Did you know I’ve been working from home for over 10 years already?
Way before I started my blog, before I had children… and honestly, before it was even “cool” to work from home.
I can vividly remember telling my dad that I quit my fulltime job (my first job out of college), took a different part-time job, and was going to start my own business and work from home. I can literally picture exactly where he was standing in the yard of our first home… and the look on his face when he spun around and stared at me!
Although he is very entrepreneurial and worked from home at least some of the time throughout my entire childhood, he looked at me like I was insane. After all, it wasn’t the best job market in Michigan at the time — so quitting a job I had for less than a year could have been a really bad idea.
But I wanted to start my own business, make my own rules, set my own hours, and WORK FROM HOME!
For the next 4+ years, I worked really really hard, put in a lot of hours, and absolutely LOVED what I was doing — speaking for women’s groups, organizing in other people’s homes, and finally starting my first website (which eventually morphed into THIS blog exactly 7 years ago this month!)
Any time someone asked what I did for a living, I just said, “I run a business from home” — which usually got a response like:
- Oh, so you couldn’t find a job after college?
- Why would you want to work from home?
- Did you get fired from your job?
- So… what exactly do you do at home?
- Didn’t you want a real job?
- Are you pregnant? No? Then why would you want to work from home?
It got to the point where I honestly thought I must be super weird, and the only person alive who thought working from home was the best thing ever… but I just loved what I did so much and didn’t care what anyone else thought!
True Story: my pants zipper was open throughout this entire presentation!
When Nora was born (about 18 months after starting this blog) I was making a steady full-time income completely from my blog and Virtual Assistant work, so I decided to stop working with my in-home organizing clients, stop teaching classes, and stop speaking for groups and events.
It was just too much hassle with a new baby… and SO much easier to be home all day, every day.
Although most people still did not understand exactly what I did when I was home (even our close family and friends were often clueless) they were more accepting of me “working from home” (if in fact, I was actually working!) now that I had a baby — so I thankfully stopped getting as many questions!
Over the past 6 years, “working from home” has become extremely common in our area — in fact, it’s considered a HUGE perk if any job offers the ability to work from home, from a “mobile office”, or with a flexible schedule to work around family commitments.
When I started working from home, I was the only person among our friends and peer group who worked from home. Now, Dave and I have several friends and relatives who work part-time or full-time from home — and it’s so amazing to be able to enjoy playdates or lunch outings with these friends during the day… with plenty of time leftover to accomplish all my work when kids are sleeping, when Dave is home, or when they are simply coloring next to me at my desk.
I honestly feel like I have the best of both worlds.
Of course, it would be easier, simpler, and less ‘busy’ if I didn’t work at all — and there are certainly seasons of life when working for myself and working from home are somewhat stressful.
Then there’s the fact that I don’t get paid vacation time, I don’t get paid holidays, I don’t get paid maternity leave, I don’t get a retirement account, and I don’t get medical insurance like I might if I worked a “real job”.
HOWEVER, I can’t even explain how wonderful it feels to be able to do something I’m extremely passionate about, something I love, something I’m proud of, and something that contributes to our family’s income — all while being there when my kids wake up each morning, when the garage door repairman needs someone to be home between 9am and 2pm, when the preschooler is sick and can’t go to school, when the baby is teething and just wants mommy, and when there are piles and piles of laundry that keep the washer and dryer humming all day long.
I definitely KNOW working from home would not and could not fit every job or every personality type — but for someone like me (who loved working from home even before having kids) it seems to be the most perfect way for me to enjoy a creative outlet while contributing to our family’s income and being present for my children’s needs.
And based on the number of emails I get on a DAILY basis — asking about my job and my journey as a work-at-home-mom — I know there are so many other moms and dads (and even grandparents) who would love to find that perfect work-from-home opportunity for their own lives.
I’ve tried to blog about my own work-from-home journey on a regular basis, I’ve shared tips and tricks that have worked for me (and a few that haven’t), I’ve share more about my Virtual Assistant jobs, and even a few of my favorite Work-From-Home resources — however, there is SOOOOOOOO much more information available these days than ever before — I wouldn’t even know where to begin sharing it all with you.
