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June 11, 2015 0 Comments

Gadgets for Working Moms On-the-Go

Times have changed for working moms. With the amount of technology available to helps moms juggle work, kids and the home, it all seems a little more doable. Whether you work from home, the office or both, check out these gadgets for moms on the go:

Smartphone

If you’re looking for a change or needing an upgrade on your current phone, the ZTE ZMAX works well for moms who toggle between work at home and the office. With a 5.7-inch HD display and 2 GB RAM for memory, you have both an easy-to-see monitor, which is great for video conferencing, and plenty of storage for filing digital work. It also comes equipped with a long lasting 3400 mAh high capacity battery so you can rely on this phone to last through long webinars or your kids’ recitals. Plus, through carriers like T-Mobile, the ZTE ZMAX is affordable for as little as $10.50 per month.

Smartwatch

One of the most cutting edge tech gadgets is the smartwatch. Because working moms usually need a third hand to get everything done, a smartwatch is the optimal tool because it’s hands free. For instance, Sony’s SmartWatch 3 SWR50 or Kronos’ ZeWatch2 offer communicative technology on the wrist. They can text, funnel calls and send social media messages from a phone connected through Bluetooth. Plus, any calendar and email notifications for upcoming meetings or checkups for baby will appear right on the watch face.

Bag Tracker

Between your work briefcase, baby bag, purse, luggage and other bags, it’s easy to lose track of things. Gadgets like Trakdot Luggage Tracker aim to prevent this problem. The Trakdot is a device you place in your bag, and when it reaches its destination the device wakes up and sends you a text or an email confirming where it’s located. Especially when traveling for work or with the kids, this device helps you stay organized and makes sure you don’t lose anything. Plus, it only uses two AA batteries and only costs $19.99 a year.

Attachable Photo Lens

Attachable camera lenses like the the Photojojo Lens Set are a trendy way to take photos. Whether you’re a travel writer, public relations officer, a buyer or a small business owner, a high-quality lens can come in handy. This set of lenses comes with a super fisheye, telephoto, wide angle/macro and polarizer so you have something for almost every situation. Pack these lenses in your purse to take from your product meeting to your child’s baseball game with ease. All you have to do is place the removable metal ring on the back of your phone, and then attach the lens magnetically. This makes for an easy transfer between lenses or an easy clean up. Plus, they come with a felted wool storage pouch, which keeps them safe next to your notebooks, wallet and keys.

Being a working professional and a mom can be hard when you constantly have to shift between your home and the office. Luckily, these gadgets for mom make it a little easier to get everything done.

Check out these other great articles about productivity / time management as a work from home professional. Also check out our current job postings for mom professionals.

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April 1, 2015 0 Comments

How to Stay Social When You Work From Home

The first thing you may notice about working from home is the lack of social interaction! You may be feeling some social isolation. Even if you’re very busy during the day, not talking with others can be tough. This isn’t the case for everyone, as many of us have children, numerous calls, social engagements, and so on, but it’s important to make social interaction a regular part of your daily life.

To avoid the habit of not speaking to others for hours or days at a time, follow these simple tips below.

  • Get Out and About: If you’re able to, try taking your work to a coffee shop or local business with Wi-Fi a few times per week. The change of scenery is always helpful and may make you even more productive! This also forces you to get ready, get out of the house, and arrange the outing into your schedule – all things that may help you feel more likely yourself in a home-based position.
  • Schedule Your Social: Planning social outings and activities becomes even more important without the workplace friendships and opportunities available in a traditional office job. Plan social or networking events at least 1-2 nights per week, as this will keep you from getting bored and lacking social interaction during the day. Often times there are networking events that take place over lunch, so those may be a great option too. Try Meetup.com for networking events in your area.
  • Talk with Friends: When you get a break, try to chat with your friends. Send a text, schedule a quick call, or just chat briefly on Gmail Chat, Facebook Messenger, or any other chat feature. This allows you to break up your day, laugh with a friend, and maintain your social relationships.
  • Interact with Other Home-Based Workers: There are groups, such as the HireMyMom.com Facebook page, that have a large collection of home-based working moms and people. They can offer tips and advice and lend an ear when you might want to chat. It’s a great idea to cultivate friendships among groups like this, since working from home is not extremely common. It’s nice to have someone who knows what you’re going through, and who also understands that social interaction is key to a happy, successful life – especially in the home-based working realm.

