t do that. And, if you use email for all your conversations and requests, reading and responding to email can quickly take over your workday. 

As teams move offsite, it’s easy for you and your team members to feel isolated from each other and miss the cues and camaraderie that comes with being together in the office. Trust is an essential element for remote teams, and relationships build trust. 

Luckily, there are many ways to keep the lines of communication open and nourish the relationships among co-workers. Here are options we’ve seen work well to keep teams connected, talking, and growing:

  • Host stand-up calls where everyone joins to share updates. Timing can vary, with most happening either daily or Monday, Wednesday, Friday. Weekly can work, too.                                                                                                                                                                                                  
  • Start these calls with some small talk to help grow personal relationships that ease overall interactions. When people know each other personally (even just a little), those connections make it easier to establish and maintain working relationships.
  • These calls are also a great time to share feedback about the work process and highlight great work that an employee or team member is doing. It’s also fun to celebrate birthdays, talk about weekend plans, and briefly swap stories or pictures. For example, ask people to share pet pictures or back-to-school snaps. Closing the meeting with talk of schedules and near-term objectives is a great way to get everyone on the same page.                                                                                                                                                                                                      
  • Pick up the phone and call your team. Sometimes, a live, one-on-one chat is precisely what you need. Talking by phone provides an opportunity to check in, connect on a relationship level, and work through options. Depending on the size of your team, you may want to schedule regular one-on-one calls or have impromptu conversations as needed.
  • As a leader, aim to make phone chats familiar enough that team members are comfortable talking with you and sharing in an open environment but not so common that people feel micromanaged.

 

Communication is also key to keeping track of the workflow. Here are some communication tools that we’ve seen help make workflow and tracking more productive.

  • Use an online project management tool like Trello or Asana to track work and communicate with your team. These programs help all team members stay up-to-date with the workflow across the team and provide an online forum for questions, comments, and updates. These tools offer each team member a broader context and make it easier to know where things stand.
  • Add instant messaging to your suite of work tools. It’s a great way to replicate the instant communication you may miss in the office. Also, sending short requests via chat helps to cut down on email.         
  • Set up a text group that makes it easy for people to share with co-workers and exchange information back and forth, even when away from their desks.

Establish Boundaries and Let it Go

One of the most challenging elements of switching to a remote team is learning to be more hands-off as a leader and a manager. A lot of the battle is mental–changing your expectations for control over the work. Here are four concrete steps to make that switch easier:

  • Establish boundaries that increase your comfort level and share those boundaries with your team. For example, if it’s important to you that everyone maintains certain core hours, share that expectation and collaborate to find the core hours that make the most sense. Likewise, if you prefer to keep specific hours open, let your team know how and when to reach you best. Understanding expectations makes it easier for team members to manage their days avoid mixed signals that can lead to issues.   

 

  • Set expectations and share them. For example, consider how to approach time zone differences. Using the context of deadlines is an excellent way to consider this issue. Is a 5 p.m. deadline in New York a 2 p.m. deadline in California? Or, does the end of the day mean, end of that person’s day or before you log in the next day? Addressing these types of expectations upfront makes workflow more manageable.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 
  • Adjust as needed. Remote work arrangements throw up gray areas. A process that works well now may not work as well next summer. Be open to making adjustments as needed. Tell your team that you expect things will change and that you are open to their feedback about tweaking the system.       
  • Let it go. The final (and possibly most difficult) step is to exhale and let the magic happen. You have a great business, a fantastic team, and all the building blocks for success in place. Time to relax and see what happens.                                                                                               

Share your Experience

Tell us about your experience building and maintaining remote teams that work. What steps did you find most valuable? What would you do differently?

 

 

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April 12, 2021

Ready, Set, Sizzle! How to Plan Your Summer of Fun and Relaxation Now

Summer is around the corner. If you’re a working mom–especially a work-from-home mom, it’s time to make a plan. 

The prospect of planning a summer’s worth of activities is always daunting. But, let’s take a minute to acknowledge that it’s more complicated than usual this year. In many parts of the country, COVID-19 led to school disruptions for all or part of the school year. What’s more, many locations remain in restricted mode due to COVID infections. So, some typical summer activities, like in-person camps, are still up-in-the-air in many places. Understandably, different families have different perspectives on what activities are safe or will be in June. 

