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July 20, 2020

Planning for the Unexpected When Working Remotely

Recently, we shared a blog with our best tips for solving the toughest work-from-home challenges. It’s full of advice for managing the change to remote work and making the set up work for you on a day-to-day basis. But, as anyone who has worked from home knows, the best plans can go awry with a moment’s notice. While unexpected circumstances will pop up,  you can often handle them with out-of-the-box thinking, a healthy dose of creativity, and some grit. In many cases, it helps to pick up your work and move your office temporarily. Here’s our best advice for (and favorite stories about) taking the office on the road. 

 

Do Some Pre-Planning

When you start working from home, consider the types of circumstances that might require you to work from an alternate location (i.e. power loss, crazy loud construction across the street, etc.). Make a mental list of other places you might go to work. Maybe a nearby coffee shop or library. Perhaps the house of a friend who also works from home. (Obviously, this gets trickier in the middle of a pandemic. So if you already have plans in place, it’s a good time to give this topic fresh thought.) 

Likewise, if you have a vacation or other travel on the horizon, consider how you might manage work conflicts that pop up before you go. I learned this skill when I was traveling and found out that I’d need to conduct an important phone interview. I suspected the interview might overlap with my travels, so I started thinking about how to make it work before I left for the trip.

I needed to find a quiet place to take the call. After some thought, I realized that I could use the  closet of my hotel room as a personal conference space. While it was unconventional, that closet was the only quiet place I could find. Having done some pre-work to solve the problem made it easier to deal with in the moment.

 

Pack a “Go Bag”

Sometimes situations pop up with no warning and you need to leave your home office to deal with it effectively but you still need to work. In these cases, having a briefcase with the essentials packed and ready to go let’s you take your office on the road in seconds. 

For example, an unexpectedly sick cat and a tight deadline meant that freelance textbook editor, Shannon Ford, had to use the waiting room of the emergency veterinarian as a makeshift office. Luckily, she had a briefcase with essentials, such as an extra power cord, a cell phone charger, pens and a notebook pre-packed, just in case. 

She loaded the cat in the carrier, stuffed her laptop into her bag, and whisked them both out to the car without missing a beat. After getting the cat checked in, she went to work editing as she waited. She even found that working in the waiting room helped her feel less anxious about her beloved cat. Having a pre-packed bag made it easy for her to get out the house quickly and pick up her work without issue. Knowing that she could pivot on a dime to meet an important deadline filled her with confidence about her decision to launch a business.

 

When the Show Must Go On, Trust Yourself

You never know when you might get a call to answer a quick (but important) question. When it happens outside your work day or normal location, remember that most of what you need is in your head. Don’t be afraid to answer a question or help out even when you are without your tools of the trade.

Structural engineer, Tabitha Stine, was on vacation at a large theme park when she was called to check a calculation for the placement of an antenna that was being installed on top of a high rise building in Chicago. The helicopter was hovering over the building and she knew she needed to act quickly despite being away from her computer and notes on the project. 

She ducked into a near-by restaurant while her husband waited in a ride line with their kids. After taking a minute to switch into work mode, she did the math on the back of a napkin 1,000 miles away from the job site and called in the results. Trusting herself to do the work in new ways and a new place, was the key to making a huge contribution when it counted.

 

Share your story

I love these tips because we will all face our own situations while working from a home office. The stories inspire me because they show how creative we get when unexpected circumstances arise. Learning that we aren’t alone and laughing about the craziness of the locations where work got completed helps me feel connected to others who work from home.

I’d love to hear about your best story about a temporary office location and how you found yourself there. Drop us a line and share your story. Also, check out the great answers to a similar thread posted in the HireMyMom FaceBook Community. And if you are looking for a remote job or a remote hire, we’d LOVE to help! 

 

 

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July 13, 2020

How to Effectively & Successfully Manage a Remote Team

Digital transformation has really changed the workplace environment. In fact, if you are deemed a “non-essential” business, chances are, you’ve now had to adapt to a work from home environment in order to stay operational.

The trouble with remote office management is that employees who might have been readily available in-house can become difficult to manage remotely.

In this article, we will cover the basics of effective remote team management plus provide our top 3 software choices to help you maximize your team’s performance, productivity, and cost-efficiency.


Are you a great remote boss?

