Not Sure How

So you are ready to take the leap and become a work at home parent but uncertain how to get started, what you can do and if direct sales is an option. I am here to help show you the things I thought about before jumping into the work at home mom position.

How Much Money Do I Need To Make

This would be the first question to ask yourself. Sit down and figure out a budget, something like the budget sheet I use in Microsoft Excel. Figure out how much your bills are a month, figure out how much you need to have weekly to survive. This will be frustrating at first, as it was for me. My bills were and still are way more than any income I have coming in, but if you are able to really try to budget eventually you will get to a point where you can afford the bills without getting disconnect notices.

How Will I Make Said Amount

Next you need to determine what your skills are, what work you are qualified to do and what type of positions can be completed from home. If you are looking into a job from home there are many resources out there, some of my favorite places to look for work at home is Craigslist (beware of some scams), Work At Home Revolution, Mommy Works Online,  and last but certainly not least Twitter is a great place to find connections.

Are you good at being social? Do you enjoy selling items to people? Maybe direct sales is going to be where you make the most money, although this will require an upfront fee to become a distributor or consultant, the pay out can be tremendous for the right person. I used to sell candles, Avon, Amway Global, and all sorts of various items/services but after jumping into my virtual assistant business I realized I could no longer find passion in direct sales the way I used to.

Applying To Home Jobs

Be sure you have your resume updated to include an area for skills that you have acquired and what objective you are seeking. A great objective, skill list and cover letter may be what sets you apart from others who are looking to prove to another person why hiring YOU to work from your home is worth every penny they will save.

Follow Up and Be Persistent

Just like any normal hiring process an employer wants to see you are truly interested in offering your service to their business. They need to know you are the right candidate and when applying virtually it’s hard for an employer to truly know who you are . If possible, email a resume and cover letter then follow up with  a phone call 2-3 days later. If the employer has no phone number listed, simply follow up via email within 2-3 days. Be persistent but polite, don’t sound so desperate that you need a job because even if that is the case for your personal situation, it will be a turn off to the employer and chances are they will hire the non-desperate sounding person over you.

Keep Your Head Up

I will forewarn you that you may send out 100 resumes and cover letters before nailing that first home job but rest assure that when you finally nail your dream home job you will feel a relief unlike any other. No more getting up, showering in the early morning hours or late night hours to get ready to report into a boss that you don’t even want to see. More often than not you can work your job from home in your PJ’s if you want and only have to report into the employer once a day or once a week, depending upon the expectations set forth in your job description.

Keep moving forward and having the “I Can” attitude and you will see that it is possible to earn a living working from your home office, even if your office isn’t really an “office” per say!

Make it a Happy Day!