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January 4, 2016 0 Comments

5 Tips for a Successful Home Based Interview

If you work from home or desire to work from home, you will likely go through another an interview for a home based position.  Interviews are nerve wracking enough at an office location, but those from home can be a little bit more challenging.  Between kids and dogs, lack of an in person connection, and various other distractions, finding your calm and professional demeanor may take a few more steps.

Read along for some best practices for home based interviews.

Be Knowledgeable

The number one step in interview prep is to learn all you can about the company. It’s more than useful to have a baseline of knowledge going into your interview. To avoid any surprises, know some basic information about the company and the job position being offered.

This process will be an asset to you that shows that you’ve done your research, showing that you care about obtaining the position and the organization.

Clear Distractions

When you work from home, the biggest barriers to successful calls and meetings are almost always distractions! Between kids, pets, TVs, UPS knocks on the door and so on, it can be tough to find a completely quiet space.  Especially if it’s a Skype call, take great care to ensure that distractions are eliminated during your interview!  In addition, make sure your background is nice and professional in appearance for Skype calls.

Distractions can also come in the form of your calendar obligations.  Make sure that your calendar is cleared so you aren’t rushing or receiving other urgent calls during the interview.  Always set aside more time than you think will be necessary, then you can call the kids back in or proceed with other meetings.

Ask Questions

All interviewers want you to ask questions, and it’s important that you think of 3-5 questions to ask ahead of time. A great question is, “What is the company culture?” Even though you’re working from home, company culture is king.  It will tell you how your boss works, how often you’ll be managed, how they communicate, how formal the meetings are, and so on.  It will also give you a glimpse into the company, and then you’ll be better equipped to decide if it’s a good fit for you.

Other good questions include asking about the direction of the position, what’s expected of you in the position, and what a typical day might consist of.

Take Inventory

Are your social media profiles in good working order?  Take a quick audit of your profiles and be sure they’re as professional as possible. Remove any questionable photos, posts, and so on, and if it’s applicable, be sure that you have some quality posts that are relevant to your industry and show your expertise.

Notice any gaps in employment, negative reviews, or anything similar, since employers may bring them up.  It’s important to be truthful, but knowing these things ahead of time will leave you time to prepare a proper, professional response.

Make sure that your LinkedIn profile looks especially nice, as it’s the more career-based social media profile.  Ask for quality recommendations, thoroughly complete all sections, and work to create meaningful connections to show your professional drive.

Know Your Strengths

Home based work requires a certain type of person with a number of qualities, so be sure to emphasize these in your interview.  Are you extremely self-motivated?  Do you work well independently?  Employers can be a bit nervous to hire workers remotely, and it’s up to you to convince them that you have the necessarily skill set.

Work from home interviews can be just as stressful as traditional interviews! Treat them as a typical interview in an office – dress to impress, eliminate distractions, be prepared and knowledgeable, and ask thoughtful questions.  If you do these things well, you’ll be on your way to a satisfying home based job position!

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December 28, 2015 0 Comments

4 Tips for a Healthy Home Based 2016

It’s that time of year – resolutions and goals are everywhere! We commit to being the best versions of ourselves in the new year, and one of the items on almost everyone’s list is the health category.

We can always strive to improve our health, and when working from home, health needs to take priority. It becomes easy to sit all day, eat all of the unhealthy foods in the house, and just generally lose sight of a healthy lifestyle.

Take breaks

When you take a break, the result is really dual-purpose – mental and physical. Taking a break gives your brain a break, and you can turn it into a physical break by taking a short walk, getting some fresh air, or doing a brief workout video.

Even if you’re extremely busy, make it a deliberate point to take short breaks throughout the day – 5-10 minutes is all you need to break up the work day!

Schedule fitness

At the top of all resolution lists is fitness! Just as you schedule important tasks to complete, conference calls, and daily to do items, scheduling fitness can really keep you healthy when you work from home.

Know yourself! If you like to get things out of the way, a morning workout might be your best bet. If you need a few cups of coffee to get moving, maybe an afternoon or evening workout suits you better. It’s not important when you do it, but that you schedule it and get it done.  Not only does fitness keep your body healthy, it actually makes you more productive and effective in your home based job.

Mental fitness

Mental health and fitness begins with balance. When you’re working from home everyday, it becomes easy to stay isolated.  Schedule coffee dates and meetings out if you can, and don’t be afraid to throw in small social meetings as well.

Working from home is very different from a traditional office environment, and it’s important to keep a healthy social life.  Maintain contact with friends and family throughout your week, and be sure that you’re venturing out of the house regularly.