As a remote team manager, it’s important to hold yourself accountable for the outcome of your team. Here are some questions you can ask yourself each day to help you stay on track:

Are you providing the proper reports, tools, and training to your team?
Are you making yourself available to your remote workers in case they need assistance and clarity?
Are you taking the time to review the processes?
Did you share clear expectations with your team and assign tasks accordingly?

5 Tips To Help You Manage Remote Teams Effectively

1. Check-In With Your Team At The Start of Each Day
Team check-ins are extremely important to ensure productivity. Whenever possible, it’s best to conduct team meetings at the start of the day to go over any pressing matters, any priority changes, and cover new deadlines.

2. Set Clear Objectives
Remote office environments have many benefits but at the same time, there are certain setbacks that can arise from miscommunication. A huge part of the miscommunication can stem from not setting clear objectives. Because you can’t have in-person contact, it is important to ensure your objectives are clear, concise, and achievable within the members of your remote team. You can start by making a list of tasks that need to be complete and the timelines in which to complete them and then break down these tasks into smaller steps. Once the steps have been determined you can assign them to one worker or a team.

3. Monitor and Track Progress
Once you have your objectives in place, you will need to track your progress and monitor your team (without micromanaging them) in order to ensure deadlines are met and the quality of work isn’t compromised. The use of a Project Management Software can be highly effective when assigning tasks to your remote team and we will cover our top 3 picks later on in this article.

4. Communicate Effectively
They say strong communication methods are the driving force behind highly effective teams but in a remote environment, this can sometimes be hard to achieve especially if you are dealing with a large number of people. 

Fortunately, there are a variety of communication platforms that allow you to see and hear each other, share screens, and provide comments and feedback on projects as they progress. Some of the most common platforms include Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and Google Hangouts.

5. Provide the Right Tools
Because you’re working with a remote team, it will be extremely important to make sure they have all of the right tools in order to perform their roles optimally. Some of the basic equipment includes; a quality laptop, cell phone, printer/scanner/fax, and software such as Microsoft Office.

 

Our Top Picks For Project Management Software

When it comes to Project Management, having the right software can really impact your ability to effectively communicate, collaborate, and meet tight deadlines. Here are our Top 3 Choices and why:


Monday.com 
– Monday.com offers customization and full control.
– It offers several channels of communication, allows for collaboration and selective visibility.
– It allows you to allocate tasks, keep track of time, and visually lay things out within its dashboard feature.
– Monday.com can integrate with a variety of software from your email platform to your e-commerce store and accounting software.

AirTable 
– Database dynamics that easily integrate with platforms like Excel
– Drag and Drop tools for simple and easy form build and use
– Customizable views and dashboards

Basecamp 
– It allows for both business and personal projects to be managed
– It offers both desktop and mobile access 
– It offers one of the most comprehensive to-do list features
– It provides easy file transfers

 

Staff Reward Programs

Staff rewards can keep your team motivated and celebrated which can boost productivity and in the long run, your revenue.

Here are just a few of the ways you can reward your remote workers:

Verbal Recognition
Often just a simple acknowledgment towards your employees, when they go above and beyond, is all it takes to make your worker feel appreciated. You can give them shoutouts in an email, group chat, monthly newsletter, or have a customer of the month recognition through social media.

Digital Rewards
Digital Rewards are an easy way to appreciate your staff. You can set up a point system and assign points for certain milestones and goals that your team reaches both together and individually. They can then turn in their points for a digital gift card of their choice. 

Treat them to Lunch
Even though you can’t physically take them out to lunch, you can still treat them to it through the use of a service company such as Skip the Dishes and Uber-Eats which offer a variety of lunch options and provide delivery to almost any location.

Provide Extra Vacay Days
Any remote worker would appreciate having an extra day off to be with his or her family, friends, or just take a day for themselves to relax and unwind. 

By adding an extra vacation day into your reward system you’ll find workers putting in more time and energy so they can achieve that extra day off.

 

Are you looking to expand your company? At HireMyMom we have a selection of rock star candidates who can really help grow your business. Visit our Employer section here for more details.

 

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July 6, 2020

HireMyMom Success Story: Jill Rhea

Tell us about you and your experience finding work on HireMyMom.

I initially signed up for the Silver Trial package to see what HireMyMom was all about. After a week passed, I realized I liked what I saw, so I decided to sign up for the Gold Package option. During that time, there were always jobs being added every day. While some were not a fit for me, I liked knowing that there was work being done on their end to to continually add employers. I also liked knowing that the employers KNEW we were moms in the workforce previously and may be looking for different types of opportunities to get back into the corporate world.

