How To Start Working From Home
This post may contain affiliate links which gives us commission at no additional cost to you. We may also feature items we received for review.
How To Start Working From Home Online
The internet is full of different online job opportunities. Knowing where and how to look is the key to finding online jobs you can perform while working from home. Finding online jobs is easy if you have the right skills and can market them over the internet.
From running a website, to selling products, to your very own consulting business, the possibilities are endless! When I started working from home after having my little one, I knew I had to step up my game and get my business out there. But where do you start?
Unfortunately, a lot of people lack this knowledge and so waste a lot of needless effort doing the wrong activities. Establishing your online presence is as simple as creating a portfolio and then promoting it to prospective employees.
What is a Portfolio?
A portfolio is basically a page or a website where you showcase your abilities in the field you are hoping to get online work. Knowing how to do this is an essential skill known by most successful online employees. You can set up a portfolio on a social profile such as Facebook, Twitter, Squidoo or Hubpages.
These are all free to set up and relatively straight forward if you visit their pages. A slightly more complex method involving a small cost is to set up your own WordPress, or similar publishing service, website.
You can also buy your own domain name ending in .com or .org, etc. Usually you will pay under ten dollars for the domain name and then another five dollars each month for hosting. This expense is worth it though as you can create a more complex and more professional domain.
Learn How to Write Blog Posts
Updating your website or profile page regularly with interesting and relevant blogs is a great idea. Make the blogs targeting the types of people you are trying to attract as customers. What do they want to read about? What language do they normally use?
Start collecting emails from past and present employees and make a list which each blog is mailed out to. Let them know how you have updated your skills or any new way that you will be able to add value to their business.
Don’t send out emails too often. Do it regularly enough so that recipients don’t forget about you. When a suitable job comes up they need to think of you as the expert in that particular field. If you send them too often your prospects will stop reading your emails and even delete themselves from your list.
Use PKI For Important Information
What is PKI? PKI is is way to encrypt private messages so that only designated people may see the information. Think contracts, campaigns and promotions that may still be embargo and require a non-disclosure agreement. Many emails you receive may even be encrypted without you knowing it.
You will also need it for common SSL certificates on websites so that site visitors know they’re sending information to the intended recipient, digital signatures, and authentication for Internet of Things devices. This is also where privacy policies and other important pages on your website will come into play.
You can PKI services up easily through a company such as PKI Solutions
Promote Yourself
Make the most of online directories such as Craigslist and Sologig. They are perfect places to place your ads. There are many other more specific directories out there where you can advertise in your particular niche. As you increase your online experience you will learn which sites work for you and which don’t.
This should be a free process as most directories offer free listings. If you can afford Google advertising consider running an Adwords campaign.
It will require a little money but at least you will get a flow of people to your site. You will be able to get feedback from them and even start generating a few customers.
Don’t Forget About Job Sites
Elance is a great online job site that I highly recommend browsing. It has many different jobs in a range of different industries. Unfortunately you are bidding against other job seekers so it is possible for jobs to get snapped up very cheaply.
This does allow you to bargain directly with the employer and ensures there is plenty of work available if you are prepared to work at a cheap rate.
No matter what your particular niche is, there are plenty of ways to advertise your skills. If you are a writer, write blogs. If you are a photographer or a painter, get your artwork online and show it off.
The most important thing is to get people familiar with you. Over time you can slowly upgrade your portfolio and attract higher paying clients. It can’t get any better than doing what you love while working from home!
