Juggling motherhood and a career can be tough. Working moms want to keep their careers going, but they also want to spend time with their children. Additionally, some stay-at-home mothers are looking to start a career, but aren’t sure how to balance family and work. So, where’s the middle ground here?
More women are looking to become freelancers who work from home. Some women are even quitting their 9-to-5 job to take on this new gig. This isn’t a shocking trend, as 2.7 million workers voluntarily left their jobs at the end of June 2015, a 25% increase compared to two years previously.
The transition into becoming a freelancing mom can be tough to navigate. If you’re in this situation, here are some tips to help make working from home a bit easier.
Tip 1: Identify Your Top Skills (And Know What They’re Worth)
As a freelancer, it’s important to know what skills you bring to the table. The more value you create for your clients, the more likely they’ll hire you for a job.
Identify what your top skills are as a freelancer and own them. Are you a whiz at email marketing? Or are you an expert blog writer whose content helps turn site visitors into leads? Identify which skills set you apart from the rest. Knowing what your top skills are makes it easier to establish yourself as a freelancer.
Also, you must know what your skills are worth. Research your skills and how valuable they are in the job market. You don’t want to overcharge, but you also don’t want to short-change yourself. Know your value, and be ready to justify it.
Tip 2: Network, Network, Network
As a freelancer, you work on your own. That doesn’t mean you should stop networking, though. If anything, freelancing should inspire you to network more.
Statistics show that 85% of positions are filled through networking. If you want to land more jobs as a freelancer, grow your network. Even if your connections don’t have jobs available, they may know people in their network who need freelancers.
There are multiple ways to network as a freelancer. You can go to networking events in your town, or join an online network of freelancers for tips and advice. You could also see if there’s a local group for freelancing moms you can join. If there isn’t one, establish it yourself! The more you meet people and get your name out there, the more likely someone will remember it when they’re looking for a freelancer.
Tip 3: Create Your Own Work Space
Working from home is a big perk of freelancing. However, it can be challenging, especially if you have children at home with you. It can be easy to get distracted from work when your kid is hungry or a fight breaks out between siblings.
One way to focus on your freelance work is to create your own workspace. If you have a spare room, turn it into an office. If you don’t have an extra room, try putting a desk in one of your rooms and set up shop there. Having a space dedicated to work will help you stay focused and organized.
Tip 4: Make a Schedule and Stick to It
Another big perk of freelancing is having the ability to create your schedule. You can work the hours you want, whenever you want. This kind of flexibility can have a negative impact on your work, though.
If you don’t have a set schedule in place, you could end up missing deadlines. It’s easy to look at a task and say, “I’ll get started on that in an hour.” Before you know it, one hour turns into two…and two turns into four (especially when you’re looking after your kids). If you create a schedule, your days will be more structured. Commit a number of hours per day to freelancing work, and stick to a structured start and end time. This will ensure you make time for your work and your family.
Tip 5: Get Organized
As a freelancer, you may be balancing multiple projects and clients. Balancing clients and balancing a family can be difficult. That’s why it’s important to keep all the information about your work as organized as possible.
If you’re a more hands-on person, invest in organization tools like agendas, desk calendars, folders, and binders. These will keep your projects organized. If you’re more into digital organization, look into online file management tips. Some of these tips include creating a root file for your work, creating appropriate folders, and backing up your projects.
Tip 6: Establish a Great Online Presence
An estimated 35% of customers find out about local businesses from seeing its sign while passing. Unfortunately, most freelancers don’t have this kind of exposure. That means they must utilize their online presence to spread the word about their services.
Luckily, we live in a digital world. Freelancers can create websites and social media profiles dedicated to their work. If you haven’t yet, grab yourself a Godaddy website builder and create a website for yourself that promotes what you do, show your work, and list your contact information for clients. If the Godaddy option appears pricy, here are the top free website builders with the help of these platforms you can create your own website. You can also create social media profiles for your freelancing work. If you’re comfortable with it, you can even make being a mom part of your brand. Sharing your story as a freelancing mom may resonate with others, and as a result, you could gain a following.
Also, research the top online job sites for freelancers and create profiles on them. These profiles will help you find work, network, and further establish yourself in the freelancing market.
Tip 7: Have a Healthy Work-Life Balance
The line between work life and home life gets blurred when a freelancer works from home, especially if they have children. It can be easy to become overwhelmed between working and raising a family. Everyone needs a healthy work-life balance, and freelancing moms are no exception.
Remember to take time for yourself and do things outside of work and parenting. Spend time with friends, take a cooking class, or even volunteer. An estimated 50% of adults aged 65 and over participate in volunteer work, and you could join some of them for a day of giving back. Everyone needs time for themselves, and freelancing moms shouldn’t feel guilty for taking a day to unwind.
Being a freelancing mom may be challenging at first, but once you get the hang of your new routine, it’ll be easier to manage. Working from home allows you to work while you raise your children, which is a big relief for a lot of working moms. With the proper time management, organization and support, you’ll be a pro freelancing mom in no time!
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