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Hello! Today, I have a great guest post from Melanie. She started a business as a podcast virtual assistant and talks about how you can too. You can download her free workbook – Podcast VAs: What Services Should I Offer? Enjoy!

I’m Melanie Scroggins – voice actor and podcast producer. I currently live in Austin, TX with my husband and two fur babies.

I’ve been working in audio production for almost three years, and what started as a fun hobby, turned into a lucrative side gig that gave me the confidence to leave my last job and turn podcasting into a business.

At this point in my journey, I work part-time on podcasts. But when I was working on podcasts full-time, I usually worked with three clients (10-12 hours a week per show) and brought in over $3,000 a month. Now that I work on podcasts part-time (about 10 hours a week) I bring in an average of $1,500 a month.

Working as a Podcast VA allowed me the flexibility to quit my full-time office job and pursue what I believe to be my calling. I have continued to work as a Podcast virtual assistant because I love the work and the industry – there is always something new to learn!

Every day at my job was the same.

Fluorescent lights buzzing. Fingers clacking on keyboards. Phones ringing. People chatting… constantly.  

I’d go in, get my work done and then I’d go home. 

Hundreds of thousands of people manage to do this every day. And for a long while, I was one of them. 

But I repeatedly found myself asking, “Why isn’t this working for me?” 

When I finally sat down to talk it out with my husband, I realized the problem. 

I didn’t want to work for anyone else. 

It was as simple as that. I wanted to work for myself and our family, have creative freedom, and lots of flexibility. 

I wanted to create a work life I was proud of – doing something I actually wanted to do every day. 

Work on my terms.

 

It Was Me, Not Them

I wish I could tell you that my exit from corporate happened in a dramatic flair; the company went out of business and we were all laid off. 

Or that I was so poorly treated that I had no choice but to leave. (Oh the drama!)

I really wanted to believe that it was them – not me. 

But that wasn’t the truth. It was me. When 

I struggled to be okay with the fact that I wasn’t forced out of my office job. Deciding to leave meant choosing something unknown and that felt scary to me. 

I only knew that the “nine to five” world wasn’t for me. 

The only question was, what was? 

 

A Newfound Love for Audio Production 

My husband and I had some adventures after I stepped away from my desk job. 

We were living in an RV in a remote part of the coast of Oregon, when I really started to experiment with creativity and flexibility in my work.

At that point, I had been freelance writing for a couple of outdoor companies but I still found myself with a lot of extra time. 

I decided to start interviewing other female business owners and adventurers who were doing things differently.

I ordered a mic that could be set up at the RV diner table, downloaded some free software, learned some basic audio editing, and then set up interviews with other female business owners and friends.

It wasn’t long after I started creating and sharing my own content that friends, and friends of friends, began reaching out about how I could help them launch a podcast for their own businesses. 

 

Starting My Podcasting Virtual Assistant Business

Fast forward to the spring of 2018. With minimal help and very little know how, I began to build a podcast support business. 

I’ll be honest, it took me a while to trust that I had a good thing going. There were many times that I truly believed that I wasn’t going to make it. At one point, I ended up at another office job once we’d settled down again in Texas.

I was so afraid to dive in 100%.

But, I continued working at my little business. Every evening after my 9-5, I’d worked on a few client’s shows. 

After about four months of consistent client work, I gained the courage to quit my office job (again). It was time to expand and take myself (and my goals) seriously. 

I had a long way to go to build my portfolio and make enough money to support my family, but I was convinced that I had the skills to make a living doing audio production. 

About a year later, I was making well over what I was making in my last office job. And guess what? 

I was happier. So much happier. 

Today, I am working for myself. 

I now have the freedom for which I’d been searching for. And I’ve had it for nearly two years already! Somebody pinch me…

I have the flexibility to work or travel whenever I want to – my life and business on my terms and it feels good. 

 

Why Podcasting? 

Okay, okay, so I wanted to work for myself and I’d tried my hand at audio production. Big whoop, right? 

The real question is: why did I stick with podcasting? 

With over 800,000 podcasts out there (and this number’s increasing daily), you’ll find there is a lot of promise in offering podcasting services to clients, and that’s exactly what I realized. 

I initially started by creating a personal podcast, but I quickly became aware that podcasting is something a lot of businesses were interested in pursuing. 

And it makes sense, right? 