Until today!
Let me tell you about the Ultimate Work At Home Bundle!
This is a huge bundle of 50 eBooks, audiobooks, printables, and eCourses to help you make working from home work for YOU!
Inside the bundle, you’ll honestly get everything you need to:
- Find legitimate work-at-home jobs (and avoid scams)
- Run your business on a tiny budget
- Avoid common work-at-home mistakes
- Discover clients who will pay you what you’re worth
- And so much more!
I probably could have saved myself 3+ years of working for very little income if I had all these resources at my fingertips 10 years ago — but I didn’t.
However, I’m so excited to share them with all of you, especially considering how many people I know who are actively looking for work-from-home job opportunities right now!
My Bundle Favorites:
Everything in this bundle is a valuable tool for those of you looking to start and/or grow an at-home career… however, the resources listed below have been extra helpful for me.
And considering these 6 resources are valued at almost $800 outside of this bundle, I’d say it’s a pretty fabulous deal that they are ALL included for the low bundle price of $47!!!!
- Busy Moms Building: 12 Steps to Running Your Own Online Business for Busy Moms by Monica Froese ($147.00)
- I Got Scammed So You Don’t Have To: How to Find Legitimate Work at Home Jobs in a Scamming Economy by Bethany Mooradian ($19.99)
- Smart Cents: Financial and Legal Tips as You Launch and Grow Your Dream Business by Natalie Joy ($196.00)
- FindMe: An SEO Cookbook For Busy Entrepreneur by Rachel Brenke ($129.00)
- Rockin’ Virtual Assistants eCourse by David Murphy and Sadie Roach ($247.00)
- Balancing Diapers and Deadlines: A Busy Mom’s Guide to Minimizing Decisions, Integrating Kids, and Getting More Done by Lisa Tanner ($47.00)
Of course, my absolute personal favorite is the LIVE course from Mandi Ehman. She launched this course in 2015, and had one featured guest each month. I was honored to be her guest for the month of January — we gushed on and on about Simplicity and Organization in various podcasts, blog posts, interviews, and more.
This 12-month eCourse is packed with useful information for any work-from-home-person, but also ANYONE who wants to find more balance and create a life they love living.
I had a blast working with Mandi on this eCourse and I’m so thrilled that it’s included in this year’s Ultimate Work At Home Bundle!
A Few Quick Bundle Facts:
- This bundle is available from now through Monday, June 12, 2017 at 11:59 pm EST
- PRICE = $47 (PDF version), $57 (eReader version)
- Early Bird special: FREE eReader upgrade (Wednesday & Thursday purchases only)
- Total Bundle Value = $2,336.10
- CONTENTS = 30 eBooks, 1 audiobook, 14 eCourses, 5 printable packs
- BONUSES = 3 physical + 6 digital (total value: $529)
If you’re at a point in your life where you’d love the opportunity to work part-time or full-time from home — but you just don’t know where or how to start, I would highly recommend purchasing this bundle.
Consider it your very first business expense — one that will most likely give you a hefty return on your investment!
Just for fun… I’d love to know what your dream “work-at-home” job would be!
This post contains affiliate links — which means that at no cost to you, I get a percentage of each sale. Read my full disclosure policy for more information, and thank you for the continued support of my blog and business!
Jolynn says
Hi Andrea… tried to purchase the work at home bundle with my paypal…it wasn’t going through. Have you had other people with the same issue?
Looking forward to diving into it!!
Jolynn
Andrea says
No Jolynn. So far, I haven’t had anyone report any issues. I’m not sure what to tell you, other than to try their contact email: customerservice@ultimate-bundles
They are super helpful!
calliope says
I’m one of those weird people that actually love house cleaning and cooking. So I’d be thrilled if I cleaned and organised other people’s homes.
