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February 14, 2022

How to Make Your Freelance Business Soar

Here are our Top Secret Tools

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

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

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

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

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

Use the Right Tools

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

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

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

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

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

Find the right people and clients

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

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

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

Cultivate Resources 

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

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

Consider Coaching

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

 

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February 7, 2022

Learn How Innovation Can Help You Expand Customer Relationships, Make More Money and Grow Your Business Fast

One common goal we hear from small business owners is a desire to expand their businesses. That’s not surprising–It’s fun to try new things and grow in different ways. As your business expands, your skillset grows, and you may add new members to your team, expanding your network and boosting your profits. What’s more, we’ve found that it gets easier to clearly see what’s next on the horizon for our business with every move. 

But, sometimes, expanding the customer base for your existing products is a struggle. You’ve tried different marketing approaches and tapping new pools of potential customers, but it seems like a nut that just won’t crack.  

In that situation, we find one of the most reliable ways to expand is by adding products or services that complement your existing offering. Adding services and products can round out your offering, help you stand out from the competition, find new customers and grow revenue. 

Think of a restaurant adding a new menu option to appeal to a broader audience–that’s a product addition. If the same restaurant starts offering catering, that’s a complimentary service. These additions fall into the same realm as the restaurant’s original service. But, the changes will help attract new customers and provide additional services to existing customers–both of which can drive growth and increase sales.

While a restaurant is an easy way to visualize the concept, the idea works across all businesses. Consider a Virtual Assistant who primarily responds to email inquiries and manages calendars for small business owners. The VA may notice one of the people she supports is doing a lot of travel. With that knowledge and her existing relationship, she may decide to add travel planning services to complement her other work and pitch the service to the client she knows has upcoming travel.

Here’s another example. At HireMyMom, we added concierge services to help our customers who need staff right away and don’t have time to go through a traditional hiring phase, which can take attention away from their core business.

We’re looking at other ways to grow, too. For example, we are working on expanding our overall Human Resources services. New services could include helping with onboarding, creating policies and procedures for employees, and developing standard operating procedures for small businesses. 

Other options include offering custom-written targeted emails to increase the exposure of specific jobs or lending the expertise of a Human Resources specialist to help employers enhance job postings to attract the right candidate. 

Find the right products and services

No matter the business you are in, there’s likely a way to expand by offering additional products and services. The key is to determine what products and services your customers may want and which you can provide. Here are some ways to do some market research:

  • Listen carefully to the questions your customers ask. If your customers routinely ask if you provide a particular service or know who does, that’s a clue that demand exists, and it’s likely something your current customers might eagerly add to their orders with you. 
  • See what the competition is offering. Take a look around at your key competitors and see what types of additional products and services they offer. There’s a good chance those same options may appeal to your customers.
  • Ask your customers what else they need or want. Inquire about how they use your main product or service and what could improve the experience. 

Build the right team

Once you’ve decided on a new product or service to add, it’s time to make sure you can reasonably provide it. In some cases, you may need to add staff members to offer the option. In other cases, your existing staff may be able to absorb the work. Also, you may need to purchase new supplies or find space to store materials or do work.

Doing a little upfront planning can make the transition easier. The first few times you provide the product or service might feel a little rough. But, it’s all part of the product development lifecycle. 

Check out our free Online Tools and App Every Entrepreneur Needs to find resources to help you expertly navigate this phase of your business.

Need inspiration? Join Mastermind

If you feel stuck or aren’t sure what types of services and product extensions might make sense for your business, an outside perspective can help you look at your business with fresh eyes. 

HireMyMom’s new Small Business Mastermind could be just the catalyst you need to identify the types of add-on products and services that can take your business to the next level.

Through the program, you’ll find the path for meaningful growth and success based on what matters to you. You’ll create deep and authentic relationships with business owners  on the a similar  path. 

The group will meet bi-monthly to discuss business growth, discuss ways to expand, and explore marketing ideas. The peer group dynamic will help fill you with fresh ideas and unique perspectives to develop new viewpoints and see your business with fresh eyes.

The group will explore ways to improve business systems, build better processes and automate your work. 

A private group app puts all the tools and resources at your fingertips. Group sessions will provide an opportunity to share thoughts, get support, and find encouragement. 

What’s more, the group sessions will help you stay accountable to your goals and will offer you a chance to network with other like-minded moms who you might not have otherwise met.

Sign up now and start envisioning your next chapter.

Happy growing!

 

 

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February 3, 2022

Success Story- Kandi Johnson

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

I signed up with Hire My Mom last month when I signed up for The Savvy System. I’m an experienced virtual assistant, and really appreciate the resources that are available through Hire My Mom. The positions are fully vetted and real positions with reputable companies.

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

Be honest about what your skills and experience are (not what you hope to have experience in or just dabble in) and sign on every day to review new posts. Also have a clear resume prepared and do compose a thoughtful cover letter.

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

Set boundaries with your family, create personal time away from work, and have a work space that is defined as yours that you can enter in with a mind/body ready to work and step away from to help disengage your mind (otherwise you feel like you are working 24/7).

What do you see as your greatest success in life?

Being flexible and willing to learn has brought me the greatest experiences!

