Many of us are looking at working from home jobs to boost our income or because of necessity but can't seem to find the right one. Here we look at a few ideas.
Is working from home worthwhile?
You will think I am biased because I have managed to run businesses from home for the past 8 years. I also talk to people about it and have written a book on the subject.
The real benefits are travel time saving, dress-up time and social networking so there is a couple of hours a day bonus to spend on a business.
Furthermore, the ability to work to your hours is also an added bonus. I am an early riser so I am at the office by 5.30 in the morning but out walking in the afternoon.
My Daughter works the opposite hours so she uses the late shift when the kids are tucked in to do a few hours.
What job working from home suits you?
This is a pretty obvious question and really an easy answer if you decide what suits you the best.
- The number of hours you are willing to commit
- Are you confined to the house or wanting to get out among the people?
- What are your best skills?
- Physical labour or internet warrior
- Things that will hinder your choices. (Children)
- Ways that you can be helped
- Have money to spend or cash strapped.
These are just a few of the issues that you must consider before taking on any work. For example, it is no good committing to work if the kids need to be picked up or dropped off.
What do you need to do to be a homeworker?
My first answer is planning. What do you want to do, what hours can you commit, do you have any support and a bit of cash to throw around.
Importantly do you have the internet and social media skills you will need.
The distractions at home are many and varied and a real problem if you are not self-controlled.
It is a problem for us home workers because more important issues take over and the work does not get done.
I start my day dressed for work, check my mail and then do something that will earn money. It might be to send an email, call someone, do a newsletter, find new contacts etc but it is aimed at income-producing.
Furthermore, I will blog during the day, do a bit of training or up-skilling, stop for a cup of tea or spend half an hour with the better half. Only when I have completed my daily plan.
You must remember it is a job, be it an hour or 10 per day, it's a job and there to make you money so treat it with respect and achieve what you plan.
What sort of home job?
Affiliate marketing is selling other people's products online. The best job in town.
Multilevel marketing is selling real products to real people and climbing the ranks to financial freedom
Online marketing may include Shopfront, Dropshipping products, and selling Amazon products.
Social media may encompass, training, advertising, or actual input for others. New age and lucrative area.
Blogging and advertising are all the rage.
Building websites and SEO for others.
Email, SMS marketing.
Newsletter writing.
Coaching, training and writing courses.
Doing Videos for others or writing scripts.
That's my online list before we start on the other old stuff.
All domestic duties
Childcare
Gardening
Driving
Back up and support
Office duties
Pet sitting
Photography
I am sure you can Google this subject and get a hint of inspiration and then come back here for extra learning.
Skill sets for home workers
The current environment is an online world. If you are a gardener you need to market yourself.
Should you want to work online you really need to get the basics so that you have a chance of success. Everything comes back to the internet.
I include this free learning platform as the starting place for any would-be or could-be work from home person. You can search for a long time for value like Wealthy affiliate. It is free to join and share many of the facilities and training available.
For example, I recently wrote a short story on how business was changed using some of the available online facilities and how you could be just like the Cool Dude and become the master and not the apprentice.
Learn trade and practice online
When you start any new career you need to learn the basics and the office etiquette, working from home is no different, There are things you need to learn and there are people that need to understand that working from home is a career like any others.
Start your working from home career with a plan
The lack of a plan is fraught with danger as you run from pillar to post. Your plan starts with a conclusion in writing, a destination that you will achieve in a set time.
Don't be overly ambitious with this and try to be as realistic as possible.
If you want to be a Blogger or online affiliate marketer it will take 12 months to get traction.
OK, that seems like a long time but it will go very quickly. You can, however, influence the result by paying out money if you believe it is important.
Next, are all the steps you need to take to achieve your goal broken down into months and days.
As a Blogger, I need to achieve about 6000 words a week. Unless I plan my time this will never happen.
You may decide to teach Facebook, collect overdue accounts, send emails or whatever you choose to do.
Start your day the right way.
What can you do to have the greatest impact on your endeavour?
I have a business that relies on marketing, every morning I send at least one email to a list.
Then I blog so I write and prepare for my next subject based on current relevancy.
Finally, I list out the people I need to contact and make sure I complete the list.
Plan your cash
This is as important as anything you do. It is not good driving halfway to a destination and then you find out that you are out of fuel and no money to buy what you want.
In my business operation, I have a daily planner going out for the year. It's not perfect but it is there and I can make alterations as I go along.
Some of the above are repeated and that is deliberate because of the importance of your successful career by working at home.
Track your results when you work from home.
I know this sounds obvious but it is something we often take for granted.
Have analytics on your web page and a target going forward.
If you want to pick up 12 clients in a year and you are at month three and nothing is happening then change something.
Nothing is set in stone. Things change and rubbish happens but you can find a solution to work around it.
Don't grieve the losses, celebrate the wins and run your life and not the reverse.
Find a buddy
The one thing I have missed by working from home is a sounding board for ideas. In an office environment, there is always someone to listen to you but not so when you are on your own.
I use a family member that also works from home and the group chat at Wealthy Affiliate.
Consideration is being taken to start a group like a book club sort of idea to bounce around ideas.
Have a regular meeting to see what comes out of it.
Our websites all come with 24 /7 support and we have a chat line that can solve many small issues that happen on a busy day.
Most of all enjoy the journey
A work from home job is no different from an office or site job. It's going to take up a third of your day so if it's a drag make some changes.
However, don't run off on a tangent starting a new project to early.
The internet is a Shiny object paradise. We all get lured away into a rabbit hole that contains a promise of great wealth and well being.
Still today I get caught before I drag myself back to reality. This is the most common problem you will face so avoid it at all costs. I have paid thousands for wasted courses that have promised utopia and delivered nothing.
Conclusion about working from home
I have not found you a job or a career but have tried to lay out valuable guidelines that you can use.
There are literally thousands of ideas that you can take on but do it in the best way.
Don't try and do everything, pick a subject and stick with it until success comes.
As an example with social media, we rarely suggest doing more than one as your prime marketing. The reason is that it must be done properly or not at all. It takes time, effort and analysis to get the best results.
Pick your business, plan your journey and most of all have a good time doing it.
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