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January 14, 2020 0 Comments

5 Tips for Setting Achievable Goals for Today’s Entrepreneur

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

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

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

Be Specific

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

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

Be Realistic

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

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

Consult the Past

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

Check in Often

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

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

Do Something Everyday

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

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

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

 

 

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January 6, 2020

5 Ways Online Groups Can Help You Succeed Working From Home

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

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

 

1. Job Leads

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

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

 

2. Tips & Pointers

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

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

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

 

3. Valuable Resources

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

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

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

 

4. Inspiration

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

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

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

 

5. Friendships

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

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

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

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

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

 

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November 25, 2019

5 Questions Every Small Business Entrepreneur Should Ask Before Hiring A Virtual Assistant

As an entrepreneur, you may have reached that point in your small business where you are thinking you need some help. There just aren’t enough hours in the day for you to check and respond to emails, field phone calls, create social media posts, create email blasts, manage your calendar, research topics, manage day to day operations, and on and on.

There are many advantages to having someone who can assist with tasks that feel overwhelming so you can focus on the more important, revenue generating activities of your business. And working with a virtual professional can help you focus on GROWING your business and help you leverage your time better.

Before you jump in feet first and start the scouting process to find a Virtual Assistant (VA), there are some things to carefully consider.

Here are 5 questions you should ask and answer before hiring a Virtual Assistant or a Virtual Professional.

1. Do You Know What You Need?

Take some time to decide what tasks would be most beneficial to have someone else do. Make a list of the job duties you don’t like or don’t have time for as well as any tools or programs needed to complete the tasks.  As you create your job post, this list will help you refine the duties to help you find the right person for the job.

Are the tasks suitable for one type of assistant or should you hire more than one person? It may be that you need a part-time administrative assistant as well as a part-time social media manager, bookkeeper, blogger or customer service specialist depending on the tasks and duties you need to have done. Many businesses start out small and hire someone for 5-10 hours per week until their business grows and they need more help in various areas.

 

2. Are You Looking for a Certain Personality?

You will be working closely with a virtual assistant, so it’s important to find someone who gets you. Are you a Type A driven personality who works better with similar personality types? Are you more laid back and work better with someone who is too? Do you procrastinate too often and could use a no-nonsense person to help keep you on track? Do you run a faith-based business and want someone who shares your Christian values?

Knowing your personality type and what type of person you are looking for in a virtual assistant who will complement that is essential.  If this is important to you, you may consider having the applicants submit their scores to a personality assessment test.

 

3. How Will You Work With Your Virtual Assistant?

You will have the most success working with a VA when roles and communication are laid out clearly. There are a lot of project management resources out there like Slack, Asana and Trello to help with task tracking, communication, and project management. Or you may choose to keep it simple with daily or weekly check-ins by email or Zoom calls, sharing via Google Suite or DropBox folders. Decide up front how you will work best to ensure efficiency for you both in work and communication. But remember that communication is key and that no one will be able to read your mind or do a good job if they are not taught, show and directed early on especially.

 

4. What Skills Do You Need in a Virtual Assistant?

Having a list of tasks to delegate is a solid foundation when you are ready to hire a virtual assistant. Keep in mind, though, that hopefully this will be an individual who can grow with you and your business to form a great long-term working relationship. Think about what kind of skills you want a virtual assistant to have and what would bring you the most value as your business grows over the next two or three years.  If you are unsure, try searching the internet for Virtual Assistant (or whatever role you need) job duties to get an idea of what others are hiring these assistants to do and what skills may be needed.

 

5. Will They be Dealing with any Private or Sensitive Information?

If you need someone to help with parts of your business that include sensitive or private information to you or to your clients, you should consider not only checking references but also doing a background check or requesting a Trust Badge from a service such as SafetyPin Technologies. In today’s remote economy, it is important to do the extra work up front to reduce the chances of someone having access to sensitive information or business assets that turns out to be less than trustworthy. It is wise to get to know the person before allowing them full access to your business. Start small and allow them to prove themselves. The extra work up front may save valuable time and headaches in the future.

  

And when you are ready to hire, HireMyMom can help you find a great Virtual Assistant or Professional.  We believe Moms make great virtual employees or contractors.

FACT: Over 5.4 million mothers put their careers on hold to stay home with children*. That adds up to a lot of talented women with experience, education, skills and the motivation to find flexible work that can be done from their home office. (*Source: U.S. Census Bureau)

What are the benefits of hiring remote employees or contractors from HireMyMom?

