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March 19, 2020

How to Work from Home & Maintain Sanity in Difficult Times

Many of us are working from home as we normally do while others may be transitioning to working from home. On top of that, most of us are working with kids or other family members at home now. So how do you work AND maintain your sanity during difficult times.

Here are six tips and some resources to help…

1. Find your peace and calm. For me that is time in God’s Word and in prayer to start my day. For others it may be meditation, a walk in nature, soothing music or taking a relaxing bath.

2. Spread hope not fear. So much of what people are posting and seeing on social media and the news is exacerbating fear and panic. How can we spread good news, hope, encouragement and focus on some of the positives right now (more rest, finish projects, family time, etc).

3. Get Creative. If your business has been impacted, try to diversify and think of other products or services you can offer. Share updates on social media and email lists to let your audience know of new offerings or changes being made.

4. Reduce Distractions. Turn your personal phone to do not disturb and add any work related contacts you need to hear from to your “favorites” so they can get through. Set group texts to “do not disturb” from friends and family during focused work time. Log out of social media so notifications do not distract you. Turn off the news and check in once a day for any updates.

5. Find your space. Make your designated home work environment as disruption free as possible so that you can stay focused. Of course, with kids at home, this may be much more challenging. It may mean working while they sleep or swapping kid duty with your spouse or other family members. Screen-time rules may have to be bent but there are filters and apps to help with this. It’s time to get creative and find some things for them to do!

6. Batch your work so that you can focus on one task at a time and up your productivity. Set clear objectives and deadlines, block off time to complete tasks where you do not allow outside disruptions.

Most of all take care of yourself and your family. View this time as a time of reconnecting with family, enjoying simple everyday things that we are usually too busy to notice. I know the times seem uncertain, but we’re all in this together. Reach out and let us know how we, as a community, can help one another.

 

For our Mom Community, click here to join our Mom Professionals FB Community.

Small Business owners, you may join our Small Business owners FB community here.

 

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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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February 5, 2020

7 Essentials To An Independent Contractor Agreement

As a business owner, you often take on the roles of many people. You can find yourself working long hours and doing all of the work by yourself to keep your company afloat. When it gets so much that you can no longer keep up, it’s time to hire!

You’ll want to determine if the job you are hiring for is a contractor role or an employee role. You can learn the definitions on those here and get some additional advice here. 

If you are hiring freelancers or contractors an independent contractor’s agreement will help you outline the details of the work to be performed, terms of the agreement, compensation, and any additional important details. 

In today’s article, we will discuss the importance of a contractors’ agreement and some key components you may want to include when creating one*.

Statement of Relationship

This is the opening of the contract that discloses the parties the agreement is between. The Company name is indicated and from that point on, referred to as “The Company”. The Contractor’s name and his/her company (if applicable) is also indicated and referred to as “The Contractor” from that point on.

This piece of the agreement is extremely important to get right especially when it comes to the contractor being able to prove his or her work status. It protects against employee misclassification.

The contractor-client (Company) relationship is a business relationship, not an employer-employee one.

Scope of Work

This part of the contract highlights the work the Contractor will be doing for your Company. If there was an SOW (Statement of Work) drawn up (which is recommended), it would be included here.

Note: A Statement of Work (SOW) is a document within the contract that describes the scope of work and/or project being performed as well as performance expectations.

Payment and Billing Terms

This is an important part of the contract. Rates agreed upon should clearly be disclosed here along with the terms of billing and form of payment.

The rate of pay should have been discussed and agreed to ahead of time along with any commission rates (if applicable). For payment, it should be discussed with the Contractor how you would like to be invoiced and the payment dates.

Party Responsibilities

This part of the agreement applies especially if there are multiple departments involved within your Company that your Contractor will be performing work for or collaborating with. This is a good opportunity to present the review and approval process, set the standards of communication and to also have your Contractor provide proof of insurance.

Deadlines and Timelines

The Contract term (length) should go in this section of the agreement. If you don’t have one, it’s good to at least set a contract review/renewal date.