I could also easily teach from home foreign languages (I know plenty already)
Andrea says
not weird at all — I’m one of those people as well 🙂 Although I don’t speak any foreign languages… maybe I should hire you!
Erin says
This hits so close to home! I launched myself into the “at home working world” earlier this year educating on essential oils, and I too get so much joy and energy from doing what I love. I also have 4 kiddos ranging from 8 yrs to 7 mo. And I homeschool.
I might be crazy.
Learning to set boundaries between work and non-work time has been challenging, though with time I know it will improve. But I love that my kids get to see me working hard at something I’m passionate about.
Andrea says
yeah, I guess I don’t have many “boundaries” I just get work done when I have little pockets of time and after the kids are sleeping. I used to stress about separating work and home life — and then I realized one of the perks of working at home is that I don’t have to separate the two if I don’t want to 🙂
SO glad you found something you are passionate about doing AND that you can do it from home!
Mary Ann says
I had to smile at the questions you got when you started working from home. I worked from home for a number of years and got a lot of those same questions–if not pregnant or having children at home, then why in the world would anyone stay home?!? LOL
Now, I work a part-time job away from home and I still get all kinds of questions about why I work only part-time. People will be curious no matter what we do, I guess!
That said, I hope to return to working from home again in the next year. I LOVE being home! Before, I mainly did in-home childcare but now I’m looking at some other options.
Trisha Gronenthal says
This made me laugh because I had a part-time job last year and one of my co-workers wondered why I hadn’t been fired yet because I refused to work more than 2 days a week. Lol! Is part-time work really that unusual? Of course, she was a college student and still young and naive. Funny though.
Tara says
I homeschool two kids and that is a pretty full time job on its own. I consider it a sizeable income because we would put them in private Christian schools if I wasn’t teaching them. I’ve looked at the tuition costs. It’s significant.
I also put my college career as a writing tutor/grader for English professors to use and do freelance editing for some bloggers. Some want grammar and spelling and some want notes on content including my reactions and suggestions. It’s fun and I can do it from anywhere. I only do it for blogs I would be reading anyways. I don’t make a ton of money, but we live very comfortably off my husband’s income right now.
By far my favorite work from home is as a floral designer. It’s what I wanted to do way back in high school and even looked into floral design schools, but my parents required all the kids to at least try one quarter at a Christian college living on campus. Well, I met my future husband in that first quarter. One degree for me and two degrees for him later, we started a family and things just had a way of getting away from me.
Now that my youngest is nearly 5 I’ve taken some online classes and begun doing events on my own as well as working with another floral designer on weddings. I am honestly giddy every time my flower orders show up. And I love, LOVE being able to bless my close friends and family with the gift of flowers. I just delivered a huge easel arrangement to a friend’s father-in-law’s memorial service this morning and when I walked in everyone shifted from tight, somber expressions to soft and sweet sighs. Their whole demeanor changed and they immediately spoke of how he would have loved all the colors and flowers I chose.
I get to add magic to special days like my brother’s wedding. It’s beyond fun. The hard part is charging money for it, because I’m so happy to do it for free. I’m working on that. But I can work up to it since I’m still kind of new to the biz and I’m not suffering for funds.
Andrea says
yes, homeschooling is a good “income” in terms of how much money you save! And in general, I think being a “stay-at-home parent” has numerous ways of saving money as well!
As for your floral designer ambitions — I think this is awesome! I’ve already been thinking about some of the things I’d love to do once our youngest is school age and I have more time to plan and think and do (a few years down the road for me yet — but it will be here before I know it!)
Hope your business continues to grow! My two cents: DO NOT feel bad charging. I would be happy to organize for free too, but I can’t. My time is too valuable and people will respect you more if you also respect yourself, your time, and your talents!
Tara says
Ok, now I’m curious what kind of things you daydream about doing when you have more time for yourself. It’s so much fun. I love being a mom and being with my kids so much. I’d rather be together so much we’re tired of each other by the end of the day than miss them all day. Just how I’m wired. Quality time is my love language. But man, playing with flowers. So much fun.
