Written by
December 18, 2017 0 Comments

4 Reasons Working From Home Boosts Productivity

We’ve all heard it – working from home results in greater productivity! This is great news, but have you ever stopped to ask why this is?

Sure, you eliminate the commute and probably a few meetings, but there are other reasons that work from home productivity seems to be a common theme.  You would think that being home would make it easier to be distracted! However, this doesn’t seem to be the case.

Less distractions

Yes, you’re actually less distracted working from home, as long as you establish a clear schedule and good boundaries from the beginning.  For one, there’s far less workplace chatter! It takes a concentrated effort to speak to your employer and coworkers from home, and those conversations tend to be more task-focused and less random.

Additionally, communicating is quicker.  You don’t have the meetings that take a lot of time to gather everyone up.  Impromptu meetings and chats are also more rare, so you’re more likely to only meet up when it’s really necessary.

Lastly, most work from home jobs require a person with a lot of work independence.  In most cases, no one managing you too much, so you’re responsible for completing your work on your own, and on your own time.  This is great for productivity, as you don’t have the distraction – and slowdown – of being constantly managed.

Less sickness

No need for sick days when you work from home! That’s probably not 100% true, as there might be some sicknesses that really do not allow you to work – at all. Either way, sick days will be greatly reduced.

Whether you’re a little under the weather or need to care for a sick child, you likely won’t need to take a day off to do this.

You can stay

If your child gets sick at school or a need pops up in the family, you can stay and handle it.  You might have to run out briefly, but it doesn’t require leaving work, covering your projects, informing bosses, and so on.

You have the ability to complete mundane and emergency tasks in between your workload, making it much easier to pick back up where you left off.

More time

You simply have more time to get work done when you work from home. First of all, there’s no commute.  Even if you choose to work at a coffee shop or co-working space, it’s not necessary and it’s likely much closer to home than a traditional office would be.

This obviously allows you more time to be actually working, and those 2 hours when everyone else is commuting?  You’re able to get work done!

Lastly, one of the downsides and benefits to working from home is the lack of interruption and lingering breaks.  It requires a schedule to set up a lunch meeting with friends, versus simply running out of the office for a lingering lunch.  This is great for productivity, but be sure to continue to schedule in social activities to stay social.

Working from home truly boosts productivity in so many positive ways.  If you’re a strong, independent worker who likes some flexibility, working from home might be for you.  Just be sure to schedule in social activities to keep yourself out once in a while, and continue to communicate with friends, coworkers and employers as much as possible.

Continue Reading

Written by
December 11, 2017 0 Comments

5 Tips for a Successful Blog

Running a successful blog is a very important part of running a business.   How can blogging help you?  It can boost SEO, help you establish yourself as the expert in your field, and provide content for social media posting.

We’ve all heard that blogging is important, but how do we achieve success with our blog?  Read along for some best tips and tricks to make blogging painless and effective!

Post consistently

Consistency is key! If you only blog once or twice per year, you’re not accomplishing any of the goals of blogging.  You need to get on a consistent schedule, whether it’s once per week, 3 times per week, or once per month. Decide what you can commit to and stick with it! It will take some time to see results, but it’s worth sticking it out.

Create a content calendar of topics and blog post ideas and work from there.  Once you lay out your schedule, make it easy on yourself and have everything ready to go. From here, you can simply start writing and let the words flow.

Share it

Once you create blog content, you have to share it! Start by sharing on your business Facebook page – and even your personal page if it’s a widely relevant topic.  From there, you can share to Twitter, LinkedIn, and anywhere else that your business has a presence.  This allows for more eyes on your blog post, which makes the effort even more worth it.

Another thing you can do is add the blog post to your LinkedIn page.  There’s the “Publisher” or “Write an Article” feature at the top of the page, and it’s useful to share your content there as well.

Use the content

Use the content that you worked so hard to create! You can break down your blog post into little tips and advice, which you can then share on social media.

