How to Boost Your Income During the Recession with an At-Home Career
Guest Article by Sarah Bull
Did you know that more women have lost their jobs as a result of the current recession than men? According to Forbes, nearly 46 percent of adult women were without jobs in April 2020. Statistics like these are scary to read about, but it feels even worse if you’re among the women who are out of work as a result of the current economic situation. While losing your job is a major setback, it can also be seen as an opportunity to try new career paths. Below, learn how to go about earning an income at home so you can thrive during the recession.
Exploring Your Options
These days, countless jobs can be done from home. And because the pandemic forced most employers to transition to remote work where possible, you will find that there are more remote jobs than ever to choose from. Jobs in just about every sector can be done successfully from home.
Landing a remote job isn’t necessarily any harder than getting an in-person job, but it does require a different approach. The Muse points out that you’ll need to spend a lot of effort networking online and proving you have the skills that employers are looking for, such as being self-motivated and organized.
If you don’t like the idea of going back to work for someone else, you might consider starting a home-based business. Becoming a freelancer is a great way to test the waters and see if you have what it takes to succeed on your own. Not only that, freelancing can be done on the side of another job if you want to ease into a new type of work without diving in head-first.
Freelancing is a good way to start your own business, but it’s not the only way to work for yourself. There are endless opportunities to choose from, such as starting a pet-sitting business, being a tutor or becoming an ecommerce seller.
Getting Established
After deciding how you will try boosting your income, it’s important to take a few steps to set yourself up for success. First, it’s crucial that you have a safe and reliable internet connection. No matter what type of work you do, prioritizing cybersecurity will ensure that your identity and computer data doesn’t become compromised as you spend more time online.
Another important thing to consider is getting registered as a limited liability company or LLC. One of the main benefits of forming an LLC is that it limits your personal liability for any lawsuits against your business or debts incurred by your business.
The steps for starting an LLC vary by state, so you will want to research how to comply with the law in your state. In Florida, for example, your business name is legally required to end with the phrase limited liability company or some form of the LLC abbreviation.
Marketing Your Business
Once you get established, it’s important to start spreading the word so you can gain customers and clients. Many people struggle to market themselves, but it’s important if you hope to succeed.
When you work from home, having a website and social media presence is one of the best ways to put yourself out there. However, word-of-mouth marketing can still be incredibly effective for entrepreneurs and freelancers. You may also find that it helps to market your business or service by running ads. This can be effective for any type of side hustle, but especially if you’re selling products.
Dealing with the aftermath of the recession and a job loss is stressful to say the least. Fortunately, there are countless ways to rise up and remake yourself. Landing a remote job, freelancing, becoming an entrepreneur or starting an ecommerce store are just a few of the ways to boost your income and start working for yourself.