Category: Work from Home

Almost 4 million Americans now work from home, and the number continues to grow. This growing number includes transcription jobs from home.

If you’re an excellent typist with a desire to work from the comfort of home, you might consider joining the ranks of transcriptionists. This job requires some specific skills and knowledge to get started, but it’s simpler than you might think.

What’s Involved in Transcription Jobs?

A transcription job involves listening to and typing out audio recordings or live events. The process involves interpreting and editing to make the transcription easier to read and understand.

The job requires certain equipment to get started. You’ll need a computer with a word-processor. You’ll also want headphones to make it easier to hear and interpret the audio.

You’ll also need audio software to download the necessary files. While it’s not required, a foot pedal proves helpful to change the speed of the audio. This equipment makes it easier to complete the transcription with less trouble.

Types of Transcribing Jobs

Transcription jobs prove necessary for every industry. This means there’s plenty of opportunities. This also means there are different types of transcription jobs available.

Transcriptionists can expect an average salary of $30,675. The full amount depends on the industry and type of transcription job you choose.

General Transcription

General transcription encompasses most types of transcribing jobs. You’re completing services from any type of audio. This includes

• Lectures
• Interviews
• Workshops
• Webinars
• Conference calls
• Dictation

Any audio recording that needs a typed transcription falls under general transcription. General transcription also includes data entry jobs, where you add data to company databases.

Legal Transcription

Legal transcriptionists deal with the legal profession. This involves knowledge of legal terms and procedures. Most companies hiring legal transcription services require someone with experience in this field.

Financial Transcription

Financial transcriptionists need knowledge of specific industries. They also need an understanding of financial reports and terminology. If you choose this transcription niche, you should choose an industry you have experience with.

Captioning

Captioning involves transcribing videos, webinars, and lectures. You offer captions for people that can’t hear the audio. This means you’re required to transcribe background and other sounds too.

Real-Time Transcription

Some transcription involves live audio. This means you can’t slow down the audio and need the ability to keep up. This means you need more than an adequate typing speed. This includes options such as court reporting.

Medical Transcription

Medical transcription requires specialized training and certification to complete. This involves a certification program or Associate’s degree. 

A medical transcriptionist deals with physician and hospital dictation. You interpret these recordings to add notes to patient records.

Finding Transcription Jobs from Home

It’s important to watch out for scams when seeking a transcription job from home. Many scams exist, and you need to look for legitimate transcription options such as transcription services online.

Many places look for someone with experience in an office setting, but this isn’t always a requirement. For medical or real-time transcription you will need specialized training and certification. Other transcription options will sometimes hire new transcriptionists though.

How to Get Started with Work from Home Transcription

Most places will require you to pass a typing test for speed and accuracy. Most look for at least 60 words per minute with minimal mistakes.

If you’re just getting started with transcription work, you might consider a basic data-entry job. This option won’t pay as much as other transcription jobs, but this will help you gain experience. 

If you start with data-entry options, you’re also more susceptible to scams. This makes it more important to check the company you plan to work with. For instance, if they insist you pay for a certification program to work for them, this gives an indication a scam’s involved.

Skills Needed for Transcription Jobs

Along with typing skills, you need organization, proofreading, and editing skills to complete your work. It’s a good idea to find programs that will help you test and increase your typing and proofreading skills.

You will also want adequate office space to increase your focus. You want to find office space that allows for privacy and quiet so you can hear the audio. Headphones will help with this endeavor.

To increase your organization, you should also create a schedule. This will help you increase productivity and stay on track. You also need to ensure that people in the home with you understand the need for uninterrupted work time.

You can also look into apps that help you shut off time-wasters during your work time. Do what you can to ensure you stay on task. The quicker you can complete the jobs, the more money you can make.

How to Find Transcribing Jobs from Home

If you already have connections in specific industries, you can use these networks to look for transcription jobs. Let your connections know you’re looking for jobs so they can let you know of opportunities.

You can also look into companies hiring transcriptionists. Many online services seek new transcriptionists to complete jobs for their companies. You can also look into websites with job listings.

For basic data-entry jobs, microtask sites usually offer the best opportunities. These websites usually pay the least but will help you get started. Freelance bidding sites also allow you to find data-entry and other transcription jobs.

