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July 16, 2018 0 Comments

4 Questions to Ask if You Want to Work From Home

 

Working from home is appealing to most – there’s the flexibility, lack of commute, and the ability to be more productive.  While it’s typically a huge benefit to work from home, it’s important that you know what you’re doing ahead of time. It takes a specific type of person, personality, and lifestyle to enjoy and thrive in a home based position, so don’t enter hastily!

Read along for our best questions to ask yourself before taking the leap into a work from home job position.

Am I independent?

Are you okay working independently? Yes, you will likely have a boss and other co-workers, but your actual work time is mostly completed alone.  Some people do not have the personality for this, and would thrive much better in a traditional office environment.

Additionally, even if you don’t mind working alone – are you motivated while working by yourself? It might not be the social aspect of an office that you need, but rather the structure.  Working from home requires you to structure your own time, and get things done without being managed in person, which can be a challenge for some employees.

Can I work in my home?

If your home is full of distractions that can’t be managed – either by outside help, a new schedule, or your own mind, it might not be the best idea.  If you don’t have any other option for your small children or pets, it can be challenging to complete work while caring for them.

Additionally, if you’re someone who can’t be home all day without cleaning, catching up on TV, or simply doing other things around the house, working from home might not be your best bet.

Work from home employees are still able to complete some housing tasks if they work it into their day, but the vast majority of them are very disciplined people who are able to ignore most home distractions.

Is my lifestyle a fit?

Take a look at you and your family’s schedule(s) and see if your lifestyle makes sense for a home based job.  You might find that you have a lot of flexibility and downtime already, and going to an office would make you feel more productive.

Additionally, you might be the kind of person who cannot stay in their house all day.  Of course, some work from home employees do enjoy co-working spaces and coffee shops, but in general, most work out of the home.  Use this time to really determine where you fall in this category, and make an honest decision about your work environment.

Why do I want to do this?

Which benefits of working from home are the most appealing to you? In some cases, you might find that you can get some of those benefits in a traditional office job.

For example, some office bosses allow a lot of flexibility – leaving early, free hours (as long as the work is done!), and much more. In other cases, there might be a closer office to the main headquarters that will allow you to save on a commute.  Lastly, a lot of bosses are now more open to partial telecommuting, so you can consider that as well. Overall, if an office job sounds better besides a few points, see if you can negotiate on them.

Working from home is filled with benefits, but it’s not for everyone.  Take some time to seriously reflect on what works best for you, your lifestyle, and your family.

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November 6, 2017 0 Comments

3 Ways to Adjust to Work From Home Life

Working from home has many wonderful benefits.  From productivity to more time with friends and family, it’s a great way to work with more flexibility.

If you’re new to working from home, you’ll notice it’s a big change from a traditional work environment and schedule.  Read along for our best tips and advice for a seamless transition.

Start slowly

If you have the opportunity, start slowly into your work from home career.  HireMyMom.com offers freelance and part-time jobs as well as full-time, so start small if you feel like it will be a big transition for you and your family.  Many of these positions also often advertise as part-time with the option to go full-time if things work out; this can be a great compromise!

Whether you’ve quit an office job or chose to stay home with your kids, there’s an in-between option for working from home.  You can still create income and contribute with a freelance, project-based, or part-time position.  This way, you get the best of both worlds while doing other things, or while you prepare to go full-time.

Have a plan

As with everything in life, having a plan and schedule is ideal. Since it’s been proven time and again that home based work results in more productivity, you’ll need to get a sense of what you can accomplish during a day.

Whether you’re staying at the same job but moving to a home office, or starting fresh in your home based career, it’s important to map out your days with a plan.  It’s still easy to get distracted at home, so it’s best to work from a to do list and work schedule.

Get everyone on board

Work from home is just that – work! Many people assume that since you’re home, you’re available 24/7.  This could be true, but not if you want to get any work done.

It’s important to set boundaries and expectations with friends and family as much as you need.  Whether that’s setting up specific times for meeting friends, or having your spouse pick up your kids at an inopportune time for you, it’s still important that your schedule is considered.