All that said, summer is still coming. And, if we ever needed a collective chance to exhale and have fun, it’s this summer. Here are my best tips for considering your options for work and play and making a plan that works for you and your family. 

 

Grab Your Calendar

When you work at home, a summer plan is the key to success, and the first step is mastering the calendar. Map out your summer by:

  • Confirming school start and end dates.
  • Crossing off any dates that you know are already taken with family commitments, vacations, visits, or sports. 
  • Identifying weeks that are likely to be extra busy based on professional obligations, personal commitments, or deadlines. 

 

Think About What You Want

Next, it’s time to think about your desires for the summer. It’s been a long road, and prioritizing yourself now can pay dividends in the long run. There’s no shame in carving out some personal time. Consider:

  • How are you feeling after this crazy pandemic year?
  • What are your goals for the summer?
  • Do you want to work more to make up lost ground? Or are you interested in working less? If so, is it feasible?
  • How do you want your schedule to work? 
  • What are your child care needs?

 

Talk With Your Family

Start by checking-in with your spouse to set goals and discuss summer plans more fully. Then, ask your kids how they’d like to spend the summer. Creating a summer bucket list is a fun way to start this conversation. Identify the “must-do” items you all agree that want to fit in this summer. 

As you generate the list, include a wide variety of experiences that range from big goals, like going on vacation, to smaller goals, like having family game nights. If you expect to have child care for the summer, mix in some options that take advantage of that help. For example, a goal to visit each park in your town or visiting six different parks in one day can make for fun and focused activities for your child care provider.

 

Find Child Care

Now that you have a better sense of how the summer may unfold, it’s time to source the proper child care. Luckily, summer can offer a wide variety of options, from private care to camps. Here are some ideas to consider.

  • Enlist family members to help. If you have local family members who are willing to step in and help with child care, reach out and sign them up now. The sooner, the better to get on other people’s calendar. This is a low-cost way to know that your kids are in good hands. However, some people find it stressful to have family members managing child care. So, weigh the pros and cons before you commit to this approach to child care, especially if you need a lot of help this summer. 
  • Hire a high school or college student to work as a nanny. Many students are looking for summer jobs, and taking care of younger kids is often a popular option. While this may be more expensive than some other options, it can be economical if you have several children. In addition, it tends to offer the most flexibility and gives you the most control over virus exposure since your child care bubble is small.
  • Form a co-op with other families. If you have schedule flexibility and are willing to share child-care duties with another family, a co-op arrangement may be right for you. In this scenario, you and like-minded families will trade-off child care duties based on an agreed-upon schedule. This keeps costs down and provides built-in playmates for your kids. However, it does require you to do some extra work in coordinating and caring for additional children for a portion of the summer. 
  • Sign up for summer day camp. Day camps are a tried and true part of summer child care. They are often offered locally by a wide variety of groups. In many cases, the kids stay outside and busy or are deeply engaged in activities they enjoy. It also creates large blocks of the day for you to work. On the flip side, availability can be limited, prices vary, and getting out the door each day can create some crazy mornings.
  • Send the kids to a trustworthy overnight camp. A week (or more) of summer camp can be the perfect solution for some families. Going away to camp offers a great experience for kids, lets them build new social muscles (vital after a year with limited or interrupted school), and meet new friends. It also gives you and your spouse a short vacation from active parenting so you can pause and get refreshed and maybe even take a real couple’s vacation. Or, if you have a week that looks extra busy at work, an overnight camp can help make that week easier for you. However, it can be an expensive option, and some camps may be operating on a limited basis. 
  • Consider summer school. After a crazy COVID year, summer school might be an excellent way to stem learning loss. It can also be a low-cost way to keep kids busy while you work. Check with your local school district to determine what they are planning for the summer term and who is eligible to attend. Many schools plan to offer expanded summer school options this year, and the sessions are often free or very low-cost. Many children may welcome the break from Zoom school and the sense of normalcy that comes from going to school, even if the season seems out-of-sync.

Share Your Ideas!

The long days and warm nights of summer will be here before you know it. Enjoy the process of planning for your summer. Please drop me a line and let me know how you will enjoy summer this year.

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Written by
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: 

 

 

 

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