Perfect Your Professionalism as a Freelancer
working at home
Image
Freelancers often have a bad reputation when it comes to professionalism - through no fault of their own. And, while I don’t believe it to be true, it’s something you have to fight against constantly. Whether you are pitching for a slot on an online magazine or trying to attract the attention of a local marketing agency, you're up against a lot of resistance.
There are, however, some simple solutions to the reputation problems you might have as a self-employed writer, designer or creator of any description. I’m going to go through a few of the major issues with you right now and provide you with some hints and tips on where you should focus your efforts to perfect your professionalism as a freelancer.
how to work at home
Always Deliver on Time, Every Time
This should be a no-brainer, folks, but always make sure you are delivering the goods to your clients on time. Do great work, and you will reap the rewards, whether it’s ongoing work or the benefits of word of mouth advertising from happy customers. Life is tougher for freelancers than many clients will believe, as you have so many hats to wear. But, ultimately, no clients care if you have been feeling ill, or experienced a power outage, or any other travails you might be experiencing. They want their work delivered on time, every time, so be always be ahead of yourself and never leave anything until the last minute.
Have a Professional Address
Many freelancers work from home, but many of your potential prospects will often use this against you. Like it or not, business owners prefer working with other firms, and even if you have a smart office in your spare room or in the garden, that home address can often make them think twice before hiring you. I mean, they can Google Maps you and see your house!
There are a few options available to you, however. Coworking spaces are proving beneficial for freelancers of all kinds, so visit the website of any hubs in your area and see what you can find. You can also get yourself a PO Box, which will, at least, give you a professional-sounding address on your website.
freelancer's desk
Dress Smarter
OK, so you have finally convinced a potential client to meet with you. It is vital that you look the part (including in Skype meetings!), or you could be tarred with the unprofessional brush. Image is such an important part of business. People will judge you on your appearance in an instant - the truth is if they don’t like the look of you, it may not even matter what your skills you can bring to the table. I’m not suggesting you need to turn up in a three-piece suit for every meeting, of course, but professional attire helps you appear like you mean business.
Show, Don’t Tell
Are you branding yourself as a ninja, guru or expert on your website and other marketing materials? If so, it’s probably time to stop. While expertise is vital in attracting prospects, people want to see it in action, not hear about it.
Talk about your experience and niche, and explain how you get your results. Ultimately, it’s results that matter to your clients, not bold, unprovable statements about how great you are. Show, don’t tell, and you will find yourself picking up more clients than you ever have before.
Note: This post contains affiliate links.
The Real Truth About the Cost of Starting a Blog
starting a blog
We have all had the scenario where we’ve hit the snooze button one too many times on a Monday morning. The thought of having to head out to work again can take its toll. We all have bills to pay, though. So it is easy to see why more and more people are choosing to start their own businesses or start working freelance. When your time is your own, and you only have to answer to yourself, it can make ‘heading out’ to work much more bearable.
But doesn’t it take a lot of money to get your own business up and running? What if you don’t have the cash upfront?
So then you might start thinking about some low-cost business ideas to get you started. Many people turn to a blog, since it seems to have a relatively small upfront cost in return for a greater earning potential.
How much will it cost to set up, though?
The start-up costs of a blog are pretty minimal, but it can grow to a large sum.
You’ll need to decide on a hosting platform and then pay for the hosting and domain name. But paid over each month, it can be as little as $10 a month.
If you don’t have a laptop or computer that will work for it, then that can be an upfront cost, too. A decent laptop that will work for blogging can cost as little as $200. I suggest going to your local pawn shop. Often, you can find high-end laptops for a third of the price.
If you want to hone your skills and improve things like the photography on your blog, then investing in a decent camera is a good idea. My choice is the Canon Rebel T6i. This Rebel T6i kit comes with a new camera, filters, memory cards and other photography accessories for a low price. It runs around $500, which is less than what most sites sell the camera for alone.
The design of your blog is a key factor in turning your blog into a successful business. So if you’re not too savvy with tech, it might be worth hiring someone like a Divi Expert to design your site for you. You want it to be a responsive site so that it will work well on tablets and mobile devices. You also want it to look good and flow well, so your readers can find that they want easily, and not just click off. If it looks quite messy, then people will just give up. So that could be an expense worth investing in. Costs vary, depending on who you hire.
writing a blog
Once you start to churn out posts, it might be worth spending a little to make your life easier. As your blog gets popular, then it could be worth hiring someone like a virtual assistant, just for a couple of hours a week. They could edit photos for you, do some of your social media, or even write out some blog posts. If you hire from abroad, then the cost can be pretty minimal. Virtual assistants can run the gamut in fees, so shop around.
Also, when you get a few people subscribing to your blog, then it might be time to look into a decent email subscribe mailing system. Then you can update them with a newsletter from time to time, for example. This can cost around $30-$50 per month.
Though it may be more than you expected, the start up costs of a blog are low when compared to other businesses, but the potential is massive if you have a good niche.
Note: This post contains affiliate links.
The Ultimate Social Media Toolkit: Templates, Cheats and Tips that Will Get Your Brand Noticed
Hey, I'm glad you're reading this!
Don't let social media make you feel like this!
After almost 20 years of creating content for businesses big and small, I've learned tips and tricks to grabbing a reader's attention. In social media, grabbing attention is essential to getting followers, likes, clicks and conversions. It means everything, especially if you are a small business. So, I am going to share some of the quickest and easiest ways to peak readers' interest with you. Best of all? These are proven techniques that get results. I hope you find the following information useful. Have questions? Send me a tweet. I'm @alinabradford over there.
Click here for your kit.