Podcasting allows small businesses to create a more personalized and intimate experience with their audience, which is a great way to approach the marketing idea, Know, Like, Trust.

When people reach out to you and ask how you can help them, that’s a pretty good sign that service is in demand. 

 

Is Becoming a Podcast Virtual Assistant Right for You?

Let’s get something out of the way real quick – there is nothing perfect about work, ever. 

Just like there is nothing perfect about life. There are still tough projects, frustrating client experiences, and lots of work to do. 

But it’s not about things being perfect. It’s about being honest with yourself and pursuing your calling – whatever that may be for you. 

For me, that thing was and is audio production. I love everything about it – editing, mixing, publication, distribution. It hits all my needs, and incorporates a good mix of my analytical and creative skill sets.

But you might be entirely different. 

One of my favorite things about becoming a Podcast Virtual Assistant is that there are so many variations of the role. And business owners need all of them! 

 

Why Business Owners Hire Podcast Virtual Assistants

One of the reasons clients prefer to outsource their podcast work to freelancers or virtual assistants is because they simply don’t have the time, desire, or know how. 

Their podcast is just one more line item on their very crowded agenda. But that’s good news for us!

There are so many different services you can potentially offer clients. Including (but certainly not limited to): 

• Audio editing
• Marketing and promotion
• Publication 
• Distribution
• Show note creation

The list goes on! 

No matter your skill set, there is something you can likely offer.

If helping small businesses with their podcasts is something you’ve thought about doing, here are five services you could offer clients as well as what you could potentially earn. 

1. Audio Editing 

This is a particular skill that many clients don’t know how to do or want to do. They’re busy working on their businesses and simply don’t have the time or skills. 

If you’re interested in learning how to edit audio, YouTube has a ton of awesome videos on audio editing. If you’re worried about the cost, you can get started today – Audacity is free and great for editors at any level. 

Potential Earnings – $50-125/episode

2. Project Management

Yes, project management! A podcast project manager or PM works in the same capacity as a regular PM, they just work on podcast specific projects. 

Project managers offer an invaluable service to clients helping them manage production, team members, and content scheduling. 

Have a background in project management? Even better! 

Potential Earnings – $30-75/hour

3. Guest Management 

If a client is interested in interviewing people for their podcast, guest management is a critical skill set they need to have (or hire out). 

Your job would be to connect with potential guests, be sure they have everything they need for the interview, and touch base with them after the interview. 

This role is especially important because you’re guest facing and representing your client’s business. If you have experience in customer service or administration work, this would be an awesome service for you to offer. 

Potential Earnings – $25-40/hour

4. Marketing 

You’ve seen this word a gazillion times before, but it’s because marketing is essential to a business’s success and that is also true for the success of a podcast. 

Offering this service can make a good podcast an even better podcast. Getting in front of the right people can create unique opportunities for your clients and provide valuable resources to people who are looking for exactly what your client is offering. 

If you have a background in marketing, marketing for podcasting is a huge portion of the industry and could provide you with all kinds of potential business. 

Potential Earnings – $50-70/hour

5. Content Repurposing 

When a podcast is published consistently for a substantial period of time (i.e. six months to a year), oftentimes, it’s a good idea to repurpose content, or, reuse and redistribute content that has already been made in different ways. 

Have you ever seen an audiogram or sound bite? Those images with a wave form or quote over an image of a person? This is one small example of content repurposing that is used to promote a podcast. 

A large enough show has a dedicated team of people constantly utilizing bits and pieces of older podcast episodes and churning out fresh and updated content. 

If you have a background in social media or design, you could offer this much needed service. 

Potential Earnings – $25-40/hour

 

This All Sounds Exciting, But Where Do I Start? 

Some of you may be excited about the prospect of starting your own podcasting support business while others of you might be shaking in your boots thinking, “I was really excited, but now I’m overwhelmed!”

Don’t worry. I’ve been there too. 

I spent tons of time learning tactics for audio editing, keeping up-to-date with the latest and greatest in marketing, and figuring out distribution; all on my own. It was certainly going the long way around for my ultimate goal; flexibility and creative freedom.

All the knowledge I gained was so valuable! But to be honest, I wish someone was there to help me get from point A to point B more quickly.  

 

The Fastest, Easiest Way to Become a Podcast Virtual Assistant

As a result, I teamed up with my good friends (and fellow podcast lovers), Gina Horkey and Hailey Thomas to streamline your journey. 