I’m always worried that if I’m charging and taking my design work too seriously I won’t enjoy it any more. Know what I mean? I’m a super emotional and relationship oriented person and I so enjoy being able to be generous, especially when the flowers are for unexpected family losses etc. I feel like it’s an outlet for grief when I can pray my way through a casket spray for a friend. I’m not sure how I would bring myself to charge for that. Weddings are easier in that respect. People plan budgets for that.
Do you struggle with enjoying your work when you’re really working the business part of it and charging the standard? The markup for floral work is 3-4 times my cost. It adds up so quickly. I struggle with that too.
Andrea says
haha — I have SO many ideas! For starters, I’d love to start a furniture restoration-type business where I find/buy junky stuff and then transform it into cool things people want to buy. I’d sell everything on Craigslist. Also, I’d love to do more videos, podcasts, or even an ebook on my blog.
Then there are ALLLLLLL the little house projects and yard projects I want to tackle some day, but they aren’t important enough for me to “waste” my time on them now. I’m also interested in cooking more from scratch (like making all types of artisan breads, canning my own pasta and pizza sauces, juicing, cake decorating, and so much more).
Those are just a few of my many ideas!
As for charging for your flowers — if someone specifically orders something from you, you definitely need to charge. At the VERY least, you need to get your money back for the flowers and other supplies. Of course, if it’s a gift that they did not ask for, then I wouldn’t charge.
That said, I usually only deal with people I don’t personally know — companies, businesses, etc. — so it’s really not too difficult for me to say “pay me my specified rate or I won’t work with you”! It would be much more difficult if I were asking friends and family for money!
Tara says
FUN! I have a friend (actually she’s my friend’s mom whom I adore) who does that exact thing with furniture restoration now that her kids are all grown. She does amazing stuff with things she finds for a few bucks here or there. I have some of her pieces in my house and love them.
I hear you on cooking more “gourmet” or time-consuming meals and foods. I often check out cookbooks from the library and daydream about the recipes I’d love to cook, but I know my kids wouldn’t appreciate. Every once in awhile I cook a recipe or two and I always love them. The kids give them thumbs down. I have had pretty good luck with smoothie recipes from those books and letting the kids follow the recipe though. We do what we can.
Thank you for your input on payment. Unless it’s a gift I’m making without their request I do always ask people to cover the costs of materials and have never had anyone blink an eye. Often they’ll throw in a little over my costs as a thank you. I’ve been ok with that, but as my experience grows and my free time becomes even more precious I will probably have to re-evaluate that. It is definitely more difficult to ask for payment from friends and family.
Now that I think about it I’m often the one approaching people asking if I can provide flowers for something. It’s very much a gift-giving thing for the most part. Although I have had a wedding client that I didn’t know who saw my work on my brother’s Facebook page and contacted me. I charged a pretty fair market value for that event.
Jennifer says
Tara, I struggled with this so much when I first went from working as a counselor in public sectors (schools, family centers, etc) and earned salaries to starting my own private practice and charging people. Yes, I love talking with people and helping them through their struggles, but I am also giving them time that I am taking away from my family and home care, etc. There’s preparation, research, paperwork. I did a lot of research to find out average rates in my area and online and decided on a lower end fee that I feel good about. Most clients say I’m a steal after they start working with me, and I do reduce my rate when someone can’t afford the fee but my heart is pulled. People put more value and commitment towards something they pay for, so I rarely offer more than one free session. You have a skill and a gift that people pay for every day. Why not let them pay you? If you offer a lower fee than competitors you are still giving them a gift. Eventually you will feel more comfortable charging more to new customers, or if you start high you can always lower fees for loyal customers. You can also throw in little extra freebies that will pleasantly surprise paying customers. There are many ways you can profit from your work while still considering your work a service!
Tara says
Thank you Jennifer! Great advice and perspective. It helps to hear how others have made this transition into being paid for something we love to do and would probably do even without pay.
