For those of you who have been reading the blog for a while, you would know about my journey from being an 8-5 (or way beyond 5pm) corporate working mom to becoming a work-from-home mom (although very part time nowadays). This experience led me to advocate working from home, as a good way of sort of striking a balance (in my opinion there will never be a perfect solution for us ordinary moms) between being there for the husband and the children when they need you, and for helping with the family’s finances.
Today’s guest post is about things to consider before finally taking the work-from-home plunge. Whether you will be jumping from the corporate ladder, or transforming from being a full-time stay at home mom, the five things Powerpinoys Author Louren Jovito specified in the article below are indeed something to ponder on. Special emphasis ladies on the word full time, meaning this will entail work of about seven to eight hours five to six days per week.
So here goes:
5 Things Moms Need to Consider Before Getting a Fulltime Online Job
By Louren Jovito, Power Pinoys
Working from home is now becoming a trend. More and more online job opportunities are being offered, and worked on because of the flexibility that this type of work provides. Most of the opportunities allow you to work at your own pace meaning waking up early is not needed, and you can work anywhere you want.
It is now possible for parents to work while being with their children. Moms with little kids in fact can now work and earn at the very comfort of their home.
If you’re also the kind of family who loves to travel, this work set-up will be perfect for you. For as long as you have a good source of reliable internet connection and a decent laptop, you can now work anywhere you want.
There are a lot of home based jobs you can apply for. Whether full time or part-time, it’s totally up to you. You just first need to know and assess what service you can offer. After that, build your online profile and market yourself in that field.
There are a lot of positive things online jobs can give to an individual: More time for family, no traffic, flexible schedule, and etc. However, despite all these good stuff, there are important things moms and dads still need to consider before getting a full time home based job.
1. Solitary life ahead
Many people find that home based jobs can be really lonely. Some people can handle the long hours or days of being alone while others cannot. There are type of people who really are in need of social interaction because that’s what makes them feel charged and energized.
You should at least be aware of your personality type. Introverts are used to being alone most of the time and this will sound easy for them. But for extroverts, this can be a decision-making factor to say no to home based works.
Check yourself if you will have hard time dealing regarding this matter. Because if that is the case, you need to find ways how to compensate for your need for social interaction.
2. You need to maintain self-discipline
If you’re working at home, you are your own supervisor. No one will constantly remind you what to do. You need to exert extra self-control not to do unnecessary things such as browsing social networks or other distracting things.
Learn how to declutter your mind. Remove unnecessary tabs on your browser when working. Have in front of you a piece of paper with your to-do list to prepare yourself for the next tasks.
Having a home based job is not as easy as office job where there are supervisors who remind their subordinates about the tasks to be done. It’s a lot harder to concentrate and focus on your job when you’re in a place where no one is watching.
Just observe good working habits until it becomes a routine. There should be no excuses.
3. There will be a lot of distractions
There will be a lot of distractions and interruptions when you’re at home. Be ready mommies, you’ll encounter a ton of problems with your kids especially if they’re still in their infant to toddler stage. You need to prepare for this.
Apart from the children (and the husband), other common distractions include clucking chicken, sounds of the vehicles passing by, barking dogs, blowing horns, and etc. It’s more fun in the Philippines!
One way to reduce distractions and interruptions is to have a dedicated room where you can work in silence. You can also request from your children and other household members to refrain from speaking to you or toying with your work computer while you are working.
4. You either work more or work less
With home based jobs, you either work more or work less. It depends on your mindset and how you really are into your job.
Typically, most people who work from home usually work less hours compared to those who work in the office. On the other hand, if you’re the type of mom who is a workaholic, you might end up working more than what’s required of you.
Here’s an advice. If you are a workaholic, please get a life. You are working to live and not living to work.
One good thing you can practice is to always have a well-defined working schedule. You can use time tracking and project management softwares to make sure that you are working just enough. When you’re done, it’s time for other life activities.
5. Process documents by yourself
If you’re serious about this, be ready. You’ll be the one responsible for all document processing such as SSS, Health Insurance, Pag-ibig, Philhealth, BIR, and etc.
With typical office job, the HR department will process these things for you. If you’re going to work from home, this can be a big headache especially during the start.
Once you get used in processing these documents, it can actually be very helpful. You’ll definitely learn a lot of things which you cannot simply learn if you’re working in an office based job. You’ll be able to find customized programs that exactly fit your needs.
That’s it! These are some of the major things you need to consider if you’re planning to work at home. Things are hard when you’re just starting out but don’t worry, you’ll eventually get hang of it. Everything soon will be worth the patience and effort.
I know somebody from BPO jumped from call center job to home based job. Today, he is earning six-digits every month! This is how lucrative home based jobs can be. If you know friends or relatives that are interested in these kind of opportunities, please share this with them!
About the author:
Louren is the founder and the publisher of PowerPinoys where he writes about business, finance, blogging, self-help, and other related topics. He is an e-commerce and real estate web developer turned full-time blogger.
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So there you have it, I hope you got some ideas from the write-up that Louren shared.
To my dear readers, let me know if you would like to contribute an article, a poem, or even a song you composed, so that we can share it with our fellow parents – this goes whether you have or you do not have your own website. You may get in touch with me by dropping by my Facebook page. Hope you can also hit the like button while you are there so you can receive regular updates from Happypinaymommy.com direct on your newsfeed. You may also follow us on our Instagram and Pinterest Accounts!
Thank you so much!
A Happy Homemaker is a Happy Pinay Mommy!
Here’s a video on working from home full time:
