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October 3, 2016 0 Comments

3 Tips to Fall Into Organization

As the season changes into fall, the routine of life gets back into gear.  It’s also a prime time to consider organization as a work from home employee.  When your home is also your workplace, it’s important that organization is a key component to your daily life.  In a home office, you don’t have a cleaning crew to keep your office nice and neat on a daily basis, so it’s up to you to establish this routine.

Read along for some best practices for “falling” into organization this season!

Manage your environment

A disorganized office or home can set you up for overwhelm and failure from the get go.  Make it a point to keep your spaces neat and tidy, which is known for boosting productivity.  This also keeps you from wanting to spend your day cleaning and organizing, which can be avoided with a cleaning schedule.

A cluttered space is often a cluttered mind, so do your best to organize your desk, home, and general living space so that you can give as much productivity as possible to your home based job.

Make it a daily habit

All you need is 10 minutes per day!  Once your system of organization is set up, simply spend at least 10 minutes per day staying that way.  Whether you choose a detailed filing system, color-coded documents, or just very well organized computer files, be sure that you’re taking the time every single day to look at these items.

When organization becomes a habit, it becomes part of our life.  Research suggests that it takes 21 days to make a new habit, so do your best to stick it out for at least 3-4 weeks, especially if organization isn’t your thing!  You might just find that you’re more productive, your mind is more clear, and you’re much more able to find needed items and files when they’re needed.

Keep it separate

Although this is more of a mental organization tip, it can also do wonders for your physical space – an office or a computer organizational system.  Make sure all your clients, employees, and employers are kept separate, as to clear up space in your head.  When you’re constantly putting everything together, you have to take the time to decipher which item, email, or request is from which client.

Since many work from home employees hold numerous freelance positions, organization here is more important than ever.  If you want to keep everything in one place, such as a master to do list, organize your clients or employers by color-coding them.  This will allow you to quickly see which tasks are for which person, leaving your brain power for the important items – your work!

Organization doesn’t need to be difficult or time consuming – it just has to become part of your life.  When you’re organized as a home based employee, your productivity is much higher and you’re able to produce more accurate and efficient work for your clients.

Think of how much easier it will be to find those folders or emails once everything is set!  Organization frees up time and mental space from the clutter – the clutter of seeking items you can’t find, and the clutter of a disorganized workspace that generally brings down your workday.  Put in the time now and reap the rewards daily!

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July 25, 2016 0 Comments

4 Tips to Recharge and Destress

In any job, there comes a time when you face burnout, long hours, or just find yourself in need of a break.  While working long hours is great for productivity, it’s not the best for your mental outlook.  If you don’t give yourself time to relax, destress, and unplug once in awhile, life can quickly become all about work.

Read along for some best practices for recharging after a stressful period of work or time of strenuous hours.

Unplug

Sometimes you just need to unplug for the entire night, weekend, or even a few days. Even if you can’t unplug for a full day, it’s important that you’re unplugging every day to avoid burnout.  Do your best to avoid marathon work sessions that leave your eyes, body, and mind stressed.  The key to this step is to first listen to your body and signals of overstress, then be willing to take some time off.

While you unplug, it’s important to frequently get some quiet time to yourself.  This can be challenging with family, kids and pets, and other obligations, but it’s important to give your brain and body a break.

Schedule something special

Put something relaxing on the calendar! Whether your idea of something special is scheduling a massage or manicure, spending an afternoon shopping, or simply curling up in a quiet corner with a good book, be sure that nothing interrupts this appointment! Barring any true emergency, show up for yourself and give yourself that much needed chance to recharge your batteries.

Look at your schedule

It’s time to take an honest look at your time and commitments.  Where can you cut back? This isn’t always possible, but if you’re truly stressing and need a break, there are often small things you can cut back on.

Is there a weekly commitment that doesn’t bring you a lot of joy anymore? A small side freelance job that no longer serves you? Take stock of what’s most important to you and prioritize accordingly.

Make it a daily habit

Recharging and reducing stress takes practice for most of us, as work can be time-consuming and a large part of our lives.  Self care starts with you, so it has to be put into practice by you as well.  Make it a daily habit to take a few moments for yourself, which might include things such as meditation, baths, yoga, hiking in nature, or meetups with friends.  It’s not selfish to take personal time, as it’s often the key to bigger breakthroughs and more stability in your life.  Coming back to everything with a fresh attitude is never a bad idea!