Fight the Fear: Read This Guide to Eliminate Anxiety
Living with anxiety is tough. Sure, we all get anxious from time to time, but some people suffer from panic and feelings of stress and worry on a much more frequent and intense scale. I have suffered with anxiety my entire career as a freelance writer. It's caused me to turn down jobs, avoid meetings and more. If you are struggling with anxiety and it is getting in the way of your freelancing business, there are ways you can manage it and live a healthy and happy life. Whether you have an anxiety issue or think you might, or are just interested in helping a friend by knowing more, read this guide to anxiety.
coping with anxiety
What is Anxiety?
Anxiety manifests itself in different ways for different people. For some, it can be crippling panic attacks which are spurred on by feelings of inadequacy.
For others, anxiety is the feeling of wanting to be alone and isolating yourself from others. There is no one definition that fits all sufferers.
What are the Symptoms?
Having a panic attack can feel like dying. It often mimics the symptoms of a heart attack, asthma attack or even a seizure, so even the most level headed individual can feel convinced that the worst is about to happen.
Panic attacks are defined as moments of intense fear that is often irrational. This fear can cause physical symptoms as well as illogical thoughts and actions. They are often caused by stressful situations, but it can also be part of a mental disorder such as social anxiety or panic disorder.
There are some telltale signs of anxiety. These include:
Spending large portions of the day worrying or feeling nervous
The feeling that things are getting on top of you
Finding it hard to switch off
Muscular tension
Nausea
Sweating
Dizziness
Anxiety affects the way we feel and think and affect us physically. Usually, an anxious person will have a mindset that automatically zeros in on potential problems. For instance, they’ll worry about bad things happening and imagine worse case scenarios.
According to studies, most people will experience an attack in their lifetime. One in 10 have panic attacks at least occasionally, according to the UK National Health Service.
Often, there are no signs of a pending panic attack, leaving the suffer blindsided. Over time, a person may be able to determine what triggers the attack. Some triggers may include social confrontations or being exposed to a certain phobia, such as heights, arachnids or water.
Panic attacks can come with a wide range of symptoms. The symptoms can vary from person to person. Some common symptoms, though, are sweating, shaking, trouble breathing or hyperventilation, hot flashes or chills, tightness in your throat or trouble swallowing, headache, dizziness, faintness, chest pain stomach cramps and nausea. These symptoms can last up to thirty minutes and leave the person feeling drained of energy.
Chest pain shouldn’t be overlooked, even if one thinks it is a symptom of a panic attack. Anyone with chest pain should be examined by a medical professional.
What Causes A Person to be Anxious?
Just like there’s no magic cure, there’s no one answer that fits everyone. A person can become anxious for all different kinds of reasons. These can include our past experiences. If a person has experienced a lot of stressful situations, pressure at work or home, financial difficulties, etc, they are more likely to become anxious. The feeling of not being able to cope can grow from the smallest of situations and become a much bigger deal.
The medical community hasn’t come to a single consensus on what specifically causes panic disorder. Researchers believe that they may be caused by genetics, stress, history of abuse, trauma or changes in brain function.
Frequent panic attacks can turn into bigger physiological and social problem. The person may start avoiding situations to prevent new attacks. This can lead to depression, problems with work or school, suicidal thoughts or actions and other problems.
The person may begin to avoid situations that have brought on panic attacks in the past. This can lead to phobias. If the attacks get frequent and severe enough, they can eventually cause the sufferer to fear leaving their house at all - full blown agoraphobia.
How Can I Learn To Manage My Anxiety?
It is possible to manage anxiety and live a worry-free, stress-free life. There are a few things that you can do to help.
Firstly you need to understand your anxiety. What are your triggers, when do they occur, how does it feel? Once you’ve understood how your anxiety presents itself you can deal with it. There are plenty of materials out there and mantras that people with anxiety adopt. This is to help them to fight their unhelpful thoughts and be more realistic. For instance, if you’re prone to worrying about the smallest things, ask yourself how realistic are your fears, can you change the situation, is the worry helping? It helps to challenge our negative thoughts and try to realize we're being too hard on ourselves.
There are hospitals, support groups, and programs to help people with anxiety issues. For example, the Compass Health Center helps adults with OCD and Complex Anxiety Disorder. Self-help is great, but it also helps to have some additional support. Especially when experts can teach us how to spend less time worrying and how to relax.
If a person is diagnosed with panic disorder, which consists of chronic panic attacks, treatment will be necessary. Psychotherapy and/or medications may prescribed.
Cognitive behavioral therapy, a type of psychotherapy, is often used to change the thinking patterns that may cause new attacks. Another form of psychotherapy, called psychodynamic psychotherapy, is used to make the patient aware of thoughts and behaviors that cause the attacks. The person may also be exposed, repeatedly, to the trigger of the attacks to lessen the fear of the situation.
Even though panic attacks and anxiety can be scary for the suffer, they are not life threatening. Proper treatment can free a person and allow them to concentrate on their freelancing business.
Resources
For more information on managing emotions, see this helpful article What is Emotional Intelligence? +18 Ways To Improve It. My Move also has a wellness guide for those who may be experiencing anxiety during major life moments, such as moving during the pandemic. It includes helpful wellness apps for productivity, self care tools for the mind and body, and stress management tips.
Be sure to check out these articles, too:
How to Fix Your Broken Tweets
broken twitter
Sometimes I take look at people's tweets and I just shake my head. Then, I want to take out my red marker an edit that sucker. With just a few simple changes you can take your tweets from oh-my-gosh-bad to attention grabbing superstars.
To teach you how, I am going to show you some tweets that went wrong. Then I'm going to give you a taste of proper tweeting tactics. Don't worry all of the names have been censored to protect the guilty tweet offenders. Let's get started.
Proper Hashtag Usage
Some people just love to go crazy with the hashtags. They load them in there so thick that the tweet just doesn't make sense. Or, even worse, the hashtags are useless. A useless hashtag is one that no one is searching for so all it does is take up space.