If this contract is for a project, the timeline or approximate timeline should be specified. If the project is large enough, milestones can be outlined as well. Clear goals and targets should be outlined. The more details you can include the better. This will ensure clear expectations and communication between yourself and your Contractor.

Termination

Not all agreements work out. Sometimes they have to come to a close. All contracts need to have a termination clause.

The termination clause offers the right for both parties to cancel. Reasons to end the contract should be clearly stated. Some considerations include nonpayment, breach of contract, and business disruption.

When considering the termination timeline most contracts can end with 30 days written notice from either side.

Non-Disclosure/No Compete Clause

Unless your contractor is designated to only working with you at the time of the agreement, having them sign a Non-Disclosure or No Compete clause might be difficult.

If they have more than one client, chances are, at some point, they might be working with your competitors.

You can, however, cater to the non-disclosure specifically in reference to the information you share with them about your company. 

Other Considerations

It’s always advisable to have a legal advisor review your contract before it officially falls into the hands of a Contractor. Once reviewed, it may be able to act as a template for future contract work as well.

 

For more information, see:

 

*HireMyMom.com (HBWM.com Inc.) does not provide tax or legal advice. The material contained herein is for informational purposes only and does not constitute tax or legal advice. Readers should consult with their own tax advisor or attorney with regard to their personal and business tax situation.

We have some amazing Contractors right here on HireMyMom. You can see what other business owners are saying about our services here.

Ready to start find a great candidate now? Click here to get started.

 

 

 

 

 

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January 27, 2020 0 Comments

HireMyMom Success Story: Sara Lingenfelter

What’s your success story with HireMyMom.com?

I had only been a member of HireMyMom for 2 months when I landed my first 2 clients! I was only trying to get 1 client, but both wanted to interview me and I thought why not? Besides, I didn’t think they would both offer me the position. But they did, and since neither was a high amount of hours I said yes to both. I learned so fast my responsibilities with my first client grew. We worked together for about 3 years total! I also ended up doing some work for his wife too. It got to the point, I wanted to do business management and he didn’t need that. To this day we are still friends. We even got to meet once at a conference we both happened to attend.
With the second client, after our phone interview, she offered me the job on the spot. She said she didn’t usually do that but after our conversation, she felt I was the right person. She and I worked together about 2 years. Again it was when I was moving onto higher level work and so we parted on a good note. And she and I still talk as well. While working for her, she flew me to an event in Vegas and it was really cool getting to meet her work her event.
After those two, I landed numerous other clients through HireMyMom. Some were just project-based, and during this time I was still working my bookkeeping job from home.  As my network grew, and I submitted really great proposals I was fortunately working a lot. About a year after doing VA work, I realized I could make more money doing that and that it could be a real business. In January of 2013, I decided to quit my job and do VA work full-time. Things had gotten to a point where if I wanted to do more, grow my skills, invest in building a business, I needed to quit my job to focus on this business that I “accidentally” started and just two years prior didn’t even know existed. I know many moms question if they can really make it as a VA. I’m very transparent when asked questions about how I got started, what I learned, and how much money I made. My first 11 months as a full-time VA, I billed out $47,000 which was $10,000 more than my salary as a bookkeeper.
I credit HireMyMom to giving me my start. Signing up was the BEST choice I made when trying to get started. Since starting I have worked with 75+ clients, I’ve really lost track of the exact number. I did eventually take a course to get certified in Online Business Management. The awesome thing about becoming a VA is there are so many possibilities. I ultimately did this work for my son, so he could stay home with me. HireMyMom is connecting clients and VA’s in a way that truly impacts families in an amazing way!

What’s your educational and experiential background?

My parents never went to college, and they always talked about how they regretted it. So I went to college at night after graduating high school. I had to work full-time to put myself through school, so that’s the reason I went at night plus the tuition was cheaper for night classes. I went to Drury University and got a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice and Psychology. Then I always had office jobs from the age of 18 to 31. But my plan was to become a Probation and Parole office for the State of Missouri. To be clear, I had NO business background, no entrepreneurial experience, and no training when I started working as a VA.

What is your top tip (or tips) for landing a gig on HireMyMom.com?

