Working from home and making enough to cover all your expenses while having a healthy bottom line is something that everyone would like to do but few have managed to accomplish. There are several reasons for this, but the first reason is that this is something really hard because it requires you to have skills and self-discipline.
The reality is that if we all were able to work from home, no one would have any need to go into an office. Alas, this is not the case, so what you need to do is find legitimate work to do from home and use the tools available to you to make the job worth your while.
There are several ways you can use collaborative tools to do work for you. One example is with the Google suite of services like Drive, Docs, and Sheets. These tools allow you to collaborate with people around the world and make working from home more flexible.
Also, the programs are helpful, for example, it is easy to use some tips on Google Docs to become a better writer. Using these tools along with other tools including sites like Upwork is the ideal way to get yourself connected so that you can earn the money needed to support your business from your home. Once you have these tools in place, your life as a stay-at-home business becomes much easier to handle because you are more organized and efficient.
Here are 3 great stay at home jobs:
English Language Tutor
There are several companies – most of which are through China – that are all about having native English speakers with a Bachelor’s degree teach English. The best part about these jobs is you can set your own hours and work in a way that is most convenient for you. The systems give you all the information you need including the course materials for the kids.
As for what else you need, there are a few things. The first is you need to make sure your computer is able to run each platform for the company. Some like to use their own apps while others are web-based. You will also need to have a working camera along with having headphones and maybe even a headset.
The way to be successful as an English language tutor is first making peace with giving up your mornings. The time in China is nearly 12 hours ahead of American time, so this means at 7 am when you are greeting the day, these parents are getting their kids English lessons right after dinner. There are several other things to be aware of as well.
Body language is really important – always be smiling as that is a universal signal of approval which cuts through the cultural ice. Also, make sure to speak clearly and slowly, this will help the kids learn. Have an exciting background behind you as well to make it feel more like a classroom.
Freelance Copywriter
The good news about being a copywriter is that you do not need to have an education in this art or even formal training. All you need is the willingness to go after leads and try to make the most of your opportunities. The drawback of copywriting is that you are looking for work a lot but the good news is once you do a good job, word of mouth takes over and that will help your business grow exponentially. To that end, what you need to do is get yourself a couple things – simple training along with a good platform.
There are some different areas to get training. HubSpot has a great training system that helps you get completely acclimated to doing sales writing. Their course may seem a bit cumbersome, but once you go through it, you will see how easily the skills are working together. Another great resource is Secrets to a Six Figure Upworker.
That place is where noted Freelancer Danny Margulies has established a freelancing community that is built around supporting each other and creating a network. Freelance copywriting also makes use of the Google Suite – mastering this particular area is great for working with new clients. They will see results in real time.
Ultimately, if you decide that freelance copywriting is for you, what you have done is given yourself a platform to work on your own. Upwork is a great place to snag some writing jobs, and using the HubSpot or SSFU systems helps you get a leg up on the competition.
Bookkeeping
There are plenty of businesses that need bookkeepers for a number of reasons. The first is businesses need to know exactly what’s going on in their order to cash system. The next is they need to know how much money they have available to spend on equipment. The bottom line is when people are running a business, they can’t run the books as well unless they are extremely talented.
The good news is that Quicken has a training system for people who are aspiring bookkeepers. You can also work remotely with Quicken as there are apps to scan in checks and receipts as well, so you don’t have to drive around to get the information that you need. This means you can live in Florida and work with someone in Washington thanks to the Quicken system.
The ideal person to be a bookkeeper is someone who has a great attention to detail and really wants to go through receipts and other things to make sure everything rings right. There are a lot of different pieces of paper that come through the Quicken system.
The best part is when you are a bookkeeper, you can essentially set your prices. Some businesses don’t have a lot of things they need to have processed while others are far more involved. Because you have specialized training as a bookkeeper, you are able to do a lot of things that will helps businesses grow, and by extension, your home based business as well.