[bctt tweet="People go crazy with the hashtags. They load them in there so thick that the tweet just doesn't make sense." via="no"]
Take a look at this tweet blunder in the center:
Okay, the person with the blue star on her profile picture made a valiant effort. #TeamBossyGals, #poets and #news are valid hashtags that people are looking for on Twitter. The problem is, she uses way too many and people don't search for hashtags with a symbol in the center. On the other hand, Sony Pictures, right below, shows you how its done right. Two hashtags per tweet has the best interaction rates and the hashtags are about topics that are hot right now.
[bctt tweet="Two hashtags per tweet has the best interaction rates." via="no"]
Tweets that Make You Go Huh
When you tweet and add a link you want people to click on that link right? Well, if no one knows what the heck your link is about they're not going to click on it. Take a look at this little doozy:
Nope. Not gonna click.
Okay, Mr. Star, I'm not going to click with that vague description. For all I know I could be clicking on a brilliant virus link. Throw your readers a bone and tell them what the link is about like this awesome tweeter:
I love the tweet link info!
Confusing People with @s
A great way to keep your tweets short is to use a person's Twitter instead of writing it the regular way and adding their twitter name to the end of the tweet. Here's are two tweeters that get it right:
tweeting names
Here's a tweet that's not so great:
too many tweet names
Now, this one isn't hideous, but it does have some problems. It uses a couple names combined with hashtags, numbers, a link, abbreviations and a bunch of text. That's a lot of stuff stuffed into one tweet. Many times, someone will see all of that and skip over reading the tweet. Remember, Twitter is a social media site for people that like to scan quickly through a lot of information. If your post takes too long to read or decipher, people won't read it. They'll just skip to the next tweet.
Get Creative, Yall!
Sometimes you need to mix things up a little. I'd like to end this blog post with an example of someone with a creative, engaging post that stands out.
How do you mix things up to make your Tweets fantastic?
HTGAWM post
29 Facts Every Freelancer Needs to Know
information on freelancing
Freelancing sounds so carefree. You get to make your own hours, show up in your pajamas and choose which clients you'd like to work with. Yah, it's great. There's more to it, though. Take a look at this infographic:
The Life of a Freelancer
Want to know what the life of a freelancer is like when you have kids? I couldn't sum it up better than this video.
Don't Get Caught In The Web: Use It To Climb Higher!
how to become a writer
As a writer, how many times have you fallen into a spiral of despair at a mistake in a social media update? Grammar mistakes are rife online. One thing’s for sure; it never takes long for someone to spot the error and ridicule the culprit.
So few people know the difference between their, there and they're! Aggg!
Many of us are under the belief that the internet has done terrible things for the English language. It’s never been possible for so many people to publish unchecked work before. And, even us writers sometimes fall under the spell of not proofreading before we post!
The internet isn't all bad. In fact, it can be a huge help for writers looking to develop their craft. The trick is knowing how best to use it.
Online Courses
The most obvious way the internet can help you is through online writing courses. In an ideal world, we would all go out to a local evening class. But, who can honestly say they have time for that?
The good news is, you can now get many of the benefits from a writing class from the comfort of your home. From finding your course to downloading your course material; all it takes is the push of a few buttons!
The best thing about this is that you don’t need to settle for the nearest course to you. You can pick any course to suit your writing needs! Want to hone your freelance skills? No problem. Or, are you more passionate about writing fantasy? The internet’s got you covered there, too!
All it takes is a little research to find the perfect thing. Choose from courses that come in modules and last a few months, or one time Skype sessions with other writers.
Create Your Own Group
If it’s writerly interaction you’re after, you could set up your own group on Facebook. Get the word out on social media and see if anyone’s interested. That way, you’re not writing into the void. Editing the work of other writers can also be a huge help with your work. Seeing what they’ve done wrong will save you making the same mistakes.
how to become a freelance writer
Social Media
Speaking of social media; that can be a huge help as well! Building an audience is important for any writer. Any potential publisher will feel more comfortable to work with someone with a guaranteed readership. It makes their job a hell of a lot easier!
Plus, it can be a boost to know there’s people out there who want to read what you write before it’s written! Social media can also be an excellent way to get yourself noticed. Sites like Twitter are fantastic for interacting with other writers.
You could even get your face known by agents and publishing houses. And, they do say it’s about the people you know! Build an audience by posting often and getting involved in conversations.
And, don’t think you have to stick to traditional social media routes, either. Youtube is a popular platform for budding writers to talk about what they read and write. The correct term for it is Booktube. Or, a more recent addition, Authortube! Authors such as Jen Campbell have developed an audience nearing 30,000 viewers. Find out about the best vlogging cameras and set up a channel. Watch videos from other Booktubers to get some idea of how to do it, and then take the leap! And remember, get involved in conversations to get your face seen. It’s the fastest way to get subscribers of your own.
writer life
Practice and Perfection
The internet also offers a fantastic opportunity to practice and perfect your writing. What better practice than blogging? Knowing your writing will be out there for the world to see will put added pressure on getting it right. It’ll be a huge help in honing your skills.
Short blogging on social media can also help you hone your skill. When you only have 140 characters to work with, every word counts. Set yourself a challenge of posting a small story on Twitter each day. If you like it, micro fiction could be for you!
There are also some fantastic websites out there to help with writing. Hemingway app tests the readability of your work. It's wonderful if you’re guilty of overusing adjectives. Or, head to a site like Grammarly, which makes sure there are no grammar errors in your online writing. It’s a great way to avoid embarrassment. Let’s be honest, a lot of people could do with a grammar check before they post!
