I know that many people dread returning to their cubes or their traditional job on Monday morning. I know that many new freelancers or new small business owners may dread another long week of attempting to make some money or keep their clients happy. Many people dream of making that leap, but they're afraid they can't and will provide a thousand excuses about why it won't work. I've decided that every Monday I will post something motivational for you. I do a -lot- of reading. I received three great books in the mail over the weekend as a birthday gift from the woman I consider my spiritual mother. I also own a lot of books. I can tell you that when it comes to work or owning a business, motivation is key. If you don't stay motivated, it will slip away from you. Then you will go back to just going through the motions of life. That's really no way to live at all.
For our first Monday Motivational post, I'd like to talk a little bit about what motivation is and why it is important.
Motivation is your drive to keep going. It is your why. Why do you want to keep your job? Well, because you like to eat and have a roof over your head. Food is good. I like food. In a traditional environment, though, it is easily seen that most people are there to make a paycheck and not a difference. Once you're done with your probationary period, you feel the urge to just coast. Employers don't really like training new people...so they let people get by with more than they should. They lose motivation to stay productive.
So, when you work or when you own a business it's important to keep thinking about your why. It's okay if your why changes. My why changes quite a bit. Today my why is to continue to have the most flexible option to be present and available for my three children. Sure, the older two (16 and almost 14) don't need mama as much as they used to (except for Bank of Mom and wanting a ride). The tiny one is able to have a parent that can go to school functions, be part of the PTA, and he doesn't need to go to day care. On any bad day that I have, I remind myself...ultimately those three are my way. My husband is my why, too. Those who know me can attest that I am very much family oriented. I made a commitment when I became pregnant. I made a commitment when I married. I take my commitments as laws of my life. These four people are one of my whys. I want to be able to take care of my family. This allows me to have it all (including all of the issues, but we will talk about dealing with problems on another Monday).
Now, aside from my family...I have other whys. My health is another why. When you're born with a heart problem, it can get worse as you get older. I'm not that old (although my almost 14 year old would tell you I'm old --- I'm only 36). Carrying babies in my body and having a few severe bouts of illness has made the heart problem worse. Am I dying? Well, I guess we all are. I'm most likely not going to drop dead tomorrow. However, I do take three heart meds, aspirin, and a few herbal supplements. My biggest problem is fatigue. I get tired. I get two kinds of tired. We have our usual "working hard" tired...and then there's the "bad" tired. With the second tired, I might sleep for 36 hours straight. That's no good. A traditional job can't sustain my health needs. I can't stay home for two days because I'm too tired to function. Traditional jobs need employees to actually be there. It wouldn't be fair to either of us. Being self employed is good for my health. Although I keep a fairly regular schedule, working from home allows me to rest if I need to rest. If I sleep for 12 hours, it's fine.
Some days my why rests in one word: control. Being self employed gives me a lot of control. I don't have to accept just any project. If I don't like or believe in a project, I don't have to take it. I can pick and choose (and you can't really do that at first).
Find your motivation. Why do you want to break out of your job and become self employed? Why do you want to become a freelance writer? Think about these things. Make a dream board if it helps you. Fortunately, I have a great imagination. I can just stop and shut my eyes and see my children, husband, and the fun things we can go and do because of my flexibility. In fact, this Thursday I am taking the big kid to play paintball in the middle of the day.
Use your motivation when things get tough. Even anger and distaste can be a motivational tool. It can fuel you to success.
This week's experience....find your motivation. Let me know why you want to become a successful freelance writer. Make sure that you comment. I look forward to interacting with you!
Monday, October 13, 2014
Friday, October 10, 2014
How about some jobs?
I did another huge mass delete on my email. I had close to 1,000. It's been so busy around here that I just haven't had the time or the energy to post anything. You can learn my methods by clicking here. That would mean that you don't have to wait and hope that I've posted jobs. It's a great investment for your future. Once you follow my methods, you'll understand why I don't have time to do this every day. One day this coming week, I'll post about some great software you can use to manage your freelance writing business. Oh, and I'll be putting together a mailing list soon. It will probably deliver jobs as well as info on my upcoming video courses. Stay tuned, kids!