When your spouse, friends, or family members go to their traditional office job, they are essentially unable to leave for many obligations.  This is great for you to be able to step in, but it’s not always assumed that you will be available either. To take some tasks off of your plate, it can still be helpful to have a few babysitters on call to help you out when your work is also demanding.

Beginning your work from home journey is so exciting, but also comes with transitional changes.  Take your time, make a solid plan, and set expectations with others and you’ll do just fine!

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October 2, 2017 0 Comments

How to Establish a Work From Home Routine

When you decide to work from home, either from a traditional job or stay at home mom role, there are bound to be some adjustments.

Getting into a new schedule requires a few steps, but it’s worth it to establish a routine that works for you and your family. Read along for tips on establishing a work from home routine that invites productivity and flexibility.

Figure out the differences

It’s important to ask yourself this question: What will need to change since you’re no longer going to the office, or being a stay at home mom?  You might still be parenting from home, but if you’re also working, things will still be a bit different.

If you’re now working from home, things are bound to change in the family schedule.  Maybe you can no longer participate in carpool duties daily, or maybe you’re wanting to free your schedule from 3-4pm to pick up your kids from school.  Additionally, things like meal prep, meetings with friends, and workouts need to be considered. If this fit into your day a certain way before, it might be best to just try to keep it. You might have far more flexibility, but it still requires that you figure out where it all fits into your new workday.

Answer the questions

There are more questions to answer to establish your routine! What will remain consistent? Maybe you’ll still do dinner at the same time and take your kids to soccer in the evening, but you’ll ask your children’s friends to handle carpool.

Also look at and examine: What will be changing based on family schedules, freelance projects starting and ending, time with friends, and so on.  Once you know what will change and what will stay the same, you can begin to create a daily schedule.

Focus on the goal

Whatever your reason for a work from home job, focus on this goal as you begin your new routine.  Are you looking for more flexibility in your life?  Do you dislike commuting very much?  Do you simply want more time with your family?  Or did you just fall into a job that happened to be home based?

Either way, you should work on establishing a goal for your work from home job.  It’s easier to begin – and keep to – a routine that sticks if you’re focused on a goal.  When things are a bit tough schedule-wise in the beginning as you readjust, remember that you get more time to attend your children’s events, or meet a friend for coffee, if those are your goals.

Keep track

Log your progress! Keep track of how you’re sticking to your new routine and schedule.  When you’re able to do something on your list of goals, or you maintain your weekly schedule, take note.

This also allows you to see where you may have over or under booked yourself. Make space for changes! This is an adjustment period, and it will take some time to get into the flow of a home based career.

It’s a big change, whether you worked before or not. Many people believe that working from home is simply easy, and that’s not always the case!  You may actually be juggling more demands now, however sweet it may be to have more flexibility.

Remember why you got into this type of work, praise yourself for staying on track, and make adjustments as you and your family needs to, and you will establish a productive routine in no time!

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August 7, 2017 0 Comments

5 Tips for Back to School Season Success

It’s almost that time again – time to go back to school! It’s hard to believe that school will be starting any day now, but as summer winds down, it’s important to gradually get back into the groove.

We all miss summer and its flexibility, but the school year also brings a lot of fun and more structure.  It can be a great time to reexamine priorities, take a solid look at schedules, and truly get prepared for the year ahead.  With a little bit of prep, you’ll be ready for back to school success!

Establish routines

Routines aren’t established overnight, so ease into a new one gradually.  Starting a few weeks before school starts, begin having your kids go to bed a bit earlier.  Start with 10 minutes, then 30, then 60, and so on, until they’re close to the time they will go to bed during the school year.

This is a much better approach than fighting on the first night back! It establishes expectations, gets kids sleeping more normally for the school year, and allows them to get on a schedule that works for them.  It’s also important to try to have them wake up a bit earlier too, so they can practice being active in the mornings.

