Tag Archives: Work from home

Traditional 9 to 5 or Flexible Hours?

What’s better?

There’s been a large trend recently in companies shifting to a more flexible work schedule. In Japan, for example, a 4-day workweek experiment saw productivity jump 40%.

As noted by Upwork, Apple hires “At Home Advisors” to help out with customer support, while Dell offers a “Connected Workplace” that includes a wealth of flexible work options, from remote work to flextime and more.

But are flexible work schedules better for everyone? And what are the advantages? Let’s dig in.

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Creating an At-Home Flexible Side Gig

As we found in a previous study, flexibility is the number one benefit (outside of healthcare) that employees look for when applying for jobs. This is hardly surprising, given the many different ‘hats’ the average working adult has to wear. You’re not just an employee; you’re also a father, a mother, a grandmother, a grandfather, a son, a daughter, a wife, a husband, or a host of other things.

One way to supplement a part-time or full-time job is with a work-at-home side gig. You’re free to set the responsibilities of many of these positions yourself. You can work on projects in your spare time and set your own deadlines. Here are a few of our favorites.

Writer/Blogger

Do you have a flare for the dramatic? Prefer the pen over the sword? Even if all you have is your own personal story to share, content writing might be for you.

There are several ways to begin as a freelance writer:

  • Begin by creating a portfolio. That’s just a fancy word for a body of work and includes things you’ve written for past jobs, projects you’ve worked on, or even papers you’ve written for school. If you haven’t written for any online blogs, collect your writings and make a website to show them off.
    • If you don’t have anything to show off, start a personal blog. Write about whatever interests you. After a few months, you’ll have an online journal that can also serve as your portfolio.
      • If your blog has a significant following, you can even pursue sponsors or advertising on your sight.
    • Once you have something to show, start contacting local companies or ad agencies to see if they need help with content writing. Some agencies may even act as your go-between, interacting with clients and then telling you what the clients want. Although that means you’ll get paid less, it also means you don’t have to handle billing.
      • Also, consider writing guest posts for popular blogs or websites.
      • There are job search websites for content writers available, like FreelanceWriting and ProBlogger.
    • Once you’ve gotten a company or website to bite, set your rate! Check here for the Editorial Freelancers Association’s common rate chart.

Nanny/In-home Daycare

If you’re good with kids, child care could be the work-from-home job for you.

Your first goal will be to get CPR-certified. Although not all caregivers have to be certified, the cream of the crop always are. For in-home daycare providers, however, it is a necessity. CPR and First Aid certifications are required, as are background checks and immunizations.

An education background is recommended for nannying and running a family daycare, preferably in early child care. However, certifications are also available, as are two-year degrees.

For in-home daycares, a licensing or registration process is required. This will vary depending on the state, and on how many children will be staying in the home. A home inspection is required to ensure your home is safe for children and is void of hazards.

Telemarketing/Customer Service

Many different companies offer work-from-home telemarketing and customer service positions. A quick Google search will provide all the information you need. Although these are usually lower paying, they can be perfect for fitting in with other part-time jobs or full-time jobs.

In today’s digital world, there are endless work-at-home opportunities that can provide a bit of much-needed cash. Choosing the perfect one (or multiple ones) for you just depends on your lifestyle and schedule.

Do you work from home? What do you do? Let us know in the comments below!