Business and Legal Writing
Content Writing
Copywriting
Business and Legal Writing
- Proposal Writer - Castlight Health
- Marketing Copy - Kabam
- Writer / Copy Editor - The Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation, Inc.
- Website ToS
- Executive CV Writer
- Press Release
Content Writing
- Content Coordinator
- Digital Content Writer - TransAmerica
- Writer - Squiz
- Online Content Writer - RPI Consulting Group
- Website Content Writer - Tennis Express
- Associate Writer
- Copywriter and Content Writer - CarFax
- Content Writer - FICO
- Re-write Web Content
Copywriting
- SEO Copywriter - CleverLight Media
- Sr. Copywriter - The Creative Group ($30 - $35 / hr)
- Copywriter
- Freelance Copywriter - Creative Movers Recruiting
- Copywriter
- Creative Copywriter
- Professional Copywriter
Educational Writing
- Writer - University of Washington
- Writer - BrainPOP.com
- Education Blog Posts
Fashion and Beauty Writing
- Fashion Blogger
- Blogger / Stylist / Content Writer
- Fashion Blogger
- Fashion Blogger - Berricle
- FabKids PR - JustFab
- Fashion and Lifestyle Blogger - Esoteric Luxury
- Fashion Career Blogger
- Weekly Blogger
Professional Blogger
Real Estate Writing
- Freelance Writer - UrbanBound
- Real Estate Copywriting
Technical Writing
- Tech Writer & Instructional Designer - CEI
- Technical Writer - DataStax
- Technical Writer II - Amazon
- Senior Technical Writer - Intel
Tuesday, October 7, 2014
The dirty truth behind working at home
First, I'll preface this post by saying every life situation has its own positives and challenges. It can be challenging as a single person to work from home (I'm sure of it. I'm not single so I can't vouch for that). This post should be thought about in terms of the largest work at home demographic...rather, the demographic that would most love to work from home: married women. That being said, this article isn't what you think. I won't be singing the praises of working from home as a mom. I won't be condemning it either. It's just the truth of the matter. Further, it can be said that these things are also experienced by married men who work from home. If you want to freelance or work from home, that's great. Just realize that it's not always a picnic. Unfortunately, when you look around on the Internet all you will see are pictures of happy, smiling people who work from home. Those people are actors and lying bastards. With that said, let's get started.
There is a difference between working from home while being self employed and being a telecommuting employee. If you are self employed (like me), you get to ride the waves of financial instability at least once in a while. This is particularly true in the beginning. Thankfully, Bull and I can almost always predict what I will make in any given week. You learn to do that after a while and if you pay attention to trends. If you are a telecommuter, you are an employee. You have your own struggles. I can pretty much whenever I want (or on some days whenever I can). You generally have set hours. So, if you are thinking about working from home, you need to decide if you want to be self employed or if you want to be an employee. Lots of companies hire telecommuters.
There is a difference between working whenever I want and just when I can squeeze it in. Being self employed, I can more or less set my own hours...but there are some serious restrictions. First, I have clients in London and in Spain (and many in the states). I must be available to them in some capacity during their working hours. In fact, at 4 am this morning I received a Skype message from a London client. It was about 10 am for him. He knows about the time difference, but I do my best to make sure I respond during his business hours. I responded around 8 am my time (1 pm or so his time). I can't always work whenever I want. I also have to work when I have the time. I learned the hard way not to work at my leisure. Something always comes up that continues to push back client projects or make me absolutely frantic while I rush to complete projects for clients. No. Never again. I keep a client calendar to schedule projects. They don't have definite times past "afternoon" or "evening" unless that deadline was set in advance. Mondays I can't really accomplish much in terms of the afternoon. I have to either work in the morning or work at night. Either way, that makes for a long day when you mix in the rest of the responsibilities that come with owning a business and being an adult. Yet, that's a much better option than freaking out because I'm behind. Tuesdays I can't really get much done in the mornings. So, I work in the afternoon and in the evening. Thursdays I am not available to clients after 5 pm my time because of my middle son's football schedule. My weekends are absolutely crazy busy with three kids and a professional musician for a husband. That's the ugly truth: when it comes to being self employed and having a family, you often work when you can and not when you want. If I had my way, I'd forget about time all together and would live my life according to my own body clock...but - that's not reality.