Keep it positive

A healthy mind and body is nothing without a positive attitude. Health begins with your attitude, and the more that you can maintain a positive one, the more you’ll be able to accomplish. Think of your positivity as the fuel to your new, healthier lifestyle!

When you combine physical, mental, and an attitude of fitness, you’ll be well on your way to a happier, healthier new year! It’s more important that you factor in healthy habits when working from home, as there is much more opportunity to sit around and eat poorly.  Adopt these simple habits and see a change in your effectiveness and health in 2016.

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December 14, 2015 0 Comments

4 Holiday Gifts for the Home Based Worker

The home based worker needs similar things to those who work in a traditional office, but they have to purchase the items themselves! Setting up a home office can be an expensive task, especially if you choose to adhere to ergonomically-correct furniture and quality supplies.

Read along this holiday gift guide for your favorite home based worker. They’ll appreciate your thoughtfulness, and you can give the gift of an efficient, comfortable home office.

Good desk and chair

First on the list is a good desk and chair for their office.  Quality office furniture is not always low cost, but it’s worth it for the time that will be spent using it, as well as the wear it can take on the body.

There are numerous options out there, but start by searching for “ergonomic desk” and “ergonomic chair” as starting points.  From there, user reviews and specifications can help you make a decision.

Here are some tips for ergonomically synchronizing your workspace and optimizing your workspace.

Quality lighting

Lighting is important in an office, and most homes aren’t equipped with office-quality lighting. Give the gift of rested eyes and focus with some quality lighting ideas. This doesn’t need to be an expensive purchase, but care must be given to quality and specifications.

Here are some general tips for good lighting:

  • Use task lighting: Task lighting is important in adding contrast levels to aide in reading.  This might look like a small desk lamp or larger reading lamp to focus on smaller tasks.

  • Remove overhead lighting: It is distracting and can cause headaches, and you’re better off using a lamp or lamps with shading to eliminate glare.

  • Use the right shades: The right lamp shade makes a big difference in making the room too light, too dark, casting shadows, and so on. Make sure you choose one that not only fits the lamp, but fits the need for a relaxed office environment.

Here are some additional tips in choosing the right office lighting.

Stationery

Stationery is one of those things that you may not use everyday, but it truly adds something to the sender and the recipient.  Quality stationery makes an impression, and it’s a fun way to involve personal branding in your home based job.  Even if your gift receiver doesn’t have their own business, you can go the personal route and just simply use their name and address.

Be sure to avoid using abbreviations, formally write out the address, and choose a font, style, and border (if applicable) that would really speak to them.  It’s also nice to include some different options, such as letters, envelopes, notepads, etc.

Here are some additional tips to order the correct stationery.

Fun office supplies

Fun office supplies will vary from person to person, but everyone likes to have some unique, thoughtful items at their desk.

A nice, high quality planner is one item that can be gifted across the board. Whether they are male or female, organized or disorganized, almost everyone can use a planner.

As far as truly stunning planner options, the Create 365 is a good one, as are the Erin Condren planners.  They both offer a higher quality, offer customizable options, and also have fun items added, such as stickers.

The home based worker on your list will appreciate these thoughtful, practical gifts for their home office.  Do your best to choose items that they wouldn’t necessarily choose for themselves – higher quality, effective items are always appreciated this time of year! 

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December 7, 2015 0 Comments

5 Tips for Home Based Work During the Holiday Season

It can be a challenge to juggle working from home during the holiday season. You’re doing your best to complete your tasks, but since your workspace is your home environment, this can get tricky this time of year. However, working from home has its flexibility perks, and you’ll be able to attend those Christmas concerts and holiday events with just a few tweaks of your schedule.

The holidays are a special time of year, so it’s important to recognize that and participate fully. On the other hand, work can pick up before the end of the year, so read along for some tips to manage both effectively.

Keep a normal daily schedule

As much as possible, plan ahead and keep a normal daily schedule. The more you can do this in the days surrounding the actual holidays, the more relaxed you can be on your days off.  Create a schedule now and do your best to prioritize as the holiday season moves along.

Hire some help

If your workload is too demanding right now or you want more time for friends and family during the holidays, consider hiring some help. You can find a great virtual assistant right here at HireMyMom.com. Need help with kids? Look for college students home for the holidays. They can also help with wrapping gifts, organizing your home / office and even help with some home office tasks that you’ve gotten behind on. 