What are your top tips for landing a job or jobs on HireMyMom.com?

READ the job posting. Many job postings give very detailed instructions on how to apply – whether it’s including a certain word in the cover letter or email subject line or applying a different way. It’s very important to make yourself stand out to the employers when there may be many applying. I would take the time up front to peek at the company to see if it’s even a good fit. I would read the posting, see if it’s something I’m even able to do, and then find their website before I proceeded to apply. Also do not apply to jobs that don’t match your skill set.

What piece of advice do you wish someone had given you at the start of your work from home journey?

Be okay with not having it all. There are sacrifices you must make but it’s worth it even if you don’t have the newest and greatest thing that everyone else has. You are in control of your life.

What do you see as your greatest success in life?

Taking a leap of faith and leaving the corporate world even if it meant a drastic pay cut. I got to be home and experience the work from home lifestyle. Crazy at times but wouldn’t change it for the world to get to be there to pick up my daughter from school and take her to/from activities.

What is something about you that many people don’t know?

Since I’m mostly behind the screen these days and do thrive on making videos and going live, people don’t realize I’m very much an introvert and very shy.

_+_+_+_

Want to be featured here as one of HireMyMom’s Success Stories?

Mom Professionals, please complete this form our Mom Professionals Success Stories.

 

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June 29, 2020

The Toughest Work From Home Challenges – and How to Solve Them

Working from home has many benefits, from more freedom and flexibility to a quick 10-step commute to your home office.  Although it’s mainly a positive experience for most, there can be challenges involved, especially to those new to working remotely . . .  or maybe when we’re in the middle of a pandemic!

Here are our tips on working through those challenges successfully.

 

Expectations

Working from home with kids or family around is not the same as the bliss of a quiet home or corporate office. Not surprisingly, your day is going to look different, and you’ll have to be proactive about planning your schedule and tasks. It may be helpful to start with a list of what needs to get done (the night before preferably so you can plan accordingly) and hit the ground running in the morning. Circle or star the tasks that require focus and uninterrupted thinking. For me, that’s writing, creating content and talking with clients so I like to do those first thing in the morning while everyone is either sleeping or busy with their own tasks. Other work tasks like email, social media or research do not require as much deep focus so I can plan those for the parts of my day when I know I’m more likely to be interrupted.

I’ve also found batching my work helps my productivity and allows me to get more accomplished. When you get zoned in on a certain tasks and aren’t stopping and starting by checking email, taking phone calls and things like that, you can knock out a week or month’s worth of blog posts, social media or other similar tasks.

Distractions

Whether working from home or a traditional office, distractions are part of every job.  When working from home those distractions include family members, postal deliveries, social media alerts, and things like podcasts 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 listen to your favorite podcast, play a quick game with your kids, 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.

Kids and Family

While kids and family can be a huge bonus to the remote work life, they can also cause distraction and maybe even a bit of frustration when you’ve been together 24/7 for months during a pandemic.  Sometimes you’ll need to have focused work time, meetings or conference calls that demand your attention and that’s where having a plan is imperative.

When possible, set clear boundaries such as if the door is shut, it means no coming in. You may want to put a post-it note there if you are on an important call or recording a video interview as I’ve had to do. In my home, my family knows if my office door is shut and they need something, they can text me and I’ll respond as soon as my call or interview is finished. It also helps that I do most of my calls on speaker phone so they can hear me talking and know not to come in. If you have small children, it may mean swapping focused time with your spouse or hiring a neighbor to help out so you can have some uninterrupted work time.

To help manage your home, create a list of what needs to be done. Consider age-appropriate chores and tasks for each family member. Have a family team meeting and discuss the tasks, chores and expectations. Knowing your family, you can decide if assigning tasks to each person is better or if allowing them to choose what works better for particular needs. Take advantage of meal prepping services if you need a break from meal planning and shopping.

For the never-ending snack needs for younger kids, consider “meal-prepping” some ready to go snacks each night — or weekly if they are non-perishable. Create a shelf in your pantry or in your fridge where they can grab a snack if you are busy.

For your kids play time needs, ask the moms of your kid’s friends if they’d like to swap play times so the kids can play at their houses one afternoon and at yours another day.  Or you may find a high school or college kid that is home that can take the kids to the park or pool or even play games with them. When they are with you, you may need some fresh ideas and extra activities to keep them busy.