Find a central topic and create an eye-catching graphic around it.  You can simply copy and paste the information into the graphic, making it very shareable and beneficial, since you’re reusing the content for social media content purposes.

Write about what matters

Write about things that people would want to know most in your industry! When people come to your blog, they want to know more about your expert topic.  Show your skill set! Provide answers to common questions, show the benefits of your business or service, or simply write on a topic that’s also relevant to your specific audience. When people are connected to your blog posts, they’re more likely to keep reading and to share with others.

Search it out

Try the Google Keyword Planner! It’s a great place to test searches and see what people are searching within your industry and knowledge base.  You can test keywords and see how they perform, as well as the competition around certain keywords.  This is a great way to stay above the competition; it’s like you’re reading the minds of your audience!

When you know what people want to see, it’s easier to come up with a content calendar.  Create a content calendar with post topics, titles, and blog graphics at least 4-8+ weeks out, which will make it all the easier for you to blog on a consistent basis.

Continue Reading

Written by
November 27, 2017 0 Comments

4 Ways to Be Present Over the Holidays

The holidays are here! We’re into the holiday season now, but there’s still over a month of festivities to go.  Are you finding yourself overwhelmed by this time of year?  There’s often a lot going on, and it can be hard to stay in the present moment.

The holidays are the times that we look back on as magical. It’s important to employ techniques that keep us mindful and present.  Read along for our best tips!

Take time

Take time each day during your holiday break to spend time with friends and family.  Give them your full attention! Plan something that you wouldn’t normally do, or simply find somewhere fun and unique to have a great conversation.

The greatest gift we can give each other is our time, so go out of your way to give it freely this year.  You will never regret time well spent with those you love!

Be grateful

According to Harvard Health, “Gratitude helps people feel more positive emotions, relish good experiences, improve their health, deal with adversity, and build strong relationships.”

When we get caught up in the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, it’s easy to focus on what needs done and not what we’re grateful for.  Take a few minutes every day to make a list – mental or physical – of what you’re grateful for.  It’s an important task with numerous benefits to your health and wellbeing!

Make memories

This is a time of year to have fun and make memories with those we love. If your parties don’t allow you much down time with friends and family, consider catering.  If they tend to lag, think about adding some fun games.

Games, good conversation, and quality time tend to add up to wonderful memories.  You can do something you normally wouldn’t do.  Try ice skating with your kids, outsource the dessert making if you don’t like it and don’t have any time, catch a midnight movie with a friend.  Whatever you do this season, take time to make memories that will last – and enjoy them in the process.

Turn it off

Technology, that is! We’re all glued to our computers, cellphones, and tablets every day, so use this time to disconnect.  You don’t have to fully toss your devices, but limit them as much as you can.  As we mentioned before, giving someone your full attention is a great gift, and you can’t truly do that if you’re constant looking at your phone.

Ask friends and family members if they’re willing to keep technology away from the dining table, and continue this into the evening if you’re all sitting around talking, playing games, or simply enjoying each other’s’ time.  Keep devices limited to emergencies and quick check-ins.

Staying present involves your time, effort, and gratitude to complete.  This time of year, being present it truly worth it.  Give the gift of yourself, fully present, to your friends and family this season.

Continue Reading

Written by
November 13, 2017 0 Comments

5 Tips for Holiday Organization

The holidays are almost here! It’s the best time of the year, but it can also be the least organized. Between family, friends, extra events, parties, gifts, and so much more, it’s easy to get overwhelmed.

To avoid overwhelm and stay present in this holiday season, read along for some best tips for holiday organization.

Start early

Thanksgiving is almost here, but there’s still plenty of time before Christmas and the New Year! Avoid a lot of stress, panic, and lack of ideas by beginning as early as possible.

If you have a lot of gifts to buy, it can even be helpful to create a separate bookmark folder on your computer to compile gift ideas.  Simply copy down the link, take a screenshot, or store the item in your bookmarks folder with the name of the recipient.  Then, when it’s time to buy, you have some great ideas ready to go.