So, the next time you’re working from home and feeling social isolation, get out of your chair and onto the phone to call a friend for a chat or a coffee date.

Check out these other great articles about staying healthy as a work from home professional. Also check out our current job postings for mom professionals.

(Image courtesy of Serge Bertasius at freedigitalphotos.net)

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March 31, 2015 0 Comments

3 Questions to Ask Yourself Before Working From Home

When a home-based worker tells someone that they work from home, they are instantly envious. They imagine days spent laying on the couch and working whenever it’s convenient. While working from home certainly has some excellent perks (flexibility, casual clothing and more time with family, to name a few), it is still work!

Read along and ask yourself the following three working from home questions before obtaining home-based work. It’s important that you understand and realize the changes that are about to take place before committing to a work from home position.

  1. Why Do I Want to Work From Home? It’s a misconception that working from home involves laying around in your pajamas and watching TV. Yes, you could do that, but you would get very little accomplished! Working from home is still work, and establishing why you want to do so is important. A home-based career can change your life in wonderful ways, but it can also be a shock if you aren’t prepared for the changes. Are you pursuing home-based work to have more time with your family? This is a great reason and one that will give you the motivation needed to succeed.
  2. Are My Skills Applicable To a Home-Based Position? If you’re a lab scientist, it might be tough to find a work from home job. It’s not impossible, and you can lend your skills to tutoring, technical writing, project-based work, and so on, but it’s not as easy as finding social media or editing work. Consider your background and industry before applying for home-based work, since jobs that often require you to be on site will not always translate into many work from home options.
  3. How Will This Change My Lifestyle? Working from home is a change! You will be home each day, which is both wonderful and challenging. You will be in your house, so it’s tough not to notice the things out of place or the rug that needs swept. When you work outside the home, those things are put aside till later. You will also notice that the errands and chores may fall more to you, and sometimes that is easier since you’re at home during the day. It’s important to know that home-based work provides a lot of flexibility, but it can also bring more work to your day. This can make scheduling a bigger challenge, and you’ll have to be extra diligent with your time.

Take these working from home questions to heart. While it’s a great experience, it’s also a major lifestyle adjustment that’s not for everyone.

Check out these other great articles about home-based business as a work from home professional. Also check out our home-based job descriptions and current job postings for mom professionals.

(Image courtesy of Master isolated images at FreeDigitalPhotos.net)

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March 30, 2015 0 Comments

3 Tips to Separate Work-from-Home from Home

When you work, it can be very difficult to separate work from your personal life. But if you work from home? It’s even more difficult! Since you work from home all day, the lines can begin to blur between work projects and home tasks. There’s so much talk about balance and separating work from home and make them both work smoothly, and it can be done with some deliberate action.

Although working from home will always be unique and lend itself to a different kind of workday, there are a few ways to keep your career as your career and your home life as your personal life.

Start and Stop

Have a set start and stop time. This is very difficult when we work from home, since we can get emails, hop on our computer, and complete a task. When you work in a traditional office, it’s much more difficult to go to the office, unpack your stuff, and get to work.

Secondly, keep your evenings for personal obligations and relaxation. It’s important to your mental and physical health keep your evenings open. If you work in a home-based job that is considered 2nd or 3rd shift, that’s different, but you still need a section of time when you aren’t working. As with traditional office jobs, there will be days when working late isn’t an option, but keep it the exception instead of the rule.

Designate and Separate

It’s a common tip with home-based careers, but that’s because it’s so very true. Do your best to designate a separate room for your work, meaning that you should avoid working on your living room or dining room, and make work feel like a work setup. This also makes tip #1 a bit easier, since you’ll physically have to leave your workspace to move on to the rest of your night.