When the weather is beautiful, consider taking your work outside! Take the kids and go to a park while you work on those tasks that don’t require intense focus.

Isolation

Whether you have family around you or are at home alone, we all need social interaction from others. Be proactive in engaging and interacting with others you work with and those you don’t. Instead of simply waiting for schedule meetings, sometimes it is helpful to have that “virtual” face-to-face coffee break or an informal face-time chat with a friend or colleague.  They may also be feeling isolated and will appreciate you making the effort to visually connect with them.

Another way to fight the isolation blues is to work on your goals. Setting goals and actively working on yourself, your marriage, your parenting and your business will bring positivity to you as well as those who will appreciate your determination and accomplishments.

And don’t forget about the importance of getting outside for some Vitamin D. There are real benefits to taking breaks, getting some sunshine and going for walks. Fresh air and sunshine can be helpful to clear the mind and help reset your mood. If you can’t get outside, then any kind of physical activity can help you feel healthier and invigorated during your day.

 

So there you have it, knowing what to expect and being proactive to overcome these challenges makes all the difference. Each day is likely to be different and when you have a bad one, simply learn what you could have done differently and vow to do better tomorrow.

Are you looking for your dream work from home job or a rock star candidate to help grow your business? Whether you are seeking freelance work or to hire a great remote team member, HireMyMom aims to be your #1 choice! Let us know how we can be of help!

 

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June 22, 2020

3 Powerful Ways Remote Teams Can Help Your Small Business Grow

If you are a small business owner, chances are you’ve faced the challenge of how and when to hire someone to join your team. Many small business owners start out by themselves or with only one or two others, but as the business grows so do the roles and needs. And with the recent mandatory shift to working remotely, more businesses are seeing the benefits of a remote team. But what many may not know is there are many other positives to this virtual work approach.

 

More for Your Money

You get a bigger bang for your buck when hiring remote workers. Job seekers looking for remote work value their freedom and flexibility over an office job and may be willing to work for less than a traditional employee. And many small businesses have found they can fill many roles with independent contractors which is more cost effective than hiring an employee with benefits. 

The average cost of health insurance for U.S. employees is close to $15,000 according to SHRM. When you consider those cost savings, hiring independent contractors for remote work sounds even more advantageous.

The IRS has set guidelines for determining if someone is an employee or an independent contractor. In general, if the business owner is paying for the result of the work, rather than the ability to control how the work is performed, then the position is likely suitable for a contractor rather than an employee.

 

More Specialized

Instead of hiring one person to do a variety of jobs, having a remote team allows you to hire multiple team members each with a unique set of skills. Many virtual professionals today work for more than one person and therefore get very good in a set of skills. No longer do you have to hire an “all-in-one” candidate to do customer service, administrative tasks and social media.

Instead, you could look for specialized talent like:

  • A Facebook ads specialists to create and manage ad campaigns to bring more sales and customers to your business.
  • A customer service person to respond to your customers needs and questions.
  • A content manager to create and manage content for social media, blogs and email campaigns.
  • A marketing person to create lead magnets and other marketing ideas to grow your business.
  • An email marketing specialist to create email campaigns for your customers or to improve the client onboarding processes.
  • A YouTube, Instagram or Pinterest specialist to increase brand visibility, drive traffic, grow your email list and increase your customer base.
  • A virtual assistant to manage your day to day tasks such as email, phone calls, and other routine tasks so you can focus on your business.
  • A project manager to oversee your projects and keep them running.

 

Better Retention 

With remote positions, you can attract and retain quality professionals. In a recent study, 95% of employers reported that working remotely has had a high impact on their employee retention rate.

For moms, working remotely provides the ability to have a better work / life balance. For instance, if a child is sick, mom can continue to work while monitoring their child. In the same way, she can take a break to go watch her child’s school performance and make up the time if needed. Having the ability to work remotely is hugely valuable to moms which makes remote positions very attractive. 

 

Having the ability to hire the right person for the right job and pay a fair rate enables small businesses to grow faster than having to hire full time employees. When combined with all the additional benefits, establishing a virtual team becomes a real advantage for many small businesses.  If you’re looking to grow your remote team, we’d be grateful to help! 