Make time for what’s important

Work will always be there – but the holidays won’t be. Make time for what’s important, especially this time of year. If you have to work a weekend afternoon to be able to attend a holiday event, it’s worth the extra effort. Cherish the memories that the holidays help create. You’ll look back someday and be glad you did!

Schedule something special

Since your home is your workspace, it can feel like the day goes from work to celebration central in a matter of ours! Schedule some special outings, occasions, shows, and so on for this time of year. It feels good to get out of the house, and you can still use your home for those cozy nights over hot chocolate, good movies, and gift wrapping.

Don’t stress out

Overall, don’t stress out too much! It can seem like the work is piling up this time of year and that it will never stop.  2016 will be here before we know it, and all we can do is our best to complete the rest of 2015.

Create your schedules, make time for what’s important, and minimize stress for a fun and efficient holiday season!

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November 30, 2015 0 Comments

3 Ways to Make Money Over the Holidays

There are three simple ways to make money over the holidays – and they will all put some extra cash in your pocket this upcoming holiday season! Not only will you come out with more money, you’ll gain different experiences and ways to create more income on a regular basis.

 

The holidays are known for being a time when we spend money, not make it. Although this is common as we’re giving gifts to loved ones and donating to charities we support, you can still make money around the holiday season.

 

Utilize the Online Sites

 

Online job search sites such as HireMyMom.com are great for extra income. Not only do they provide job opportunities, but all jobs can be completed remotely – or from home.

 

The holidays are already an incredibly busy time of year, and avoiding an extra commute is key to keep stress at bay. When you join HireMyMom.com, you can easily search for jobs from the comfort of your own home.  In a matter of days, you could be getting paid to do what you love in a virtual environment.

 

HireMyMom.com works with top notch companies and potential employees who are looking for genuine, legitimate jobs. Take a look around and find that job that might be helpful for the holidays – and possibly even into the New Year!

 

Find Something Seasonal

 

Seasonal work is common this time of year, as the stores need a lot of extra help with increased customers and demand. Between department stores and small local businesses, it’s typically fairly easy to find places looking for seasonal workers.

 

Also, as the job is seasonal, you can simply see it as a way to bring in extra funds.  If you also work another job, the extra hours will not last forever.  If you have a bit of extra time, finding seasonal work is a great way to supplement your income, spread some holiday cheer, and stay busy during the season.

 

Clean It Out

 

This is a great time of year to clean out your closets! Many items can be donated, but brand new items or more obscure items may be better off as sold.

 

There are numerous ways to sell your items – online via eBay, Craigslist, and so on; in person via local Facebook “buy and sell” groups, and of course, the ever-popular garage sale, which is really only applicable if you live in a warm climate!
Selling items that you aren’t using is a great way to make room for the new items you’ll likely gather from the holidays, as well as bringing in some extra cash.

 

Taking some time to look through used clothing, new clothing that you won’t use, or various household items – there are bound to be several things that you don’t need anymore.

All in all, making money over the holiday season is a relatively simple task.  Go through your unused items, inquire about potential seasonal work, and go online for home based options at sites such as HireMyMom.com. You’ll find the holidays less stressful on your bank account in no time!

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November 23, 2015 0 Comments

3 Keys to Facebook Fan Page Success

Not only is Facebook important on a personal level, it’s even more crucial for business. How many times do we look up a business online and look to see if they have a Facebook page?  Websites are great and informative, but Facebook pages show how a company interacts with customers and clients, as well as how the communicate on a more frequent basis.  In a word, it sets the tone of the business.

 

In addition to giving more information to your prospective customers, your Facebook page can give great insight into how you do business on a personal level. Read along for some tips to keep your page professional, engaging, and successful.

 

Be Consistent

 

Consistency is key with social media! If you can’t post on a consistent scale, don’t bother having the page. You don’t need to post daily (or multiple times per day), but a good place to start is 2-3x per week.  Once you can do this consistently for several months, feel free to bump it up. As long as you have quality content available – and you are willing to post consistently – post as often as you’d like.

 

Consistency also shows customers that you’re relevant.  If your last post is from 2 years ago and you are in the habit of posting approximately once every few weeks, it can show that you’re a bit out of touch.  Again, if you aren’t willing to post to your page(s) consistently, it’s better not to have one at all.

 

Be Valuable

 

Providing value has become a type of buzzword these days – and for good reason. Valuable content brings potential customers to you, and it also keeps them coming back for more. We often think that hoarding our information until someone buys is the key to sales, but it’s actually quite the opposite. When we give a lot of free, valuable information away, we are seen as the trusted, expert source in our industry.  When you take the time to provide a lot of value, it’s clear that you know your subject matter, and customers feel much more trustworthy in buying from you.