I could give many, but I have this top tip and it’s what worked for me! It is, to be honest about your experience. Many clients are looking for certain skills. But when I first started, I didn’t have any experience with the online world. I had just dabbled in Google doc. I didn’t know any software programs. These potentials clients I was sending proposals to wanted people with certain skills that are common for someone that had been working as a VA for a while.
Here’s what I did and you can do too. I had gotten a job as a bookkeeper (prior to working online) but when I went to the job interview I thought I was interviewing to be a secretary. At the interview, I find out the owners of the business changed their mind. A friend referred me to them and told them I was smart. I had experience with money, payroll, and unions but that was it. And it just so happened they needed to replace their bookkeeper more than they did their receptionist. Long story short, they offered me the job. What does this have to do with being a VA? Well in a few months and with a bit of training, I was doing all aspects of bookkeeping for this HVAC company that did average sales of $3.5 million a year. In my proposals to potential clients I explained, that even though I didn’t have experience with the programs they list, I know that if given the chance I was 100% confident I could learn that program or programs. And I gave them the short explanation of how I went from never doing bookkeeping to being able to fully perform all job functions needed and had that job for 10 years. I did payroll, used account/inventory software, created financials and much more.
What does this mean for you? Give an example of a time you learned something and performed it very well! If they understand you can learn, potential clients are often very willing to give you a chance, especially if they feel you are organized, pay attention to details and communicate well. You can’t always teach someone those soft skills but you can teach them a software program or give them a chance to learn it.

What’s your favorite thing about HireMyMom.com?

My top favorite thing is that potential clients realize most of the VA’s applying are moms. I’ve heard negative talk in the past about a mom working from home also having her kids home with her. By having this site, most potential clients understand you have kids and it gets you over that hurdle that can be an issue with some. It makes the process easier and I love that.


What’s one fun fact about you?

I went skydiving when I was 21 but yet I am scared of rides at theme parks. I’ve never been on a roller coaster or any other ride like that, I play it safe, too scared! LOL I have no idea the logic.

Want to be one of our Featured Success Stories? Click here for our form!

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January 20, 2020 0 Comments

5 Tips For a Winning Cover Letter to Get You Hired

Ah, the cover letter – the sister document of your resume! It’s an important but often overlooked part of the job searching process, and one that demands more attention.  Whether cover letters come across as an afterthought, are too lengthy, or simply lack any depth, there can be a number of errors avoided by taking a second look.

Grab their Attention

Realize the hiring person may get 30-50 resumes (or more on mega job sites). And the resumes that get read are the ones with something that GRABS their ATTENTION!  Something like, “Let Me Take More Off Your Plate!”  Or, “I thrive on being proactive in ways to make your life easier! Hire Me!”

Don’t be afraid to add some personality to your cover letter and show your “go-getter” attitude. No one wants to hire a bump on a log. Also, the P.S. is the most read part of ANY email or letter.  P.S. Your “Go Getter Attitude” so that you stand out

Be Diligent

You want your first impression to be a good one! Be sure that your grammar is perfect, your spelling is correct, and your sentences well-structured. Don’t rush through this because it tells the hiring person you aren’t paying attention to details and aren’t putting 100% effort in.

This doesn’t mean that you can’t inject some personality into your letter, but proper writing rules remain a required element of the job application documents.

Focus on the Company

The number one goal of your cover letter is to show why you would be a great fit for the job!  Your letter shouldn’t go on and on about your accomplishments, but rather convey them in a way that shows relevance to the employer.

You should always look up the company to show that you’ve done your homework and took the time to learn about them. (Hint: Read their “About Us” page and a few blogs to get a feel for the person and company).

Bullets are Key

Begin your cover letter with a brief paragraph or two, then consider using bullet points to highlight key selling points on why you think you’re the best candidate.  This breaks up large chunks of text, allows the employer to see your points quickly and easily, and makes you appear considerate and well prepared.

Show Why You’re a Fit

What do you bring to the table?  List specific character traits, past experiences, and job roles that are a direct fit to this specific position. Have a testimonial from a past client? You may want to consider adding it to your cover letter.

