Want to Work from Home? Just Do It!
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By Amanda Quraishi
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been called, emailed, or private messaged on Facebook by women friends looking for work at home opportunities. Even though I currently work as a web media strategist for a startup company I also run a boutique new media firm from home– and right after my twins were born I worked as a full time freelancer for almost two years. I guess my friends assume that I know something they don’t know about working from home.
But the truth is–anyone can work from home. There’s no secret. If you have any marketable skills you can find a way to earn an income while staying home. Thanks to changing attitudes by employers and advances in technology, even high level professionals like attorneys and consultants have been able to grow a thriving independent business on their own terms. Virtual assistants, data entry clerks, freelance writers, graphic designers, website developers, bookkeepers–all have similarly managed to carve out a home-based business for themselves.
Small-to-midsized companies looking to minimize overhead are happy to outsource jobs to professional, remote workers. Doing business on the web also means you are not tied to a specific location and can work with clients all over the country—or the world. Furthermore there are thousands of home based businesses such as childcare, catering, or online retail that women have started up and grown into serious income opportunities.
The key to working at home successfully (regardless of your industry) is the same for everyone: Regardless of what you do, you must learn to think like an entrepreneur. The reason why, of course, is that if you are a freelancer or an independent contractor, you are basically in business for yourself. That means that in addition to actually getting your work done, you also need to be able to market yourself, manage your own taxes and bookkeeping, have a plan for growing your business, know how to negotiate with clients, and provide customer service.
There are hundreds of free applications, networking sites, job bidding communities, and social media tools that you can employ to build a presence for yourself on the internet. As you form relationships with your clients, be sure to leverage them for future growth. Ask your clients for referrals and testimonials, and offer additional services to them to increase your current revenues.
Working from home has its own set of challenges, but it can be an ideal solution for today’s woman who doesn’t want to sacrifice the time she spends with her family for a job. Furthermore, having flexibility in your schedule and being in charge of your own destiny are great reasons to consider working from home—even if you don’t have young children. Think about your options, talk to other women who are already making it happen, and if you decide working from home is right for you…JUST DO IT.
Amanda Quraishi is a writer, blogger and activist living in Austin, Texas. She works as a New Media Strategist at UpSpring Baby, a company making innovative products for moms and babies.
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