 

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June 9, 2020

5 Tips for Hiring a Remote Team Member

Entrepreneurs often find themselves wearing too many hats. And at some point, it becomes obvious that hiring a contractor or team member make sense for growth, sustainability and sanity.  

Remote work has revolutionized the way small to medium businesses conduct themselves. It’s become an attractive and affordable option for many reasons and  COVID-19 just helped raise awareness of how feasible and advantageous it is. Once you’ve decided to hire your first or next remote team member, you’ll need some guidance on the process.

 

Here are 5 tips to get you started with your new hire:

 

Crafting Your Job Description

The first step is to get the job title right. You want to make sure you attract relevant candidates to your posting — and your job title is your headline. Think about what roles and responsibilities you’d like your new hire to take on and match the job description to them.

Your job description should define the overall goals of the role. 

What is the main goal of this role? This should not be just the most important tasks of the job, but also the outcomes you desire for this role.  For instance, is your goal an increase in sales? Is it building followers on social media and attracting new clients? Or are you looking for the highest levels of customer service? Knowing your goals will help drive your job description and the qualities and skills you are seeking in a candidate.

If you are seeking an assistant to take over some of your day-to-day duties, it’s sometimes helpful to keep track of your typical day. Pay attention to the tasks you like doing and the ones you don’t and write them down. Do the same for tasks you struggle with. It’s a lot easier to put those into your job description so you can attract the right candidate who is qualified and experienced with the areas of your business you need the most help with.

 

Where to Find Your New Hire

There are many places you can post your job to:

  • Social media like Facebook and LinkedIn
  • General job sites like Indeed or Monster
  • Niche or boutique job sites like WeHireHeroes.com (Vets) and HireMyMom.com 


With the social media and general job sites, you are likely  to get upwards of a thousand or more applicants in a 24 hour period. That’s one reason many have switched to the more niche sites where they can attract high quality candidates without spending days sifting through resumes. Boutique sites filter out the best of the best leaving you with quality candidates who are serious about working for you to choose from. We cover other advantages in this blog.

(Note: At HireMyMom our professionals are independent and not employed by HireMyMom. We do not charge any commissions to the job seeker or employer.)

Screening Your Candidates

Once you’ve received applicants for your job posting, it’s time to start reviewing who you want to interview.  Here are some keys to moving through this step:

Cover Letter – ask for specifics in the cover letter title to filter out those who are not paying attention to detail.
(Traits: attention to detail, invested time, not cut and pasted).

Portfolios – you can ask for samples of their work to evaluate the quality and efficiency (depending on the job).
(Traits: Depending on the portfolio you can ask for web design examples, market research samples, or ask them to submit a short video answering a couple of questions).

Resume – make sure the resume you’re presented with is professional and speaks to the traits and skills you are seeking.
(Traits: Attention to detail, articulation, grammar and spelling, time invested).

Skill Tests – there are some really great online skill tests available that you can ask your candidates to complete to help you determine their personality traits and competencies. One to consider is 123Test.com. 

Conducting Interviews


When it comes to the interview process, a couple of the most common platforms for video interviews are Zoom and Skype.

It’s important to ask the right questions during the interview process. We’ve put together a really great interview cheat sheet featuring our Top 10 Interview Questions To Ask that you can download here.

The last step in the interview process is to screen for references. You can ask your candidates for 3 references but there are other ways you can screen them too. 

If they have a LinkedIn profile you can preview it to see if they have any referrals or endorsements. You can also preview any shared social media profiles so get a better understanding of their work (if applicable) and personality traits.

 

Creating Your Job Offer

Once you’re ready to take that big step you can prepare your job offer.

Job offers will vary depending on whether you are bringing your candidate onto your payroll or hiring them as an Independent Contractor.

The common job offers will include the following:

The job classification – part-time, full time, contract-based, etc.

  • Hourly or salary rate.
  • How and when candidate will be paid.
  • Expected work hours if certain hours are required.
  • For employees: benefits, vacation allowance, and any other job perks disclosed in the job description.
  • Conditions of employment – include contract term (if applicable) and probationary period.
  • Start date and training / onboarding period.

If you’re in need of some guidance for independent contractors, check out our article 7 Essentials to an Independent Contractor Agreement.)

At HireMyMom, we feel blessed to have helped thousands of employers find talented remote team members for their businesses for over 13 years now.

We hope you have found this article useful. If you’d like more information about HireMyMom and the services we provide to employers you can visit our employer page here.