Revamp your schedule

This is a great time of year to look at your home based career schedule and see where you can improve, change, or be flexible.  You might realize that you’re off balance in terms of work.  Maybe there’s too much going on, maybe there’s not enough.  If it’s the latter, take a moment to browse some new job positions.

You can also take some time to look at the schedule of your whole family for those first few weeks.  Will your kids be starting a sport?  Some type of rehearsal?  Adjust the family’s schedules around those first few weeks and months to make going back a lot easier.

Purchase your items

It’s a lot easier to get your back to school supplies now! Avoid the mad rush and create your list.  Browse the list from your children’s teachers, or simply find some basic back to school shopping lists online.  It’s better to go in prepared so you don’t forget anything.  Go on an off peak time and have your kids select their items.  It’s more fun to get them involved, and they can choose items that match their personality.

Also, make back to school shopping fun.  You don’t have to spend a lot of money, but you can make a fun day out of it so your kids are encouraged to start the new year on a positive note.

Set some goals

Setting goals this time of year is important for you and your family members.  While this doesn’t need to be done until closer to back to school time, it gets everyone into the habit of thinking ahead and working towards something.

Set some short-term goals that can be accomplished within the first few weeks of going back, such as sticking to bedtimes, agreeing to a proper place in the house to study, getting all the lunches packed, creating a work schedule that will work for the school year, and applying to a certain amount of jobs in a week. You can also set longer term goals with your kids, such as making the spring musical, playing a sport, or saving a specific amount of money for a purchase.

The goals don’t necessarily need to do with school, but are more for getting everyone thinking and being more productive during the school year.

Enjoy the rest

Above all else, it’s so important to enjoy the rest of the summer.  While you slowly implement tasks and items that will make the school year much smoother, don’t forget to enjoy the rest of this time of year.  You can even create a summer “bucket list” of items that you still have time to do.

Take another small trip or enjoy a staycation and technology-free weekend.  Take an afternoon to do something fun in your local area.  Book reservations at a fun restaurant for your kids.  Soak in this time and create memories! Schedule more playdates, more pool days, and fun times with your family.

You can certainly prepare for back to school while still enjoy the rest of what summer has to offer.  Then, when the school year starts, you’ll be all set for success!

 

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July 24, 2017 0 Comments

5 Top Tips for Work From Home Success

Working from home is often the goal of many moms.  It affords flexibility, more time with family, and a comfortable work environment.  While it’s a goal that can lead to a big increase in the quality of your life, it also comes with challenges.

Between distractions and the lack of traditional work environment, it can take a while to find your footing in the home based working world.  Read along for some best practices for a smooth work from home life.

Separate your spaces

While it might be comfortable to work on the couch for a while, it can lead to posture issues and a lack of focus.  It’s better to establish an office or a separate space in your home specifically reserved for work.  If you don’t have the extra space to make a bedroom into an office, you can set up a space at the dinner table, or place a small desk in another room.

It’s best to eliminate as many distractions as possible, while keeping the environment as “businesslike” as possible while being from home.

Get out of the house

Some people find home based work too isolating and mundane.  If you start to feel this wya, it’s best to get out of the house as much as possible.  You can even work from a coffee shop, park or office space daily.  Even if you obtain a “work from home” job position, you might still look into something more social like a coworking space.

Coworking spaces combine people from a variety of industries and businesses into one location.  This provides the social, office environment while allowing you to keep a flexible schedule and unique working arrangement.

Treat it like work

Working from home is still work! It can be easy to see it as a way to work less and spend time all day with family or friends, but unfortunately, work still needs to get done.  Use the first few weeks to find a good balancing act between the two, and then be sure that you’re working when you should be.

Of course, the benefit of home based work is flexibility, so there will be times when you can use evening or early morning hours to work.  Going outside of the schedule is more than permitted, but a routine work schedule (most days) makes for more effective, productive work.

Unplug

While you should treat your home based career like work, it’s also important to unplug! As home based workers, it can be tough to turn it off.  Your computer is essentially your workspace, but it needs to be turned off once in awhile.