 

Your customers will come to appreciate this value, and will also look to you when they’re ready to purchase something. How do you feel when a page you follow consistently posts about selling?  It gets to be obnoxious, and you don’t feel that you’re receiving anything from them.  Put this into practice and you’ll likely see an increase in engagement as well as sales.  To entice people to “like” your page, you can even offer special discounts to “Fans only” or something similar.

 

Be Personable

 

Lastly, be personable! Facebook is not as serious as your website, and you’re allowed to have a little bit of fun. Post inspirational, humorous, and fun posts from time to time, along with your value-added posts.


Also, there are many businesses that you’re able to review on Facebook.  You may get a review that isn’t so nice, and whether it’s warranted or not, do your best to stay calm and respond to it kindly.  This is your chance to shine! How you respond to reviews says a lot about you and your business, and customers like to see you take the high road.  Respond in a calm, rational way, and your future customers are far less likely to hold a few bad reviews against you.  Additionally, do your best to respond to comments and questions as quickly (and as often) as possible.  Being personable and kind goes a long way!

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November 18, 2015 0 Comments

Career Advice from Leading Mom Executives

According to Pew Research, women only make up five percent of CEOs in the nation’s Fortune 500 companies and only 17 percent of their board members. For a woman, running a corporation while balancing a family is rife with issues from business acquisitions to missing school functions. Meanwhile, no one thinks much about how CEOs who are fathers manage to do both.

 

In a business world dominated by male leaders, the advice from leading mom executives resonates with women everywhere. Whether you’re hoping to gather some inspiration to get back into the workforce or calculate your next career move, these women leaders have insights to share.

 

Hilary Schneider

President of LifeLock, Hilary Schneider, oversees all aspects of the company’s business strategy from operations to growth and formerly held an executive role at Yahoo. Despite Schneider’s role as a business leader with a focus on strategy, she gave a speech with Arizona Women’s Leadership Forum on the necessity to focus on employee culture as a means for transformation and engagement. Schneider knows that strategy isn’t everything. Ignoring a new generation demanding a better work-life balance is detrimental to business.

 

LifeLock aligns itself with that same point-of-view with a challenging work environment that still fosters and honors work culture. Wellness rewards, four weeks of paid time off from year one, an anniversary recognition program and tuition assistance are just some of the perks extended to employees to help integrate a balance of work and play into their culture.

 

Ann-Marie Campbell

President of Home Depot’s Southern Division, Ann-Marie Campbell started at the corporation as a cashier in 1985. Campbell told Georgia State University’s alumni magazine that she loved the personal family atmosphere of Home Depot and being given challenging opportunities. She credits speaking up and staying open to opportunities as a means to get seen and mentored by people who could help.

 

Campbell believes the world is a community and developing others is truly when you succeed. Home Depot’s job page reflects those sentiments with everything from hiring events to military job seekers, volunteer opportunities and job postings. Moms looking to align themselves with a family-friendly company and emulate the success of their female leaders can set up a Google job alert to keep tabs on positions that get them closer to their goals.

 

Indra Nooyi

PepsiCo CEO Indra Nooyi shook off criticism when she focused on healthier snack and drink options and pivoted the company. Not one for hiding behind corporate rhetoric and marketing trends, she publicly proclaimed Pepsi needed to address obesity and stuck her ground on the long view instead of what investors wanted to hear.

 

Nooyi is fearless, but told “Fast Company” that some of the best advice she ever received was to improve yourself in order to improve your organization. Much like any mom, whether a top executive or not, it’s integral to improve yourself in order to help guide the family and create an environment poised for growth.

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November 16, 2015 0 Comments

3 Key Personality Traits in Home Based Workers

Working from home takes a special personality, as you aren’t working within the normal confines of a traditional workplace. Although anyone can learn and adjust their strategy to be successful, certain innate traits will make a home based career much simpler.

 

The traits below are most suited for working from home, so if you see yourself in them, rest assured that you will likely be successful working from home. If not, you’ll know what to work on if a home based career is your ultimate goal.

 

Independent Self Starter

 

The ideal work from home employee is highly independent and not afraid to be a self starter. They are used to working by themselves, save for some phone calls, video chats, and emails between employees and clients.

 

Since you aren’t in an office, you’ll have to motivate yourself, and sometimes, without someone giving you direct feedback and orders, it can be tough to stay focused.  Independent self starters are very capable of handling these long stretches of alone time, and they can get work done while they do.  They aren’t hesitant to start work and often work ahead to make sure they stay productive and on task.