We created Podcast Assist to help people learn to master the skills and strategies needed to launch, manage, and grow podcasts for small businesses. 

Our goal was to put together everything you need to bridge the gap from where you are now, to offering your first service and earning your very first paycheck as a Podcast Virtual Assistant. 

 

You Can Start Now! 

In the beginning, I felt like there were so many questions and barriers to moving forward. And so we’re going out of our way to remove as many as we can for you!  

So we created this FREE workbook – Podcast VAs: What Services Should I Offer?

It’s especially designed to help you explore the career of a Podcast Virtual Assistant and decide which services are best suited for you. 

Included in this free workbook: 

• What is a Podcast Virtual Assistant?  
• What services should I offer? 
• Example service menu and starting rates
• “Which services should I offer?” questionnaire 

You can also check out the Podcast Assist Course so that you can learn the skills needed to launch, manage, and grow podcasts for small businesses.

I hope my story was an inspiration! Dive into the workbook and explore what’s going to work best for you!

But before I go… which of the five services above resonates with you the most and why? Chime in via the comments below!

The post How I Make $1,500 A Month As A Podcast Virtual Assistant appeared first on Making Sense Of Cents.

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We have seen a lot of swing since mid-February, but with three straight days of positive finishes in the market, it's time to explore whether this means we are in for a bull market again.

The post Back to a Bull Market? The Biggest Movers on Wall Street and What it Means appeared first on The Dough Roller.

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When I started writing about achieving financial independence in 2009, there wasn’t a lot of hoopla. We had people mainly discussing how they built large enough investment portfolios that spit out enough income to sustain their early retirement lifestyles. There was a thorough discussion and analysis of these investment portfolios. Sure, there were some interesting

The post FIRE Confessionals: How A Bear Market Has Impacted The Financial Independence Movement appeared first on Financial Samurai.

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What do you do about flights you’ve already booked but won’t be able to take? And how can you protect yourself from losing money on future trips?

The post How to Recoup Travel Expenses During a Pandemic and Safeguard Future Trips appeared first on The Dough Roller.

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If you’ve spent any time on retirement planning, you’ve probably heard mention of the 4% rule. It was developed to help determine how much money retirees could safely take from retirement accounts annually, without depleting their funds. Summarizing the rule quickly, you can withdraw 4% of your portfolio on day 1 of your retirement. You can then withdraw a similar percentage every year thereafter (the actual dollar amount will change based on remaining balances, of course), adjusting the amount to keep pace with inflation. Done properly, you will have very little chance of running out of money. The 4% rule has been widely accepted in the early retirement community. This is in spite of the fact that early retirees have much longer retirement lengths than the 30-year assumption used in the rule’s original research. Conversely, though, there is credible new research which suggests that in low interest rate environments, as we are currently experiencing, 4% withdrawal rates are too optimistic, even for traditional retirements. Whether the 4% rule is gospel truth, too conservative, or too aggressive for retirement planning can be debated. However, there are universal lessons hidden in the 4% rule which are valuable to anyone on the path to financial independence and retirement.

Lesson 1: The Fastest And Easiest Path to Financial Independence Is Needing Less

The 80% Salary Replacement Rule is commonly used by financial advisers to determine retirement income needs. According to the 80% rule, what you need for retirement is tied to what you earn in your working years. If you earn $50,000/year, assume that you will need $40,000/year in retirement. If you earn $100,000/year, assume that you will need $80,000/year in retirement. The 80% rule works for many people because they spend most or all of their income. However, just because many people live this way does not mean we all should. Save More: Is the 50-20-30 Rule a Better Way to Save Money? The 4% rule disassociates earning and spending. Let’s think of it another way: using the inverse of the 4% rule, we get the rule of 25. When your investments reach 25 times your annual spending, you are considered financially independent. Now, you would have enough money to withdraw 4% of investments and live exactly as you are. Your spending, not what you ever earned, determines how much you need to be financially independent. This knowledge can be empowering. Understanding how much you actually need to be financially independent can, at first, also seem intimidating. If you spend $100 monthly ($1,200/year) for cable TV, you would need $30,000 ($1,200 X 25) in investments to support this expense alone. That number can seem large and difficult to attain, and remember: this would support only $100/month of spending. However, replacing cable with an online service for $10 monthly would cut this annual expense to $120. To support this expense with investments would require only $3,000. Saving a few dollars a month does not seem like a big deal at first glance. With this different perspective, though, you can see that not only do you save an extra $1,080 each year. This one decision gives the double effect of reducing the amount needed to retire by $27,000. That is a big deal! Learn More: Cutting the Cord: How to Hack Your TV Budget The effects become quite impactful when applying this logic to bigger ticket items. Supporting a $2,000 monthly mortgage payment in retirement would take $600,000 of investments. However, choosing a home you could pay off before retiring would eliminate mortgage obligations. Quoting financial independence blogger and writer JL Collins, “Financial independence has two aspects: How much you have and how much you need.” Understanding the 4% rule and its inverse, the rule of 25, should make this clear. Having enough investments to support a high-cost lifestyle is very difficult to achieve, even for very high earners. However, focusing on needing (and spending) less can make financial independence achievable for nearly anyone. Related: Money Rules to Ensure a Successful Retirement