You may have had 10 jobs that you’re proud of, but which jobs, and more importantly, which qualities from those jobs, will allow you to shine in this new role?

By focusing on the company and job position, you’re focusing on the employer’s needs, not your own.  Be sure to include succinct, relevant information that will allow the employer to see what they would get from you immediately.

Lastly, make it easy for them to read, add some personality, and show them your “go-getter attitude”!

Click here to see some of our Newest Job posts.  

Ready to apply? Click here to add your resume and start applying!

What have other Job Seekers said about HireMyMom.com?

Click here for some helpful blogs on resume and cover letter tips.

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January 14, 2020 0 Comments

5 Tips for Setting Achievable Goals for Today’s Entrepreneur

Goal setting is a common practice for entrepreneurs and small business owners like yourself. At the beginning of a new year, we typically feel inspired to be better, to do better. Let’s face it, it is a great time to create goals and ideals for the next twelve months.

Effective goals are those that are able to be accomplished, don’t cause too much stress or strain, and create a feeling of accomplishment. Read along for some actionable tips to set effective goals for an improved year.

Here are 5 tips to help you set achievable goals for the coming year:

Be Specific

The best goals are specific and measurable. For example, “grow my business” is a nice goal, but it’s not very specific or strong. Lay out your ideal job when creating your goal, as this allows you to see it in action more clearly.

Another example would be, “I want to earn more money.” Again, a great goal, but can you assign a specific amount?  The more measurable the goal, the more concrete steps you can take to achieve it.

Be Realistic

Although setting lofty goals is admirable, it’s important that they’re also obtainable. If you hope to get a new client in one week, but you don’t have a plan on how you will do that, it’s not likely to happen.  Although it can be done, goals are more likely to be achieved when the timing makes sense.

Give yourself a push with the goal, but don’t stress yourself out either! Becoming too focused on a goal can cause burnout – do your best but skip the rigid thinking.

Consult the Past

What worked in the past? Maybe you’ll notice that a specific type of goal keeps popping up, or that one goal is always on your list, but never gets done. Consulting your past goals can help you see what works for the future, and what’s likely to get done and propel you forward in the year to come.

Check in Often

Checking in on a daily, weekly and monthly basis keeps the goals fresh in your mind. We tend to create goals at the beginning of a new year and stop thinking about them by the end of the month! Put them in your calendar, on your “to do” list, and every other place that you consult frequently.

Seeing and spending time thinking of your goals keeps them top of mind, which is the first step to successfully achieving them.

Do Something Everyday

Be sure you’re doing something every day that moves you closer to your goals. You’ll be checking in weekly on an official basis, but a daily reminder is even better. Work from a daily, weekly, monthly goal sheet such as the one we’ve created for you. Or create a vision board where you can see your goals visually, or simply work from a positive mindset when working towards career goals.

Setting and achieving goals is a challenging process, but one that is truly important to our personal and professional growth. Follow the steps above when creating your goals for this upcoming year, and you’ll be well on your way to new and exciting things this year!

If your goal is to find your next great hire or to find a great remote job, let us help! You can find great candidates right here on HireMyMom as well as great work from home jobs posted by small businesses and entrepreneurs across the country.

 

 

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January 6, 2020

5 Ways Online Groups Can Help You Succeed Working From Home

Working from home offers many benefits but, at times there can be some small drawbacks as well.

Unlike an office environment, remote work at home often involves minimal daily interaction with others. There’s also a lack of support, and it’s up to you to create a good workflow, be disciplined enough to follow through with it and to be able to tap into the right resources when you’re presented with a challenge.

This is where having a solid “tribe” or community comes into play.

Your community can be your most precious commodity. Having a place to turn to (especially one with like-minded people) can be the difference between liking work at home and loving it!

So, where can you find a work from home “tribe” to call your own?

For some, it could be in the form of a local networking group. Networking groups often meet in person on a weekly basis and may require a membership fee in order to join. They actively support each other’s businesses by getting to know the products and services each member offers and by providing referrals to each other’s companies. 