Taking the time to destress and come back more refreshed is not only great for you and your career, it’s great for your family and friends.  When you’re happier, healthier, and feeling more connected to what you truly need, you’re able to bring your best self into your everyday life.

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July 18, 2016 0 Comments

4 Ways to Stay Connected When Working from Home

When you work from home, it can be difficult to integrate social interaction into your day.  While your kids may be home with you, it’s still important to maintain a social life – digitally and in person.  Staying connected to co-workers and employers is very important, as is maintaining your social life as a work from home employee.

Stay in touch during the day

Skype is an excellent tool for a call or chat during the day, which is useful for friends or co-workers and employers.  It almost gives you an office feel to be able to chat with your co-workers “face to face” for a few moments, and it’s also more personal than a typical call.  The chat feature makes it easy to talk to co-workers, employers, or tech support employees in other countries without the back and forth of email.

If you’re feeling disconnected from your team, see if you can integrate weekly calls to stay on track and maintain contact.  When you and your team stay connected, less items slip through the cracks, and a more solid connection is able to be formed through frequent contact.

Network

Networking online via Facebook and LinkedIn Groups is great, but getting out is even better!

Utilize sites such as Meetup.com to find social and professional groups of interest to you, or join your local chamber for casual and high profile events that can boost your personal and professional circle.  Not only does networking get you out and about, but it allows you to bolster your professional relationships with other working people, all while getting to learn more about your community in business.

Work outside

This goes for outside the home or physically outside!  A change of scenery is known to be very helpful by boosting productivity and giving your mind a mental break from the same old thing.

Go outside on a nice day and spend an hour working while breathing in the fresh air, or take the kids for a picnic during the day.  You can bring some work along to do after you eat and they play!

If it’s winter or the weather isn’t cooperating, simply get outside the house for a few hours per week.  Your local coffee or cafe shop is always a great option, and they almost always have wifi available.  Again, this is another way to change up your work scenery and come back refreshed.

Get out and meet

Make a point to get out of the house a few days per week.  Whether you meet up with a friend for lunch every Friday afternoon, or plan your grocery shopping over Tuesday’s lunch hour, it’s just great to get out and get some fresh air when you work from home.

It’s also important that some of your outside the house time is social – plan walks with friends, meet for lunch, work together at a park or find a new walking trail to check out on your lunch hour.

While working from home isn’t a traditionally social environment, you can stay in touch with friends, family, and co-workers and have a satisfying social life by taking a few extra steps to stay connected!

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June 27, 2016 0 Comments

3 Ways to Relax This Summer

Work doesn’t stop in the summer, even if you work from home! The kids are home for a few months and schedules are just a little bit different from the other 9 months of the year.

Although you’re home as a work from home employee, steps still need to be taken to ensure that vacation is effective and productive for you and your kids – and even relaxing!

Plan the fun

Work doesn’t’ stop, but everyone admits that there’s a different feeling in the summer. Teachers and kids are off, companies tend to slow down, many more people are traveling, and so on.

Do your best to plan your fun and include more of it while the weather is nice and the kids are out of school! There are plenty of options, from water parks to theme parks to day trips to local cities and towns of interest.  Plan a staycation or two during the summer months – it’s something to look forward to, all while enjoying the benefits that summer has to offer.  Since everyone’s schedule tends to be a bit slower this time of year, it’s a great time to get away with minimal disruption.

In addition to scheduling family activities, make it a point to schedule a few things just for you – a manicure, a different hike with friends, or maybe a trip to a more distant shopping center or day destination.  It’s the time to enjoy the outdoors and some time off!  You can lean on family and friends to work through carpool and babysitting plans.

Shut it down

As we emphasize again and again, you have to shut down at the end of the day! Summer afternoons or nights are perfect for an afternoon by the pool, or for a trip to the movies or ice cream.  Whatever you like to do with your family or friends, make sure you’re shutting down in the summer.

As we’ve said, it’s a less busy time of year, so overtime should be less during these months.  Truly take these next few months to really shut down on time or enjoy a few hours during the day, as you’ll be much more refreshed and ready for work (and busy schedules!) to pick back up in the fall.