Jane says
I’ve always had a knack for finding spelling and grammatical errors so I would love to get paid to work from home doing that! I’m curious what people do for health insurance if it isn’t available through their spouse or if they are single. That is what keeps me in my cubicle.
Andrea says
haha — you must have a field day with my blog then 🙂
As for health insurance, there are options — but most of them are very expensive. I have a feeling that if I couldn’t get health insurance through Dave, I probably would not have ventured out into the world of self-employment.
That said, I know lots of people who are self-employed with no spouse to carry the benefits — so I know it’s doable (in fact, my parents did it for most of my childhood). I don’t have links to specific resources for you, but it’s probably worth doing a little research if you’re at all serious about trying to work from home.
lyss says
I don’t know if you are a Christian or not, but if you are, you should look at chministries.org. It’s a health insurance alternative that’s way more affordable than insurance. : )
Jenny says
Jane, me, too! I’m a good and natural proofreader, but the people and businesses I have approached were not at all interested in having their written materials looked over and corrected or improved. The attitude was like “who cares?” “You knew what we meant”, or “it’s good enough” were the responses I’ve gotten! So, if you do it and you ever get too busy at it and need help, let me know!!
I work part-time in my profession and part-time for my husband’s business. We have to buy our health insurance and it is a LOT of money, but the cost of health care (or should that be healthcare?- lol) is so high that it really isn’t worth trying to pay cash. And don’t try to do without, please! I’m not officially Christian but I might look at that website. (How do they know if you are?)
Jennifer says
I have been a professional counselor for many years and recently changed my private practice to life, love and wellness coaching for the flexibility and the freedom from government regulations and money sucking. I completed the International Association of Wellness Professionals certification course and highly recommend it if anyone is interested in wellness/health coaching. I have started conducting phone and skype sessions with clients, and they are very receptive to this mode. I love it so much! I can help someone in profound ways while wearing a ball cap and no makeup at home. I do get a little fixed up for skype sessions. My clients like talking from home, from their offices, even from their cars parked at parks, etc. We recently moved onto a sailboat and plan to travel, so this method will allow me to continue to work with clients no matter where I am. NOW, I want to take it steps further by possibly starting a blog and a helpful website/info center online and maybe writing some ebooks. I have the domain saved but haven’t gotten my website up and running again since I changed courses with my business. Hopefully soon! I’m seriously considering the bundle because I could probably use all of the info to help me move along! I’m glad you are one of the promoters because I would love to purchase it through your link after following you for so long. Thanks!
Andrea says
Wow Jennifer — this sounds exciting! I do think this bundle would offer the tools you need to help start blog. Once you have that online presence, there are so many new income-earning possibilities that present themselves.
And yes, occasionally working in PJs (or in a swimsuit like I did today) are just a few of the perks of working from home!!
Jennifer says
Yes to working in a swimsuit!!
Maria says
Great post and truly inspirational. I am so happy that you followed your heart and decided to work from home and start this blog otherwise we would have all been missing out on your great recipes, organizing ideas and all the wonderful life tips for raising a happy family. I am a long time reader and just love this blog because of all the practical and down-to-earth ideas and advice.
I am currently a full time care giver for my 2 wonderful grandsons; however, when they are both in school full time in a couple of years, I would love to start a home based business and your “Ultimate Work At Home” bundle sounds great and exactly what I was looking for to get started. Is this available to Canadians?
Andrea says
Thanks so much Maria! I appreciate your kind words.
Sounds like you are a “work-from-home” mom/grandma too — just not necessarily getting paid for everything you do 🙂
And yes! The bundle IS available internationally. Some of the tax/accounting ebooks and a few of the specific job opportunities are specific to the U.S., but 95% of the information is applicable for anyone!
Dawn says
I began working from home in February of 2016 as an editor and ghost writer. I sort of specialize in writing podcast show notes and transcribing podcasts and videos. I also write blog posts for a couple of pro-bloggers, and write recipe posts and printable recipe cards for another pro-blogger/pro-vlogger.