  • Save time.
  • Save money.
  • Save on office space and office equipment.
  • Save Your SANITY!
  • We do NOT take any commissions from You or our Job Seekers!
  • You will have more time to focus on your clients and improve your business.
  • Your project or job is posted to our entire pool of talented work from home candidates saving you valuable time.
  • You save money by not paying high salaries and benefits for traditional employees.
  • You interview, evaluate and decide which candidate is best suited for your business (or you may choose our Small Business Concierge program and allow us to do it all for you).
  • We provide the candidates. You provide the work. We get out of the way.
  • We’ve been around since 2007, and as moms and entrepreneurs ourselves, we are committed to helping small businesses, entrepreneurs and moms find mutual success!

FIND A TALENTED VIRTUAL ASSISTANT

 

What Types of Professionals Can You Hire?

Here are some of the more common job types posted with us:

  • virtual assistants / administrative assistants,
  • blogger / writers / editors,
  • social media marketers,
  • marketing / public relations / advertising,
  • legal & real estate assistants,
  • researchers,
  • graphic designers,
  • accounting / bookkeeping,
  • web designers,
  • customer service reps,
  • sales,
  • e-commerce specialists,
  • human resources, and more!

FIND YOUR NEXT VIRTUAL PROFESSIONAL NOW!

If you need help with hiring, try our Small Business VIP Concierge service and we can do all the hard work for you!

 

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November 19, 2019

7 Benefits of Working From Home for Moms

Are you contemplating working from home? Many of us Moms do, in fact, for our HireMyMom members – the contemplation has become a reality!

Most Moms make the decision to work from home because of at least one of the following:

1. To be at home more for their children,

2. To have more freedom and flexibility in their schedule,

3. To be their own boss,

4. To earn money for their family.

 

Working from home can be an amazing experience, but it does require some key qualities:

  • Self discipline,
  • Strong organizational skills,
  • Effective time management,
  • Flexibility,
  • Administrative skills

(If you don’t have a lot of administrative experience, we highly recommend our 31 Day Virtual Assistant training program.)

 

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF WORKING FROM HOME?

 

  1. Flexibility – when you work from home, you have the ability to work at your own pace, set your own hours as well as the amount of hours you want to work.
  2. Control over your work environment – imagine being able to create your own unique work environment … from the paint on the walls to your office furniture, you can design the work space you want. You can also play whatever music you want, add some refreshing scents, and create a personalized atmosphere for your work environment. 
  3. Wear what you want – whether you want to work in jeans and a t-shirt, your favorite yoga pants, or even your PJ’s, your mornings are a little less stressful and more harmonious when you don’t have to worry about putting on business attire.
  4. Less disruptions and more productivity – other than the kids coming home from school, there can be a lot less distraction when you work from home. You can focus on getting your work done without office chatter and impromptu stop ins to your office.
  5. No commuting – say good-bye to the long drives and getting caught in rush hour traffic. A work from home job requires very little travelling, if at all. With no fuel costs or wear and tear on your car, you are saving both time and money.
  6. You can get chores done on your breaks – you can take a quick break from work to throw a load of laundry in the wash, start the dishwasher, or give the floor a sweep. By the end of the day, there will be less chores to do and more time for you.
  7. More time for your family – when you work from home, you’re there for your family when they need you. You can work your schedule around soccer games, dance practice and doctors appointments quite easily. Because you aren’t commuting, you get off work earlier and start family time as soon as you shut down your computer.

 

More and more companies are starting to recognize the benefits to having work from home employees. The surge in self employment has caused a demand for this type of work, especially in cases where a business is starting to grow, but they can’t afford the costs of hiring internally. 

As technology evolves, there will only be an increased demand for work from home employees, freelancers, and entrepreneurs. 

If you think working from home might be a great fit for you, our “Top 10 Work From Home Jobs” is worth the read. We cover some of the most in demand jobs based on our postings here at HireMyMom.

If you’re ready to step into a work from home role, you can sign up  on HireMyMom and gain instant access to our database of remote job postings. 

We look forward to seeing you as one of our Success Stories!

 

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November 11, 2019

HireMyMom Success Story: Melanie Villeda

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

I was laid off in April and was job searching for months. I joined a women’s business group on Facebook. Someone asked advice about work with flexible hours and HireMyMom.com came highly recommended. I was not very successful in my search and needed help. So I joined HireMyMom and was impressed with the types of jobs posted. I applied to 5 positions over time. In a weeks time, I had 3 interviews scheduled and one job offer!! I highly recommend this site.
I also am a proud mom of 4, 3 of which are teens, 2 furry babies and wife to an extraordinary husband.