This is why it can be helpful to establish specific work times, so it’s not too tempting to work well into the evening.  Use your off time for friends, family, and personal time, and work on a schedule that works best for you.  Avoid the trap of working around the clock – it can cause unnecessary burnout, stress, and fatigue.

Set your boundaries

Boundaries are important when you work from home.  Since you typically become the point of contact, person who’s there for appointments in the home, caregiver, and so on, it’s important to maximize your schedule and set boundaries so you can still get work done.

Working from home requires some forethought and effort between you, your employer, and your family, but it can be done.  It’s a wonderful working arrangement that affords more flexibility and less missed good times, but ensure that you’re being smart about it and setting boundaries that keep you healthy, happy and productive.

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May 30, 2017 0 Comments

5 Ways to Get Your Employer to Let You Work From Home

While there are plenty of work from home jobs out there, sometimes it takes a less traditional route to get there.  If you’re currently in an office setting, but would like to make the case for working from home with your employer, read along.

We’ve compiled some best tips to work with your boss on a home based arrangement.  While it’s becoming more and more common, there are still traditional bosses who see the office as the only way.  Fortunately, we know that working from home offers flexibility, increased productivity, and other benefits that may sway their decision.

Present the benefits

This is the time to make your case! It’s proven that working from home increases productivity by a large margin.  According to remote.co, “two-thirds of managers say employees who work remotely increase their overall productivity.”

According to Forbes.com, productivity increases can be attributed to more well-timed distractions, the environment of working at home, and optimized communication, to name a few.  One might initially think that productivity would decrease, but it’s exactly the opposite.  Additionally, sick days are reduced – yours and your kids’.  You might still be able to work from home while ill, and also care for a sick kid without taking hours away from the office.  There are a host of work from home benefits that directly benefit your employer!

Give a demonstration

If you can get your boss partially on board, now is the time for a demonstration. Ask if you can set up a trial for 2-3 days per week for a couple weeks.  This is the time to be productive, show that you’re still available for communication, and generally show why you should be allowed to work from home.

Show the costs

Since saving money is a large benefit with remote workers, you can also give statistics on monetary savings from an employer’s perspective.  From commuting, to office space, to computers and office supplies, a lot of money can be saved by remote workers.

Additionally, there are fewer travel costs, far less sick days, and higher retention rates, due to higher job satisfaction reported in remote workers, according to Entrepreneur.com.

Show your productivity

Show what you can do! While it’s important not to go all out and exaggerate the amount of work you can get done from home, really focus your efforts during your trial period.

It’s important to show that while you’re not in a traditional office setting, you can still get your work done – and then some!

Negotiate

If your work from home experiment goes well, do your best to negotiate something that makes everyone feel comfortable.  Since your boss may be more traditional, a full-time home based arrangement may not be best in this case.  Working from home doesn’t need to be all the time, but perhaps begin with 1-2 days at home per week.

If this arrangement continues to go well, and your employer is seeing your productivity and the benefits, you may be able to arrange it into a full-time position.

If your goal is working from home, it’s worth the effort to have an honest discussion with your employer.  It might not fly for everyone, but it’s worth the conversation.  Working from home saves money, boosts productivity, and allows for better work-life balance and happiness!

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April 18, 2016 0 Comments

HireMyMom.com Business Interview: Tim Francis, ProfitFactory.com

Company: ProfitFactory.com
Job Position: President

What’s your company and/or job position?

My consulting company is called ProfitFactory.com and I am the President.  I am also a speaker on the topic of how to streamline and scale your business. We’re basically a managing consulting company for internet businesses, which helps them with systems, procedures, hiring, and gamifying their businesses.

How did you learn about HireMyMom?

I was frustrated – I had tried hiring in the Philippines, India, Jamaica, on eLance, and through many other international contractors and websites.  One night, by chance, I stumbled across HireMyMom.com on a Google search.

What’s your success story with HireMyMom? 