Create a work schedule

Work doesn’t go away during the holiday season.  If you know you’re going to have a particularly busy holiday, start working ahead as soon as possible.  Complete a few items per day that will go towards days you wish to take off or work less.

Holidays are special, and it’s important to spend time with your friends and family as everyone has more time off from work.  Put in the time, effort, and work ahead of time now so you can fully enjoy those moments later.  This way, you aren’t scrambling to finish work at the last minute, or worse yet, missing those fun, special times with those you love.

Less stuff

A lot of “stuff” can cause chaos in the home.  Make this the year of less “stuff!” No, it doesn’t mean you have to forego gifts, but can you do them differently.  Cut down on the number of things and up the value; it’s always preferable to focus on quality over quantity anyway.

For your kids, a useful practice can be to donate old items that are no longer used.  Have them select a few items to donate or throw away before the season of gifts arrives.  It’s not about prying away their favorite items that are truly used, but to make room for the new.  A home with less “stuff” is typically much less chaotic and more organized.

More experiences

On the topic of giving less “stuff,” comes experiences.  Experiences are wonderful gifts that give the gift of time, thought, and something unexpected.

Whether it’s a spa day, outdoor activity, escape room certificate, unique dinner out certificate, and so on, these are all items that can be experienced.  Experiences have the added benefit of your time!

Buy a gift card for two massages and treat your mom to a spa day.  If your kids love the water, treat them to a day at an indoor water park this winter.  The immediate gratification may not be there, but once the experience is underway, it’s typically the most memorable and most appreciated type of gift.

Other experiences come from participating in activities during the holiday season.  There’s so much cool stuff that goes on this time of year! Adventure out of your comfort zone, grab a friend or family member, and head out to enjoy some of the fun things that this time of year brings.

Organize the major days

Thanksgiving Day, Christmas, Kwanzaa, New Year’s Eve, Hanukkah – just to name a few! There are so many big days during the holiday season.  Start a list or a spreadsheet of each holiday you intend to celebrate in a big way and begin your checklist.

Whether it’s meals, cooking schedules, gift to dos, or things to pick up, include it all! Having your items in one central location like Dropbox or Google Docs can make collaborating and sharing among family and friends even easier too.

Eliminate the overwhelm this year! Start early, focus on less “stuff” and more experiences, and take the time to organize the big days.  You’ll be glad you planned ahead a bit when you’re able to enjoy more quality time with those you love!

Continue Reading

Written by
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!

Continue Reading

Written by
October 23, 2017 0 Comments

5 Ways to Add Fun To Your Home Office

If you work from home, you’ll be spending a lot of time in your home office.  Since it will become your main place of business, it’s important that it reflect you and be comfortable.

If you’re stuck on design ideas, or ways to incorporate your own pizazz into the office, read along! We’re sharing tips to add some fun to your home office.

Personal style

Including your personal style in your office is an easy way to start seeing items that will fit.  If you go into it assuming that offices have to be sterile and boring, you won’t be able to find the items that work for you.

Is your style eclectic?  Do you like really neat, clean lines and minimal color?  Once you establish your personal style, you can choose a paint color, office supplies, and systems of organization that fit your personality.

Office supplies

Office supplies can be a lot of fun! From dog-shaped staplers to taco tape dispensers, to personalized pens and binders, you can really spice up your office for minimal investment.

Check out Target’s office section or hit up the Container Store for fun storage options.  Office supplies certainly don’t need to be boring!

Add some art

Add something to your walls! Even if you aren’t a huge art buff, you can include something on your walls. You can also simply do a fun paint color, accent or patterned wall, or add prints from Etsy.

Etsy even has downloadable prints that you can print at home, and most range from $3-10.  This is an easy way to add color, personality, and style to your space!

Add an unexpected feature

Looking to really add some fun?  Add something unexpected or unique!  In an office setting, something like a zen garden is great for keeping the peace and adding another feature.

You can also add plants, succulents, a small water feature, and so on.  This is just something that’s fun and unique to you, that also gives your office a conversation piece!

