3 Tips for Working Moms Looking for Flexibility

Hi, mom, sitting at your desk frustrated, drained, overwhelmed, feeling like a failure, wondering how you can possibly survive one more day at your job.

Hi, mom, who had your shit together before having kids and defined yourself by amazing career achievements.

Hi, mom, who spent more than half a decade in school to accumulate way too much in student loans all in the name of climbing the corporate ladder.

To you, mom, who started a family and quickly realized having it all is not possible.

I’ve been there. For 3 years before I quit my corporate job, I felt like a gigantic failure. I thought maintaining a corporate job, running a household, being a mom, a wife, and traveling a lot was difficult. Why did I feel so unprepared for what it would be like after having kids? That question ran through my mind frequently after maternity leave.

I returned to the same place I spent the last 7 years establishing a career and suddenly everything about it felt insufferable. I hated the inflexibility, the feeling that my worth was based on the number of hours I spent in my chair, I couldn’t stand the politics, and I certainly could not keep up with my younger coworkers any longer.

What the heck?

Finding Flexible Work Arrangements: How I Quit My Corporate Job

Recently, I was lucky enough to be on Mom Talk Radio for a “Spotlight on Moms” series to chat about how I quit my corporate job after 10 years. One of the topics we talked about was how working moms in the corporate environment can find a flexible work arrangement that supports both career and family.

My favorite way for working moms to find flexible work arrangements is to start their own business. Specifically, an online business. Whether that be a blog, Etsy shop, or a service offering in your area of expertise, online business is booming. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics states that 1 out of 3 workers now earning money outside of the traditional 9-5 work schedule.

So why can’t you work a flexible schedule?

[clickToTweet tweet=”1 out of 3 workers are now earning money outside of the traditional 9-5 work schedule in the US, so why can’t you?” quote=”1 out of 3 workers are now earning money outside of the traditional 9-5 work schedule in the US, so why can’t you?”]

When I was still stuck in the office 5 days a week, traveling way too much, and feeling the time crunch constantly, I felt that finding a flexible work arrangement was impossible. Even if I could find one, I didn’t think it would cover my current salary and we needed that to pay bills.

What did I do?

I took a hybrid approach. I found a full-time work from home job in the same industry I was already in (technology) and I started to use the time I wasn’t spending in the car and on planes to build my website into a business that would start generating income.

[clickToTweet tweet=”Want to quit your corporate job? Take a hybrid approach: find a full-time work from home job!” quote=”Want to quit your corporate job? Take a hybrid approach: find a full-time work from home job!”]

Tip #1 Busy Moms Building Online Businesses

It took about 3 months, but I finally started earning money through my blog and it occurred to me that the reason a lot of people never start is that they think it’s too complicated. I know I certainly did!

I wrote a 7-day free email course called Busy Moms Building Online Businesses. Over the 7 days course participants learn:

Day 1: How to find dedicated time to work on your business
Day 2: Find your business tribe
Day 3: Identify your target audience
Day 4: Which business model works best for you
Day 5: All about taxes
Day 6: Setting up financial systems, the non-scary way
Day 7: Put together a business plan that doesn’t stress you out

What others are saying

This was a great course with well thought-out tips! Monica provides a lot of examples that I didn’t think of prior to reading her emails. It really helped me in strategizing my blog’s business plan.

Robbie from Enchanting New England

Monica and “BMBOB” is an incredible resource for any mother who is reluctant on how to take her dream of starting her own business and turning it a reality. Her tips are practicable, relatable, and actionable. I especially enjoyed the information she gave on taxes, filing, and doing accounting for your business, this often paralyzes women from taking the next step, however Monica’s approach keeps it simplified and attainable without being overwhelming. Three Cheers for BMBOB!

Veronica from Vintage Meet Modern

If you have ever wanted to start an online business, Busy Moms Building Online Businesses (BMBOB) is a great place to start. BMBOB gives you the basic building blocks to start a successful online business including how to narrow your niche, set-up basic financial reporting and a simple business plan. Busy Moms Building Online Businesses is filled with tips to help you start a successful business today.

Rachel from Smart Mom Smart Ideas

Tip #2 FlexJobs

*I am an affiliate of FlexJobs, however, I have paid for and used their service for several months and this is my honest opinion of what they offer. 

FlexJobs is a paid subscription service that aggregates flexible jobs from around the internet and vets them to make your job search as easy as possible. It’s an amazing service for finding flexible work schedules, telecommuting jobs, or freelance contracts.

They describe themselves as an innovative, professional job service to help you find the best flexible jobs available, safely and easily. Every job is hand-screened and legitimate. Guaranteed.

The cost for signing up is minimal and you can cancel at any time. I have had a membership on and off for the last year until I finally found the right opportunity and quit my job in January to work from home full-time while I build my own business on the side.

As you are considering whether or not you should leave your full-time job, I made a list of company benefits that may be helpful to you.

I highly recommend checking FlexJobs out to see if the service might be a good fit for you too!

[clickToTweet tweet=”Signup with @FlexJobs for flexible work schedules, telecommuting jobs, or freelance contracts! #workingmom” quote=”Signup with @FlexJobs for flexible work schedules, telecommuting jobs, or freelance contracts! #workingmom”]

#3 Take the Next Step Now

The biggest problem I had for the 3 years between maternity leave and the actual day that I quit was not taking action. I found myself paralyzed by fear of the unknown which prevented me from taking any steps towards my dream of finding a more flexible work arrangement.

If you are finding yourself in the same position as I did, do one of these three things this week:

1. Sign up for FlexJobs and search for an opportunity that fits your skill set
2. Reach out to a professional contact and let them know you are looking for a more flexible work arrangement
3. Sign up for Busy moms Building Online Businesses

 

Resources

My Favorite Working Mom Resources

Blogging and Freelancing Resources

Ultimate Beginners Guide to Blogging: How to Blog for Money

5 Must Listen Podcasts for Women Entrepreneurs

5 Top Time Management Tips for Moms

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