My biggest success story is my own Executive Assistant, Sarah, who I found through HireMyMom.com. She’s been with me for almost 3 years now, and because of how I’ve hired Sarah, how I’ve delegated to her, and because of her commitment, passion, and hard work, I’ve been able to increase my own personal consulting rates all the way up to $500 per hour.

I’ve directly hired for myself and clients – probably around 30-40 candidates from HireMyMom.com.  I developed something called The Perfect Job Posting, which we use every time we go to hire a mom from HireMyMom.com.  It might seem kind of funny because when applicants see the job posting, it asks them to send a specific email to a specific email address with a certain subject line to apply. In the body, one of the paragraphs has to be in red font, 12 point, and “Courier” font, while another has to be blue font, 10 point, “Arial” font.  All these really specific specifications are in place to make sure that we’re attracting applicants that have really good attention to detail.

Because that’s been so successful for me and I’ve talked about the process at live events  and featured podcasts, HireMyMom.com has hundreds of entrpreneurs using the site – and they’re also using this Perfect Job Posting. I once received a screenshot from your team showing the daily email going out to all the moms, and no kidding, of the 12 job postings that I could see, 10 of them were all internet business owners using my Perfect Job Posting.   Literally, most of the subject lines were all along the lines of: “Slightly OCD Tech-Savvy Mom Saught for Internet Marketing Company.”  This felt like a success story for me, as I’ve been able to share and they’ve turned around and used the method. I don’t know exaclty how many people I’ve influenced in this way, but at least 50-100 entrepreneurs have found assistance through HireMyMom.com because of the help that I’ve offered to the world.

What kind of employees were you seeking to hire?

I was seeking an Executive Assistant with great attention to detail, looking to work between 5 and 15 hours per week on a flexible schedule from home.  Something specific that I was looking for and loved was that HireMyMom.com is all Canadian and US moms, which means similar time zones, similar culture, and most likely native english speakers.  Because they’re moms and their #1 passion is to be able to be with their kids, I knew that by helping them build their dream of being home with their kids, that they’d be really committed and passionate about helping me build my dream, which is my business.

What’s your favorite thing about HireMyMom?

First of all, the concentration of my ideal candidates being Canadian and American based, home based workers.  I would say I’ve been delighted, because the name HireMyMom.com it sounds almost folksy and very casual, and I wasn’t expecting the caliber of applicants from there. I’ve had multiple MBAs apply and my own assistant is a former legal assistant.  I was just amazed at the caliber of the talent, especially given the fact that the name of the website is so casual.

How do you feel that HireMyMom is different from other hiring sites?

I am all for multiculturalism in the broader sense, but just based on my experience when talking about work cultures, I found that there are some significant hurdles working with dramatically different work cultures. It was significantly easier to work with someone who is used to the professional American work culture already.  Things got done implicitly without me having to say them, with one being timeliness and a commitment to deadlines, which is a really big deal in corporate america. All the moms I’ve hired have had an implicit understanding of that without me having to explain it.

I’vee been really amazed with the affordability of the assistance that I’ve found on HireMyMom.com as well.  I’ve also been amazed with the “one step at a time” approach. Most of the moms have been okay starting out at only 5-10 hours per week for $15  per hour USD, and that makes it far, far, far easier for smaller businesses to take advantage of the amazing world of virtual executive assistants, instead of having to take on a $40,000 salary right off the bat.  A small business can start paying $300 per month, and by being able to get in the game of the world of having an assistant, the entrepreneur can now start the virtuous cycle of getting a few hours off their plate and onto higher level tasks.  It’s kind of like Google Docs, where you can “find and replace,” so to can an entrepreneur do the same with tasks on their to do list. I watched how I was able to climb from somewhere around $40 per hour all the way up to $500 per hour as a consultant, just because I was able to find and replace those tasks and start small.

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January 11, 2016 0 Comments

4 Steps to a Great To-Do List

The to-do list is a much talked about item, and that’s for good reason. Especially when working from home, staying on a schedule and keeping on task is crucial. Rarely is someone going to be managing your every move, which makes a to-do list a priority!