Make it functional

Put the fun back in functional. Seek out ergonomically correct chairs, desks and office furniture. It won’t be as enjoyable being in an office if you’re uncomfortable and feeling out of alignment each time you work.  But these items don’t need to be boring! There are colorful office furniture options everywhere, as well as desks that might have a unique shape or setup that’s more suited to your working style.

Don’t forget about computer and phone cords and other functional items. There are fun ways to incorporate these as well.  From the functional – cord wraps – to the fun – USB cords – you can add your own spin.

Make it work for you! That’s the name of the game in making your office fun, functional, and highly personalized to you.

Continue Reading

Written by
October 9, 2017 0 Comments

5 Healthy Eating Tips for Kids

We’re in the groove of the school year now, and one thing that’s always on the menu – lunches and snacks for your kids! Since kids are growing, they need lots of healthy, nutritious food.  Read along for some tips to keep them healthy and happy while eating well!

Keep it small and nutritious

After school snacks can turn into full meals that ruin dinners! They’re still important because it’s often a long time from school lunch until dinner, but it’s important to not go overboard.  Keep these snacks small and nutritious, and keep easy-to-grab options on the counter or in the fridge.

String cheese, cereal packs, beef jerky, and pieces of fruit are great options.  It’s ideal to get a combination of fats, proteins, and carbohydrates to keep your kids full until dinner.

Add a treat at lunch

Eating healthy is the goal, but treats have a place in a nutritious diet.  If your child knows that they’ll receive a small treat in their lunch, they’re less likely to ditch their packed lunch for other unhealthy options.  Making room for treats also teaches balanced eating in everyday life, and it’s important to establish this at a young age.

Figure out what would make your child happy to see in their lunch and include it daily! Keep the rest of the options healthy and balanced to keep their energy up.

Let them choose

Get your kids involved in their meals! Whether it’s breakfast options, items for their lunchbox, after school snacks, or a side dish option for dinner, let them choose the healthy options.  This is a great way to establish responsibility and decision making early on!

When they’re involved in the process, they’re more likely to choose things they enjoy and will eat.  Of course, do your best to keep things healthy! Give them a few choices from a predetermined category.  But maybe your child will eat roasted carrots over brussels sprouts, or they might prefer a yogurt cup to a piece of fruit after school.  Involving them will ensure that the food is eaten and enjoyed!

Keep a schedule

Eating on a schedule is a good way to keep blood sugar and energy balanced.  Of course, some flexibility in life is key, but children tend to thrive on a schedule.

Keep breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks around the same time each day. Work treats and “fun” foods into the mix as well, since it’s fun for them to look forward to these as well.

Make healthy fun

These days, there are so many convenient, nutritious options like chopped apples, protein snack packs, and cut up cheese options, just to name a few.

To save your time and make eating more fun, look into some of these options.  Ask your kid to choose a few items from the store! If you’re more of a DIY person, look to these convenient options as ideas and create them yourself.  Purchase some fun cookie cutters to cut sandwiches in unique animal shapes, buy a Bento box for lunch for a more exciting way to eat, or simply cut up fruits and veggies into easily accessible bites.

Eating healthy with kids doesn’t have to be a challenge! Involve them in the process, allow them to have treats, and give them the option of choices – it will make the process much easier.

Continue Reading

Written by
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!

Continue Reading

Written by
September 25, 2017 0 Comments

4 Tips for Keeping Your Computer Organized

When you work from home, your computer is an integral part of your day.  It’s very important to keep it organized and running smoothly.

We all know it’s important to organize our physical files, homes, and schedules, but even with all of that, our computers can look like a disaster!

Get a program

Software programs can really help to keep your computer running smoothly.  An organized computer doesn’t just look good, it functions well.  It’s important to clean out the clutter or “junk” on your comptuer on a consistent basis.

Whether you have a Mac or PC computer, there are several options available.  One is CleanMyPC and another is CleanMyMac.  Both are reasonably priced, and you can run diagnostic and maintenance tests and clean up cycles on your computer.