Lesson 2: Investment Fees Matter

If you are a regular Dough Roller reader, this should not be news to you. It is a regular theme are here. In fact, you can check out the recent post and podcast inspired by this topic. John Bogle founded the Vanguard investment group based on this concept. He has written entire books explaining the impact of fees on investment returns. While this lesson can be more fully explained in books, articles, and podcasts, the 4% rule allows for a simple back-of-a-napkin explanation. Imagine that you spend $40,000/year to live. According to the 4% rule, you need to accumulate a $1,000,000 portfolio to sustain that $40,000 annual spending. However, the 4% rule is an academic exercise and does not reflect investment fees. If you pay 2% annual investment fees, your $1,000,000 portfolio would cost $20,000. This represents half of what you could safely take from your portfolio. This would leave you with only $20,000 for your spending needs, while keeping your initial portfolio withdrawal at 4%. You would actually have to save $2,000,000, double what you would without fees, to provide your initial $40,000 and pay “only” 2% investment fees while keeping your withdrawal rate at 4%. Read About 7 Ways to Improve Your Investment Returns If nothing else drives this point home, the 4% rule should. Investment fees matter!

Lesson 3: Many People Give Themselves No Chance At Financial Independence

In a previous post, I discussed the impact of savings rate on wealth building. The post includes a table that shows the relationship between savings rate and the approximate number of years it would take to reach financial independence. What it comes down to? Most Americans do not save nearly enough to even give themselves a viable chance. It’s near-impossible for them to accumulate 25 times their annual spending, which the 4% rule shows we need to be financially independent when investing in stocks and bonds. Once we have the means to save enough money, there is then the assumption that we can just blindly put money in our 401(k) or hand things over to an adviser with wildly unrealistic expectations. These scenarios are seen everywhere, such as Dave Ramsey’s “12% Reality.” He writes that “you can expect to make 12% on your investments” using “an investment professional” based on “real numbers.” These ‘real numbers’ assume investing 100% in stocks while failing to account for inflation, volatility of returns, or investment expenses. It does not sound like any real world that I am aware of. Invest Wisely: How to Determine Your 401(k) Fees Studies show most investors get substantially less return than the funds they invest in. This occurs because investors make behavioral errors trying to time and beat the market. Adding insult to injury, they pay unnecessary fees and taxes in the process. While not perfect, the 4% rule gives a realistic expectation of what you can expect to spend living off a portfolio of paper assets, while factoring in real historic returns and accounting for the effects of portfolio volatility. The inverse rule of 25 likewise gives a reasonable estimate of how much money it takes to be financially independent. If you are using the assumptions of the 4% rule, you should first understand the effects of savings rate on time to financial independence. Be sure you save an amount that gives a legitimate chance at a successful outcome. Otherwise you are dead in the water before getting started. Next, you should learn to invest in a way that makes these assumptions valid. This means learning about index investing, which aims to deliver market returns while minimizing investment fees and taxes. Even when minimized, these expenses must be accounted for. You should also learn how to avoid the behavioral errors that most investors make that prevent getting market returns. If you are willing to make an effort to save an appropriate amount and learn to invest in a competent way, the 4% rule can be a very useful tool to help you with your retirement planning. If you are not willing to take the time and effort, the 4% rule is a reality check. It demonstrates that paper assets do not provide a viable path for many people to build enough wealth to become financially independent. How Will You Use The 4% Rule? The 4% rule is one of many “rules” found in personal finance. It was developed to determine how much money can be safely taken from retirement accounts annually. You can choose to follow it, modify it, or use a completely different approach for your retirement spending. However, there are some important lessons hidden in the assumptions behind the research that can help everyone that takes the time to understand them as we find our paths to financial independence. What are your thoughts on the 4% rule and its accompanying rule of 25?In podcast 327, we address misinformation and assumptions about the 4 percent rule to give you a better understanding of how it works.