I started my business even though 6 of my 10 are still living at home because I was ready after 20 years of homeschooling to do something that I loved. I still have about 9 years of homeschooling left to go, and I really want to go to college, but right now I don’t have the time or money to start that.
I love my clients and have been blessed to have word of mouth recommendations for the clients I currently serve.
I also think it’s been very beneficial for my kids to see me work. Obviously they’ve seen me work…as a mother of 10 there’s no way around that…but to see me have deadlines and make money and use my skills has been great for them. I’ve even hired my 17 year old daughter to work FOR ME!!
Overall, I wanted an online business so I went out and started one. And I’m very happy with the results!
Dee says
Totally off topic but I noticed the kids water bottles, what brand are they?
Andrea says
haha — I KNEW someone would ask that 🙂
They are the Aladdin Flip-to-sip kids water bottles (Here’s the Amazon link — but I got them for only $3 each a few months ago!)
We really like them — but they definitely leak if you leave the top “flipped” and they are laying on their sides.
Lauren says
I have a 3 and 4 year old and am just coming up for air after getting through “the liquid years”, as a friend calls them. I’m starting to think about working from home to supplement our income but am still looking into what I actually want to do, because I don’t want to work just for the sake of work (my time is too precious for that!). Reading about how you do it has provided lots of insight and I’m looking forward to digging into some of these resources! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Andrea says
yeah, if I hadn’t starting working from home BEFORE kids, there were be no way I could have starting while in the “thick of it”. I had my working routine down, so it wasn’t as difficult to adjust to adding children into a routine.
Jo says
I currently work part time away from home, but have recently been Transcribing as a side hustle at home when my toddler’s in bed. It’s not a lot of money since I only get in a few hours here and there when I’m feeling motivated, but I enjoy it and like to be constructive with my time. Every little bit of income helps, and I love how flexible Transcribing is.
Andrea says
yes, it’s nice to have just a little extra income on the side — who knows what it will turn into!
Laurel says
I’ve worked out of my home since I was in college and I now have 4 almost grown children. I have both a bachelors and masters degree in music education (flute) and teach privately. It’s very flexible and great income. I have been blessed.
Andrea says
wow — that’s amazing!
private lessons is definitely a great way to work from home — my mom (band a choir teacher) did that when we were younger too. Now she is back to teaching, but I remember MANY years of piano and instrument lessons in our living room!
Francie says
Andrea this is truly inspirational, I’ve been working from home and side hustling at home for only a year now because of you. and let me tell you. BEST DECISION EVER! http://www.supersimpleways.com
Mel says
What is side hustling???? I’m in England and have never heard it before
Andrea says
I’ve never really used that term myself, but many people use “side hustling” to describe a job they are doing on the side to earn extra money — often with the hopes of turning the side job into more of a full-time income.
Chris says
I worked for many years at home as a medical transcriptionist. The pay was great. However, my son was about 10 and a teenager when I quit. Transcription would be really hard to do with babies and young children because you need a quiet atmosphere. I’m glad for you!
Andrea says
I know a few people who do this and love it — but yes, they all have older children who are in school or out of the house.
Monique says
I am a homeschool mom and OT, and work from home part-time, as well as do volunteer work once a week. We currently live in South Africa after 11 years in Nashville, Tn, originally from SA. I love that I can earn money and be a homeschool mom. We also have 4 kids and I have been following your blog since before the name change I often smile when I see your kids in the exact outfits my kids had (also thrift store or 2nd hand). I LOVE your recipes and always refer friends to your blog (as far and wide as Japan). I appreciate that you share your life with us this way and I am a long time reader and supporter.
Regards,
Monique
Andrea says
wow — thanks so much Monique!! What a nice comment to read this morning!!
Lorrie Freeman says
Whenever you mention your VA work, I always wonder exactly what that entails? You might have described it an a blog post already, but if so, I missed seeing it. What does a VA do?
Andrea says
basically, anything a “boss” wants you to do 🙂 I usually only accept VA jobs that require me to edit and format blog posts for other bloggers. However, the job possibilities are truly ENDLESS when it comes to VA work!