What did you do previously?

I started my career in Television Production. For the past ten years I was a Marketing and Public Relations Manager.

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

I recommend visiting the site at least three times a week and not using the filters. Check all the listings available. New jobs are posted daily!

What’s your favorite thing about HireMyMom.com?

The jobs listed are well vetted and quality positions that can’t be found other places on the internet.

What’s one fun or interesting fact about you?

I am a singer and actress. I have been in several shows, operas and musicals. My latest role was of Ms. Andrews in Mary Poppins at the Crighton Historical Theater.
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Want to be featured here as one of HireMyMom’s Success Stories?

Mom Professionals, please complete this form our Mom Professionals Success Stories.

If you are a Small Business / Employers, please use this form for Small Business Success Stories!

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October 21, 2019

HireMyMom Success Story: Heather Swain

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

After a hard season of life, I decided to try and find a job where I can bring in some extra money while still being home with my son and not have to pay the insanely high costs of childcare. I saw an ad for HireMyMom, and I felt drawn to the site. Within my first day using the site I had two interviews scheduled and my first day as a VA is tomorrow!

 

What did you do previously?

Patient Advocacy. I have no previous experience as a Virtual Assistant. I have worked remotely on occasion at other jobs I’ve held, but nothing long term. I truly believe customizing my cover letters to mention how my past experience related specifically to each job I applied for helped me. I applied and also reached out via email to the contact listed on the job posting. The first job I reached out to this way is now my current employer! I fully believe that a customized email or cover letter and providing some information about yourself and your goals was the game changer for me!!

 

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

Personalize your cover letter and always follow up. I think it’s so important because so many websites don’t provide that email contact information, and I believe if you have it, it’s worth reaching out to them to show you’re not only interested but that you’re willing to take charge and take a risk!! It can be scary to reach out to someone you don’t know, but it can come with big rewards as well!

 

What’s your favorite thing about HireMyMom.com?

That the employers are looking for help from women who are looking to better themselves and their families and understand the balancing act we take on as working mothers, especially those of us working from home.

 

What’s one fun or interesting fact about you?

I’m studying to become a certified aromatherapist.

 

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Want to be featured here as one of HireMyMom’s Success Stories?

Mom Professionals, please complete this form our Mom Professionals Success Stories.

If you are a Small Business / Employers, please use this form for Small Business Success Stories!

 

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October 14, 2019

Top 10 Work From Home Jobs For Moms

Hey Moms … are you considering working from home?

The demand for remote jobs has increased substantially, which makes it very attractive for a stay at home mom to become a work from home mom too!

Work from home jobs offer mutual benefits to both the employers and employees / contractors which is why there’s such a high demand for remote jobs.

 

What does a work from home job look like?

A work from home job can be as a remote employee, an independent contractor or as a freelancer. You typically are expected to have your own equipment, software, and internet access to be able to perform your job. Some employers will give you set hours they would like you to work, while others will let you choose a flexible schedule that works best for you.

 

Top 10 Work at Home Jobs for Moms

Based on our current and past job postings on HireMyMom, here is a list of some of the most common ones:

1.Virtual Assistant (VA)
Average Hourly: $15-20 (Specialized VAs may make $25-$40/hr)

What they do:
General Virtual Assistants typically help their clients/employers with day to day administrative duties. They are in charge of handling routine tasks that help the business run efficiently. A VA may also be in charge of answering emails, phone calls, travel arrangements, booking calendars, creating reports, doing research or any other tasks the business owner needs. There are a variety of specialties in the Virtual Assistant world and each job is unique to the business who hires them.

Job Qualifications may include:
– Strong computer skills
– Fluency in software such as Microsoft Office, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint
– Knowledge of tools and apps used by remote teams
– Time management skills
– Ability to prioritize tasks and stay organized
– Attention to detail
– Excellent verbal and communication skills

If you are looking for training, check out these options our Training and Resources here.

 

2. Customer Service Representative / Client Support Specialist
Average Hourly: $10-20

What they do:
CSR’s and Client Support Specialists provide service to current and potential customers. They help by providing service or product information, field phone calls or online chats, and handle customer requests as they arise. They also may handle any concerns or complaints a client might have. Their priority is to create a positive experience for the customer from start to completion. Customer service representatives may also be tasked with the responsibility of performing follow up calls or emails to help maintain customer retention rates.