Do your research before agreeing to work with a company. If they ask you to pay a fee to work with them, you should steer clear. The only fee you should consider involves the specialized equipment to do the job.

Evaluating Work from Home Options

Do transcription jobs from home sound like a perfect opportunity for you? Or do you need something a little different? You want to make sure you choose an option that works with your strengths.

Would you like to look at your other work from home options? Whatever choice you make, you want to ensure you get the most out of your options. Check out our other work from home options and tips to help you choose.

Home-based businesses are on the rise! eCommerce is currently valued at over $3.3 trillion, globally. A lot of entrepreneurs are starting their own home-based businesses, looking to capitalize on the trend.

Traditional business is evolving, as well. Only 32% of employees work in a traditional workplace full-time at this point. Even regular employees are working from home, thanks to the expanded possibilities of digital technology.

Working from home brings its own set of challenges, however. Yes, you can make money in your PJs. It also requires finding the best work-life balance along the way.

Whether you’re an entrepreneur running your business or a remote employee, here are some ideas on how to keep a clean house while working from home.

How To Keep A Clean House When Working From Home

Entrepreneurs are often overwhelmed. Business owners report only spending 32% of their time working on their business. The rest of the time is spent playing catch-up and doing busy work.

This only gets more severe when you have to keep a clean house on top of your daily activities.

Here are some tips for staying organized and productive while maintaining a clean house.

Perfect Is The Enemy Of The Good

Too often, our perfectionism prevents us from even getting started. You think of the big picture, with all of the little details and tiny tasks that need to be done, and you get overwhelmed.

You need to flip that script if you want to live in a perfectly clean house. Focus on the little things that you can do throughout your day, like bussing dirty dishes into the kitchen when you’re headed that way.

At the end of the day, your house will be nearly clean already. Then you only have to worry about tidying up.

Create A Cleaning Schedule… and Stick To It

You should try and make a schedule for the big cleaning tasks that need to happen regularly, like vacuuming or washing the linens. If you don’t end up getting to that task that day, wait until next week.

The stress of living with a little dust is much less than running around frantically, trying to do it all. Plus, letting something go for a week really lets you see why it’s important to clean regularly.

Tweak Accordingly

Experimentation is the key to every kind of success. It’s the cornerstone of the scientific method — form a hypothesis, test it out, and adjust accordingly.

Not only should you make a list of your daily duties, but you should also make a list of your dreams and goals. Maybe it could be having streak-free windows 24/7, or being able to cook meals at home more regularly.

Once a month or so, check in with your goals and see how you’re measuring up. Maybe you HAVE kept those windows clean for a whole month. You’ll feel invigorated as you’re making your list in the bright, clear morning light.

Of course, if you want a perfectly clean home every time, you can always hire a top-notch cleaning service like AspenClean!

Want More Business Tips?

There’s never been a more exciting time to be an entrepreneur. There are so many options, already, and whole new industries are developing every single day.

Whether you’re looking for tips on how to keep a clean house or how to balance your payroll, we have everything you need to help your startup thrive. Browse our business articles today and get inspired.

Whether you’re a brand new mom or your kids are already getting big, you’re probably running from one thing to the next–without much time to stop and catch your breath.

Sometimes childcare isn’t enough. If you’re an ambitious entrepreneur and a mom, you’ll have to find time to balance both.

So is it possible? Can you handle a business while staying at home with the kids?

It might not be easy to build a successful home business while balancing household duties and growing families, but it’s definitely not impossible. Like any other business venture, you need to generate a business that’s both profitable and enjoyable–all while managing your home life.

Here are some tips for running a business with your hectic schedule as a mom–so you can have the best of both worlds.

10 Tips for Running a Successful Home Business As a Busy Mom

It’s challenging to build a successful home-based business–especially when you’ve got a house to manage and kids to raise. But with the right amount of planning, determination, and time management, you can be a great businesswoman and a mother. No sacrifices required.

Let’s take a look at some tips you can use to manage the responsibility of being a mom in business.

1. Make Your Home Into a Corporate Office

The first step towards building a business out of your home is taking it just as seriously as you would any other job.

When you work in a corporate office or you have an office job, you come into work every day with specific goals to accomplish before the end of the day. The same thing applies when you’re working from home.