 

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January 31, 2022

How to Expertly Blend Homeschool and Work from Home

As more parents choose to work from home, many also choose to educate their children at home. School closures, pandemic disruptions, an opportunity to design learning around particular interests, and a desire to have more control over time and learning are all factors driving the trend. 

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, homeschooling increased sharply in 2020 when the pandemic abruptly changed the face of school. And, parents report being increasingly open to different types of schooling beyond neighborhood schools–a sign that homeschooling is a trend that will likely continue to grow.

Homeschooling can offer many benefits–like the flexibility to take time off when it suits you and the opportunity to have more direct influence over what, when, and how your children learn. It can also reduce the chaos that marks the mornings as families scramble to get everyone dressed and off to a day at school.

But it also comes with a fair number of challenges–especially for parents who work. Adding homeschool to the mix can be challenging for moms who work from home. But, with some patience, a plan, and a big helping of grace, it’s totally possible. Here are our best tips for merging home life with working at home and homeschooling.

Set goals

If you are already homeschooling and adding work to the mix, or if you are already working from home and adding homeschool, take a few minutes to set some goals. 

Your goals don’t need to be lofty. In fact, you might make establishing a baseline routine one of your goals or select a set amount of books to read by a specific date. But any goal, no matter how large or small it is, will help direct your actions and give you a greater sense of control over your time.

 Allowing enough transition time and space to feel a little uncomfortable can help you adjust to the role you are adding to the mix. 

Set up a school space and a workspace

We’re big fans of designated workspaces. Having a space set aside to do your professional work is key to helping you focus and feel ready to tackle your to-do list. The same goes for your kids. 

Identify an area where homeschool activities will take place and make the space conducive to learning. This doesn’t necessarily mean you need a dedicated school room in your house. But, having a place where you gather to do school work with supplies and books at the ready will increase your effectiveness as you embark on your school lessons and help your children know when it’s time to work.

If you don’t have an extra desk or table to set up a school area, consider a portable desk, a box or a backpack to store all schoolwork and supplies, so it’s easily accessed when it’s time to dig into lessons.

Create routines

When you work at home, it’s essential to give your days a rhythm. When you work at home and homeschool, a routine is doubly important because it helps your kids know what to expect. 

You don’t need a routine that’s as rigid as a school uses, but giving shape to your days will help you and your kids function on a more automatic level and reduce some of the cognitive load that goes into working and schooling at home.

For example, a routine for a day when everyone is home may start with breakfast, kitchen clean-up, and bed making. From there, have a short family meeting to discuss what’s on the docket for the day. Try to keep the general shape of the day similar to the previous day, so your kids know what to expect. This makes it easier to fit everything into the day.

Also, don’t hesitate to add outside free time, a quiet reading hour, or a rest period to the day so that you can carve out quiet time to do work that requires deep concentration. Adding these periods to each day can make it easier for your kids to go along with the plan because they know what to expect. In our experience, it’s easier to front-load the day with academic work rather than trying to pull kids into work later in the day once they settle into free-time activities.

Plan

Once you establish routines, layer a weekly and daily plan over the routine. Many homeschool curriculums lay out a week’s worth of lessons for you. Others let you pick what to cover in a week. Before each week begins, look over your plan. Then:

  • Consider if the outlined week is feasible based on your other responsibilities for the week. If so, great. If not, identify what needs to change and write it down.
  • Gather all the supplies you’ll need for the lessons and have them handy.
  • Consider your work responsibilities and make sure you have everything you need to succeed, including support from your spouse or childcare, if required.
  • Communicate with your kids about how the week will work and outline how they can help the family meet objectives for the week.

Be flexible

Despite creating routines and planning efforts, things will happen that require flexibility. Someone may get sick, an emergency house repair could pop up, or a work situation could change the way you funnel your attention for the week. 

This is all normal and part of life. Sometimes days and weeks will go great, and you’ll marvel at your efficiency and accomplishments. Some days and weeks will be more challenging. The key is to be flexible and go with it. Trust that your efforts will come together to achieve your professional goals while giving your kids a solid educational foundation for the future.

Find support

Working at home can be lonely–many moms miss the camaraderie of the office and the support that comes from co-workers. When you work at home, it’s crucial to build a professional network that can help support you.

Networks are also essential to your role as an educator and your children’s role as a student. Many communities now offer homeschool enrichment classes, library services, co-ops, and other ways to connect with local homeschoolers. You can also find support online. 

Making these connections will help you and your kids feel more comfortable learning and growing together.

Share the load

Remember that you are one person trying to do a lot of things. When you work at home and homeschool, you are a mother, wife, teacher, and professional. It’s essential that you communicate with your spouse and discuss ways to share the load. 

But, know that even the best team needs outside help from time to time. There may be times when you need to call in support to help you manage the load. Here are some ideas:

  • Tap extended family members to help with teaching. If grandparents or aunts, or uncles are nearby, see if one (or more of them) can help pitch in for teaching duty. 
  • Consider a tutor for some aspects of school work. Bring in a tutor if you struggle in an area or prefer not to be hands-on for a subject. Many tutors are available during the traditional school day, and having that help can help lighten your load, free up time when you can work, and introduce your children to another partner of their learning journey. This works exceptionally well with older kids.
  • Use childcare for a portion of the day. If your children are young, a few hours of childcare can really help free up time for you to get work done. There are plenty of options beyond traditional daycare centers–especially for homeschool families. Check out these ideas.
  • Outsource home tasks, such as grocery shopping or hire help with laundry or cleaning. Here are some tips to get started.