Finding and Sending Work
The world wide web is also a huge help in finding and submitting work. If you’re working freelance or writing short stories, most business will be online. Freelancers can join sites where they bid for work. The competitive aspect will force you into being the best you can be! Or, you can find out about magazines looking for articles. Short story writers can learn about writing competitions galore online. Signing up to sites like Submittable allows you to send stories hassle-free. You'll also be able to track them without worry. Here are some places that list jobs for writers.So, there you have it. The worries about what the internet is doing to language are largely unfounded. It can be a huge help if you use it right.
And remember to always check your work. A writer making a public grammar mistake will be a difficult thing to live down!
Note: This post contains affiliate links.
Living Life To The Max With Minimal Time
We all have some regrets, don’t we? We wished we spent more time with the children when they were younger, or we wished we started exercising before it got to the point where fighting the fat became a full-scale war, and we always need to fix up almost all of the rooms in the house! But things stand in the way, and it’s not just an excuse anymore. It’s a fact of life that we never can find the time to make little improvements on our lifestyles the way people used to. There are so many difficulties that can crop up, whether it’s finances, or family... or the fact that we’re too exhausted from working so many jobs or with so many clients to just get by. So what's the answer? By making a few tweaks to your lifestyle, you can make sure that you live your life to the full while freeing up some spare time and keeping fit.
Sound too good to be true? Read on…
Hack Your Exercise
exercising at home
This is a big one for many people. Time to go to the gym is a luxury that we cannot afford, and the gym is likely a cost we cannot afford also!
What's the goal in exercise? Well, apart from losing weight, the scientific goal is to break down muscle tissue, so it builds back up stronger while also losing body fat. The best way to break it down is to place your body under pressure, which is why we lift weights, go running and so forth.
There are two things you can do to save yourself time. If you are after a good cardio session, the Tabata sprint technique has been used for a few years and falls under the High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) banner. The idea is to do a flat-out sprint for a short period of time, then rest, then start it again. If you want to build muscle, the Body By Science method of working out revolves around lifting weights slowly, with control, over a period of about 50 seconds, which inroads the muscle. The total workout should only last about 20 minutes if you exercise each part of your body properly, and the recovery time is about a week, giving you more opportunities to spend time at home.
Hack Your Home
Time is the biggest factor in making any home improvements, and while we all dream of taking a few weeks off from work to finally tackle our dining room, it seldom happens because life is so busy.
The solution? Hiring designers and people to do it for you. Granted, it can be a bit more of a cost, but if you start to put money aside, you can save up for a good-quality designer who will work with your vision. There are websites like thehouseplanshop.com who do just this type of thing.
By going with a reputable company who can deliver a swift turnaround on one room, you may be inspired to do the whole home! The worries that people have when they hire builders for cheap are usually about the quality of the final product, but if you work with a designer or a reliable company, you can put your mind at rest.
Work From Home
freelancing
Lastly, for those that don’t spend enough time with their family, start to work from home one day a week. Many workplaces now cater for their staff to work from home and it is very easy for other businesses to accommodate it. The lack of a commute that day can save you oodles of time.
What can you do with that spare time? Hang out with your family or pick your kids up from school. So many jobs and both parents working means that a lot of people don’t spend as much quality time as they should with their children, which means relationships suffer.
A day or two at home per week should start to make life more enjoyable for everyone. There can be some issues that crop up from time to time. However, this is a small price to pay for quality family time and an improved family life. It is probably more than a third of our life that we spend working, so you may as well try and work in a more comfortable environment.
If you want to start working from home full-time, consider taking my course to becoming a freelance writer. Interested? Get help here!
3 Ways To Hire, So That You Won't Later Need To Fire
For most business owners, firing their employees is the last thing they want to do. Which is why many owners aim to get it right the first time by recruiting smartly. By using a few of these tips, you can do that too!
At some point or another, you are going to need to put your feelers out for helpers to sort out the jobs that you just don't have the time to do in your current business. As an owner of a freelance writing business, for instance, you may want to expand and hire other writers, social media managers, website designers, and so forth to enable your business to grow and flourish. If it's your first time searching for new recruits or you want to improve your hiring process to avoid making the mistake of hiring someone who needs to be fired later on, here are three things for you to consider.
Informal and Formal Background Checks
Now, depending on the role you are hiring for, it will determine what kind of background checks you want to initiate and/or fund. Checkr.com, for instance, provides background checks on potential employees to assess their suitability for a role based on the business owners' criteria.
The report can show you anything from driving convictions, to proof of previous employment, to drug screening, etc. This might apply if, for instance, you own a writing business and you want to hire someone to launch a new blog in your name and talk about safe-driving. If some of the candidates who apply have driving convictions, they're probably not cut out for the role.
Informal background checks include Facebooking your potential employee. Are they the party socialite they claimed to be who will be a great addition to your office culture? Or does their social media seem quite subdued? Now it's essential not to rule everyone out based on their social media presence, of course, as some are avid over-sharers and others prefer to keep their antics private!
Look Beyond A Person's Experience And Education
Someone might look good on paper, but their personality may not fit the current workplace culture. With your current work environment, providing it's currently functioning well, you want to maintain that, or make it better! And so, it's crucial and considerate to think about how the other team members (if you have any) will gel with your new recruit to decide if they're the right fit. Or whether a few weeks in, there is likely to be a clash of personalities that could lead to a firing.
Put Them To The Test
Maybe you're on the fence with a particular candidate, or you want to keep your new recruit on their toes and see what they're made of before you commit to hiring them for the long-haul. This is where a trial-run could work out nicely. It's not as elongated as a probation period. However, it allows you to assess their writing, graphics design or marketing skills, confidence, enthusiasm, and of course, willingness to learn new things. A small trial could be what you need, to save yourself from firing someone three-six months down the line. Which would be much more painful for you and the newbie later on.
For most business owners, firing their employees is the last thing they want to do. Which is why many owners aim to get it right the first time by recruiting smartly. By using a few of the tips above, you can do that too!