 

Organized

 

Those who work from home must be very organized. Organization in an office environment is also incredibly useful, but for home based work, it is crucial. First of all, it’s highly likely that you’ll be working with a variety of employers and/or clients, so keeping them straight and tasks complete is first and foremost.

 

Organization can be as simple as task and to do lists, or as complex as employing a third party system to keep things in place. The ideal home based worker knows that they’ll need to be organized, and they’ll likely already be working this way in a traditional setting.

 

Time Manager

 

Time management comes along with organization, but it’s a separate component all its own. You can be organized without having a good concept of time management and working from home requires both.

 

Organization is the process of keeping everything in order and completed, while time management ensures that everything is done in a reasonable time frame that still leaves you time to lead your life.


When you work from home, it can be easy to get caught up in distractions and other items in your house.  The TV, radio, and so on are much more easily accessible in a home office.  Time management is one task that you can’t take too seriously.  If you make it a priority, you’ll be able to work the same amount of hours as an office job, while in the comfort of your own home.

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November 9, 2015 0 Comments

Interview with Lesley Pyle, Founder of HireMyMom.com

Describe yourself in 3 words.

I had a hard time describing myself so I asked my husband and my 2 oldest children, ages 20 and 18, to help me and they said: Faithful, Selfless and Benevolent.

What’s your educational and experiential background?

I have a B.A. degree in Journalism / Public Relations from Texas State University. I also have a MSc. degree in Marketing / Public Relations from the University of Stirling in Scotland. I worked briefly for a golf school in Austin, Texas upon graduating with my Master’s. It was while working there that I became pregnant with my first child and gave up my job to start freelancing from home. It wasn’t long after that that I started the national association of Home-Based Working Moms (www.hbwm.com) in 1997 to help moms working at home network and support one another.

What led you to start HireMyMom?

After working with moms across the country for many years who wanted to work at home, I saw the acceptance of working from home grow in popularity. I knew there were thousands of talented moms who had or wanted to leave the workforce to work from home. I also knew many home businesses, entrepreneurs and small businesses were looking for talented professionals to help their businesses to grow but many did not need full-time or on-site employees. Hence the idea for HireMyMom.com. I already had a large following on HBWM.com which gave me an opportunity to offer another option for working at home.

Do you have any future vision(s) or ideas for HireMyMom?

I would love to capture more of the small / home business and freelance “mom professional” market. There are big name competitors out there but none specifically target these markets or have the personal touch that we offer.  As not only a Mom Professional but also a home business owner, I understand the needs of both sides. I am passionate about helping both sides find the best solution for their needs. I am looking to expand our market to help more of these moms and businesses.  

What’s your favorite thing about running HireMyMom?

Just like the moms who use the service, I love the freedom and flexibility working at home allows me. It means so much to be able to go have lunch with my 3rd grader or take the day off to spend with one of my college kids. I also love hearing of the success stories from those who have found the perfect job for them as well as those businesses who find a rock star to help their business flourish. It is very fulfilling!

When you were younger, what did you want to be when you grew up?

As a school-aged child, I really had no idea what I wanted to do. No one in my family had ever attended college so it wasn’t really an option that I was offered or even considered. After losing my dad at age 13, I watched my mom struggle to work and support three kids on a very modest salary. I knew I wanted more but had no idea how to get there. After graduating high school, I worked for two years as a secretary before getting laid off in one of Houston’s oil busts. It was then that a friend encouraged me to start taking college classes at a local community college. Once I realized it was possible and that someone believed in me, the sky was the limit. I transferred to a state university and graduated at the top of my class and subsequently was awarded a full scholarship to get my master’s degree in Scotland. I had aspirations of being a very important [wink wink] corporate PR executive. I wanted an office in a tall building downtown where I could revel in the hustle and bustle of a high-paced career and a fast-paced city. But then….. things changed. I had my first child and somehow all of that became unappealing and unimportant. What I really wanted to do was work from home so that I could raise my children and care for and love them every step of the way. Working from home became the greatest career option I could ever dream of. Twenty years later, it still is!

What’s one fun fact about you?


I am an online missionary for Global Media Outreach (www.globalmediaoutreach.com) where I get to encourage, pray for and disciple people from all across the world including Africa, Asia, Iran, Iraq, Canada, Europe and more. We are able to reach people who may have no other way to hear the good news of Jesus and His amazing, powerful love for them.

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