Job Qualifications may include:
– Excellent communication skills
– Ability to solve problems quickly
– Ability to organize and prioritize
– Great listening skills
– Patience and empathy

 

3. Sales and Business Development
Average Hourly: $15-$20 (plus bonus and commission potential)

What they do: 
A sales representative is responsible for selling products and services to individuals, organizations or businesses. They may contact potential buyers, conduct presentations, and are typically responsible for handling all parts of the sale.

Business Development Specialists, on the other hand, create business plans for their company. They are in charge of analyzing business and seek ways to earn more customers and revenue for the business.

Job Qualifications may include:
– Strong sales skills
– Time management skills
– Ability to organize and prioritize
– Excellent communication skills
– Ability to solve problems quickly
– Strong listening skills
4. Copywriter / Content Writer / Blogger
Average Hourly: $15-$20

What they do:
A copywriter is responsible for creating engaging content that is both eye-catching and informative. The content created may be used for the company website, blogs, social media channels, newsletters, e-blasts, brochures, online courses, and more.

Job Qualifications may include:
– Strong writing skills
– Creative skillset
– Planning and organization skills
– Ability to work both independently and as a team
– Computer literacy
– Software experience including; Microsoft Office, Google Docs and more
– Strong proof-reading abilities
– Fast and efficient typing skills
– SEM/SEO knowledge and experience

 

 

5. Project Manager
Average Hourly: $20-$30

What they do:
A project manager is responsible for coordinating with others within a company to ensure that projects are completed from start to finish.
They also meet with clients to clarify project tasks and can act as a liaison between the customer and company they work for. They must track the performance of each project assigned and delegate where it makes sense to do so. The project manager will also ensure that budget objectives are met.

Job Qualifications may include:
– Project Management Professional (PMP) certification (preferred but not required)
– Experience in a management role
– Ability to lead teams in a variety of projects from small to large
– Strong organizational skills
– Experience with project management software
– Excellent communication skills
– Budget management experience

 

6. Digital Marketing Specialist
Average Hourly: $15-$25

What they do:
A digital marketing specialist is responsible for developing a marketing strategy that is based on a company’s online product or service. SEO, email marketing, and web analytics are all part of a digital marketing specialist’s duties. It is their job to get the company message out to the right target audience. Sometimes this includes multiple campaigns running at the same time. They are responsible for all aspects of the marketing funnel from top, mid, and lower tier levels. Digital marketing specialists may also need to keep track and produce reports on a campaign’s ROI.

Job Qualifications may include:
– Strong creative writing abilities
– Understanding of analytics
– Experience with paid social media advertising
– Sales and marketing channel expertise
– Strong listening skills and a good grasp target audience mindset
– Basic design skills

 

7. Accounting /Bookkeeping

Average Hourly: $15-$25

What they do:
Accountants and bookkeepers are responsible for keeping financial records up to date. They may also be required to process Accounts Payable and Receivables. Accountants maintain records of financial transactions by establishing accounts; posting transactions; and ensuring legal compliance.

Bookkeepers typically maintain accounts by verifying, allocating, and posting transactions. They perform reconciliations and maintain general ledgers. They must keep historical records and prepare financial reports.

Job Qualifications may include:
– Experience in Bookkeeping and/or Accounting
– Excellent communication skills
– Strong mathematical skills
– Ability to stay organized
– Detail oriented
– Strong multi-tasking abilities
– Excellent interpersonal and customer service skills

If you are looking for training, check out The Bookkeeping Course for Stay-at-Home Parents.

 

 

8. Graphic Designer
Average Hourly: $15-$30

What they do:
Graphic designers may design logos and all forms of multimedia. They may lay out magazines, help build websites and other forms of media communication. The designs are often created through software programs such as Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign.

Job Qualifications may include:
– Knowledge of and experience in Graphic Design Software
– Great interpretation skills to help bring ideas to life

– Creativity
– Ability to meet tight deadlines
– Strong eye for visual composition
– Attention to detail
– Ability to work both independently and as a team

 

 

9. Social Media Specialist
Average Hourly: $15-$25

What they do:
Social media specialists are required to handle a number of social media accounts. They must create converting content, develop and maintain social media channels, and stay up to date on the latest rules and compliances. They are sometimes responsible for putting out social media ads and working with social media management tools. They need to create brand awareness and client acquisition at all stages of the marketing funnel.