 

You tell us!

We’d love to hear your top tips. Drop us a line and tell us how you manage the responsibilities of work and homeschool.

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January 24, 2022

How to Improve Your Health and Fitness While You Make Money From Home

As a new year dawns, many people set health and fitness goals. It’s certainly a popular theme around our virtual water cooler, and we bet it’s trending in your life, too.

You know the basic advice–make health and fitness a priority, move more, sleep better, plan meals. But, working at home throws up some challenges to even the best-laid health and fitness plans. 

With years of collective experience working at home and working to stay fit, we’ve put our heads together to share our best tips for success. In each category, we include our favorite small changes that make health and fitness success easier from a home office and build up to more significant changes that have helped us find success on our fitness journeys.

It’s easy to let caring for yourself slide down the priority list as you manage home and work concerns. Sometimes slipping 15 minutes of extra work into your day instead of doing something for your wellbeing is the difference between meeting a deadline or missing it. We get that. But, we also know that ignoring your health can backfire, which is why it’s critical to make it a priority. We hope these tips help you on your journey.

Move more

Working at home offers many advantages, including the 10-second commute, the flexibility to address family issues, and the ability to work comfortably in casual clothes. But, it also offers challenges, like easy access to a kitchen and fewer reasons to go outside or move much. 

At home, it’s easy to avoid the type of incidental movement that happens organically when you work in an office. For example, you don’t have to walk in from the parking lot or train station. You never need to stroll down the hall to see a coworker or dash across town for a meeting. In addition, popping outside for a quick walk is more difficult if you have a sleeping baby or a young child who needs you nearby.

Scheduling a workout as part of most days is the surest way to prioritize exercise. We understand this doesn’t always work–and can be a little demoralizing if you miss a workout. But, it’s still essential to move. Here are some of our tips for quickly adding movement to your day:

  • Prop your computer up so you can stand for a portion of your workday. Standing while responding to email or doing light reading can help you feel more powerful and in control of your time.
  • Walk around your house while chatting on the phone. You’ll be surprised how many laps you can take around your home office during a 10-minute chat. Bonus: You won’t be tempted to multi-task by checking emails or sneaking a peek at your favorite website.
  • Set a timer to remind you to get up each hour. When the timer goes off, walk around or stretch for five minutes.
  • Learn two yoga poses you can do in your home office space. Do one when you start working and one when you stop working. If you work in spurts throughout the day, this light approach to exercise can pay off while helping you get more focused.
  • Keep light dumbbells next to your desk. Pick them up for some curls or chest presses when your hands are free. 
  • Do 20 jumping jacks between tasks. You’ll get your blood flowing, switch tasks more quickly and find that your focus is better when you return to work.
  • Start and end your workday by doing planks. Use the time to transition from mom mode to work mode.
  • Use your office wall to do standing push-ups.
  • Sprint up and down your stairs a few times between calls or projects.

When you finish work, scoop up your kids and head outside for fresh air and fun. Even if it’s not a full-on workout, a little light movement with your kids can help you transition back into family mode and give everyone a chance to reset and destress from a busy day.  

Plan your meals and snacks

Working at home means unfettered access to your kitchen. This can be a great money saver because you can always brew your coffee and make your lunch. But, it can also lead to mindless snacking and stress eating. Paradoxically, we sometimes find ourselves skipping lunch because we are really in the flow of work. This sets the stage for heavy (and often unplanned) afternoon snacking, sabotaging health and fitness goals.

Here are our best tips to avoid the pitfalls of having such easy access to all of your groceries all of the time.

  • Make a list of healthy snacks and meals that you find satisfying and have them on hand. We like pre-portioned items because they are easy to grab and having a pre-portioned amount makes it easier to control your portion size.
  • Pack your lunch and snacks the night before so you don’t have to make eating decisions during the heat of the business day.
  • Take a planned lunch break, especially if you work a full day. Leave your home office to avoid eating at your desk during your lunch break and multi-tasking through your break. You’ll enjoy your lunch more and will feel more refreshed. Bonus if you do a few exercises at the start and stop of each work period, as you’ll add two workout segments to your day.

Also, we have found that it’s essential to have a meal game plan at the start of each week to avoid a scramble for an evening meal. Apps, meal planning services, and grocery delivery can help you work smarter, not harder, in the kitchen and make it easier to achieve your fitness goals. Check out these tips to help ease family meal planning.

Finally, let’s talk about how the food needs of other family members can derail your plans for healthy eating. If your kids are like ours, you likely frequently answer questions about what’s for dinner and what snacks are available. Stops and starts to field snack inquiries can distract from your work and make you hungry. 

We’ve found that creating a weekly menu that covers all meals and snacks and hanging it on the refrigerator helps make this easier.

Direct your children to the menu when hunger strikes. (Make sure that some of the snacks can easily be grabbed and opened by young kids. For really young kids, include pictures of items they can select and make them easy to reach.) Having a posted menu reduces the discussion around what’s available to eat, eliminating a distraction for you as you work. Frankly, this one action will buy you untold peace of mind, help you reclaim time every day and make it easier not to snack every time a kid asks for one.