Set aside a home office and treat it like your official workplace. This means having a desk, an office chair, a well-organized space, and no distractions.

Once you’re in this office, have a schedule and a to-do list just like you would in the workplace.

In this case, you’re not working for a boss–you are the boss. So you need to hold yourself accountable for being productive and sticking to the schedule.

2. It’s Okay to Say “No”

As a mom, you probably say no to your kids all the time: staying up late, eating more dessert, or playing an hour more of video games.

You have to take that same attitude to your business too. There might be more pressure to say yes all the time, but if you take on everything on your plate, you’ll be busy from morning until night.

You need time for your family–and you need time for yourself. Don’t be afraid to say no or push back meetings or ideas that you don’t have time for.

3. Don’t Be Afraid to Set Boundaries

As a busy, working mother, you already have a lot on your plate. Don’t be afraid to set boundaries on what you’re willing and able to do.

If you have a spouse or significant other, talk to them about how to divide the load for household chores or childcare duties. Women do an average of 60% more household chores than men, and mothers are often expected to carry the brunt of the housework.

Even if you’re working from home, it’s still a job, and you still deserve to be taken seriously for your work.

Be sure that childcare and chores are divided evenly among those in the household–including spouses, significant others, older children, or other able family members.

4. Get Outside When You Can

While it’s important to have an at home office that you can count on, don’t keep yourself trapped indoors all day.

Not only is it bad for your health, but you’ll be more likely to get distracted or become stressed while you work. Try getting out of the house and working in a local coffee shop or the library. You could even attend business networking events when you can–especially if there are ones for working women or moms in your area.

Don’t isolate yourself indoors. Whenever you have the chance to get out of the house–leaving kids with a spouse, relative, or sitter of course–it can be good for you to work in a different environment.

5. Find an Online Community

Working at home alone can often feel isolating. Know that you’re not alone–and you’re not the only mom out there handling the responsibility of a business.

Try to connect with other moms in business and entrepreneurs online. You can search Linkedin, online forums, or social media for “working moms” or “business moms.”

Not only will this give you a network for support, but it also lets you meet and bond with other moms who have the same things on their plate. You can share tips, advice, resources, and inspiration with other women devoted to motherhood and their personal businesses.

6. Keep Yourself Healthy

It’s hard enough to balance childcare and a career–it’ll be a lot harder if you’re sick. Take care of yourself and try your best to stay healthy.

Exercise daily or a few times a week if you can, drink water throughout the day, get 8 hours of sleep a night, and make sure you’re eating well. You can try taking vitamins or supplements if you feel like you’re not getting enough from your diet–or if you find yourself feeling sluggish or tired.

When you do find yourself getting sick, don’t be afraid to take time off. Try to get a family member or a sitter to care for the kids, and keep your work minimal, if at all. You need the time and the rest to recover fully–so you can be back at work again as soon as possible.

7. Set Aside Time for Yourself

When you have kids, sometimes it can feel like it’s all about them. And it is! But it’s also about you.

Your health and well being are just as important. After all, you can’t take care of your family if you’re not taking good care of yourself.

If you push yourself too hard, you, your kids, and your work might suffer. When you’re working from home, it can feel like the work never stops.

Take at least one day off each week. On that day, don’t check your work email, don’t answer the phone, and try not to worry about what’s usually on your mind. If you want a break from childcare duties too, ask your partner or a relative–or hire a sitter to help you out on that day if you can.

8. Treat It Like a “Real” Business

When it comes to home businesses (especially for working moms) there’s a stigma of it not being “real” work.

Sometimes this myth comes from others, but oftentimes it’s perpetuated by home business owners themselves. The confidence needs to come from you. You run a real, serious, honest business–so treat it like one!

Invest in a professional looking office, website, and business structure to make sure that you’re not sabotaging your own success. Your business deserves to be taken seriously–and you do too.

You should also be investing in business tools, like time tracking programs, collaboration apps, and online postage. With Certified Mail Labels, you can skip the trip to the post office and send mail 24/7, every day of the year.

9. Draw a Line Between Your Jobs

For the sake of your kids as well as your business, it’s important to draw a line separating your work and motherhood.