Make a Quick Change to Your Home Office with Wrapping Paper
You may remember my office makeover from quite a while back. Since then, things have gotten worn and I just needed a change. I found a couple rolls of really pretty wrapping paper at Hobby Lobby and thought, "Why not?" First, I cut pieces that would cover my two desks. The tops were worn and stained and I didn't feel like painting them.
craft desk
I sprayed the desks down with spray adhesive and smoothed the wrapping paper down.
craft desk makeover
freelance writer office
You're probably thinking, "But that won't be durable!" I've found that if you do this with a thick paper with a glossy finish, spills wipe up easily. Besides, if the paper starts looking too bad, I can just rip it off, toss it in the recycling and start over. For around $6 a roll, it's no problem.
I then went on to freshen up my filing cabinets in the same way. I stripped off the cloth from the drawers.
how to refinish a filing cabinet
Filing cabinet redo
Then, I sprayed the drawer fronts with spray adhesive and stuck a piece of wrapping paper to them.
refinishing a filing cabinet for office
I trimmed each drawer with a craft knife and I was done!
finished filing cabinet makeover
So much better than how these cabinets looked when I rescued them. Here's a reminder:
rusty filing cabinet upcycle
Work at Home Woes
Working from the comfort of your own home is relaxing, soothing and much less stress than commuting to an office—or is it? If you’re on your work-at-home honeymoon period then you are probably over the moon about your new career choice. You can wake up, get a fresh cup of coffee, procrastinate for a bit and then start your work instead of stressing over your car not starting or public transportation being on strike.
Whatever the reasons for you working at home, there are a few troublesome things about being independent that you just can’t ignore. I know I went over some of these a few days ago, but it bears repeating.
how to work from home
Utilize Home Comforts
There are, of course, many advantages to working at home. For starters, you’ll be closer to your children which is great if you have a young child or a baby to look after. It’s somewhat of a distraction, but it’s better than paying for expensive child carers. You also have easy access to your personal kitchen, meaning you can cook up comforting meals instead of buying junk food, and what about the coffee makers you have at home compared to the work ones? The coffee machines at work are probably nasty and not that great, but from home, you can get a coffee delivery to your doorstep, and have a fresh brew of delicious coffee for that caffeine boost you need to get yourself through the day.
Distractions
Some people would argue that working from home is far more distracting than working in an office. An office environment is usually filled with machines and people that are all busy at work, so it’s natural for you to follow their example and get to work yourself. You’re also able to communicate with your team, which makes it easier (most of the time) to focus on your work instead of being distracted.
When you’re at home, you’re close to all of your comforts. Your bed is close by if you want a nap, you probably have the television in the room, and you have the freedom to blast loud music while you work.
To remedy the problem of distractions and be more productive at home, try to set up space or a room and designate it as your working zone. Remove all distractions from this area and try to focus on creating a professional looking space for you to motivate yourself to work. Heck, even use an app that disables the internet while you work, if that's what you need.
how to avoid distractions when working at home
Breaking the silence
Let’s face it, working at home is lonely. You’re not going to be working as part of a team unless you utilise some form of messaging with your office, but if you don’t have an office and you work as a freelancer then you probably aren’t going to get much interaction. To combat loneliness, it’s a good idea to plan some events with friends or to go and speak with your neighbors now and then.
Interaction is important so that you don’t go completely insane working in silence. Another great way to break the silence is to play some relaxing music as you work. It should ideally be something repetitive or soothing, but some people work great blasting electronic club music as well—it all depends on your personal preferences.
Are You As Productive As You Could Be At Home?
home office
Do you work from home? If so, are you as productive as you could be? If you have an office or a studio at home, here are tips and tricks to help you get more out of your working day.
Problems with your workspace
When you work at an office, you have a dedicated area. You sit at your desk, switch your computer on, and you’re ready and raring to. If you’re having a meeting, you can pop into a spare room, which is equipped with everything you need. When you’re at home, the setup may be a little different.
If you’ve only just started working from home, you may not have had time to finish off your office yet. Even if you’ve been based at home for a while, you may still be finding your feet. When your home doubles up as a workspace, it’s essential to separate work and play. Don’t try and run the world from your kitchen table. You’ll find it hard to concentrate, there will be papers everywhere, and you may lose track of what needs doing on a daily basis. Trust me. I know!
Once you’ve got a workspace sorted, turn it into a room in which you want to spend time. Add an element of excitement or fun if you have a creative job, and personalize it. Just because you’re working doesn’t mean you want to stare at four blank walls all day, every day. Make sure you have enough space, invest in the equipment you need, and ensure that you’re comfortable.
how to work from home
Ironing out annoyances
It can be hard enough to concentrate when you’re working from home without any additional annoyances or distractions. If there are problems that are bothering you, try and iron them as soon as possible. Is your office too hot or cold? Are you struggling to get comfortable when you’re typing? Is the room too noisy? If you’ve got HVAC issues, get in touch with a company like Academy Air. If you need a new chair, have a look at office furniture online or visit a showroom and try some different styles out. If you’re struggling to concentrate over road noise, consider soundproofing the room or wearing earplugs while you work. It’s important that you’re comfortable so that you can focus on your work.
Establishing a routine that works for you
Routine is imperative when you work from home, but there is no universal regime that suits everyone. Play to your strengths. If you’re a morning person, tackle the most demanding tasks first thing. If you take a while to warm up, start your working day at 9 am rather than 6 am, and finish later. This is what I do. I am NOT an early morning person!
Write to-do lists, keep your filing tray organized, and manage your time using a diary. I've started using bullet journaling to keep organized and keep track of my goals. Here's my Pinterest board for bullet journaling, if you need ideas.
freelancing
If you work from home, this doesn’t mean that your day is an easy ride. Working at home can often be more taxing than going into an office because you have to contend with the temptation of home comforts. If you are based at home, take these tips on board to make your working day more productive in no time.