Because remote workers can perform their job anywhere and are considered more self-employed, restricting yourself to just local business interaction might not be the best choice.

This is where Facebook and other online communities can come in handy. Online support groups are often free to join and can be accessed virtually 24/7.

 

Here are 5 benefits to joining a Community Group that supports remote work from home individuals:

 

1. Job Leads

Depending on the group you decide to join, others may post their job leads or requests within the community. This allows you to have access to leads that may not be posted elsewhere on the internet. 

You can also share job leads and others can share the ones they have found with you. This creates a place to find quality job postings without turning to mega job sites that expect more for less (we share more about that in our article “Why Moms Looking To Work at Home Should Avoid Free Job Sites“).

 

2. Tips & Pointers

Your community group can be a great place to learn and grow. Are you looking for the best ways to keep your home office organized? How about being able to manage your routine tasks more efficiently?

When you have access to a group of other workers who, just like you, face and overcome the same obstacles, they are more than eager to share their experiences, life lessons, and wisdom.

What better way to learn how to grow and sustain your remote business than through the minds of others who can offer their insight and expertise.

 

3. Valuable Resources

When it comes to living and working in a digital world, there are many benefits however, the drawback can be all of that “digital noise” we get flooded with on a day to day basis. When you’re subjected to hundreds of posts, photos and ads daily, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed and confused. 

You can also lose precious time having to sort and navigate through the “junk” to get to the information you want and not get distracted.

If you choose to be a part of a community support group, you’ll find many helpful articles, information on upcoming events that might benefit you and more.

 

4. Inspiration

Let’s face it, we all need some inspiration from time to time. When we are inspired, we feel motivated, creative, and action-oriented.

When we are motivated we tend to do a better job and have a more positive mindset when it comes to getting the job done.

Your community support group is like your own personal cheerleading squad that can help you push through the day with a better outcome compared to doing it all alone.

 

5. Friendships

Remote work can feel very isolating so it’s important to build friendships and stay connected. 

Some of the best friendships start with common ground. Interacting with other remote workers (and Moms) just like you can make you feel like you’re not alone in this journey of self-employment.

Because an online group is primarily virtual, you can access your friendships more frequently as it fits into your schedule. You can break up your workday over a coffee and Skype chat with a fellow stay at home Mom worker as an example.

There you have it, 5 benefits you can experience firsthand from joining an online community group. 

Our Hire My Mom Facebook Support Group is full of amazing women (like you) who are passionate about their careers, their families and their HireMyMom tribe. Interested in joining? You can find a link to our group here. We would love to see you join us!

 

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September 30, 2019

Why Moms Looking To Work at Home Should Avoid Free Job Sites

If you are a mom, you know first hand how exciting it is for your kids to go to the dollar store. I mean a trip to Target can cost you hundreds of dollars but a few dollars at a dollar store and your kids can quickly pick out a few fun things to entertain them without breaking the bank. 

We know that when we walk into a dollar store stuff is going to be cheap. We don’t go into a dollar store looking for designer brands or high quality items, just some fun stuff to keep our kids happy and entertained. As soon as you walk into a dollar store, you are thinking to yourself: “No blowing my budget today, everything here is going to be cheap!”

If you are a mom who is new to looking for work at home jobs, mega job sites and “free” job sites can look pretty tempting but here is the reality, many of the employers who use these sites are in the same dollar store mindset: they are expecting to find people who are willing to work for really cheap. 

And that brings me to the reasons why moms who are looking to work from home should avoid the large mega job sites and free work at home / freelance job sites. 

 

Mega Job Site Users Shop For the Lowest Bidder

Many of the clients on the mega job sites are in a “dollar store” mindset when they are searching to find freelancers and tend to shop for the lowest bidder. This unfortunately means you are competing with other freelancers, many of whom are overseas where a U.S. dollar goes a lot farther and they can work for a lot cheaper. Hence, they can price their services significantly lower than yours making it impossible to compete. 

I mean, it’s hard to land your dream client when you are having to compete with applicants charging $2-3/hour and not on the value you can provide. And many times its free for businesses to post their job because you are paying the site a commission out of your earnings which leads us to our next point….