Whenever you’re with your kids, be present and give them your full attention. They can usually tell if you’re checking your work email or making business calls while you’re supposed to be spending time with them.

In the same way, be present when you’ve dedicated time to work. During working hours, put all your attention towards the work at hand, and let people others know that you won’t be available for other things–just like in a regular office.

This promotes efficiency in both areas–business and motherhood–and it will keep your lives from bleeding into each other and affecting your relationship with your kids.

10. Fight Off the Feelings of Guilt

As a mom, you’re likely to deal with some kind of guilt. A quarter of working moms cry once a week–both from the stress and the guilt. These feelings came come from choosing to work instead of caring for your kids full time, taking a moment for yourself to relax, and just about everything in between.

It’s important that you try to avoid any feelings of guilt. Remind yourself that there’s nothing wrong with supporting your family–both financially and as a stay at home mother. You deserve to live the life that you want to live, even if it’s challenging.

Moms in business can do it all, but they’re also still human. You need to take some time to rest and recuperate.

Putting It All Together

Being a mom and running a business is like having two full-time jobs. It isn’t always easy to balance a successful home business with caring for your household.

But you’re not an ordinary mom–you’re a working mother. You deserve to have the best of both worlds without sacrificing your well being.

With the right mindset, good time management, and a lot of hard work, you can build a successful home based business without giving up the time to be a great mother too.

Looking for more tips and tricks to survive your time as a working mom? Check out more working from home advice on our blog!

Being a stay at home mom is a job in itself. Between parenting, cleaning, preparing meals, chauffeuring the kids everywhere, and taking care of yourself, you definitely have your hands full.

But being a stay at home parent doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice having a career as well. There are careers that can be done from home or that can easily assimilate into your life as a mom so you can succeed at work and at home. And the extra money doesn’t hurt either!

We’ve compiled a list of 7 great jobs for stay at home moms. See if any of these pique your fancy!

1. Remote Writer or Editor

If you like writing and reading, this could be the job for you. Blogs, businesses, and other websites always need writers to create content and editors to make that content perfect.

Some jobs will pay you per article and some will be per word. It can also be on a per hour or per project basis.

This type of work has a lot of variety. You could be a copywriter, a proofreader, a content creator, a copyeditor, and more. Some of these jobs require more creativity while others are more technical. Think about what skills you have and excel in to decide which path is right for you.

If you think that you can quickly create quality written content, then this career could be lucrative and fun. You could even specialize in writing for parenting or stay-at-home mom advice blogs!

While you don’t necessarily need a degree for this type of work, it can’t hurt. You can also get some more info on furthering your education to make you a more attractive hire.

2. Tax Preparer

Tax preparers do exactly what you think they do: they help prepare all of the papers, files, and forms for people to file their taxes. This job won’t be the best stay-at-home jobs option for everybody because it requires much longer hours during January through April (a.k.a the dreaded tax season).

What makes this a great job for stay at home moms is that tax preparers can usually take the rest of the year off once tax season is over. This will free up almost the entire year for you to focus on being a mom, while 4 months will have a more work focus.

This is another job that doesn’t require a college degree, and it’s still one of the best high paying home jobs.

3. Social Media Specialist

Social media specialists are responsible for overseeing and running a business’ or website’s social media pages and accounts. You’ll create content, optimize those posts for search engines, and drive traffic to the business or website.

This type of job requires past experience working with social media and usually requires a degree. If you have the experience and the background, you can easily telecommute as a stay at home mom.

4. Pet Care

If you love animals and have the ability to be active, then pet care could be the job for you. Between dog walking and pet sitting, this type of job is fun, active, and definitely a necessary commodity for people.

You can join dog walking apps to easily connect you to nearby pets and owners that need dog walkers. You can also simply ask around your neighborhood to see who needs help with pet care during the day, especially if the owners are gone to work each day.

If you don’t mind having pets in your own home, pet sitting is also a great option. You could earn hundreds of dollars per month simply by hanging out with cute 4-legged friends. Not too shabby!

5. Tutor

Whether you opt for online or in-person tutoring, this type of job is super flexible and can help you earn some significant cash. You’ll be responsible for creating lesson plans, explaining concepts, and helping kids complete their assignments.