Maintain a good sleep schedule

We often advise rising early or burning the midnight oil to squeeze extra work into the day, reduce child care expenses and make the most of your days. However, that advice comes with an asterisk that you are still getting the sleep you need to be productive. Sure, it’s possible to rise before dawn or stay up well past your bedtime occasionally. However, making a habit out of it will leave you feeling depleted and tired. Here are some of the ways we make sure to get enough sleep:

  • Set a bedtime for yourself and stick to it. If you know you need to get up at 6 to add some work time to your day, be sure to count back and make sure you get to bed early enough to get enough sleep.
  • Maintain a consistent sleep schedule. Try to go to sleep and wake up around the same time most days. This will help you feel better and make deviations easier when they do happen.
  • Turn off all screens an hour before bedtime. Transitioning to a book or other non-screen activity makes it easier to fall asleep.

Please share!

Please tell us what tricks work for you! How have you found success working from home while focusing on health and fitness? 

 

 

 

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January 23, 2022

Get noticed on LinkedIn: 5 Tips for Small Business Marketing Success

Are you looking for ways to market your small business on LinkedIn? If so, you’re in the right place. The professional networking site is an invaluable tool for small businesses, and is a great way to reach new customers, build relationships, and increase brand awareness. But it can be difficult to know where to start when it comes to promoting your business on the platform. In this blog post, we’ll provide you with five tips to help you get noticed on LinkedIn and maximize your small business marketing success. Read on to learn more!

1) Use Keywords in Your Profile

Step one for marketing on LinkedIn is obviously to create a business page! Once you’ve done that, it’s time to fill in all the blanks on your profile using keywords!  What are keywords? Well, they are words and phrases related to your industry and what people are searching for. By including them in your company description and job titles, you’ll be more likely to show up when potential customers search. Don’t be afraid to use common industry terms and phrases as well – this will help ensure that people who are looking for what you offer can easily find you.

There are third party services you can pay to find keywords for you, but if you don’t want to use one of those, you can do some manual searching on LinkedIn to see what’s trending. First, take a peek at trending articles in your industry. Second, use the search feature to lookup hashtags, and you can see how many posts are using the hashtag you think might be relevant.

2) Optimize Your Company Page

Having a strong presence on LinkedIn is important for any small business that wants to reach potential customers and build a network. One of the most effective ways to do this is to optimize your company page. A well-crafted company page can help you stand out from the competition, generate more engagement, and give you more exposure on the platform. Here are some tips to make sure your company page is optimized:

  1. Make sure your page looks professional. Use high-quality photos and relevant copy that accurately reflects your business and services.
  2. Link to other platforms. Make sure your page is linked to your website and other social media channels to increase visibility.
  3. Leverage tags. Use relevant tags that describe your industry and target audience so people can find your page more easily.
  4. Encourage followers. Invite existing customers, partners, and colleagues to follow your page and share it with their networks.
  5. Monitor performance. Track how many visits, likes, and shares your page receives and adjust your strategy accordingly.

By following these tips, you can ensure that your company page looks professional, reaches the right people, and drives more engagement on LinkedIn.

3) Create Shareable Content

Creating content that your followers will want to share is essential to success in marketing your small business on LinkedIn. Start by creating content that provides value to your audience. This can include blog posts, videos, articles, or other forms of media that educate, inform, and entertain them. When it comes to content, quality should always be prioritized over quantity. Focus on producing high-quality content that resonates with your target audience. 

It’s also important to consider the frequency of your content. Consider scheduling out posts in advance using a tool like Hootsuite. This will help you stay consistent in your posting schedule and ensure that you are actively engaging your followers with new content. Finally, make sure to promote your content across other social media channels as well. By leveraging different networks, you can extend the reach of your content and create more opportunities for engagement and sharing. 

4) Engage with Others

Engagement is key to success on any social media platform, and LinkedIn is no exception. Interacting with other users can help you build your brand visibility and credibility, and it’s a great way to network. Here are some tips for engaging with other users on LinkedIn:

  • Comment on posts. Commenting on posts from people in your network is an effective way to show your support, start conversations, and build relationships.
  • Post interesting content. Sharing content from industry leaders or thought leaders is a great way to show that you’re knowledgeable and current on trends.
  • Ask questions. Posting questions related to your industry or niche can help spark conversations and engage people who have similar interests.
  • Connect with influencers. Connecting with influencers in your industry can help build your network and expose your brand to more people.
  • Join groups. Joining relevant groups can be a great way to connect with potential customers and prospects, as well as build relationships with other professionals in your industry. 

5) Advertise on LinkedIn

LinkedIn Ads provide a great opportunity to promote your small business. You can create targeted campaigns that reach the right audience and measure the success of your campaigns with real-time analytics. With LinkedIn Ads, you can create lead generation forms to capture contact information, drive website traffic, and measure conversions. Start exploring today to find out how advertising on LinkedIn can help you achieve your business goals.

What marketing tips do you have for using LinkedIn? Share them with us today!

 

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January 17, 2022

How to Win During the Great Resignation so Your Business Can Grow

If you are a small business owner, you may be feeling dizzy from all the economic news of the last year. Inflation is rising. Labor is in short supply, Americans are quitting jobs in record numbers and workers are asking for more from their jobs–more money, more flexibility, and more meaning. We expect these trends to accelerate into the new year.