The post DR Podcast 327: What You Really Need to Know About the 4% Rule appeared first on The Dough Roller.

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Are you looking for some new and delicious slow cooker recipes so you can have tasty and stress-free dinners this week?

I love making meals in a slow cooker. Dinners are so much easier when you start everything in advance! I’m less stressed, can focus on things I’d rather do, all while knowing that I have a delicious meal cooking.

So, if you’re looking for some of the best slow cooker recipes, I have 10 new recipes for you to try – that’s almost two full weeks of meal ideas!

I think you’re going to like all of these slow cooker recipes, but here are my favorites:

• Easy Slow Cooker Cauliflower Soup – Cauliflower, cashews, and a smoky chickpea topping. This soup is packed full of protein, and it’s vegan. This soup is creamy, rich, and the chickpea topping is roasted, which gives it a nice crunch.
• Slow Cooker Salsa Verde Chicken Soup – Chicken, black beans, fire roasted corn, lime juice, and more. You can top this hearty soup with cheese, avocado, sour cream (I like to use plain Greek yogurt), and more.
• Mozzarella Stuffed Crockpot Meatloaf – Garlic, onions, mozzarella cheese, Italian seasoning, and more. This meatloaf even has a delicious sweet and spicy glaze on top. I honestly had no idea that you could even make meatloaf in the slow cooker until I found this recipe.

Many of these slow cooker recipes take 15 minutes or less of prep time, which means you can easily make them before you go to work in the morning. They also make great leftovers for lunch the next day.

I like to put together slow cooker recipes before we go out hiking, biking, or exploring. We’re usually very hungry when we finish, and having a slow cooker meal ready to eat means we’re never too tired to eat dinner at home.

Being too tired or too hungry to cook is probably one of the top reasons for going out to eat, but dinner out can easily cost $30-$50. That can be a lot of extra spending that you didn’t budget.

So, these slow cooker recipes will give you some delicious new ideas, make dinner time easier, and they’ll keep your food budget in check. 

If you’re interested in more meal ideas, I recommend checking out the following articles for more of my favorite recipes:

• 10 Easy Freezer Meal Ideas
• 10 Easy Fall Recipes – Best Fall Dinners For Your Meal Plan
• 10 Easy Instant Pot Recipes – My New Favorite Gadget

Note: If you’re looking for easy weekly meal plans, full of budget recipes, I recommend $5 Meal Plan. $5 Meal Plan is a meal planning service that sends you a delicious meal plan and shopping list every week for just $5 a month.

Here are 10 slow cooker recipes.

 

1. Easy Slow Cooker Cauliflower Soup

Get the recipe here.

 

2. Slow Cooker Vegan Butternut Squash Soup

Get the recipe here.

 

3. Sweet Potato Apple Casserole

Get the recipe here.

 

4. French Beef Stew

Get the recipe here.

 

5. Teriyaki Chicken Quinoa And Veggies

Get the recipe here.

 

6. Salsa Verde Chicken Soup

Get the recipe here.

 

7. Slow Cooker Corned Beef Tacos

Get the recipe here.

 

8. BBQ Pulled Pork Tacos

Get the recipe here.

 

9. Slow Cooker Chicken Chili

Get the recipe here.

 

10. Mozzarella Stuffed Crockpot Meatloaf

Get the recipe here.

What are your favorite slow cooker recipes?

The post 10 Slow Cooker Recipes That Will Make Dinner Time Easy appeared first on Making Sense Of Cents.

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Do you need some working from home tips to make it easier to transition to remote work?

More and more people are starting to work from home or are becoming location independent and traveling while they work, such as those who backpack, RV, or sail full-time.

If you’re new to working from home, you quickly realize that it’s not as easy as it may seem. In the beginning when you’re new it may seem like a great thing, but it can easily turn sour if you are not careful with how you use your time.