Job Qualifications may include:
– Strong project management and organizational skills
– Knowledge and experience with social media platforms
– Insight of the audience they are targeting
– Strong creative writing abilities
– Ability to meet tight deadlines
– Understanding of Google Analytics and Facebook Business Manager
– Ability to measure campaign ROI and build reports

 

 

10. Web Designer
Average Hourly: $20

What they do:
A web designer is in charge of designing, coding, and laying out websites. They handle all technical and graphical aspects of a website. They also maintain and update as needed. A good sense of SEO/SEM to help ensure that the website is searchable on Google and ranking.

Job Qualifications may include:
– Knowledge of the fundamentals of design imaging
– Basic to advanced web design experience
– Ability to custom code using Javascript, CSS Style Sheets, and HTML
– Strong organizational skills
– Excellent communication skills
– Ability to listen and bring client ideas to life

 

 

How do you find great work from home jobs like these?

You can view some of the work at home jobs posted on HireMyMom here. If you’re ready to take the next step and become a Work from Home Mom you can sign up here. Employers must be members as well in order to post a job on our site. Before we accept their job posting, they are carefully screened by our staff to ensure the highest quality of employers and job postings for you to choose from. Click here to post your resume today and start applying for jobs immediately!

 

 

Here is what some of our work from home moms have to say:

“When my 2nd child was entering pre-school, I began searching for ways to work from home. I stumbled upon HireMyMom.com in 2014 and began to look for clients and landed a job with a small company. After my success, I told a friend about HireMyMom and she ended up landing a part-time job as well that after a year turned into a full-time managerial position. My favorite part about HireMyMom is the job postings are legit and there are no scams to worry about. Most of the employers know they are hiring moms and understand they will be working around a flexible schedule.” – Amanda S.

“Since at one time I was a job seeker and now I’m an employer, my favorite thing about Hiremymom is they always have legit opportunities.  I have never experienced any scams. As a job seeker, I always experienced quality gigs. Now, as a business owner looking to hire, I have found several great candidates that are qualified and passionate about what they do.” – Andrea C

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October 8, 2019

How Smart Entrepreneurs and Mompreneurs Use LinkedIn to Attract New Clients

With over 562 million members in 200 countries and across all industries, there is no denying LinkedIn is the top professional networking site. Facebook is where you have a strong circle of friends, Pinterest allows you to tap into evergreen marketing and boost your blog content but LinkedIn is where you can take your business to a whole new level.

LinkedIn is indexed by Google so when it comes to marketing your personal brand and your business, LinkedIn is definitely an important tool to leverage in your marketing efforts. LinkedIn also gives you the ability to search for and connect with your ideal client. 

Here are some tips to help you fully leverage LinkedIn as a smart entrepreneur / mompreneur!

 

  1. CREATE AND FULLY COMPLETE YOUR PROFILE

Your profile is the most important aspect of your LinkedIn account. It’s the first impression people have of your personal brand and business. 

  • Ensure you have a high quality photo and make sure your face is 50% of the size of the circle. 
  • Create a banner image that will be displayed at the top (Canva.com has lots of free templates to help you). Think of this a free highway billboard and use it wisely to promote you and your business. 
  • Add your name and you can also add a title with it to let me know right off the bat what you do. For example “Amanda Jones | Digital Marketing Professional”
  • Add a short bio
  • Complete the ABOUT section. This is a great opportunity to highlight what you do and the ideal client you are looking to work with and use as many characters of the max 2,000 as you can. Think of LinkedIn like Google. Your goal is to create a profile that comes up in search results. And remember, most people will only see the first 3 lines so make them count. 
  • Complete all sections to add your experiences, work history, education, volunteer work, skills and website
  • Add samples of your work or blog posts

It’s important to spend quality time on this and to fully complete this before moving on and connecting with other professionals. Feel free to hop over to my LinkedIn profile to see how I have set up my profile and I would love to connect with you too while you are there! 

 

  1. ENDORSEMENTS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Once your profile is fully complete you can reach out and connect with people you know and have worked with on LinkedIn. People you already know is a great place to start because you can ask them to leave you an endorsement and recommendation. This helps to edify you to new people you want to connect with. Be sure to return the favor and leave a recommendation for others as well. 