To help you prepare as we head into 2022, we’ve gathered the HireMyMom team to round up the most common questions we hear and the answers from our team of pros. This Q and A style blog offers a window into what we see across clients and from our mom professionals. At the end, we include our best advice to make this strange moment work for your business. With knowledge about what’s happening and a solid strategy, your business could emerge stronger than ever and with your best staff.

Are people really leaving jobs, or is the Great Resignation a media term?

According to HireMyMom’s concierge team, the Great Resignation is genuinely underway. 

People are leaving their jobs in record numbers for a variety of reasons. Our recruiting team reports that people are parting ways with employers to earn more money and find better work environments. People who are being called back into an office full time or those losing work-from-home options or flexible hours are especially prone to packing up and moving on.

Kelly, who works on our recruiting team, said mom professionals tell her that working from home is no longer a perk but a requirement. She’s also seeing many highly-skilled women start a small business, so they have more flexibility to define their work lives. 

Many people used the time during the pandemic to reassess properties and take a fresh look at professional ambitions. 

Tesia, who also works in recruiting, recalled a woman she interviewed earlier this week. She said that had it not been for the pandemic and her experience working remotely, she never would have left her job. But, now that she’s back in the office, she misses the family connection and flexibility of her work-from-home job, so she’s looking for new opportunities. 

Our team is not alone in noticing the trend. According to data released by the Labor Department, about 4.2 million people abandoned jobs in October, which accounts for about 2.8% of the U.S. workforce. In September, a record 4.4 million people left a job. 

Is it really tougher to hire new people than it’s been in the past?

According to our CEO and Founder, Lesley Pyle, this is the most challenging hiring environment she’s seen in her 15 years of running HireMyMom.com. She observed that it’s truly an employee’s market. She said it’s more difficult to fill common jobs–like virtual assistant roles–than it was just a few months ago.

The National Federation of Independent Business Job Report said that 93% of small business owners reported few or no candidates for open jobs in November. And that was a slight improvement over the 95% of business owners who reported the same for October. 

Tesia said she’d seen this first hand, explaining that applicants are scarce for some jobs but stronger for jobs that offer higher pay and managerial responsibilities. High-quality candidates are getting snapped up quickly, she said.  

Overall, the Labor Department reported 11 million job openings in October and estimates almost 5 million more open jobs than people seeking work. 

Part of the shortage is that many mothers are still on the sidelines. According to the Associated Press, when the pandemic started in the spring of 2020, about 3.5 million moms with school-age children left the workforce, lost jobs, or took leaves of absence from work. 

And, many working women are still out of the workforce as child care and school schedules remain in flux. According to McKinsey & Company, one in three mothers may be forced to scale back or opt out of work because of the increased demands the pandemic puts on mothers.

What advice do you have for companies that need new employees or want to grow?

Building a team is one of the most important things you can do as a small business owner. Obviously, there are some headwinds as you start to hire. 

But, there are plenty of upsides, too. If you can offer the right combination of opportunity, pay, and flexibility, you could nab a superstar who has left another employer. The first step is to make your job stand out in a crowded market.

As you prepare to hire, here are a few tips:

  • Move quickly. Employers are snapping up top applicants fast. Hold off on posting your opening until you have a window of time to look at applications and move quickly on an interview and offer. It’s OK to take a few days to decide, but if you leave applicants hanging for weeks as you make your decision or get pulled in other directions, you are likely to miss out on your top choice. 
  • Make it easy to apply for your open role. Applicants with many options may not invest hours completing an online application or doing a skills test upfront. Save that for a final round of interviews. Also, consider if those activities actually yield better candidates and help you decide. If not–or if you aren’t sure–this may be the time to retire those practices.
  • Take a critical look at pay. Offering low pay will extend the time it takes to find the right person and reduce the pool of high-quality applicants for you to consider. Paying a bit more could save you money in the long term and reduce your turnover. 

 

Pay is tricky, but generally, higher pay attracts stronger candidates. Be realistic about the skills you are looking for and what the market is paying for those skills. You can talk with the pros at HireMyMom to help you find the proper pay range for your job. 

  • Be flexible. Candidates often look for flexible hours, which can mean many different things, from part-time hours to a shared job. For some applicants, it’s the ability to work different hours on different days. 

Before you post a job, think about what you need and be clear in your posting about your flexibility. The more flexibility you have, the greater the number of candidates you will likely attract. If you don’t think there’s much flexibility in your role, run your thinking by others and see if you can’t find some wiggle room to make the job more attractive to candidates.

  • Cast a wider net. As a small business owner offering flexible and meaningful jobs, there is a tremendous pool of workers that you can tap into–moms who are ready to leave the rat race and find work-from-home positions that meet their needs. 

To find mom professionals interested in remote job opportunities, partner with a niche job site like HireMyMom to access a dedicated pool of professionals looking for remote work. Because HireMyMom charges job seekers a fee to access job listings, all our job seekers are serious about finding work. And, the volume of resumes that flow in is more manageable than the numbers that arrive when jobs are advertised on free job sites.

And, follow these tips to help you tap into that resource.

What are you experiencing as you try to hire new team members? Drop us a line and share your experiences.