 

They Take a Percentage of Your Earnings

Here’s a recent email we got:

“Hello, I am a freelancer who currently uses Fiverr and UpWork to gain writing gigs. I write website content and articles for businesses. I am tired of paying out 20% per project…..”

So not only can mega job sites result in you being underpaid, but they also take a percentage of your earnings. For example, if your list rate is $20 per hour, you can expect to earn around $16 per hour. When you negotiate a rate for a fixed-price job, the same applies. Let’s say you are getting paid $400 for a project, by the time the job site takes their percentage, you’ll receive about $320 as many of these sites charge 20% commission to the job seekers. 

That might not seem like much but let’s say you bill 50 hours over a 40 day period. Instead of keeping the full $1,000 you actually made, you are paid $800. Over a 12 month period, they would keep $2,400 of your income. That adds up quickly, doesn’t it?!

 

You are Competing with Thousands of Other Applicants

Many of the mega job sites and free sites out there attract thousands of people because it’s free or at least you thought it was free in the beginning. Being free means that everyone is going to sign up because… why not. But with smaller boutique sites like HireMyMom, you are only competing with a fraction of that many applicants.

Some jobs on HireMyMom only have 5 or less applicants while others many have 20-30 but never hundreds. Job seekers have an advantage of not having to compete with hundreds or thousands of candidates, and employers appreciate not having to spend hours and hours reviewing resumes and cover letters. Hence, one of the reasons so many of our clients come back to post more jobs because of the high quality applicant pool and the relatively low amount of applicants compared to mega sites.

 

Many Free Job Sites Pull Jobs from Other Websites

Some job sites will pull job openings from other job sites making it even more difficult to stand out in the crowd. Just think how many more people will be applying for those jobs that are posted on multiple websites. At HireMyMom, all jobs are posted by the small business hiring. We do not pull ads from anywhere. In most cases, the jobs on HireMyMom cannot be found on any other website unless the business chooses to post it on another site as well.

 

So How Do You Find Legitimate Work at Home and Get Paid What You’re Worth?

At HireMyMom, we are mom owned and mom run. We are entrepreneurs running our own small business with a team of other moms we’ve hired right here on HireMyMom. We understand the needs and challenges of both sides and we aim to create a platform that works beautifully for both. Our business model is different than the mega sites in that we take no commission from our job seekers; instead we have a small membership fee starting at $9.99 for a one week trial membership. Once you’ve paid your membership, you don’t pay another dime. What our job seekers earn, they keep!

Over the past 12+ years, HireMyMom has helped thousands of small businesses find the perfect candidate for their projects while helping place thousands of mom professionals in their dream jobs. We do that by providing a platform that brings the best group of qualified and passionate women together with the best group of successful and growing small businesses who are looking for highly qualified virtual professionals with skills, experience and expertise. 

HireMyMom is different than the Mega Job Sites and Free Job Sites in These Ways:

  • HireMyMom is primarily for North American candidates to protect our virtual professionals earning power and also giving our small businesses the high quality candidate pool they are looking for, 
  • Candidates are not competing with hundreds or thousands of other applicants around the world, 
  • HireMyMom does not take a percentage or commission of earnings from it’s virtual professionals or businesses,
  • HireMyMom is a boutique community offering personalized services, training, support and virtual high-fives,
  • You have the benefit of working with clients in or near your time zone.

 

Find your next work from home job at HireMyMom where we have a database of high quality projects and positions ready for you to review and apply for while providing you with a community that will support and train you as you work to build a long term freelancing career!  

 

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Written by
August 12, 2019

HireMyMom Success Story: Amanda Smith

Tell us a little about you and your experience on HireMyMom.

My background and degree are in sales and marketing. When I had my children I chose to come home to be with them. When my 2nd child was entering pre-school I missed working in the marketing field so I began searching for ways I could work from home. I stumbled upon HireMyMom.com in 2014. I noticed at this time that the trend for marketing was leaving traditional advertising methods and becoming more for social media. I started learning everything I could about social media advertising and established my own consulting business. In 2015, I turned to HireMyMom.com to look for clients and landed a job with a small company located across the USA. I kept this account for over a year before they chose to use different advertising methods. After my success, I told a friend about HireMyMom.com and she ended up landing a part-time job as well that after a year turned into a full-time managerial position. Last year I got the idea to start a blog to help women find ways to work from home and share my experience. You can read more at www.livingthatwahmlife.com.