 

USING LINKEDIN

  1. MAKE NEW CONNECTIONS

Now that you have created your profile, connected with people you know and received some recommendations and endorsements you are ready to start making other connections, especially with people who are your ideal client. Think of LinkedIn as an online network group and search engine. Let’s say for example you are a logo designer and you are wanting to network with website designers who can refer clients to you who will need a logo designed for their website. 

You can go to the search bar in LinkedIn and type in “website designer” and have it filter for “people” and it will pull up search results for those that have “website designer” in their profiles. LinkedIn will filter the results by mutual connections you have with other people. 

When you click on the “connect” button, you will have the opportunity to type out an invitation before sending. LinkedIn will have a generic one but it’s important that you personalize every invitation you send. Take the time to look at their profile and make the invitation all about them not about you.

“Hi Lori, I see that you are a website designer and as a graphic designer in the same industry I would love to connect and know how I can support you and send referrals your way. Look forward to connecting with you.”

People will be a lot more likely to accept your invitation to connect if they feel valued and not like you have an agenda. 

 

  1. POST UPDATES

Make LinkedIn part of your daily marketing routine. Use LinkedIn to share your blog content and other articles that would interest your network of connections, tips, resources and to highlight your work. Remember as with any social media platform, the goal is to tell instead of sell. 

LinkedIn also has an app that can make posting and the time you spend networking easier too. 

 

  1. CREATE A SOCIAL VIBE ON LINKEDIN

Ensure you are engaging with your network through their status updates too. You can’t expect to post and not spend time supporting others on their posts. Social media doesn’t have to take a lot of time. Set a timer to spend 10 minutes to like and comment (5+ words on any social media platform shows the algorithm that your comment is a real genuine comment and not a bot).

 

  1. THE POWER OF GROUPS

LinkedIn has a lot of great groups that you can join to connect with more like-minded people and share your expertise. You can use the search bar to search for groups in your niche. Be selective and only commit to joining groups that you feel you can actively participate in. You will need to send an invitation to the moderators for them to approve your request. Once they do, be sure to read the group rules and be a respectful member of the group and give value. It’s a great opportunity to find more people to connect with. 

Take the time to implement these tips and you should see some great connections and future clients before too long!

 

ABOUT HIREMYMOM…

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

How is HireMyMom different?

  • As more of a boutique site, candidates on HireMyMom do not have to compete with 100s or 1,000s of other applicants and our small businesses do not have to wade through 1,000s of applicants, 
  • We do not take a percentage or commission of earnings from virtual professionals OR the small businesses,
  • HireMyMom is more than a job site; we are community offering personalized services, training, support and virtual high-fives,
  • Our site is primarily for those in North America and native English speakers familiar with U.S. Business culture and in or near the same time zones,
  • We offer our Small Business VIP Concierge program where our HR Specialists will hand select top candidate(s) for our Small Business clients.

Mom Professionals looking for legitimate, remote jobs and projects, start here. 

Small Businesses looking find high-quality, independent candidates, start here.

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September 30, 2019

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

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

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

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

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

 

Mega Job Site Users Shop For the Lowest Bidder

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

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

 

They Take a Percentage of Your Earnings

Here’s a recent email we got:

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

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

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

 

You are Competing with Thousands of Other Applicants

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

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

 

Many Free Job Sites Pull Jobs from Other Websites

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

 

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

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

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

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

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

 

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

 

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September 26, 2019

HireMyMom Success Story: Lindsey Clair

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

I am married homeschooling mom of three girls. I started using HireMyMom a few years ago in my work from home endeavors and upon returning to school to obtain my Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing. I’ve gotten three or four jobs since using HireMyMom; two of them I’ve had for over two years now. I actually was just contacted today about another possible job! My experience with HireMyMom is like no other out there. I love the new website and easier navigation for searching for jobs and setting up my resumes etc. in the dashboard. My experience has been beyond amazing!

What did you do previously?

Before working from home, I utilized my Child Development degree assistant directing and teaching in a private preschool program for 8 years.

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

My top tip to land a gig on HireMyMom is to make sure that your resume is up to date and displays a professional format. Also including a cover letter is beneficial as well.

What’s your favorite thing about HireMyMom?

My favorite thing about HireMyMom is the ability to search for work at home that meets my needs and schedule as a homeschooling mom of three.

What’s one fun or interesting fact about you?

When I’m not homeschooling or working from home, you can find me playing my piano or singing. I’m trained in piano and vocals and have taught choir and given piano lessons.  Music is my passion, and I recently recorded in a studio.
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