Set summer hours

Decide on the times when things are least likely to be going on with your family and work then.  Depending on your family, these times can range from early afternoon to later evenings in the park.  which might include some later hours, or earlier if you and your family enjoy evening activities.

Your summer hours might vary from your hours the rest of the year, which in general is just fine.  Most work from home jobs are fairly flexible, in that you can work whenever as long as the work is completed.  Even if this isn’t the case for you, setting your office hours can help you set expectations for yourself, your employer, and your family plans.  

Summer is a special time that’s very fleeting and won’t be back for quite a while.  It’s important to take advantage of trips, fun outings, and unique scheduling while you can. Take those special moments for yourself and your family to truly come back more relaxed and refreshed!

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June 20, 2016 0 Comments

Redbook Magazine Features HireMyMom

Lesley Pyle Redbook Magazine Feature

Hot Mama – Netpreneur Lesley Spencer Pyle

Hiremymom.com is the kind of business idea that’s so timely and practical that, naturally, it took a mom to think it up. The site, which connects companies looking to outsource projects with work-from-home moms who are eager for part-time work, was launched last May by Lesley Spencer Pyle, a mother of four in Spring, TX.

“I got pregnant right after I started my first job doing PR for a golf school,” says Pyle. “I hated being away from my baby, but my employer wasn’t open to flextime, so I quit.” Since her family was dependent on Pyle’s income, she began scrambling for freelance work.

“I knew there were other moms out there in the same position – I thought we could really learn from each other,” Pyle says. In 1995, she founded the online community Home-Based Working Moms (hbwm.com) which has evolved into a mini-empire, including a home-based business directory, a start-your-own-business kit, and a newsletter. Pyle loved connecting with moms online and figured employers might want to access this vast pool of talent. Enter hiremymom.com. For a small fee, moms who do everything from graphic design to sales can get listings for hundreds of long- and short-term projects that can be completed from the comfort of their kitchen table – uh, we mean home office.

 

Back to IN THE NEWS

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May 31, 2016 0 Comments

4 Top Tips for Work From Home Employees

Working from home presents a unique set of challenges and perks, but the common theme is that things are simply different as a home based employee.  From finances to taxes to workspace, these things must be considered by you in most cases, versus relying on an employer.

Read along for some best tips and practices to ensure that you’re ready to work from home successfully.

Stay financially savvy

It’s important to keep track of financial records, expenses, and tax items when you work from home.  Often times, you’ll be a 1099 Independent Contractor instead of an employee, which can come with unique tax structures and filings.

Look into some of these structures before beginning your home based career, and advise your spouse of the differences in filing. You can also set up a consultation with an accountant to ensure that you’re keeping tabs on the right items and have your employment set up correctly.

Create a space

As we’ve said time and time again, make sure that you have a specific space set up for work.  Not only can this be important if you have a business for expense purposes, but it’s key to staying mentally healthy and organized in a home based career.

Set aside a room or section of your dwelling that’s just for work – and keep it that way.  When work becomes everywhere, it can be very tough to turn it off at the end of the workday.

Turn it off

Stop working at some point in the day! Whether you choose to work at night or during the day, be sure that you’re logging a normal amount of hours on a consistent basis.  Of course as with any job, there may be stretches of overtime, but this can become more prevalent working from home.

Set office hours just as you would at a traditional job, and really be home when you choose to finish work for the day.

Use the right tools

The right tools are incredibly helpful in keeping you productive in a home based career.  While an office job typically has these tools built in, you have to set them up for yourself to ensure success.

Working from home typically requires more planning and thought than a typical job, but with the right tools, space, and forethought to ensure that everything is working smoothly, you can enjoy the vast benefits of productivity and flexibility that a home based career can provide!

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April 4, 2016 0 Comments

Interview with HireMyMom.com Success Story: Joy Bastawrous

Name: Joy Bastawrous

City / State: Katy, TX

Kids & Ages: 3 daughters: 12, 9, and 2 

What’s your success story with HireMyMom? 

I have been a member of HireMyMom.com since 2010.  I left a high level corporate position to spend more time with my kids because the commute was eating up about 3 hours of my day and I felt like I was missing out on special time.  It only took me a few months to find a job on this site.  And over the years, the amount and type of jobs have just gotten better and better!  I have secured at least 7 positions using this site over the course of the last 6 years.  I have been able secure remote positions so I do not have to waste any time in the car commuting and sitting in horrible Houston traffic!  It has been a dream come true for my family and I.  