 

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December 20, 2021

One Simple Thing You Can Do to Ensure 2022 is Your Best Year Ever

The last two years have been tough–especially for moms. We’ve learned an entirely new way of life. Many of us cared for ill family members or got sick ourselves. We shepherded our kids through a once-in-a-lifetime pandemic, kept the meals flowing, and loved our families through it all. Oh, and we also worked from home to keep our professional ambitions alive.

On the cusp of 2022, it’s time to look back and say: “Wow! That was a lot.” 

But, life is returning to a pace that feels more typical and liveable. It’s time to exhale, peek our heads up over the horizon, and consider what’s next.

Given everything you’ve done the last two years, the HireMeMom team thinks it’s time for you to focus on yourself in 2022. It’s not selfish. In fact, it’s selfless to invest in your happiness and interests because it creates a deeper personal reserve you can draw from and give to your family.

But, we get that it’s not easy to make yourself a priority–whether you are focusing on health and fitness, financial or professional goals.

We know that support makes a difference. So, we’ve created a series of programs and offers that can help you focus on your goals next year. HireMyMom’s new Elevate You: Mastermind & Coaching programs are just the thing to help you get unstuck and take a fresh look at the possibilities for your life and career.

This blog explores why we created these programs and how you can use the new year’s fresh start to make 2022 your best year yet.

Moms are our passion

At HireMyMom, helping moms find meaningful work-from-home opportunities is our passion. It’s what we think about and where we put our energy.

As you can see from our blogs, we cover everything from questions to ask yourself to determine if a work-from-home job is right for you to helping you develop habits to be more productive each day. We share ideas about how you can save money on childcare, show you how to level up, and offer guidance on how to turn your idea into a business. And, we celebrate your success, highlighting moms like Jessika Soto and Nicole Smith as examples of how the system works. 

Over the last few months, the HireMyMom team has heard from several moms looking for more personal coaching and support.

We see (and have heard about) the desire for moms to be part of a group of women who want to move ahead in life and business. 

But, you aren’t just looking for any group–we understand that you are looking for a group of women outside of your immediate social and professional circle who can help you gain clarity and focus as you pursue your dreams and goals. You’d like to find a group of women to connect with over time as you explore what it means to find meaningful growth and success. You want to find a group of women you can cheer for as they cheer for you. 

Good news: HireMyMom’s new Elevate You: Mastermind & Coaching Groups are forming now, and they are just what you need. 

Invest in you

These programs, built around virtual meetings and an app, can help you gain the clarity and focus you need to pursue your dreams while connecting with a community of like-minded moms. 

Through the program, you’ll find the path for meaningful growth and success based on what matters to you. You’ll create deep and authentic relationships with women on the same path and benefit from coaching from our founder and HireMyMom CEO, Lesley Pyle. We will also have fun while supporting each other.

The program offers two levels:

  • Cultivate is specially designed for moms looking for remote work, transitioning from a traditional job, or hoping to start a freelance business. 

This group will meet weekly and focus on resume and cover letter writing as well as interview guidance. We will talk about the basics of starting a business–including finding the right productivity tools. Our private group app will help you track weekly events, connect with other members and quickly access all of the tools and resources that are part of your membership.

As a member of a Cultivate group, you’ll participate in group brainstorming, get support, offer encouragement, and enjoy the accountability and networking opportunities that come from meeting with other moms who share your goals.

If you are considering transitioning to a work-from-home lifestyle or launching a new business endeavor, Cultivate is for you. Join us in a Cultivate group, which is forming now for an early 2022 launch.

  • Flourish is perfect for moms who already have experience working at home and are ready to level up and grow personally and professionally. 

This group will meet weekly to discuss business growth, discuss ways to expand, and explore marketing ideas. The peer group dynamic will help fill you with fresh ideas and unique perspectives so you can develop new viewpoints and see your business with fresh eyes.

The group will explore ways to improve business systems, build better processes and automate your work. 

A private group app puts all the tools and resources at your fingertips. Group sessions will provide an opportunity to share thoughts, get support, and find encouragement. 

What’s more, the group sessions will help you stay accountable to your goals and will offer you a chance to network with other like-minded moms who you might not have otherwise met.

 Sign up now to be ready when the new group gets rolling in early 2022.

Consider coaching

If you aren’t ready to commit to a group program, individual coaching may be right for you. Working with a coach–even just for one or two sessions, can help you move to the next level. As a work-at-home mom who deeply values family time, finding the right coach is essential.

We all need support in business and life. It’s easy to feel stuck or overwhelmed–especially as you raise a family and navigate career space. An experienced, independent, outside voice can help provide feedback on what’s not working and give you the clarity you need on the best way to use your time and energy.

If you want to balance working at home with your family life, there’s a good chance Lesley is the right coach for you. You can benefit from Lesley’s 25 years as an entrepreneur and her insights into balancing work and family from a wife and mother who’s been down the road you are traveling.

Research shows that working with a coach is the most effective and efficient way to experience the breakthrough you need to grow personally and professionally. 

A coach can help you define what success means for you, guide you as you start or grow a remote career or business, and help you work through roadblocks or fears that hold you back. If you know you want to make a change but aren’t sure what you want to do, the proper support can help.

Join us!

We hope that reading about these programs has you as excited to attend them as we are to offer them. We think this is the ideal time to invest in yourself and consider what’s possible for you in the next year.

We can’t wait to celebrate your success! 