You can create a standard list to get through each day, but creating more of a “system” with your to-do list makes it more likely to stick.  Here are a few best practices for creating to-do lists that work with you.

Coordinate for you

Color coordinating is a great way to organize your list.  You can do this by client, task, priority, and so on. Although it’s useful, color coding isn’t for everyone, but you do need to find some type of system that works for you.

If you’re more visual, color coding is a great idea. If you like to group things by task, a more segmented list might be better for you.  Play around with your lists for a few days at a time to determine the best fit.

Prioritize

Whichever list you choose, prioritizing will be a constant necessity.  For example, do you have a specific task due on Friday? Be sure you aren’t placing that over an email piece due on Wednesday!

You’ll get in the flow of your tasks and priorities as your home based career continues.  You can always modify a list – sometimes it’s helpful to create one on the web via Google Docs or utilize a Word Document so you can change easily.

Repetition is key

Your to-do list isn’t going to be helpful if you use it for one week then quit. Get into the habit of adding every major (or even minor) task to your list. It’s truly an exercise in organization, and organization prevents you from missing items.  

It can take a few weeks to really get in the habit of using your list, but once you do, you will find that you’ll be storing far more information on your page and less in your brain.  This allows you to be more efficient and keep your mind on the tasks you need to complete.

Cross it out

Crossing off your items is half the fun! Not only does it allow you to keep track and feel accomplished, it can be important in billing your clients and employers.

The to-do list keeps track of your work, so be sure you’re giving yourself the credit by acknowledging when it’s done. If something is halfway completed, you can always update and make a note indicating the change.  These small movements in your list give you a sense of achievement throughout the day, and with longer projects, it can keep you feeling positive about your status.

A to-do list is always a must-have, and it can truly work for you in your work from home career.  Create one that works with your personality and work habits, prioritize what’s important, repeat daily, and cross it off – you’re well on your way to to-do list (and productivity) success!

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September 4, 2015 0 Comments

How to Separate Work From Home in a Home-Based Job

When you have a home based career, work and home life can start to feel like the same thing. While it’s a huge benefit to work from home, some separation is not only healthy, but necessary.

 

We all know that taking breaks and switching up your environment can be important, but there are some other small shifts you can make to make your work from home career truly feel more like a traditional office job – without the commute!

 

Mark it down

 

Do something work related to mark the end of your day.  Whether you close all work-related browsers, set your autoresponder on your email, or simply close your laptop, make sure that your work day truly ends.

 

Another trip to help with this it to set up your schedule for the next day or week.  This is very helpful mentally, since you’re looking forward and acknowledging that your work for the day is complete.  You’re giving your brain a break – a mental break and sign that you can rest and enjoy your home time.

 

Shift into something new

 

Just as you did something in the aforementioned tip to signify the end of your work day, start something non work-related when you’re finished for the day.

 

It can be as simple as starting dinner, taking a walk, or sitting outside with your family, but this physical break is also important in getting you into “home mode” when work is done.

 

Set office hours

 

Just as you have work hours in an office job, you should set similar hours at home.  While some jobs require unconventional hours, and it is nice to have the flexibility to work anytime for certain positions, setting hours keeps you from working endlessly.

 

Even if your hours are more 11-7 than 9-5, that’s just fine – stick to them as much as possible.  It’s important to choose hours that work best for you, your family, and your lifestyle.

 

If you must, log some time outside of office hours once in a while, but stick to it as a general rule. Everyone is much more mobile since we have smartphones and laptops, but those in a traditional job typically do get more “down time” when they go home for the evening; you need to enjoy this time too, so do your best to keep work to your set office hours.

 

Set up the environment

 

Make sure your environment feels like an office. It’s tempting to lay on the couch to work, but you won’t be nearly as productive, and it can feel more like a sick day than work.

 

Set up your peaceful, well-lit home office for a truly productive experience that feels like going to work.  You still get all the benefits of a home based career – no commute, more time with friends and family, and flexibility.

 

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