What did you do previously? 

I was an Advertising Sales Representative for 8 years prior to coming home with my children.

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

My greatest recommendation is to have a stellar resume and cover letter that sells yourself. Believe in your abilities and make them believe in you too.

What’s your favorite thing about HireMyMom.com?

My favorite part about HireyMyMom.com is the job postings are legit and there are no scams to worry about. Most of the employers know they are hiring moms and understand they will be working around a flexible schedule.

What’s one fun or interesting fact about you?

I love to travel and have studied abroad in England. I have visited probably half of the USA but have more places on my bucket list. My dream job would be to be a travel blogger once my children become adults.
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Written by
April 24, 2019

6 Ways to Boost Your Business and Your Revenue

As a small business owner, one thing we all have in common is looking for ways to grow our businesses. At some point, your growth may stall, and you may be looking for creative ways to boost your business to the next level. Well if that’s you, we’ve got 6 great tips to get you going!

 

Use Email to Stay Connected

Staying in contact with your current customers and prospects is one of the most effective ways to grow your business. If you don’t already have an email list, you need to start one asap. You can put a subscribe box on your website but even better if you can offer a free report, article, discount or some other “bait” to lure them to join your email list. This email list can become your sales funnel to turn prospects into customers as well as keep in regular contact with your customer base.

 

Expand Your Offerings

Take a look at your current business and the products or services you are currently offering. Now think about what complimentary products or services you could offer? Is there an add-on product or service you could add even if it means outsourcing that task? If you are a coach, are there resources you could offer such as books, workbooks, reports, etc as add-ons? If you own an online store, are their add-on products you could offer in the shopping cart to encourage sales of another products? Bottom line is to look for additional ways you can increase your offerings and therefore your revenue.

 

Do What You Do Best

As a small business owner, you have a gift or set of skills that are the basis of your business. You also have many other hats that you most likely wear throughout the day. Take some time to write down all of the daily, weekly or monthly tasks you have. Now which of those are taking up too much of your creative or revenue-generating time? Which of those tasks do you dread? Those are the tasks you should be hiring out for! Whether it be a virtual assistant, bookkeeper, email marketing, customer service or some other task. Take time to see where you can streamline your business.

 

Offer Exceptional Customer Service

If you live in an area where there’s a Chick-Fil-A then you know customer service is a top priority for them. From start to finish, they strive to do everything top notch and to let you know they want to serve you well. It should be the same with your customer service. Try to respond to customer’s needs quickly and to offer to make things right even if it’s not your fault. You’ll find when you go the extra mile, many of those customers rave about your business and tell others about it.

 

Take Care of your Current Customers

Have a weekly or monthly e-newsletter and a Facebook group to share relevant news and articles, your company blog posts, upcoming events or specials you’ll be offering. Make them feel special by giving them the insider’s view of your business and what new offerings are in the works.

 

Make Social Media Work for You

Used wisely, social media can set the tone for your business and your brand. You can use it to show your personality and to engage with customers and prospects. You can also host monthly giveaways to encourage engagement and attract new followers to your pages. This is an easy task to outsource when you find the right candidate who can portray the style and messages you want for your company.

 

For all of these tasks, you will find HireMyMom has great candidates to help you whether it’s to help with social media, handle your customer service, manage your email marketing, create an e-newsletter for you or take over your bookkeeping. You don’t have enough time in the day or perhaps all of the skills needed to do every job well, so outsource to a freelancer or hire a remote employee to help your business grow and thrive!

 

If you don’t have time or energy to find that perfect candidate? Consider HireMyMom’s VIP Concierge program to write job post, post job, review applicants, interview candidates, and make recommendations for the top 1 or 2 candidates. Contact us for details.

 

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