There are too many lies on the Internet about working from home. You will not get rich in 24 hours. You will not make $500 in 24 hours unless you're out robbing PayPal accounts. Don't buy into the hype you see online. If it says no selling and no recruiting, be wary. How are you supposed to make money by just existing? Wal-Mart doesn't make money by just existing. They sell products. They might not do a hard sell, but they do sell. If you are promoting an opportunity or a product, you are in sales whether you realize it or not. If you don't talk to people about those things...guess what? You'll fail and you'll be bitter. With that said, there is a huge difference between a work from home job and a business. With a job, you are an employee of some kind. Maybe you are a non-traditional employee who works from home, but they withhold your taxes. Maybe you are a contract employee and you do your own taxes. The point is...they tell you to do something and you do it. Then, they pay you for it. That's a job. You don't pay McDonald's for the honor of working for their company. They pay you for slinging fries (and hey - that's an honest job and I have no problem with people who work in fast food...it's just the first example that came to mind). A business or even a business opportunity requires some amount of overhead. That overhead could be one time, yearly, or even monthly. It could be a reputable MLM that requires a yearly fee. It could be one that requires you use their service every month to stay active to receive commission. I own a business. I have overhead. My overhead includes advertising. So, please know the difference between a job (they pay you) and a business. I'll say it again - don't fall for the hype. Also, there isn't a business "endorsed" by the IRS. I keep seeing that on Facebook and it's driving me crazy. I help a ton of people involved in MLM with their business needs, but I won't help one that is dishonest. Working from home is work.
Working from home still requires you to work at home. I've learned one important thing: dishes really can wait. Of course, for me it helps to break up my client work (so I don't overwork myself which is a common occurrence here in House of Punk) by doing house work, too. If you have small children, you still have to focus on them and your work. It's not a matter of choosing one over the other. It is a matter of balance and working where you can (just like me). If you're complaining about how no one helps you even though you work really hard at home remember this: they probably wouldn't help you if you worked outside of the home either. I know how lucky I am that my husband does help around the house. Remember that your significant other also works. My husband works 12 hours a day, five days per week. I do what I can to keep things picked up. He helps out, too. Our theory is this: if we were single the choice would be to either do it on our own or hire a maid. We don't have a maid. We just act like adults and do what needs to be done. Of course, this will work much better for you once you are turning a profit and your spouse sees that you really are doing more than sitting on the couch watching cartoons. You might find that doing chores (like the dishes or a load of laundry) after every 90 minutes of work helps you stay focused. This has actually reduced eye strain for me. I get a lot more done.
You will get overwhelmed. This doesn't mean you can't do it. This doesn't mean that you are failing. It just means that you're an adult with adult responsibilities. If you know in advance you can't make a deadline, don't take the gig. If something comes up, let the client know. You'd be surprised at how people are willing to work with you. Being overwhelmed is part of life. You'd also be overwhelmed if you were stuck in some cubicle and left your kid with a babysitter so you could work and he was sick. Things in business will overwhelm you. Things at home will overwhelm you. Balance is not easy.
It is hard to break out of business mode. Last Sunday I was worried about a blog post I needed to complete for a client. There was no hard deadline. I wasn't worried about the subject. I was worried because I hadn't finished it already. I hadn't even started it between getting everyone where they needed to be and a raging headache. I decided to lounge on the couch and read my library book. During that time I figured out exactly what I was going to write and how I would write it. Your brain will switch to business mode and it's hard to switch out. That should've been down time for me....but it wasn't. I rarely have true down time. I keep notebooks in my truck. I keep notebooks by my bed. I keep a way to jot something down at all times. I email ideas to myself. People either think I'm brilliant or stark raving mad (my bet is on the stark raving mad). There is nothing wrong with you as long as you can still function with your family.
Those are some of the dirty truths involved with working from home. Now, if you'll excuse me I need to go finish the two articles I more or less wrote in my head for a client while doing this.