Note: This post contains affiliate links.
Common Work At Home Problems
There are many great reasons to work at home. You’re on your own schedule, you can wear whatever you want, and any water cooler small talk you make is entirely of your own discretion (and usually involves chatting to yourself...). I love it, myself.Still, it’s not all lazy pajama mornings, leisurely lunches, and mid-afternoon glasses of wine. Every now and again, you’ll encounter a problem that...dare I say it...actually makes you miss the regular old routine! Here’s a few of the more common issues, and how you can overcome them.
freelancing
Source: Pexels.com
Can you please be quiet?
It can difficult to be taken seriously, sometimes, when you’re working from home. People tend to think that you’re always available, that you can look after their children, meet them for coffees, and so on. All this can be managed with a little bit of social grace; children are another matter entirely. Finding a quiet time to work when you have energetic children rushing around you - even if it’s not your job to be watching them - can be difficult. Solution? Make the most of the children’s afternoon naps and try to carve out an area in the room that is unequivocally, undeniably your own working domain.
Why Won’t It Work?!
In a regular office, you turn up and you do your work. All the infrastructure that allows you to do it, those wires and wireless waves and all that nonsense that makes things happen is taken care of by someone else entirely. The mysterious IT folk who always ensure things are running smoothly.
In your house, however, the mysterious IT folk have disappeared and all you’re left with is...the mystery! If things online are moving slowly, it might be issues with your Wifi - see The Smart Future for guidance on what it could be. If your files are suddenly nowhere to be found, it could be an issue with your hard drive - which is a good time to mention, you might want to look at getting Cloud storage.
working from home tips
Source: Pexels.com
Avoiding those Shiny Objects
The biggest barrier to work success usually isn’t your children or your IT: it’s yourself. Never underestimate mankind’s capacity to avoid work and pursue...well, anything that isn’t work. We’re master procrastinators, always searching for something to be entertained online or in our homes. Your house will never look as tidy as it does when you work there; anything to avoid work!
It’s a good idea to download a time tracking app to your computer, and record how much you actually work. Seeing the timer at 15 minutes when you were supposed to be working for an hour or more will give you motivation to sit down and actually get to work!
Hello...World?
No annoying colleagues, sure, but then there’s no anybody! Loneliness can creep in for home workers, so make sure you get out of the house during your breaks to interact with the wider world. Using websites such as meetup.com and the like can put you in touch with other work from home workers. Get together and meet for a coffee!
Got some tips for working at home? Let me know in the comments.
Note: This post contains some affiliate links.
If You Work From Home You Need To Read This
working from home tips
Anyone who is freelance or works from home like me will understand how difficult it is to self motivate. If you are in the creative industry you may find it harder as distractions and procrastination are far easier to indulge in when you aren’t jumping up to rush to the office. I have some handy tips to get you up and at ‘em, so read on.
Routine
You need to start with the basics. Routine. Whilst it is easy to put things off until an hour before deadline you are not doing yourself any favours at all. You are just allowing yourself to deepen bad habits. The best thing about working for someone else is that you have a boss breathing down your neck a little. You have a solid routine of getting up, breakfast, the commute and then a clear day dedicated to only one thing. Sitting in your office!
As a freelancer it is very easy to fall into the trap of the lazy morning / late night set up. You have 24 hours in a day right? So why does it matter if you work through the night and sleep through the day? It matters because the upset of routine can seriously affect the quality of both your productivity and mental health.
Get up at a reasonable hour (pre 9 am) and don't be tempted to sit in your pyjamas or work under the duvet. Get washed, get dressed and start work at the same time every single day. You don’t have to work from home. A change of scenery can help you get your mind working and there is Wifi available in most public places. Just invest in a little extra juice by purchasing a battery pack like one of these from ithingum.com and ensure your devices don’t let you down.
Break for Lunch
It may sound silly, but the opposite of the lazy morning trap is the overworking trap. It is vital you take plenty of short breaks to help recover.
Some freelancers seem to work every day and this is also a mistake. The problem is if the office is there it's easy to just pop in and square some stuff away. Don’t. Have dedicated days where you don’t even look at your work. Get out of the house if you have to.
Get Another Phone
It is also worth investing in a second phone so you have a dedicated work number and a personal number. You can get one free from Google.
Don’t be afraid to switch it off.
Just set up an ‘Out of office’ message on your emails and then face the onslaught at 9am on Monday. The world isn’t going to stop because you weren’t sitting at your desk.
Get a Pet
Finally, get a cat or a dog. If you can’t ditch the procrastination habit you might as well have a friendly face to chat your thoughts over with! I'm joking, of course... although it is beneficial to have a little company throughout your day. Humans weren’t meant to lock themselves in an office and shut out the world. So be social!
Note: This post contains some affiliate links.
Go Pro with Marketing
The marketing industry is currently booming and with the evolution of social media, it’s never been a better time to get involved with digital marketing. Business is a competition and for a small businesses getting their foot on the ladder, your voice needs to be heard for your company to be a success. People are blogging, using Instagram, Facebook and Twitter to reach their customers and even now vlogging (video blogging) to get their messages across.
Apps are being developed at a rapid rate and all successful businesses should be utilising every free avenue they can get!With almost everyone now using smartphones and tablets, you can’t get away from technology and if you want to maximise your business, you need to think outside the usual marketing channels and get your head into social media. Working on a small budget doesn’t hinder you either, as some of the best marketing strategies are in fact, FREE! There are ways you can improve your business advertising and I’ve listed some of the best ways to get your content across to clients, customers and future business links.