 

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December 13, 2021

Ready to Change Your Work Life? Check out These Top Secret Job Trends

If you’ve turned on the television, listened to the radio, or opened a newspaper lately,  you’ve likely heard about the labor shortage in the United States. Even if you’ve managed to escape the news in the media, you’ve probably seen help wanted signs hanging from virtually every shop, restaurant, and service provider in town.

What’s more, remote teams and work-from-home jobs have never been more popular with employers or employees. When the pandemic sent workers home, many employers were forced to rethink operations and have turned to home-based staff to get work done. And, many people–especially moms–found that working from home improved the quality of their family life and they want to stick with it.

The confluence of these trends means it’s a great time to find a work-from-home job. While a tight labor market can be challenging for employers, it offers an opportunity for job seekers. 

HireMyMom has been helping match small businesses with professional women who want to work from home for decades. Through our concierge service, we also help employers find the right candidate quickly. All of this hiring action gives us a good look at trends.  

Bottom line: It’s a great time to be looking for a new job. We see hourly rates creeping up and an increasing number of job posts as people leave their current jobs and look for better ones that offer more pay, greater flexibility, and the freedom to work at home. And, employers are moving quickly to snap up talent before candidates move on to other possibilities.

We talked with the HireMyMom concierge team members to find out what types of jobs are hot right now and what those employers are looking for in candidates. Consider this blog your secret job-hunting weapon as we head into 2022.

Virtual Assistant

Virtual Assistant or VA jobs are perpetually popular, but we’ve seen a noticeable uptick in postings for these roles lately. As businesses grow, many entrepreneurs are eager to find support for administrative tasks. 

VA’s take care of many tasks, including email response, appointment setting, travel planning, and calendar management. It’s a great business model because it solves a problem so many business owners have–squeezing more tasks into a day. Small business owners looking for on-demand support or help with administrative tasks find VA’s indispensable.

It’s also an excellent lifestyle for moms who want to control their own time, skip the commute, and put family first while still keeping professional ambitions alive. For many moms, launching a business that provides economic security and flexibility is a top 2022 priority. 

VAs can work for more than one client on a part-time basis or for a single client. Some are employees, but it’s more common for a VA to work as a contractor. 

If you are interested in launching your own business, consider starting a VA service. There are some great opportunities for free training for aspiring VA’s who want to begin the journey. If you’re interested in exploring this career path with additional training, we’ve rounded up the best VA training options so you can find the one that works best for you.

Bookkeepers and Accountants

We are seeing an increasing number of posts for bookkeeping and accountant roles. These jobs are quickly moving to work-from-home positions.  

These jobs generally require a degree of expertise and training is available to help you learn more and decide if this is the right career path for you, even if you don’t have experience in the field.

Check out this YouTube video of our founder, Lesley Pyle, and founder of Stay at Home Bookkeeper, Tiffany Higgins, talking about getting started with a bookkeeping business. 

Online Business Manager

We are seeing strong and growing demand for Online Business Managers (OBMs). An OBM  takes over the daily operations of a business, freeing the founder and other executives to concentrate on growing the business and pursuing new ventures. The OBM steps in as the Chief Operating Officer for the company, managing day-to-day tasks across a broad spectrum of functions.

At the most basic level, OBMs lead a team. They understand the company’s objectives for the business and are focused on leading all elements of the team to understand that vision. Many businesses use OBM’s, including those that operate online and those with more traditional operations. OBM’s have a skill set that can be used to help run any type of business.  

OBM’s often have administrative backgrounds or experience in logistics. We see many work-from-home moms start as VA’s and grow their businesses to serve as OBM’s by adding additional services. 

Here’s a closer look at what OBM’s do and why growing small businesses love them. 

Social Media Manager/Specialist

Using social media to promote their business and specific offerings is a crucial strategy for many small businesses. But, managing social media accounts and conducting promotions require time and expertise, which are often outside of the business owner’s area of expertise. Because social media is a powerful and ubiquitous force that changes frequently, many small business owners are hiring social media managers to increase the quality and effectiveness of their social media efforts.

Social media managers work with clients to develop a social media strategy, set short- and long-term goals, select the right platforms based on those goals, offer promotional ideas, create social media content and assess results.

We are seeing robust demand for people with Google Ads expertise as company’s work to make their posts stand out in a crowded marketplace. Social media managers with solid Search Engine Optimization (SEO) experience are also in high demand.

To learn more, link to the Complete Digital Marketing Course.

What Are You Seeing?

Drop us a line and tell us about the jobs you think will be hot next year.

 

 

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December 6, 2021

Seven Surefire Ways to Thank Your Team this Holiday Season

The holidays are a traditional time to share thanks and appreciation, and you don’t want to miss the opportunity to share some love and light with your team as 2021 turns into 2022.

But, when your team works from home–whether across town or the country–some of the traditional holiday options for thanking people are off the table. You can’t easily order lunch for a conference room party, bring in donuts, or drop off coffee.

If thinking about the logistics of thanking your team has you sitting on the sidelines, we are here to help. Over the years, we’ve watched many small business owners with remote teams share appreciation in ways that are big and small.

In this blog, we’ve rounded up our best ideas for saying thank you and appreciating your team members from afar. Some of these ideas require an investment of time, money, or both. Some are free or low-cost. All say “thank you.” 