Just because you are working from home doesn’t mean that you all of a sudden have 8-10 hours a day of free time – you will still be expected to WORK!

The only thing that has changed is WHERE you are working.

I have been working from home and while traveling since 2013 – so for around 7 years now! 

I know many people often dream about working from home and/or being location independent. And there are a lot of great things about working from home.

You don’t have to drive to work (no more commute? YES!), you can wear your pajamas if you’d like, and more. You may even be able to have a more flexible schedule.

Being able to work from home and/or be location independent can be a great thing. I know this because I’ve been working from home for several years now, and I truly love it.

However, there are many things a person needs to keep in mind if they want to work from home (or on the road, while traveling, etc.) and that is why I am publishing this post today about my top working from home tips.

I know several people who have tried working from home only to find that they have a hard time getting anything done. While I’m not one of those people (I love working from home), I know there are certain things that may hold you back if you’re not careful.

This is why it’s important to realize that working from home doesn’t mean you are retired. I’ve honestly heard from people who said they felt that way at first, but quickly realized that wasn’t the case at all.

You still have work that needs to be completed, and you still have to earn a living. Cutting out your commute, being able to wear your pajamas, and being your own boss all may seem like great positives, but you have to remember that you still have a job.

Here are my best working from home tips so that you can be as productive as possible, while still maintaining a good work and life balance.

Content related to working from home tips for success:

• How To Earn Money From Home – 12 Work From Home Jobs
• 17 Best Online Jobs. Want To Make Money From Home?
• Make Extra Income – Over 100 Ways To Make Extra Money!
• 12 Passive Income Ideas

15 working from home tips:

 

1. Set working hours for yourself.

Even though you are working from home and you probably don’t have anyone looking over your shoulder to see what you are doing all day long, I still recommend having clear work hours. This will help you manage your time, complete your work, and “leave” work for the day.

You will want to schedule your day so you have:

• A start time
• Lunch break
• End time
• Anything else that you would normally do to break apart your work day

Even if you can have the most flexible schedule in the world, it’s usually wise to still have somewhat of a work schedule. This way you can mentally get into the “work zone” each day and have fewer distractions.

I find that I am most productive when I “get up and go to work.” Even though that might mean I am working at the kitchen table – I get myself into the mindset that I am working.

 

2. Create a dedicated work area.

Similar to sticking to a work schedule, having a dedicated work area can help you work better due to the fact that you will be in a spot in your home that is used just for work. 

This can help you separate work and life, be more organized, and be able to concentrate better.

Also, if you have anyone else in your home while you are working, it will be more clear to them that you are busy at work, so that they will be less likely to bother you.

Your dedicated work area doesn’t have to be an office – you can use your dining room table, spare bedroom, extra room in your basement, etc. But, if you are able to have an actual office space in your house for working only, you may be able to write that off on your taxes.

Related: How To Be More Productive: 17 Tips To Help You Live A Better Life

 

3. Exercise regularly.

When working from home, it can be quite easy to sit in one spot all day long. This is one of the working from home tips that many people don’t expect.

Unlike with going to work where you may have to walk into work, walk to someone’s desk, and so on, you may find yourself getting a lot less movement in your day when you work from home. 

By exercising regularly, you can stay healthy, refresh yourself, and clear your mind.

This may mean going for a jog in the middle of your work day, going for a walking break outside, or simply doing a workout routine once your work day is over.

 

4. Hire help if you need it.

Outsourcing work can help you focus more on tasks that you need to complete, find “experts” who can do certain tasks better than you (such as accounting or legal work), manage a better work-life balance, and more.

You don’t have to only hire help for your work either. You can hire help for both work and home life. This could mean finding a virtual assistant, a nanny, a housekeeper, and so on.

I know it can be hard to feel okay spending money on outside help, but outsourcing often makes you more productive so you can earn more money.

 

5. Cut out distractions.

While social media and TV may be great at times, you have to be careful so that it’s not impacting your work in a negative way.

Working from home means that your coworkers or boss aren’t watching over your shoulder, and this can cause you to become more distracted. Due to this, it’s always a good idea to cut out things such as social media, TV, and so on while you are working so that you can be more efficient with your time.

This may even mean downloading cell phone apps that minimize your screen time, so that you are forced to cut out distractions. I even know of some people who put their phone in another room so they aren’t tempted to look at it while they are working.