Social media apps: Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook are all favorites for social media advertising. Using the correct hashtags on your posts and photos can give your company a reach it wouldn’t have managed with leafletting in the good old days! The best bit? These are free to use. You need to actually use the apps though, for your marketing to work. Try posting 1 to 2 posts on Facebook, 2 to 3 on Instagram and 1 post every hour or two on Twitter to get the best results. Using an automation system like StatusBrew or Crowdfire can be a big help. Here’s a good article on mobile marketing to get you started.
GoPro: The GoPro is currently transforming the ad game as user-generated content has become a powerful force. There’s lots you can do to to implement it for your company so learn about it here. A GoPro allows for a full user experience so vloggers, bloggers and YouTube subscribers can create exciting, captivating content that gains a great audience.
Drones: Pairing a GoPro or a camera with a drone can create amazing user friendly videos. From estate agencies to wedding companies, a flying GoPro can create exciting instructional videos that brand your business as innovative!
DIY Infographics: Powerful tools, these! People tend not to want to read pages and pages of content but sharp, to the point content in picture format create visual eye candy. They’re a fantastic information tool that give what the customer wants to know in small and pretty bites. With the fact these can be shared widely, they work well with social media and digital marketing techniques. easel.ly has a great tool for making infograhics for free.
Prizes: People love winning and they love presents, so having your company market a campaign that offers prizes for likes and shares is important. The reach on these contests, especially on social media, is massive!
Some companies love back-to-basics marketing of business cards and billboards and these methods are still common and popular today. However, the birth of new apps and content sharing sites is on the rise and companies need to keep up with digital options to be able to stay current. Going pro with your marketing often means thinking creatively, after all, that’s what marketing is all about!
Note: This post contains affiliate links.
Should You Create An App For Your Business?
If you have a business, then many say one of the best things you can do is create an app. It’s true that creating an app for your business can help you to grow and expand much faster and the goal of an app is to make things easier and more convenient for your audience. However, an app isn’t for everyone. If you’re confused, this post will help you to figure out whether creating an app is for you.
Making Yourself More Visible To Customers
An app will make you more visible to your customers. They can see you on the app store when they search for something similar. It’s much more subtle than a big ad or billboard, but you’re always going to be there, on their mobile device if they download your app. If you feel that an app could give you more visibility and help you to stick in customer’s minds, creating an app could be a good idea.
Providing More Value To Your Customers
An app can potentially help you to create more value for your customers in a couple ways:
It could give them the information they’re looking for at the click of a button.
It could help them to order or book something with a few simple clicks.
If this is what you want to ensure your mobile app does, then you could be well on your way to providing more value for your customers.
However, if you can’t think of a way to add more value to your customer’s lives with your app, it could be worth waiting a while.
Improve Customer Engagement
Many apps out there help to improve customer engagement. This is because when an app is right there at their fingertips, they’re going to be more inclined to use it than other engagement platforms. This can also create customer loyalty, making them choose you over similar apps and businesses.
Take a look competitor's apps for inspiration and ideas on how best to make yours work. MovieBox APK is one popular app that you could learn from; head over to their download page for MovieBox APK on your mobile device. There are so many other apps too; make sure you look at:
The interface
How easy they are to use
How they’re adding value
While it's okay to borrow inspiration, make sure you’re original, and that you don’t end up doing a carbon copy of another app.
Potentially Stand Out From Your Competition
If you’re a small business, creating an app could mean potentially standing out from your competition. Small businesses having apps can be pretty unheard of, so if you create one, you could stay ahead of the game. That being said, it doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll make a sudden breakthrough. You still need to be sure that an app is the right choice for your business.
Hopefully, these pointers have helped you to see the value an app can give you, and figure out whether it’s right for you. Leave your thoughts below!
It IS Easy Being Green
Apparently, Kermit was wrong because it is easy being green. At least, it is these days, and there’s lots of ways to make your home a haven of renewable energy savings.
living green
Windows
You can keep your home warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer by upgrading the windows. If you live in an older home, you might still be using single glazing, and that’s a mistake. You want to upgrade to double or triple glazing in your home.
While it might be a little expensive to make this change, some local councils do offer benefits for this type of upgrade. So, make sure to check whether there are any deals like this in your area. Of course, this is just one way you can make your home fifty shades of green.
Solar Solutions
The world is coming full circle. Way back in ancient times people used to worship the sun as though it was a god. That might seem a little odd but remember it gave them warmth, light and allowed their crops to grow.
Now, we don’t worship the sun, but a lot of people are starting to use it as a direct source of energy. You can do this in your home by installing solar panels on the roof. With solar panels, you can create your own electricity to light and heat your home. The best part? It’s completely free once you have the solar panels installed. Now, I know what you’re thinking. There’s got to be a catch.
The catch is the first fixed cost of those panels. But again make sure you check with your local council as well as environmental agencies. Many are offering subsidies and discounts to homeowners willing to make this change. Check out my CNET article to find out if your house is a good candidate for solar energy.
Hot And Cold
If you live in an area where the climate often feels like the fires of hell (like here in Texas!), you probably have an air conditioning system in your home. If you don’t, the good news is you can actually replace your old air con system with an energy friendly upgrade.
Make sure you look at HERO financing for air conditioning. HERO stands for home energy renovation opportunity and basically means you can cut down the cost of getting a great new AC system. With opportunities like this, it doesn’t have to cost you a fortune to keep your home green and cool.
Oh, You Smart Home!
That’s exactly what you’ll be saying when you try out the new smart control systems for modern homes. With these futuristic gadgets, you can adjust your home to your optimum temperature settings which is great. It means that you won’t be wasting energy simply because you can’t be bothered to turn the heating down. The temperature will also naturally adjust to the best level for the weather outside and the time of day. You’ll be saving money, energy and your last nerve.
Also, check out my article: This may be why your electricity bill is so high.