The key is to find the right mix for your team and your budget. And, since we understand that you’re busy, check out our quick-and-dirty checklist at the end for a step-by-step guide to making the process of holiday appreciation a cinch.

 

Find a way to show your appreciation

There are so many ways to thank your team. Consider these options, all of which can stand alone or be mixed and matched depending on the size of your team, your budget, and your relationships.

  • Write heartfelt notes to each team member. Appreciation doesn’t have to come with a price tag. Taking the time to write and mail and note to each team member can go a long way to making team members feel appreciated. An email can work, too. But, a physical card serves as a tangible token of your appreciation.

In your note, include specific things you appreciate about the person. Stick with sincere appreciation for particular qualities that person brings to the team. For example, saying: “I appreciate your daily dedication and knowing that you’ll cheerfully complete any task on-time and with accuracy,” is more effective than “I appreciate all the things you do for us.”

  • Host a virtual holiday party. Set up an hour for everyone to come together for a holiday lunch. During the party, ask people to share their holiday and end-of-year plans, reflect on the year and offer your sincere thanks for the work everyone has put in during the year. If it fits your budget, send gift cards out in advance and ask team members to order lunch to make the experience more festive. 

Keep the mood light with a few easy games. Steer away from work talk as much as possible. Your holiday party is not the occasion to provide a quarterly update or launch a new idea. 

  • Share regional tastes. Food gifts are a holiday staple for a reason–people love to receive them and share them with their families. We love the idea of sharing regional specialties with your remote teams to provide the flavor of your locale with your team. For example, if you are in Chicago, share some world-class pizza by mail. If your office is in a southern state, your team members in the north will be thrilled to get some locally-grown citrus fruit this holiday. 

If regional tastes prove difficult, many companies offer treats to ship. Options range from baked goods to charcuterie platters to bacon flights. There’s something for every taste and budget.

  • Send a group gift. Selecting the same item for everyone on your team will make your gift-giving easy if you decide to go the route of a holiday gift. For virtual teams, we like gadgets that make it easier to work at home. For example, a wireless mouse pad or a unique coffee mug that won’t spill. If you have a large budget or want to splurge, consider a standing desk or a gift card for a new office chair. 

Subscriptions work well in this space, too. You can find monthly international snack boxes, seasonal home decorating kit subscriptions, and coffee clubs. Magazine and app subscriptions are always welcome gifts. A subscription is an excellent way to let your team know that you appreciate them all year long.

  • Share a personal gift. If you have a small team and know each person well, a personal gift can be a great option. This approach may take a little longer but can make a lot of sense on close-knit teams. 

A modest by meaningful option is to arrange to have flowers delivered to your team member. (A festive centerpiece right before a holiday is always a welcome surprise.) Likewise, a candle or piece of home or office decor makes welcome gifts that can be sent to your team member’s home.

Handbags and accessories, like winter gear and trendy jewelry, are lovely gifts if you know the recipient well. 

If you have a larger budget, consider experiences you know your team members might enjoy, such as concert tickets, a spa day, or even a weekend away.

  • Offer a holiday bonus. A holiday bonus is a classic move. This is a tried-and-true option that employers have done for years. Cash is always appreciated. But, it can be expensive and can seem impersonal. Also, extra cash in a paycheck has a way of blending in with other money and may get lost in the holiday shuffle.

Gift cards are a nice variation on the holiday bonus. Virtually every retail and online establishment now offers a gift card, making them easy to purchase and deliver electronically. If moms comprise your team, consider a gift card for a service that they might not buy for themselves–for example, a massage or a manicure. 

  • Surprise your team with time away from work. Give your team an extra paid vacation day to be used in the upcoming year, or offer a few unexpected days off during the holidays as a way to share appreciation. This unexpected gift of time will tell your team that you value them, appreciate their time each day, and encourage them to recharge with an extra break. 

Create an action plan

This is not the year to wait until the last minute to plan for holiday activities. This is especially true if you plan to send gifts and need to rely on shipping. Supply issues and shipping delays could turn your end-of-your gifts into Valentine’s Day gifts. 

Here’s your holiday appreciation playbook:

  • Make a list of all the people on your team. Compiling a list prevents you from inadvertently leaving anyone out of your holiday appreciation efforts. As part of this step:
    • Decide if you want to include part-time employees and contractors. There’s no right or wrong answer to this question and will vary based on factors like your relationships, how long you’ve worked together, and your budget.
    • Ensure that you have up-to-date physical addresses for people on the list.
  • Commit to an approach. The ideas listed in this blog are a great place to start. Consider if you want to:
    • Take a one-size-fits-all approach, which is popular for larger teams.
    • Send more personalized gifts, which can make sense and feel more intimate for smaller teams but is likely to take more significant effort.
    • Pursue a hybrid approach with different options for long-term employees and part-time team members or contractors. 

 Either can work. It’s really a matter of preference. 

  • Establish a gifting budget. You can set an overall budget, one for each team member or both. Starting with a budget will make it easier to find the right items and prevent splurging.
  • Schedule time to take action. Add time to your calendar to put your plans into motion. Whether you need to shop, schedule virtual parties, or write out cards, showing your appreciation at the holidays takes time. 

 

How do you say thank you?

We love to hear about all the ways people appreciate each other. Tell us what you do! Tell us about the best gift you’ve ever given or received.

 

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