This will eliminate old, large files, system clutter, and much more.  It’s a sophisticated way to delete several files that are causing your machine to run slowly or inefficiently.

Another method of organization comes in the form of storage.  Sites such as Dropbox allow you to clear a lot of clutter from your desktop and computer and put it elsewhere.  This will free up a ton of space! Just be sure that you’re taking time to organize those files as well, so it doesn’t become a big mess of files.

You can store text documents, spreadsheets, forms, and other types of word processing documents in Google Drive/Google Docs.  It’s a great place to keep things that you want to keep Internet-based.  It’s also easy to share with your team directly.  This is helpful for organization, as it prevents you from having to store individual word documents on your computer.

Make a plan

An organization plan is helpful for everyday life! It should be no different for your computer.  It’s not enough to simply clean off your desktop once or twice; it should become part of your process.

Where do your struggle the most with your computer organization?  It is hundreds of files on your desktop?  A slow-running machine that’s full of unknown junk that’s bogging it down?  Do you have tons of mailboxes with no idea what’s in them?

Have a long session of organization to take stock in where you need to focus your efforts.  Make a plan of action that will get your started in the right direction!

Organize daily

Organization is a habit and you must do it daily.  Take a few minutes at the end of each day to clear your desktop, send files to Dropbox, and put your notes from the day in Google Drive.

Once you’re in the habit of organizing consistently, you’ll see how it frees up your computer and your mind from thinking about it.

Use folders

Folders are a beautiful thing! Whether for your desktop, in your computer or both, it’s important to organize.  In work from home positions, we can typically be working with several clients and/or employers at once.

You can start with big categories, such as one employer, then narrow it down by project or event.  You can keep the most important, often accessed folders on your desktop for easy opening.

Do your best to not have things sitting wildly on your desktop.  It can be visually stressful and overwhelming to see this often, and it makes finding important things very difficult.

Continue Reading

Written by
September 18, 2017 0 Comments

4 Top Tips to Be a Successful Work From Home Employee

We’ve talked a lot about being a successful leader and manager, but how do you go about being a successful work from home employee?

Whether you’ve recently come from a traditional office job or you’ve been a home based worker for years, it’s always a good time to reevaluate what you’re bringing to the job.

Track your time

To be a successful worker, it can be helpful to track your time.  Whether this is done at your boss’s request or to see where you’re putting your time, it can help you prioritize.

One of the best ways to be a solid employee is to know how to prioritize and not let things slip through the cracks.  Tracking your time is also incredibly helpful if you’re paid by the hour, as your employer will appreciate the details.

Communicate, communicate, communicate!

The best employees are those who communicate! If you go off the grid, especially in a work from home position, it can spell trouble.

If your employer doesn’t know what you’re doing, they may start to lose trust and begin questioning your employment.  Do your best to communicate with your employer on a consistent basis, and even do check-in calls as needed.

If you do client work for your employer, be sure that any communications are clearly noted there as well.  Since you aren’t in a traditional office environment, staying in contact via email, phone, and text becomes even more crucial!

Make a schedule

Along with tracking your time, a schedule can help you stay on task.  It can be best to make an outline of your work week schedule for the upcoming week.  Start with the items that you do on a daily basis, then add in other items based on due dates.

From here, you can add the “special” projects and unique items as they come in.  Working with a schedule or to do list also helps things to not get missed, as they simply go to the next day’s schedule if they aren’t completed.

Build relationships

Staying connected and being a successful work from home employee begins with communication.  Once that trust has been built and nurtured, you can begin to build relationships with your employers and co-workers.

Since everyone likes to work with those they know, like and trust, establishing strong, trusting relationships with your team is very important.  This will ensure that your value is communicated beyond the professional sphere.

Being a good employee involves personal accountability and responsibility, solid scheduling, and lots of communication! If you take time to do these things on a consistent basis, you will certainly find success as a home based employee.

Continue Reading