 

 

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June 1, 2020

Top Jobs and Tools for Today’s Virtual Assistant

The year is 2020 and times have sure changed compared to where we were last year. A huge part of the COVID-19 prevention has resulted in the closure of many small to medium sized businesses. For the companies that can continue to operate, they have been able to convert to remotely running their businesses to meet the changing protocols within their cities and states.

The demand for a quality virtual assistant is becoming more of a necessity now, which means great news for VA’s around the world.

In fact, as the world revolutionizes to functioning almost 100% remotely, businesses are recognizing the true value and positive impact a virtual assistant can make on their company’s growth, success and retention rate.

Today, we’re going to cover the top highly sought after virtual assistant jobs as well as the most utilized software pertaining to these roles so that you can take advantage of the many workplace opportunities that are arising.

 

Administrative Assistant

The need for administrative assistance has become increasingly popular especially now when a lot of businesses have been pivoting to accommodate the changes from COVID-19.

Common tasks for administrative assistance include; email and calendar management, scheduling meetings, booking appointments, answering and returning phone calls, initial research and more. If you are interesting in attaining training as a VA, look at some of the training options available here.  

Commons Tools and Apps

Email & Communication

You’ll want to become well versed in the most common communication platforms such as

Email Marketing

You could also be expected to send out emails through software like;

Booking Calendars

It’s also important to learn the most popular Calendar applications such as;

 

Content and Website Maintenance

A virtual assistant can become a huge support for an online business’s website.

Whether you are helping with writing or editing of blog posts or maintaining the overall content of the company site, more and more businesses are leaning on their virtual assistant to help with this time consuming and sometimes highly repetitive task.

Suggested Software Experience:

Website Platforms:

Content Management Software

 

Customer Relations Management


With so many businesses now operating online and e-commerce on a steady incline, the key to customer retention is to stay on top of the customer service department..

Building a really great customer service protocol helps ensure that customers are happy, coming back, and referring others.

If your job as a virtual assistant includes handling aspects of the customer relations department, you’ll probably be responsible for handling customer inquiries and any concerns/issues. Providing solutions quickly and effectively helps deflect any unhappy customers and converts them to happy ones. This leads to positive word of mouth advertising and customer loyalty.

Below is a list of the most common CRM platforms:

 

Project Management

The debate is on for companies right now … do they need a virtual assistant or a virtual project manager? The answer in most cases is both!

Virtual assistants have started to take on many hats in their roles. We’ve already highlighted the three most common roles in points 1-3. 

There’s a difference between a VA’s role to take tasks away from companies and alleviate workloads compared to managing other departments and teams to ensure projects get done. 


Companies are recognizing a synergy between the two so we are seeing an increase in the level of responsibility a virtual assistant can take on. 

If you do find yourself taking on the role of project management, you’ll probably be responsible for tasks like; streamlining projects and timelines into project management software, creating a balance between short and long term goals within the company and ensuring they are met, research and analytics, all while helping each department stay on time, task, and budget.

Most common Project Management Software include:

 

Bookkeeping 

As a virtual assistant, bookkeeping tasks could fall on your plate from time to time or all of the time.

It’s an important skill set to have because let’s face it, everyone needs to be vigilante with their books (including you!!!).

If you’re a VA who will be taking on some accounting tasks, you’ll probably find yourself doing; accounts payable, accounts receivable, data entry, and inventory to name a few. If you are interesting in getting some training as a bookkeeper, look at the training options available here.  

Commonly used accounting software:

Social Media Assistance

In order for any business to succeed, there will be some level of social media marketing involved.

Whether the company you work for uses Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter or LinkedIn, as a VA you could be fitted with the task of handling some of the social media management.

There is an overlap especially where your role requires managing areas of customer service. Some tasks you might find yourself doing include; posting content, fielding comments on social media posts, tracking engagement, answering questions in social media messenger apps, and more.

Commonly used Social Media Management Software:


Chances are you’ve worked in some of the software programs we have mentioned. The more experience you have in these platforms, the better. If you are lacking training, be sure to check out the Training & Resources section of HireMyMom for some FREE and some paid training options. 

Some benefits that you can draw attention to during your interview include; less transitioning and training, faster onboarding, and an overall cost efficiency for your future employer. They also make a great asset to your resume.

