One thing I’ve been trying to do with this site is introduce my readers to people that have built successful home businesses – one of those people is Jess Weaver, who does freelance writing from home. Here’s what she had to tell me about her experiences working from home:
How did you get started working from home?
I got into the middle of a multi-level marketing scheme and wasn’t making any money. I needed to make money, so I searched on Facebook for ways to work from home. I actually found Miranda’s blog and then I also found Real Ways to Earn Online as well.
What kinds of problems did you run into when you started looking for work from home jobs?
I had trouble finding work that actually paid and that I could do from home with two little ones. At the time, my kids were 2 and a newborn, so I needed something that I could pick up right away and stop when I needed to.
Did you ever get pulled into any work from home scams?
Not really, I’ve had trouble getting paid, but I always followed Miranda’s advice when it came to avoiding those work at home scams. Sometimes I’d even run something by her to see what she thought.
How did people react when you started working from home – did any of them tell you to “go find a real job”? How did you respond?
People are curious about what I do from home. Sadly, a lot of people want me to show them how to make money from home, but I cannot. The people I have shown don’t always stick with it either, which is a bummer.
How do you set boundaries with your friends and family so you can accomplish what you need to?
I set work hours. I usually only work when my kids are sleeping if I can. If I have something pressing I need to get done, I just do it while they are awake. Most people don’t understand what I do, so I just let them remain ignorant in that respect.
How do you keep yourself focused and motivated?
Paying my bills. I struggle with a lot of anxiety, so I have to learn to just let things go. I stay motivated because I have that sort of personality and it comes easy to me.
How do you balance working from home with your other responsibilities?
My housework suffers a lot. I used to care about a dirty floor and dishes in my sink. However, in my household, those things come last. People and money are more important than things. I do what I can when I can.
What do you find most stressful about working from home, and what do you do to relieve stress?
I find it stressful to try and scale my business. I can’t seem to find the type of clients that can help me grow my business to help provide for the other people on my team. I’m always looking for opportunities to get my girls more work. I get work done to relieve stress. Having too much work on my plate stresses me out, but the more I get done, the better I feel.
What advice would you give to someone who was thinking about working from home?
I’d say go for it. Learn the ropes and create your own business. I’ve learned that the only person stopping me is myself.
When you started working from home where did you work? did you have a dedicated work space that you used? Do you have a dedicated work space now?
I have always worked from the comfort of my own home. We live in 900 square feet, so no dedicated work space, just the couch or the kitchen table. We tried renting an office, but we all loved working from home even more.
Thanks for having me, Erica!
You’re welcome Jess, it was a pleasure.