What’s your educational and experiential background?

I have a bachelor’s degree in Marketing and over 15 years’ experience with much of that being in corporate marketing and more recently working with small businesses and entrepreneurs on their marketing efforts.

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

Just look for what you want and are qualified for, be honest and open about what you are looking for when speaking with the prospects and make sure it’s a perfect fit for both of you.

What’s your favorite thing about HireMyMom.com?

My favorite thing about HireMyMom.com is that it gives me the opportunity to still work in a field that I enjoy while having some flexibility to attend my kids events and activities!  Secondly, as I mentioned before, the caliber of positions has increased over the years and I am looking forward to utilizing it more and more.  

What’s one fun fact about you?

I have always dreamed of being an astronaut.

 

 

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March 29, 2016 0 Comments

4 Tips for Time Management Success

Time management is a hot topic, especially for those of us who work from home.  It can be tough to plan your day – with kids and pets nearby and the distracting items of being at home (think TV, radio, interruptions, and so on!)  All of this can make managing time a full-time job.

Read along for some best practices in time management skills that will allow you more productivity and extra time to do the things you love.

Set your hours

As much as possible, set your work hours to remain consistent throughout the week.  If 9-5 works for you and your family, set it early and work around those times.  If 2-10 works better for your lifestyle, that might be the way to go as well.  Time management also maximizes what’s best for your lifestyle, family, and other obligations, so factor that in from the get go.

Set your time

Set an alarm or timer for each task that you complete.  If you need to do three things for one client, accomplish one, move on to the next client, and so on.  Of course, it’s necessary to designate these tasks in order of priority, but you can still set your time.

This will allow you to manage time so you’re allocating enough hours and minutes in the day for each task, helping them to get completed on time.

Multitask – to a degree

Over time, various sources have started proving that multitasking isn’t as good as it was cracked up to be; it can eliminate focus and draw your attention from what you started.

Even though multitasking gets a bad rap, you can do it in a productive manner – especially if you work from home! It’s not difficult to throw in a load of laundry, set your timer for your next task(s), and then retrieve it at the end.  While lunch is in the microwave, run the sweeper briefly.  It even becomes fun to work chores and other to do items into your time schedule.  This is yet another benefit of working from home, and it allows you to truly manage your work and home life time more efficiently.

See where your time is spent

Take a good look at where your time is currently being spent and evaluate it.  It’s not always easy, but it’s crucial to trim some time here and there, just as you would trim your budget or amend your health and fitness routine if it weren’t working.

Make sure that you’re billing your hours and accounting for all time spent on certain tasks.  When you track where your time is spent, you may realize that you’re spending more time on one task when you thought it was a quick, 30-minute item.

Time management is all about evaluating what needs done, where you’re currently spending your time, and how it can be used more effectively.

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March 7, 2016 0 Comments

Top Tips to Stay Focused When You Work From Home

When you work from home, the first thing that people in a traditional office situation will likely ask you is, “How do you stay focused?”  This is a very valid question, as there are plenty of distractions at home.

It can be easy for them to picture a day full of lounging on the couch, eating snacks, and zoning out to the latest Netflix release.  Unfortunately, if this was the case, there wouldn’t be any work getting done! Although most people who work from home report plenty of productivity, focus can be waning without the proper measures in place.

Regroup & Refresh

Interruptions will happen – regroup and accept them as you can.  It’s easier to move on this way after you take a moment to refresh after small or large interruptions – the doorbell, kids, dogs, neighbors dropping by, phone calls, and so on.  If you accept that these will happen and might throw you off for a moment or two, you’re better equipped to push past them.

Additionally, it’s helpful to regroup and take another glance at your current task or to do list after an interruption, as it brings you back in focus.  In addition to these ideas, sometimes a quick walk or breath of fresh air outside can be invigorating. Do anything (brief!) you need to do to get your mind back in work mode.

Schedule everything

Scheduling is a common theme in our posts and in the working world as a means of ideal organization – and for good reason.  Your schedule keeps you on task, assures that things don’t slip through the cracks, and also keeps you focused.  Whether it’s a schedule on a calendar or a master to do list, be sure you’re checking in with it fairly frequently throughout the day.