Save the Housework

It’s so tempting to look around, see what all needs to be done in the home, and start to take action. While a few breaks when you pick up a few annoying items is okay, avoid full cleaning until you’re done with work. Again, this keeps you in “work mode” and allows your off work time to be much more productive. This should also make it easier to ignore those housework items that you just can’t seem to get to, since this way, they’re off limits when working anyway.

Working from home provides some challenges when trying to balance work-from-home and home life, but it’s not impossible! Do your best to separate the two, and take steps to make your day feel more like a traditional workday.

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March 24, 2015 0 Comments

3 Tips to Help You Get by While Looking for a Home-Based Job

Whether you’re working as a temp or just waiting to apply for the right job, millions of Americans simply need to keep a roof over their heads until paychecks start rolling in again. Surviving between jobs comes down to discipline, cost-cutting and stretching what you do have to weather the storm. These three tips to help you get by while looking for a home-based job.

Make a Budget

A 2013 Gallup poll found that 67 percent of American households do not have a monthly household budget. The saying goes those who fail to plan, plan to fail, and that certainly rings true when it comes to getting by while unemployed.

First take a financial inventory. Write down all of your monthly bills to figure out what needs to be paid to maintain a minimal standard of living. Now go through everything and figure out how to reduce the monthly obligations. Consider placing a classified ad for a roommate to cut your rent payments. Lower your utility bills by unplugging all appliance and electronics when not in use. Cable or satellite television should either be eliminated completely or reduced to the least expensive package available.

Technology makes it easy to adhere to your new budget. Install a personal finance app like Mint.com or You Need A Budget on your smartphone. These apps enable you to digitally track all expenditures and warn you when you stray from your commitments. Both Mint and YNAB also recommend financial products based on the information you enter.

Generate Income

When employment is hard to come by, you’ll need to get creative to supplement your savings. Try these ideas:

Sell things you no longer need or use. Old clothing can be taken to consignment shops, while your old set of golf clubs can be sold on Craigslist.

Able-bodied individuals with a car can register for work on TaskRabbit. The mobile app matches you with people in your city who need odd-jobs done around their home or office. The more you’re willing to do (i.e., rake leaves, data entry, etc.), the more opportunities you’ll have.

Lyft is another money-making app. Register as a driver and you become part of a community that gives people rides for flat fares.

If you receive regular payments from an annuity or structured settlement, you may be able to sell your future payments to a company like J.G. Wentworth for a lump sum of cash now.
Another option is to participate in clinical studies. Some pay upward of five figures for participants. But keep in mind, the more it pays, the more risk that is likely involved. Make sure to do thorough research.

Prepare for the Future

The one positive that comes from extended employment is a lot of free time. Enroll in courses at an online or local community college. Those enrolled at least half-time are eligible for both Pell grants and student loans. Virtually all medical-related careers, including home health aides, dental hygienists and sonographers, will be in high demand through 2020, according to the Labor Department. All of the aforementioned require only a two-year degree. Computer science and networking courses will also position you for high-demand jobs.

Prolonged unemployment is just another one of life’s great challenges that test your mettle. A positive attitude and commitment to a plan will maximize your chances of gainful employment sooner rather than later. When you use these three tips to help you get by while looking for a home-based job, you’ll soon find yourself armed and ready when you and that job finally meet.

Check out these other great articles about home based jobs as a work from home professional. Also check out our current job postings for mom professionals.

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March 23, 2015 0 Comments

4 Tips to Spring Clean Your Job

Spring is here and it’s time to change out the old for the new! Spring cleaning your job is a lot like spring cleaning your life. We spend many hours at work, so it’s important that we renew there as well. While we often see cleaning as tedious and something we have to do, it can actually be refreshing and a great way to move into spring and summer.

With this spring cleaning job list and tips, you can get a fresh restart. With the first of the year out of sight, some of us have fallen back into old routines. While routine is great for productivity, we often let the little housekeeping things slide. When we take some time to get these items in place, we feel so much better! As Spring is now among us, it’s time to clear out the old and establish fresh habits.