Some tutors charge 25 dollars or more per hour, which means you can earn an easy 25 dollars while your kids are at a playdate or even napping. This type of work can be done on your own schedule and can fill up as many hours as you’d like.

Getting clients could depend on your previous teaching experience along with your background knowledge in certain subjects. But since tutors are needed in every and all subjects imaginable, there’s almost definitely a subject you could tutor in.

6. Virtual Assistant

Virtual assistants are usually responsible for a number of tasks that will slightly vary depending on the company you’re working for. These tasks could include:

• Social media management
• Data entry
• Organization
• Scheduling
• Invoice management
• Customer service

Becoming a virtual assistant doesn’t require a degree and it can be done remotely, which is perfect for many stay at home moms. Those with previous experience as an assistant or in an administrative role might be more likely to be hired, but many places will provide training to new hires anyway.

7. Personal Stylist

If you have an eye for fashion and enjoy picking out outfits for your friends, and even for your kids, then a role as a personal stylist would be perfect for you. This job is another option that is super flexible and can be catered to your specific schedule.

You can work with companies and brands to put together outfits for websites, clothing subscription boxes, photoshoots, and even for customers directly. This job requires an eye for design, style, size, and comfort. If you think that sounds like you, then this is a great flexible and fun job for stay at home moms.

Top 7 Jobs for Stay at Home Moms: Wrapping Up

Adding a career on to the already tough job of being a stay at home parent can be tough, especially if you’ve been out of the “career game” for a while. Hopefully, one of the 7 jobs for stay at home moms piqued your interest and is getting you excited about going back to work.

There are tons of ways to earn extra money as a stay at home mom. Check out our blog for more tips on earning money as a mom.

In today’s economy, more people are creating their own jobs than ever before. Freelance workers represent 35 percent of the current workforce.

While these numbers may shock the traditional nine-to-five, the reality of the situation is simple. Freelance work has never been more in demand.

Let’s take freelance writing, for example.

Blogging has become the go-to marketing strategy for businesses. As a result, freelance writers are now highly sought after.

The good news is, with a few key tools, anyone can become a freelance writer.

If the thought of earning money and avoiding the cubicle intrigues you, keep reading.

Today, we outline four proven strategies to build a steady income from freelance writing.

Set up a Portfolio Website

A writer without a website is like a surgeon without a scalpel.

Having an established website to display your portfolio is an essential tool for branding.

Think of it this way: if you want someone to buy your skills, then you need to show them why you are qualified. Describe what sets you apart from the competition, and why they should choose you.

Consider this: a recent study revealed that half of US millennials are taking part in freelancing work. For aspiring freelancers, this means your website must set you apart from the other writers.

Create a website that is eye-catching, easy to read, and displays your best work.

Settle on a Niche

Businesses seek writers who are specialists in their field. The more specialized your field, the more likely you are to be perceived as an expert and land high-paying clients.

Not exactly sure what your niche might be?

Start by reviewing your hobbies, resume, and previous work experience.

Let’s say you studied health and wellness in college, and spent the next five years working as an assistant to a naturopathic doctor. This is all relevant information that can act as the perfect foundation for your first blog post.

Read my tips for creating your first blog post to get started!

Target Repeat Customers

With freelance writing, the ultimate goal is to create stability – and get better at what you do.

The fact of the matter is, freelancing actually has the ability to create even more security than the traditional workforce.

Freelancers report that having a diverse portfolio of clients has created more stability as compared to having one traditional employer.

To do this, it’s essential to find repeat clients who are not just looking for one-time jobs. Instead, seek contract-based clientele that requires long-term projects.

Create a Strict Payment Schedule

The Freelancers Union recommends adhering to a strict payment schedule:

• 30 percent upfront
• 30 percent upon completion of first draft
• 40 percent upon completion of the project

This ensures you are being paid a percentage of the project even if the project is cancelled. It also helps distribute your payments evenly and budget more appropriately.

Be sure to have an established invoice system that is simple and always delivered in a timely matter.

Start here by creating a free pay stub template to get started!

Build a Rewarding Career in Freelance Writing

Do you feel that freelance writing could be the right fit for you?

Whether you’re looking to work remotely or from home, the only thing standing between you and your first writing gig is you.

Start small and read our best tips for freelance productivity to get started!