Category Archives: Work at home

The Benefits of Blogging: My Personal Experience

I updated the article to include information about my son’s college graduation.

Blogging has been a therapeutic outlet for me since I quit my job in 2007. Maintaining an online diary has helped me cope with the stresses of everyday life.

Through blogging, I’ve met new friends online who are fellow moms like me. They were the ones who introduced me to the idea that I can earn from blogging in the comfort of my own home.

Photo by Kaitlyn Baker on Unsplash

I started to earn from blogging in 2010, and since then, I’ve registered with several blogging networks and have been working with them for years. While some of these companies are no longer in operation, I’m grateful for the opportunities they’ve given me.

For the past 11 years, blogging has helped me pay our bills, buy groceries, pay for my kids’ monthly tuition, purchase personal items for my family, and even cover some of my kids’ hospital bills back in 2011.

My son has since graduated from college, and I couldn’t be prouder. Blogging was a huge part of how I was able to support him through his education.

While the blogging landscape may not be as lucrative as it once was, I’m still not planning to retire from it. To young aspiring bloggers, I would recommend trying it out, growing from it, and thriving in the world of blogging.

Tips for Stay-at-Home Moms: Home-Based Jobs

“Stay-at-home mom” is a title that has significantly evolved in the past decade — in large part because “stay at home,” thanks to the digital revolution, no longer means “non-working.” A home computer with an internet connection is the portal to innumerable flexible options, and if you’re a stay-at-homer looking to add part- or full-time work to your home-based schedule, there are many paths you can pursue. Earning an income for your family while simultaneously caring for your family (and being present) has recently become much easier — you just have to determine what type of work is best for you.

Know Thyself, Skillset and Schedule

First, you must ask yourself these questions: What are you looking to get out of home-based employment? Would you sacrifice a higher salary for something personally rewarding? Or would you rather be earning at a higher rate for work that isn’t necessarily fulfilling? Whatever your goals, keep in mind the schedule in which you can achieve them. Do you have a solid seven hours of time when your children are at school, or is your free time scattered throughout the day as you tend to a toddler, or your home? And does your environment allow for the quiet necessary for phone-heavy jobs, or is it louder and more chaotic — requiring most communication to occur via email? Know the answers to these questions, and you’re on your way to exploring the following employment options.

Learn a High-Demand Skill

If decent pay is high on your list of priorities, it wouldn’t hurt to invest your time or money in learning a high-demand skill. Computer coders and programmers, for instance, are often needed across all industries. On a small scale, any company that maintains a functioning website requires an employee with some degree of code familiarity. On a large scale, startups and digitally-based companies are always often in search of reliable programmers and developers to add to their team. These opportunities are both freelance and permanent hires that work remotely, so you’d be able to fit your own work schedule around your established lifestyle.

Similarly, many companies (particularly smaller companies) hire freelance clients to do web-design — the actual site graphics — that has nothing to do with coding. Learning Photoshop skills or taking a graphic design class could be a fantastic investment that will allow you to start freelancing on your own as a visual designer.

Follow Your Passions

If the search for a home-based job is centered more around self-fulfillment than finance, the first thing to ask yourself is: “What do I love to do?” If your passion is making art or crafting, check out sites like Etsy.com. Individuals can set up their own digital store and sell their unique homemade products. If you’ve wanted to make and sell your own ceramics for years but have put it on hold as a stay-at-home-mom, you should know that there are many ways to sell your products online from your own living room.

If you’re passionate about teaching, you can start your own tutoring business from home. Or, if you’d like to stay digital, you can seek out jobs on sites like TutorVista.com that hire individuals to tutor students online.

And if you’re passionate about an organization or charity, seek out jobs in their marketing department that can be performed remotely. Many smaller organizations may not even have a centralized office, but rather hire individuals who can work from home. Charities and non-profits are often in need of marketing employees, and while the pay may not be the highest, knowing you’re helping spread the word about your passion can be incredibly rewarding.

Know Where You’re Needed

If you can’t find a field that appeals to you and are more concerned with a consistent paycheck, look for positions that aren’t necessarily glamorous, but are necessary. Data entry, for example, exists throughout all industries and can often be operated remotely. Companies will hire employees to manage their databases and upkeep their systems. And although tedious, these types of jobs allow you assignments that are finite and accomplishable so you can go on to do other things at home. Learn software like Excel, Oracle, SQL Server, and Amazon’s SimpleDB. Data management isn’t going away anytime soon. Just be careful—there are a lot of ads out there that promote home-based jobs, and they are often scams. Before you sign up or submit anything, be sure to do your research.

Writing content for websites is also a niche position that many people making a living off of. If you’re better with words than number data, you might want to consider checking out freelancing sites like upwork.com. Oftentimes you’ll start with very low rates, but after gaining some experience you can charge higher numbers in exchange for guaranteed quality content. In addition, learn how SEO works; much of the content purchased by companies for their digital sites take SEO into consideration when publishing.

There are also phone-based positions offered by many companies. Think telemarketing, but the caller calls you. This can include IT help, sales, and customer service lines. And many of these jobs are also shifting to home-based work — the image you might have of a large call center is becoming less and less accurate as corporations save office lease costs by keeping their employees at home.

No matter what job you decide to pursue, don’t be discouraged by the vastness of choice. Sometimes jobs will be right in front of your nose, and other times you’ll feel like you’re stumbling around in the dark. Keep looking, pursuing leads, and evaluating what it is exactly that you’d like to get out of home-based employment, and how you can achieve these goals.

Create Your Perfect Home Office

If you work from home, you know how wonderful it can be. No sitting in traffic while commuting, no fussy office wardrobe and no interruptions from colleagues on the way to the breakroom. Yet sometimes you may find it difficult to stay focused and productive at home. The key is having a good workspace. The dining room table is fine for kids doing homework, but as a professional you need something better.

Location

As with any real estate decision, the most important aspect is location. You may be able to get by with commandeering a portion of your master suite. Some floor plans include a nook or seating area that is set apart from the restful, intimate bedroom space. Ideally, however, your office will be a room of its own. Convert an attic or basement if necessary. This separation is essential in maintaining a healthy work-life balance.

Décor

Create a business-like tone that will put you in an industrious frame of mind. Furnish the room with a desk, chair and bookshelf, ergonomically arranged for your comfort and efficiency. Add artwork that is unique and personal but still professional. Rather than family pictures, display personal prints customized to fit your space perfectly. Warm up the office with cheerful but soothing paint colors and a high-quality area rug. If clients will see the office, you will need guest chairs and a small side table. Complete your accessorizing efforts with thriving houseplants.

Lighting

Good lighting is indispensable to a good work space. Natural light is best, but artificial will do as long as you have the proper levels. Dimly lit spaces lead to eye strain, fatigue and headaches. Harsh fluorescent lighting can cause migraines. Proper lighting can improve your mood during the workday. Install full-spectrum daylight bulbs in overhead fixtures for proper ambient lighting. Once your furniture is in place, augment with task lighting as needed, being sure to avoid glare on your computer screen. With the right lighting, you can design a bright and cheery office that will make you smile each morning.