Dust Off Your Desk

This is an actual cleaning tip! Do more than just dust – do a good deep clean of your work area. Cleaning may never be fun, but we all work better when our workspace is clean and functional. Use products that smell good and create a sense of wellbeing. If you’re really feeling like you need a change in your office, consider investing in a nice, new chair or another supportive office tool or device.

Start a New Notebook

Who doesn’t love the fresh pages of a new notebook? Start a new paper, notepad, or online document where you can keep track of your daily list(s). Keep one for home and one for business. Starting fresh means prioritizing, keeping things separated and organized, and preparing for upcoming tasks and events.

File Away

We get in the habit of keeping stacks of papers and important information on our desks and in random cabinets. When you get into your job spring cleaning, don’t forget to file! Filing is important, and it keeps all of our paperwork organized. Whether you file actual papers or online copies, file everything. If you aren’t one to file, or you simply don’t have a system in place yet, now is the time. Create a filing and organizational system that will work for you, and one that you will actually do on a daily or weekly basis. If you file and organize as you go, it’s much less overwhelming than starting with a huge stack of papers every single time.

Decide for the Future

With spring cleaning comes a sense of renewal and starting over. What do you want to accomplish in the upcoming year? If that’s too broad of a question, focus your wants and desires on your job and organizational tasks. How could you be more organized? What systems make sense to me? Should I look into a professional organizer or online program that might help me to be more functional? Working smarter is key to eliminate having to work harder. Give yourself that gift this spring – an organized, smarter, and more productive work life!

Check out these other great articles about home-based jobs as a work from home professional. Also check out our home-based job descriptions and current job postings for mom professionals.

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March 16, 2015 0 Comments

How to Market Yourself Online

When looking for a job or preparing your profiles for the job search, it’s important to learn how to market yourself online. While you need to be as honest as possible, there are small tweaks and online marketing strategy tips you can use to make yourself stand out.

Marketing yourself online basically consists of using online websites and social media to the best of your abilities. You always want to do your best to highlight your strengths – on and offline. Here are some best practices for marketing yourself online in an effective, authentic way.

Add some honest praise

On many sites, especially LinkedIn, there are places to include praise and recommendations. Use these features to your advantage! Since these are outside recommendations, they’re more likely to be honest, effective, and impressive. When a potential employer or organization sees that you come highly recommended, they feel more at ease and therefore, they’re more likely to call you in for the interview. When they see that past employers and clients have been pleased with your work, it gives them a type of reassurance. Testimonials and reviews of your past work are excellent ways to market yourself – be proactive in asking for them and keeping them up to date.

Be descriptive

You have a lot of room on social media sites and profiles to write about your job, community, volunteer, and organization history and accomplishments. You’ll want to use this space to the best of your ability and be as descriptive as possible. Give an example of a job task and make it sound professional. Additionally, include measurable data and metrics if possible. Always include descriptions that make you stand out, and that goes doubly if you can include numbers to support your work.

Be on the right sites

If you want a certain type of job or work environment, be in the right online places! If you want to work from home, use sites such as HireMyMom.com to find reputable home-based careers. There are numerous industry-specific job search and forum sites, so be sure that you’re on them providing value and getting your name out there. In addition to job sites, be sure that you’re on the right social networks. LinkedIn is great for the professional realm, while Facebook is still #1. Keep them all professional and updated as much as possible. When you’re marketing yourself online, you want to show that you’re capable of the current technologies while providing knowledge and value to your audience.