There is a difference between working from home while being self employed and being a telecommuting employee. If you are self employed (like me), you get to ride the waves of financial instability at least once in a while. This is particularly true in the beginning. Thankfully, Bull and I can almost always predict what I will make in any given week. You learn to do that after a while and if you pay attention to trends. If you are a telecommuter, you are an employee. You have your own struggles. I can pretty much whenever I want (or on some days whenever I can). You generally have set hours. So, if you are thinking about working from home, you need to decide if you want to be self employed or if you want to be an employee. Lots of companies hire telecommuters.
There is a difference between working whenever I want and just when I can squeeze it in. Being self employed, I can more or less set my own hours...but there are some serious restrictions. First, I have clients in London and in Spain (and many in the states). I must be available to them in some capacity during their working hours. In fact, at 4 am this morning I received a Skype message from a London client. It was about 10 am for him. He knows about the time difference, but I do my best to make sure I respond during his business hours. I responded around 8 am my time (1 pm or so his time). I can't always work whenever I want. I also have to work when I have the time. I learned the hard way not to work at my leisure. Something always comes up that continues to push back client projects or make me absolutely frantic while I rush to complete projects for clients. No. Never again. I keep a client calendar to schedule projects. They don't have definite times past "afternoon" or "evening" unless that deadline was set in advance. Mondays I can't really accomplish much in terms of the afternoon. I have to either work in the morning or work at night. Either way, that makes for a long day when you mix in the rest of the responsibilities that come with owning a business and being an adult. Yet, that's a much better option than freaking out because I'm behind. Tuesdays I can't really get much done in the mornings. So, I work in the afternoon and in the evening. Thursdays I am not available to clients after 5 pm my time because of my middle son's football schedule. My weekends are absolutely crazy busy with three kids and a professional musician for a husband. That's the ugly truth: when it comes to being self employed and having a family, you often work when you can and not when you want. If I had my way, I'd forget about time all together and would live my life according to my own body clock...but - that's not reality.
There are too many lies on the Internet about working from home. You will not get rich in 24 hours. You will not make $500 in 24 hours unless you're out robbing PayPal accounts. Don't buy into the hype you see online. If it says no selling and no recruiting, be wary. How are you supposed to make money by just existing? Wal-Mart doesn't make money by just existing. They sell products. They might not do a hard sell, but they do sell. If you are promoting an opportunity or a product, you are in sales whether you realize it or not. If you don't talk to people about those things...guess what? You'll fail and you'll be bitter. With that said, there is a huge difference between a work from home job and a business. With a job, you are an employee of some kind. Maybe you are a non-traditional employee who works from home, but they withhold your taxes. Maybe you are a contract employee and you do your own taxes. The point is...they tell you to do something and you do it. Then, they pay you for it. That's a job. You don't pay McDonald's for the honor of working for their company. They pay you for slinging fries (and hey - that's an honest job and I have no problem with people who work in fast food...it's just the first example that came to mind). A business or even a business opportunity requires some amount of overhead. That overhead could be one time, yearly, or even monthly. It could be a reputable MLM that requires a yearly fee. It could be one that requires you use their service every month to stay active to receive commission. I own a business. I have overhead. My overhead includes advertising. So, please know the difference between a job (they pay you) and a business. I'll say it again - don't fall for the hype. Also, there isn't a business "endorsed" by the IRS. I keep seeing that on Facebook and it's driving me crazy. I help a ton of people involved in MLM with their business needs, but I won't help one that is dishonest. Working from home is work.
Working from home still requires you to work at home. I've learned one important thing: dishes really can wait. Of course, for me it helps to break up my client work (so I don't overwork myself which is a common occurrence here in House of Punk) by doing house work, too. If you have small children, you still have to focus on them and your work. It's not a matter of choosing one over the other. It is a matter of balance and working where you can (just like me). If you're complaining about how no one helps you even though you work really hard at home remember this: they probably wouldn't help you if you worked outside of the home either. I know how lucky I am that my husband does help around the house. Remember that your significant other also works. My husband works 12 hours a day, five days per week. I do what I can to keep things picked up. He helps out, too. Our theory is this: if we were single the choice would be to either do it on our own or hire a maid. We don't have a maid. We just act like adults and do what needs to be done. Of course, this will work much better for you once you are turning a profit and your spouse sees that you really are doing more than sitting on the couch watching cartoons. You might find that doing chores (like the dishes or a load of laundry) after every 90 minutes of work helps you stay focused. This has actually reduced eye strain for me. I get a lot more done.