At HireMyMom, we have experienced a fluctuation in employers seeking out virtual assistants. The opportunities range from part time to full time which is perfect depending on your availability. Are you a VA currently seeking employment? Start here.

(We also have plenty of resources to help you spruce up your resume, cover letter and more. Check out our tips here.)

 

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May 26, 2020

HireMyMom Success Story: Cherelle Cramer

Tell us about you and your experience finding work on HireMyMom.

I am a military spouse, full time student and a new mom. Over the seven years of being a military spouse, I have learned that it gets harder and harder to start over everytime. Well in June of 2019, we got pregnant with our first child, a girl! We lived everyday for just us two, now we live for her. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to become a stay at home mom or put her in daycare. In July, we found out we got PCS orders to move. Now in a new place, I had to start all over again! I was able to get a job but I was on call. I wasn’t guaranteed hours so we couldn’t afford daycare. Then coronavirus hit the U.S. hard. In a financial hardship, I contacted my bank, the Navy Federal Financial Advisors to see what I could do. My advisor told me about HireMyMom.com. Within three weeks, I was offered a job! 👏🏼

What are your top tips for landing a job or jobs on HireMyMom.com?

I would say I know some of you looked at the membership fee and was like, why do I have to pay. I did the same thing but I promise you it is worth it! When you get access check everyday, apply everyday if you can. Make sure to include a customized cover letter every time.

What piece of advice do you wish someone had given you at the start of your work from home journey?

I wish someone would have told me that it isn’t easy working from home all the time. It is definitely different than working in a traditional office setting.

What is something about you that many people don’t know?

That I am a workaholic. I can’t stay still.

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Written by
May 18, 2020

Healthy at Home: Our Immune System is our Best Defense Against Illnesses

Almost three-quarters of a million people die each year because of an unhealthy diet. We are currently at about 10% of that death rate for COVID. And while COVID is a deadly virus, the numbers in New York show that 90% of those that died had underlying health issues like high blood pressure, diabetes and obesity.

According to the Center for Science in the Public Interest, an “unhealthy diet contributes to approximately 678,000 deaths each year in the U.S., due to nutrition- and obesity-related diseases, such as heart disease, cancer, and type 2 diabetes. In the last 30 years, obesity rates have doubled in adults, tripled in children, and quadrupled in adolescents.”

While I know not everyone who has those health issues is a result of unhealthy diet, the numbers are still staggering. I wonder how much money is spent on prescription drugs and hospitalizations due to illnesses that are diet-related.

 

Would Coronavirus and other illnesses be less of an issue and cause less fear if we had stronger immune systems?  I believe the answer is yes and here’s why…

 

My Better Health Journey

My better health journey began in 2013 when my 18-year-old daughter was diagnosed with Grave’s disease. It was the summer before her freshman year in college and she began experiencing all kinds of strange health issues from full body rashes to hallucinations to a dangerously rapid heartbeat. The infirmary at her school called me to get her to the ER or an endocrinologist immediately. After evaluating her, the endocrinologist wanted to put her on prescription drugs for her thyroid “probably for the rest of her life” as well as heart medications and possibly remove her thyroid.

I could not accept that diagnosis for my then 18-year-old so I began researching other options. That road led me to a holistic / wellness doctor and taking a closer look at the causes of her poor health.

It did not happen overnight, but I am happy to say my daughter no longer takes any prescription drugs, still has her thyroid and is leading a healthy life by eating whole healthy foods, taking natural supplements and taking care of her body the natural way — the way God intended.

 

From Multiple Health Issues to Virtually None

I am not the only one who has learned the benefits of a natural approach to health. Shonna found herself on her own path to wellness. She was struggling with a variety of issues including an autoimmune disease Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis and a son who had social and academic struggles.

She decided to make some changes and take a more holistic approach to foods, personal products and household products. As a result, in time her son went from non-social with somewhat uncontrollable emotions (Aspergers), multiple learning diagnosis, sleep and bronchitis issues to a healthy young man who did all dual credit his senior year and just finished his freshman year with a 3.75 GPA.

She and her family are another vibrate example of how healthy whole foods are medicine for your body. It has become such a passion of Shonna’s that she now coaches others. You can read more about her story here.

 

Strengthening our Immune System

Through all of this, I recall my wellness doctor telling me we needed to strengthen our immune system. Probably something the majority of America needs to do. When illnesses like COVID come, having a healthy immune system is your best defense for staying healthy.