When it doubt, ask

Being proactive is an excellent way to market yourself online. If you see an organization or job position that would suit you, don’t be afraid to ask or inquire further. Part of getting the jobs and opportunities we desire is putting ourselves out there. Most of the time, the best job positions and opportunities aren’t listed online, which means reaching out gives you a great chance for success! Take the time to craft an effective email to organizations that you’d like to work for, all while showing them why you deserve the job. All of your work on the tips above will ensure that you’re ready for this final step!
Check out these other great articles about home-based jobs as a work from home professional. Also check out our home-based job descriptions and current job postings for mom professionals.
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March 9, 2015 0 Comments

4 of the Best Web-Based Organizational Tools

Staying organized is at the top of the list for success in a home-based career. When you don’t have a typical office to report to, the organization of your day and work falls to you. Luckily there are numerous web-based organizational tools to help you succeed!

Utilizing project management and organizational tools may sound like more work at first, but once you have them in place, they truly keep you on task, allow you to remember everything, and simplify your life.

We’ve compiled some of the best, most well reviewed tools so you can focus on career success while having your organization covered. These tools help you to manage projects, life, and everything in between so that you don’t miss anything.

Trello

Trello is an effective tool that utilizes lists for project and task organization. It allows you to create master lists (Boards) and then tasks under your Boards to stay organized. On one screen, you can see the big picture of your projects within your projects, keeping priorities at the top. Trello is free, has a simple interface, and is intuitive to use. Click here to check out Trello.

Basecamp

Basecamp is another project management tool that works very well for individuals, companies and organizations. Since you can assign tasks and organizing within your organization, it’s perfect for those working from home within a company. Similar to Trello in using checklists, you can organize clients, projects, and assignments in a simplistic manner. Basecamp has a free trial then starts at $20/month.Click here to check out Basecamp.

Google Docs

Google Docs is a free, easy-to-use tool within Google. If you have a Google or Gmail account, you’re set! In Google Docs, you’ll find Google Docs, Google Sheets, and Google Slides, which allow you to create documents, spreadsheets, and details presentations. The best part of it all is that you can share your Docs with your company, clients or employers, and everyone can edit documents from their own computers. Google Docs automatically save, so you’re good to go as you work. Google Docs is free to use, and it’s a very easy way to keep important documents organized and easily shareable. Click here to check out Google Docs.

Dropbox

Dropbox has become very popular in recent years, and for good reason. It’s the perfect place to share, organize, and store online files, photos, videos, and so on. When you download Dropbox, you can keep the feed on your desktop, so when anyone from your team uploads a new file, you can access it instantly. Dropbox is also web-based, so you can login and access your files directly as well. It’s an easy way to free up space on your computer and share files easily without utilizing email. It keeps space clean and creates a central place to find any file. Click here to check out Dropbox.

The best way to stay on top of your to-do list for a successful home-based career is to stay organized with any one of a number of web-based organizational tools. These tools were developed to help you succeed!

Check out these other great articles about productivity / time management as a work from home professional. Also check out our current job postings for mom professionals.

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March 2, 2015 0 Comments

3 Best Tips for Office Stress Relief

If you work in an office, you likely experience stress on a fairly normal basis! Working from home also brings another level of stress, since you have home items and a family to care for as well.
Finding ways to eliminate your worries and find office stress relief is very important to the health of you and your family. When you aren’t feeling well or you’re overwhelmed, it’s tough for you to be positive and helpful to others.

By acknowledging and taking action with the stress in your life, you’ll be better equipped to handle tough situations down the line. Take care of yourself with these tips for stress management in the office:

Natural Relief

There are a number of new, natural remedies for stress without the side effects or jitters. Bach’s Rescue Remedy comes in a dropper or in lozenge form, and it’s a homeopathic stress and anxiety remedy. This all-natural solution is become very popular, and many people report excellent benefits from using these remedies when stress hits. Another useful tool is to diffuse essential oils or something that smells pleasant, such as lavender, known for its calming properties . Chamomile tea is also very calming for the body and mind, and it’s a great way to boost energy midday.

Get Moving

Exercise has natural stress-reducing benefits that go well beyond the calorie burn. When you work from home, some good ideas would be to sit or do crunches on an exercise ball, use a mini trampoline for breaks, or take a brief walk around the neighborhood. Another great idea is to do some stretches, as this relaxes the body on a deep level. If you’re feeling extra stressed and serious, dance it out! Dancing is a fun way to release tension, and when you’re in the privacy of your own home, you can truly dance like no one is watching.

