Tag Archives: Working from Home

My Experience of Mobile Working

April 7, 2017 By in Blogging Tips, Freelancing/Self-employed Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , 36 Comments

I started Fashion and Style Police in 2012, but I still held my full-time job working as a customer service advisor for a big multinational in Manchester. The job looked liked the best thing ever but the reality of it was that I hated it and I hated working there, so I focused on building my blog alongside a regular paycheck. This was a good idea because I made less than £100 in my first blogging year. Leaving the security of a regular paycheck then because I was frustrated with my job would have been very stupid.

 

 

After blogging for a year, I went on maternity leave and I never looked back. I knew I was never going to step into that office as an employee again. I knew there was something bigger and better for me, but I just didn’t know what it would be. Definitely didn’t think it was going to be blogging or working as a freelancer. I didn’t honestly believe I could start earning a full-time wage from my online hustle, but then I started to eventually.

While on maternity, I put all my leftover energy from caring for my twins into my blog. So while they slept in the day, I ignored the books that told me to sleep too (this is not advisable), and hustled like mad. My twins are over 3 years old now, and Fashion and Style Police has grown and it is still growing like weed. I have also gone into freelance writing and outreach for companies, and it has been a great experience so far!

Working for myself has its pros and cons as expected. I written about this a few times already; I even had a proper moan about it some days ago in The Ugly Side of Freelancing post. But 1 thing is for sure, I would not change my mobile working conditions for anything! The fact that I can decide to work 1am or 1pm from my sofa or bed is amazing. Mobile working is the best thing ever since WiFi!

 

 

 

However, one of the main issues that concerns me as a freelancer is the fact that I could lose all my work if anything ever happened to my laptop, camera or mobile phone. I carry my iPhone with me everywhere, and I am usually with my camera and laptop when we go on holiday, so I need to ensure my work stays stay. Also, we all know how easy it is to have gadgets stolen when we are out and about, and how easy it is to have our laptop or phone flooded with coffee. Well, this is where InMyBag comes in. This company is like the Messiah for us mobile people.

InMyBag can cover your mobile devices from loss, theft and damage so you can carry as normal. They guarantee same day resolution which is fantastic, and you can enjoy the same service abroad as you would do at home for up to three months a year.

This is 1 service I see myself forever having as a freelancer. I think it is smart to have a cover like this as a freelancer because you never know.

Do you have your mobile devices insured?

 

*Collaborative Post.

The Loneliness of the Self Employed

February 18, 2017 By in Freelancing/Self-employed Tags: , , , , , , , , , 33 Comments

I went full-time as a self-employed person about 2 years ago, and I can testify first-hand to how lonely a career it can be. Being a freelancer/self-employed person usually means you work from home alone, and some days can be a lot harder than others, even for the introverts.

 

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I have always been an introvert, I am very comfortable being by myself, and I do enjoy being alone most of the time. But sometimes I miss the chit-chat and the buzz that goes on in a regular workplace; being able to have meetings, bounce off ideas, and just the usual office banter. Just so you know, I was not a fan of any of these things when I had my normal job, but I guess sometimes we humans miss things we don’t have, even if we don’t really like it. Why we do, I don’t know, we just do.

The loneliness of being a freelancer is real, so I won’t advise anyone who enjoys being in the company of others to go self-employed, except you have a form of working arrangement that involves working or meeting regularly with other self-employed people in your niche.

There are ways to deal with the loneliness and frustrations of the self-employed world, here is how I deal with them –

 

Have a sounding board

Having a sounding board is very important when you are self-employed. A sounding board is someone you trust who would listen to your achievements, frustrations, and just someone you can have a chat with about your work, and who can offer you good advice as well. The more sounding boards you have, the better. I have one main sounding board, and a few others. They all help keep me sane. Whenever I feel like having a rant, I know I can trust them to listen. It also feels great to share milestones and achievements with them.

 

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Take regular breaks

Regular breaks are very important when you work alone from home, because you can easily find yourself working continuously on your coach, without taking a break for hours. Taking breaks means you get to do other things which is great for your mental health and fitness life. Taking regular breaks also means you can leave the house for a walk, which is great because you get to interact with others while you are at it.

I try to go for long walks everyday, and I love how fit I am. My Fitbit stats speak for itself.

 

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Working in coffee shops

Working in coffee shops also help combat the loneliness and isolation. I personally find working in coffee shops very distracting, so I tend not to do this, but I know many who do and enjoy it.

 

Joining Facebook groups and Twitter chats

I have joined a couple of Facebook blogging and freelance groups, and I also try to take part in as many Twitter chats as I can. These groups and chats help combat the isolation.

 

Overall, working from home works well for me. I won’t change my flexible working conditions for anything, but some days I need to have my Spotify playlists on repeat to get rid of the silence.

 

Do you work from home? How do you deal with the loneliness?

 

 

 

 

5 Things Not to Say to Someone Who Works from Home

November 27, 2016 By in Blogging Tips, Freelancing/Self-employed Tags: , , , , , , , , , 61 Comments

Being a freelancer is not like working in any other 9-5 job.  As a freelancer, you’re not restricted to the 4 walls of an office space. You can work anywhere and at any time you want to.

Although there are about 1.4 million freelancers  in the UK, not many people can wrap their minds around how a person can work and make money from home. They all believe that a “real” job is one that has to be in the office. As a result, freelancers get looked down upon.

 

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If you’re not a freelancer and know someone who is, here are 5 things you should never tell a freelancer.

  1. “Freelancing is not a real job”

This is the first thing many people say to freelancers. The fact that someone works at home does not mean that they are not working. The home is just a space, an environment. Work is not defined by the place you’re doing the work.

The real work happens on the computer where the client’s projects are being attended to. They have to make sure that they offer the best services, they send emails, spend hours trying to do everything according to the specifications of the clients.

Freelancers spend hours trying to give the highest quality and put in their creative genius. They give advice and outline strategies to meet their client’s needs. So what they could have done in an office, they do it at home. What matters is that the work gets done.

  1. “Freelancing is easy”

A lot of people think that freelancing is easy. Just because freelancers carry their laptops and work anywhere, some people think that being a freelancer is just a breeze.

The truth is that there’s more to freelancing than meets the eye. Those who work from home do more than just deliver orders. They pitch to clients, post on social media, market their products and services, send emails, create products and maintain their blogs or websites. And most times they do all these tasks alone. Unlike an office job where you’re assigned to one specific task, freelancers have to do a lot of tasks to keep their businesses up and running.

  1. “It’s a waste of time”

Most people think that freelancers work from home only to be paid peanuts at the end of the day. That’s absolutely not true. Many freelancers are earning a good income. Many are earning even more than their employed counterparts and are on their way to growing a profitable and comfortable business.

 

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  1. “You’re only a freelancer because no one was willing to hire you”

This is a major misconception and I am not sure why. I will speak for myself and say being a freelancer was a lifestyle decision. I didn’t want to go back to the job I had prior to becoming a mum, and I wanted to stay home with my kids, so working from home was the only option for me. Working from home gives me that opportunity to dictate my own terms and live the life I want to live without being subject to anyone.

  1. “You can’t build a future with freelancing”

There are many people who made a great career working from home. Some have made millions from it. What some people don’t understand is that they believe that working in a 9-5 is the highest level you can achieve in life. But freelancers like me believe that running their business will give them the opportunity to earn more and build a lasting empire. The freelance life is also more stable unlike working in a 9-5 where you are worried about not getting a bonus or promotion, or afraid of getting fired!

 

Are you a freelancer or self-employed person? Feel free to rant in the comment section about annoying comments or questions people have asked you.

 

 

 

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