Dr. Hotze, an outspoken Holistic doctor, shares, “the typical American diet consists of packaged and processed foods that are depleted of most of their vitamins and minerals. Vitamins and minerals provide the nutritional foundation for a healthy immune system; yet, most of us do not get what we need from the foods we eat.”

 

Here are a few tips on strengthening your immune system:

  • Eat healthy whole foods, not processed foods,
  • Take high-quality natural supplements including vitamin D and vitamin C,
  • Get good sleep,
  • Don’t fear or panic as stress weakens your immunity,
  • Walk and get outdoors for some exercise,
  • Reduce or eliminate white sugar. It increases risks for diseases,
  • Get some sun which offers natural vitamin D,
  • Have faith; it helps with not fearing / panicking.

I would add to make sure you drink lots of clean water for overall health. Some health professionals recommend half of your weight in ounces. And while you may not be able to make every change in a day, you can start somewhere and clean up your diet so that healthy, whole foods can become medicine to your body.

 

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Written by
May 12, 2020

Small Businesses Making Lemonade with COVID Lemons

Beauty is produced from struggling. Take a pearl for example. Without an irritant making its way into an oyster, it would have no reason to coat layer after layer of nacre on the irritant which after many years produces a beautiful pearl.

The same is true for the butterfly. Through the process of struggling to emerge from its cocoon, the butterfly gains power it needs to strengthen its wings to be able to fly.

We are all in a struggle right now whether it be health, finances, isolation, or some other struggle, we are joined together through it. 

But like any struggle, you can choose to find a way to make lemonade out of the lemons you’ve been handed.

Here are a few small businesses from our HireMyMom Community doing just that:

Big Sky Internet Design is a small family-owned website design company building websites for the Agriculture Industry since 1998.  Due to Covid-19 they discovered that many 4H, FFA, and other youth county organizations were not going to be able to hold their annual sale/auction due to the lockdown. Tom Bruch, owner of Big Sky Internet, decided that they could do something about that. They created easy and affordable websites for youth organizations to be able to have auctions online.  Now these students who have spent countless hours and sometimes large amounts of money, have a way to reach a market interested in buying their livestock. 

Dudley Court Press is a hybrid publishing house for authors. A couple of their remote team members homeschool their children. As “stay at home” orders became the norm, the rest of the Dudley’s team found themselves homeschooling as well. 

“The stress was palpable,” Gail Woodard, Dudley Court Press CEO shares. “We decided to devote half our weekly team meeting to sharing experiences and advice. The impact on the new homeschooling moms was so positive that we decided to offer a free, weekly Zoom-based Homeschoolers’ Support Group through April. Our first session was a great success with new homeschooling parents relieved to have ‘experts’ to chat with.”  

Ben Walker, of Transcription Outsourcing LLC is in a CEO peer group of small business owners. These business owners have been helping each other in their respective areas of expertise at no charge through webinars and online meetings.  He shares, “I’ve been helping one fellow business owner here with brainstorming how he can pivot his event staffing company and all his skills and knowledge into a new business. All of this has been done with absolutely no expectation of anything in return.” It’s just one small business owner doing what he or she can to help another business survive and thrive through this season.

Marsha Means, MA is a part of a team of coaches who are offering new Covid-19 support groups that are free to those who have lost their income ($10 for with an income). Marsha shares, “If you’ve lost someone to covid, or if you are anxious and overwhelmed, I invite you to join me and others to share, process, and to support each other as we face the loss, the fear, and global trauma all humanity is experiencing.”

Barkha’s Custom Sourcing specializes in sustainable and ethical sourcing of fabric. Currently, they are organizing a large donation of stock fabric to the Sewing Masks for Area Hospitals – Atlanta project. They’re a non-profit that is building networks in and around Atlanta — and all across the U.S. — to make sure our healthcare workers have the PPE they need to fight the battle against COVID-19. 

Barkha Malik, owner, shares, “While masks sewn by volunteers at Sewing Masks for Area Hospitals – Atlanta are not viable by themselves, hospital staff are using them over their N95 masks to extend their usefulness. These masks can be sanitized and reused.”  Anyone interested in sewing masks or getting involved to learn more about the Sewing Masks for Area Hospitals – Atlanta project by joining their Facebook group here.

In a world with a lot of bad news, it’s great to be reminded of the positives going on around us. Hats off to all you small business owners making your own version of lemonade!

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