Schedule It

Schedule a massage for yourself! If you don’t like massages, schedule another treatment or treat that will allow you to relax. Although it can be tough to get out of the office during the week, be sure that you’re giving yourself enough care and attention. When stress hits, we often cater to ourselves last to get it all done, but if you’re not happy or well, this isn’t ultimately helpful to others. Be kind and gentle to yourself – schedule something fun or relaxing every so often to keep yourself balanced and on the right track.

Check out these other great articles about stress relief as a work from home professional. Also check out our current job postings for mom professionals.

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February 25, 2015 0 Comments

Network like a Pro: How to Make a Flawless First Impression

If you make your living doing freelance work, you understand the perks and drawbacks of such a lifestyle. You save money on gas and time spent on long commutes, and you can largely set your own schedule. But you are also responsible for finding new clients to keep business humming, which can be one of the toughest challenges. To maintain your work-from-home contract career, new business is a must.

So what’s one of the best ways to gain new contacts? Network like a pro! Here are three tips for making a strong first impression and upping the odds you’ll walk away from a networking event with new business.

Accessorize With Taste

Your appearance is what people notice first. While you may have a free-spirited sense of style at home, rein it in for cocktail hour with your peers. A flowing gypsy skirt and arms full of bangles may suit you well normally, but this laid-back look will paint you as flighty before you’ve even said hello. Instead, opt for subtle fashions and clean accessories. Think stud earrings, a delicate silver necklace and a sophisticated tote from a high-end brand.

Aim for Elegance, Not Attention

A tight-fitting outfit that hugs all your curves may get you some lasting glances at a nightclub, but it’ll just make people take you less seriously in a professional setting. You can (and should) still show a sense of style without looking like you want attention. Plunging necklines and short hemlines are a no-no, even if the event is set in the evening at a posh bar.

If you’re jonesing to wear black, your signature color, add some class and style with a jumpsuit. Something like this Dolman Jumpsuit by Feel the Piece is professional but youthful. Not feeling the jumpsuit? A dress is always a stellar choice. You can layer a Chevron Sheath Dress by The Limited with a well-tailored blazer and pumps for a fancier event or pair it with a soft cardigan and ballet flats for something more casual. You’ll exude taste and charm, without sacrificing modesty.
The most appealing part of your outfit? Your confidence. Throw your shoulders back, put a (genuine) smile on your face and be proud of the reputation you’re building.

Articulate Who You Are

Enough about your apparel; it’s time to talk about the other elements of nailing a first impression. You’d be surprised by how many common-sense rules many women forget when they enter a business setting. Give a strong handshake and make direct eye contact. Don’t forget to hand over a business card before saying goodbye to a new acquaintance. Another good tip is regarding something you may not usually think twice about, which is how you introduce yourself. Typically you say hi and state your name, right?

It’s been found that females often only say their first name, and do so in a long, drawn-out or even singsong manner. “Hi, I’m Liiiiiiila. This makes you seem juvenile and less intelligent. Instead, you should confidently state your first and last name. “Hi, I’m Lila Everson.” This will make you appear powerful and in control, and leave a more lasting impression on your new colleagues. And last, but not least, know how to communicate what you do. If someone asks about your business, be ready to concisely say, I facilitate relationships between children’s shoe-makers and department store buyers. Hemming and hawing is unpolished and unprofessional, and trying to be too clever with a response almost always backfires.

As you prepare for your next networking event, view it as a job interview. In a lot of ways, that’s exactly what it is. Be deliberate about the outfit and accessories you choose, work to project an air of confident approachability and remember the best practices of networking like stating your first and last name, keeping eye contact and quickly sharing the basis of your business. Network like a pro! You’ll not only feel much more assertive going into the event, but you’ll also impress your peers and increase your chances of gaining valuable contacts and new business.

Check out these other great articles about networking as a work from home professional. Also check out our current job postings for mom professionals.

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