So what can you learn from this article? Well, we definitely shouldn’t trust singing frogs!
Trivia Time: Let's Talk About Significant Business Inventions...
For writers, probably the biggest innovation, recently, has been the internet. However, for some industries, the internet is not the most significant invention. I thought it would be interesting to take a look at some progress in another industry you might not be very familiar with.
We all know that there have been significant business inventions and progressions in recent years. For writers, probably the biggest innovation, recently, has been the internet. However, for some industries, the internet is not the most significant invention. I thought it would be interesting to take a look at some progress in another industry you might not be very familiar with.
The World of Farming
The world of farming has changed monumentally over the years. This is an industry that has gone from being completely labour intensive to highly machine intensive. Therefore, as you may have gathered, there have been some incredible farm machinery inventions along the way that have allowed this to happen. Here’s the most significant ones.
Thresher
First and foremost we have the thresher. This is a machine that separates the grain from crops. It is a piece of machinery that is extremely popular in the present day. However, prior to its existence, grain was obviously cut by hand.
This was an extremely slow process. Farmers would haul the grain to a barn. It would then be spread on a ‘threshing floor’. They would either allow animals to trample upon the grain or they would beat it with hand fails. Both methods would knock the kernels free of the straw.
After this, the straw would be raked away, and what was left was tossed into the air. The wind then had the responsibility of blowing away the lighter debris and chaff from the heavier grain.
As you can probably tell, it wasn’t a very efficient process. Therefore, when Andrew Meikle developed the first threshing machine in Scotland in 1786 it was welcomed with opened arms.
General Purpose Tractor
You simply cannot mention farm machinery without talking about the tractor. There are a lot of significant inventions in relation to this machine.
For example, you have the first gasoline tractors for sale, which were invented in the 1890s. However, the general purpose tractor is arguably the most significant. It is one of the most popular farm machines on a global basis and has increased efficiency and productivity by truly astounding amounts.
So, when did the first general purpose tractor come about? That would be in 1924. It was called the ‘Farmall’ and it was created by IH. This machine could plant and cultivate row crops, as well as pull heavy tillage. It didn’t take long for the general purpose tractor to catch on at businesses around the world. Over the next twenty years, all manufacturers in the agricultural industry developed their very own version.
Cotton Gin
Last but not least, let’s rewind to one of the earliest farm machinery inventions. After all, we’ve delved into the world of the general purpose tractor – a machine that is dominant in the modern day, but what made a massive impact in older times? This has to be the Cotton Gin.
In Colonial Times cotton cloth was extremely expensive. In fact, it was more costly than wool or linen. This is because separating the seed from the clinging fibres proved to be tremendously tough.
To illustrate just how difficult this was, on a daily basis one individual would probably only be able to pick the seeds from one pound of cotton fibre. This process defined the word lengthy.
So, when Eli Whitney devised a Cotton Gin machine in 1793, it truly was a significant invention. This machine allowed for approximately 200 pounds of cotton to be cleaned per day. It’s not difficult to do the math – that means that this machine sped up the process of cotton cleaning by 200%! It truly was an incredible invention that caused the prices of cotton to plummet.
5 Tools To Become A Successful Online Writer
You've decided you are going to launch your career and become a writer, but not just any kind of writer - a successful online writer. For any profession, there are tools one needs to thrive in their role, or devices at least that enhance a persons' performance to get the job completed to a high standard. If you're in the middle of figuring out what you need to help you on your quest to become a great writer, below is a non-exhaustive list.
Grammar Checker
To begin with, each writer has their own strengths. Some are meticulous about their grammar but struggle to write content that engages the audience, and others are awful at grammar but have the gift of knowing their writing voice to entice customers to read on. Whichever writer you are, it's important not to assume your grammar doesn't require a second look over. When you write content for any medium, if readers spot sentences that are difficult to read, or words that are misspelled, it could mean disaster for your credibility. And so, you should consider leaning on a spelling program such as Grammarly or Ginger with every piece you write. Grammarly is a good option but if you can't afford premium version of it, you can check grammar on Prepostseo for free.
Workstation
You’ll need a desk and a chair, ideally somewhere quiet in your home, without distraction so that you can concentrate on your writing in peace and quiet. And, it needn't be an expensive set-up, as you can purchase some furniture from a second-hand shop or if you're stuck for cash use your dining table for now.
Laptop
There's no need to go out and buy an expensive PC or laptop, so long as it connects to the internet, it will work just fine for launching your writing career. If you don't have one already, you may want to prioritize purchasing a laptop first. This is because a laptop holds a lot of advantages over the PC. The biggest one being you can pick it up and plant it anywhere to work. This is especially handy for those who like to move around as they work or those who prefer to visit different locations to source inspiration for their pieces.
Planner and Paper
In this digital age, it may seem a bit retro to write on paper, but sometimes it can be a nice fresh break from typing to scribble your thoughts down, especially when your PC/laptop is at home. You should use your diary to set out what you should be doing each day of the week to progress your writing. Such as one week you may decide to focus on launching a blog and planning your writing schedule. The next week, you could take a look at setting up a portfolio of written work to send to businesses. Where possible, keep a backup of your plan and to do's on your phone/laptop too, just in case you don't have one or the other with you.
Cloud Services
Once your writing career begins to kick-off, another tool you will need to consider is purchasing cloud services such as https://www.simplyclouds.com/cloud-services-marketplace.This is to store, protect, and back up all of your work. Keeping all of your work on your PC or laptop alone can be quite risky. For instance, if your device was stolen, damaged, or stopped working altogether, it could mean you lose all of your creative writing and progress to date!
Becoming a great writer takes time, dedication, and perseverance to get through the writer's block, the self-doubt, and the rejected applications. And so, using the tools at your disposal is essential to enhance your writing and provide you direction on where you're heading next.