 

6. Socialize with others.

Working from home can make some people feel a little lonely at times. You don’t have the normal socialization that you may receive when you go into an office, which can make you feel like you are cut off from the world.

There are still many ways to socialize with others. You could join a club, hang out with friends, call coworkers, or even work in a shared space with small business owners.

 

7. Don’t run errands for others all day long.

There’s a common myth that people who work from home don’t actually do anything all day. This sometimes leads to friends and family members asking for favors from those who work from home.

Many of my online work friends are constantly asked to babysit, run errands, and so on from others. While the occasional favor may not be so bad, of course, these favors often start with, “I know you have nothing to do today so will you…”

If you have the time and you want to, by all means say yes to every favor. But, I believe you need to be realistic with yourself and those around you, and this is one of my most important working from home tips. Running errands all day for others can prevent you from completing work, and it can also cost you money.

 

8. Make sure you take breaks.

This may not apply to all work from home jobs, but for many people, working from home means you may have a flexible schedule. So, as long as you get your work done, you can most likely take any breaks that you think you deserve or need, and this is a big perk of working from home.

This is something I highly recommend that everyone who works from home do, but I also know it can be hard sometimes.

A break can help you feel more refreshed so that you can work better. Whenever I am feeling stuck with work, I always take a break and that almost always helps.

 

9. Connect with other people who are working from home.

One of the best pieces of working from home advice I was given was to connect with other people in my field. So, I found other bloggers to connect with via email, and we eventually started a mastermind group with one another.

Most of the time we talk about how to grow our businesses, but we often talk about tips, advice, and struggles we have with working from home. 

If someone has never worked at home, they probably won’t understand certain aspects of your day. Even your spouse, partner, family, or friends may not get it, and having a group of others who understand you feels great.

 

10. Find tools and apps to make working from home easier.

There are so many great tools on the internet that can help you work from home. You can use workflow management software like Asana, make the best out of Google calendar, or even just use reminders on your phone.

This is one of the tips for working from home effectively that can really change how you structure your day so you actually get stuff done.

 

11. Explain what working from home means to those in your life.

Like I’ve said, some people around you may not understand what working from home means, like some people may ask you for favors because they think you do nothing all day. This is why I recommend this as one of my best working from home tips.

When you start your new remote work life, set some boundaries with those around you. Tell the people in your life if there are certain times they shouldn’t bother you, that you might not pick up the phone right away, etc.

Others probably aren’t sure what working from home really means, and they will happily respect your boundaries once you tell them what they are. 

 

12. Ask for what you need.

This is one of my top working from home tips for those who are employed by someone else and not self-employed. If your employer needs you to work remotely, they may supply you with the equipment you need to work from home.

Your employer may provide a computer, desk, ergonomic chair, keyboard, mouse, etc. Large companies often have a budget for these things, and you just need to ask.

 

13. Take time off work when you are sick.

Taking time off when you are sick is a hard thing for even those who go into work, but it’s especially hard if you work from home. 

I have to admit that this is one of my working from home tips that I wasn’t always very good with.

Just because you work from home doesn’t mean that you need to work while you are sick. Yes, you may be more comfortable working from home, but take time off so you can rest and feel better. You will get better soon and be better at your job when you are healthy.

 

14. Create routines for the beginning and end of your day.

When you start working from home, you lose some of the routines that come with going to work and leaving for the day. So, it can be helpful to create new ones.

You may want to start your day by going for a short walk, getting a cup of coffee, going over your daily schedule, then opening your work emails. 

You could end your day by organizing your schedule for the next day, shutting down all of your work apps, and then going for another short walk.

This is one of the working from home tips that will help you feel like you are “going” to work everyday, and can establish boundaries with the rest of your day.

 

15. Enjoy your new career working from home.

In the end, you need to remember to have fun. There are a lot of benefits to working from home, and it’s important to take advantage of them when you can.

Spend more time with your family, be successful with your career choice, do things that you’ve always wanted to do, and more.

Being able to work from home is one of the best things I’ve been able to do. It allows me to spend more time with Wes, travel full-time, have a flexible schedule, and more. I know it can be hard at times, but with these tips for working remotely, you’ll adjust and love it too!

Do you think you’d like working from home? What are your top working from home tips?

The post 15 Of My Best Working From Home Tips So You Can Succeed appeared first on Making Sense Of Cents.

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