Another way to ensure expert focus is to schedule everything as you would in a traditional office workday.  Allocate certain times of the day to complete your tasks, i.e., work on one task from 9:00-10:30am, another until noon, break for lunch, and then come back to your next task. You can even boost focus by adding in the “extras,” such as picking up kids from school or throwing in a few loads of laundry.  When it’s not a spur-of-the-moment idea that leaves you unexpectedly away from your desk, it’s easier to get back in the groove of work.

Specific space

Create a specific space to do your work, far away from distractions.  Although you will still get interrupted from time to time, your workspace will become a kind of haven of productivity and focused energy.

It can be tough to focus when you sit in front of the TV or at the kitchen table all day.  Make your space your own with good lighting, comfortable furniture, an appropriate desk, and a door to close for calls and conferences.

Staying focused can be a tough task when you work from home, but it can be accomplished with some good planning and acceptance of those interruptions.  Refer to your schedule often, regroup when things are thrown off, and create a specific space for work and see your focus improve tremendously.

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February 8, 2016 0 Comments

10 Benefits of HireMyMom.com

HireMyMom.com is a unique site that features only work from home job opportunities! It’s a great place for moms to find legitimate careers while keeping the flexibility and freedom of working from home.

We believe that HireMyMom.com is a fantastic site with numerous job opportunities – read along for some of the key features of our site.

Legitimate

HireMyMom.com prides itself on featuring legitimate, quality work from home job positions.  There are no scams or “start a business” type of postings on the site, making it ideal for those looking for a traditional job in a non-conventional workspace.

Flexible

Since the jobs listed on HireMyMom.com are for home based positions, they give you much more flexibility! You’re able to apply for jobs and work them from anywhere; this is an especially ideal situation for moms with families, as you’re able to stay home with your kids while making an income.

Quality

The featured jobs are of high quality, with listings in the fields of graphic design, marketing, social media management, writing, legal assistance, and much more.  Not only are the jobs of higher quality, but applicants are as well.  Anyone who applies for membership on HireMyMom.com must have 1-2 years of experience in their given field, making them strong candidates for these positions.

Affordable

HireMyMom.com is very affordable and is priced at just $29.95 per quarter or $99 per year.  Although this fee is very reasonable, you are not paying for a job. You are paying for a service to connect Mom Professionals with businesses seeking home-based contractors, employees and freelancers. Our business has grown leaps and bounds by word of mouth because businesses have been overjoyed at the quality of candidates found on HireMyMom.com, and Mom Professionals have been thrilled with the great opportunities that come through HireMyMom.com.

Direct

Once you apply for a job, you no longer need to work within the interface on HireMyMom.com.  You’ll contact and respond directly with the employer, and everything is handled between the two of you.  This allows you to manage your own job search and find the positions that are best fit for you.

No Direct Sales

HireMyMom.com does not allow job postings for any MLM or network marketing sites. Although these opportunities can be valid, we choose to outsource projects in the marketing, graphic design, writing, and other similar professional industries.

Frequent

New jobs are posted very frequently, with some days receiving several posts.  Check back daily for updated posts in a variety of different fields.

Screened

HireMyMom.com checks out the company (if listed) with the BBB, RipOffReport.com, LinkedIn, and similar sites prior to approving any project. If they have an unsatisfactory record, the job is not approved. Or if the job is in any way offensive or objectionable, it is not approved.

Samples

You’re welcome to check out some sample job postings before deciding to join the site! Click here for a few sample work from home job positions.

Praised

We have wonderful feedback from Mom Professionals and businesses/employers:

“Thank you so much for this service. I posted my project late Sunday evening and by 10:00 am the next day, I had several very qualified candidates. It’s a load off of mind to know that I can find qualified professional female candidates for my firm. I will be posting for another position shortly and I know just where to come. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!”

Catina Downey-Stroble, CPA, LLC

“I’d been searching for a remote position for months using other online job boards with no luck when I read an article about HireMyMom.com in a respected blog. At first, I thought it was “too good to be true,” but I plunged ahead anyway, willing to take a chance because of the low fee and the endorsements I found all over the Internet. About three weeks into my membership, I found a perfect job! I applied, was interviewed, and have been enjoying my new role ever since. HireMyMom.com is the real deal.”

Laura S. Wharton

Click here for more Mom Professional and business/employer testimonials.

 

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