You will get overwhelmed. This doesn't mean you can't do it. This doesn't mean that you are failing. It just means that you're an adult with adult responsibilities. If you know in advance you can't make a deadline, don't take the gig. If something comes up, let the client know. You'd be surprised at how people are willing to work with you. Being overwhelmed is part of life. You'd also be overwhelmed if you were stuck in some cubicle and left your kid with a babysitter so you could work and he was sick. Things in business will overwhelm you. Things at home will overwhelm you. Balance is not easy.
It is hard to break out of business mode. Last Sunday I was worried about a blog post I needed to complete for a client. There was no hard deadline. I wasn't worried about the subject. I was worried because I hadn't finished it already. I hadn't even started it between getting everyone where they needed to be and a raging headache. I decided to lounge on the couch and read my library book. During that time I figured out exactly what I was going to write and how I would write it. Your brain will switch to business mode and it's hard to switch out. That should've been down time for me....but it wasn't. I rarely have true down time. I keep notebooks in my truck. I keep notebooks by my bed. I keep a way to jot something down at all times. I email ideas to myself. People either think I'm brilliant or stark raving mad (my bet is on the stark raving mad). There is nothing wrong with you as long as you can still function with your family.
Those are some of the dirty truths involved with working from home. Now, if you'll excuse me I need to go finish the two articles I more or less wrote in my head for a client while doing this.
Friday, October 3, 2014
Your mom likes your blog...
I'm reading EntreLeadership by Dave Ramsey. It's amazing. It's so insightful and very funny. He makes many astute observations about business. This was one of the best:
Just because your mom likes your blog doesn't make you a writer.
I'm paraphrasing. You can be a writer without experience. However, don't allow the fact that your mom and your best friend say your work is awesome make you believe you're better than you are. If you want to be a professional writer, then you need to write professional pieces and receive professional feedback. Moms and besties don't count.
Be realistic about your abilities and talent. Learn to accept and use constructive criticism.
Saturday, September 27, 2014
Writing gigs
I have almost 300 emails right now. Of course, I don't have the time (or the patience) to post every job that I find that relates to writing. If you want to become a freelance writer, you can buy my book or ebook (Crash Course Freelance Writing) to overwhelm yourself. Soon, I'll be adding videos that you can purchase to learn the material. That will also mean you don't wait close to a week before you visit me here to get job leads! You can find the print book on createspace.com and the ebook on Gumroad.com.
Article Writing
Business and Legal Writing
Content Writing
Copywriting
Ebook Writing
Medical Writing
Professional Blogger
Technical Writing
Article Writing
Business and Legal Writing
- Business Plan
- Kickstarter campaign writing
- 26 crowdfunding pitches
- Contract
- Business Plan
- Sales letter
- Legal agreement
Content Writing
- Expert content writers (5 per day)
- Web content writer (fashion)
- Web content writer (.08 cents per word for rewrites / $25 for new articles)
- Blog posts and ebooks
- Online Content Coordinator and Writer - Lee Tilford Agency, Inc.
- Web Content Manager - The Oxford Club
- Web Content Writer - Granite Solutions Groupe
- Content Creator - Independent Journal Review
- Content SEO Writer
- Content writer
Copywriting
- Website sales focused copywriting
- Copy for landing page
- Rude greeting card copywriter
- Copywriter and Content Writer - CarFax
- Copywriter - RAINN
- Copywriter - dealer.com
- SEO Copywriting
- Copywriter for healthcare site
- Marketing Copywriter
Ebook Writing
Medical Writing
Professional Blogger
Technical Writing
- Technical Writer - Mouser Electronics
- Technical Writer: SOP Developer - Kelly
- Junior Technical Writer - Data Tactics
- Technical Writer - Sevatec
Miscellaneous
- Proofreader for novel
- Manuscript proofreader
- Create a book index
- Blog editor
- Writer - Sinclair Broadcast Group
Monday!
Monday morning my services will be very briefly featured on The Ed Tyll show. It's live 9 am EST until noon. Make sure you check it out!
Monday, September 22, 2014
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