Tips for Employees Working (and Still Educating) From Home

For months now, it's been "the norm" to work from home. Kids now study and/or tune in virtually for their schoolwork; much of the things that used to be done from an office or a classroom are now completed from the comfort of your own home. Though, in all reality, the norm is more of a discomfort.

 Yes, it can be nice to be at home in your own element. For a while. 

But at some point, accomplishing things in your pajamas becomes underwhelming. Rather than being a novelty, it's a burden. And it simply becomes harder to get things done with kids at home and work to be done. There are simply too many distractions.

However, it's not impossible. Hang in there, working parents! That goes for non-parents, or stay-at-home-parents, too. With a few simple tips, you can make the most of your being-at-home situation and instead, learn to thrive in the environment you're given.

 

Set Working and/or School Hours

First things first: determine when you'll be available to work and stick to that schedule. Responding to every email or text will give the impression that you're constantly on call. Instead, set hours in which you'll respond so others know how and when they can get ahold of you. The same goes for school. Have the kids sit down and work, then it's time for a break.

While you're at it, stay organized. This is tricky because everyone sorts out their days differently; find what works for you, and make it happen. Keep a calendar, use apps or reminders, and more. If you work best in chaos, so be it, but it's still a good idea to keep a list of when certain items are due. That goes for tests and work projects alike.

Resources to Help You Through the Day

 Next, sign up for resources that can help make life easier. Remember that helpful does not have to be expensive. Always look for free versions or free alternatives to software; even a few dollars can add up when you're paying for multiple platforms.

AMSE is a wonderful resource for entrepreneurship, scheduling, networking, and marketing. Sign up for your FREE membership here to get your feet wet and to see how much you can learn.

There are great work platforms to assist you virtually. Loom is video recording at your service. Pay for the upgrades, or use it for free! Or stay in touch with co-workers and bring the office space to your computer via Tandem. Search for great resources but avoid paying for them; it's likely there's a free or affordable alternative.

Fake it Until you Make it

Working from home, parenting, dealing with the new normal – it's ok not to have it all together. In fact, most of us DON'T! Let yourself stress and then take a day off. Panic a little and then figure it out as you go. This is the new norm. You're doing great and everyone is doing the best they can. Give yourself a break already!

I saw a meme the other day that said, "We are an unhappy generation full of happy photos" and that hit me right in the feels. It's so grossly accurate. It's OK to not have a good day. It's OK to keep things off of social media. And it's OK to not compare to others, in fact, we shouldn't.

Making it one day at a time is still making it. Celebrate the fact that you're surviving; thriving is never expected.

With a few resources, you can be well on your way to making a better go at working and schooling from home, improving that process one step at a time.

---

Bethaney Phillips is an army wife and freelance writer. When not writing for military family publications, she works as a digital marketing specialist, helping small businesses grow their online viewership. She is a mom to two little boys and two giant pets.

---

Best project management tools for entrepreneurs

Businesses primarily function through a range of different projects, usually all taking place at the same time! In order to be the most productive, efficient, and provide the best product or service, project management tools are critical to ensure tasks continue to move forward to timely completion.

Here are some of the best ones out there (in my opinion!).

Asana- This online platform has been a lifesaver for me! It allows you to create boards and manage multiple projects for different clients while keeping all your information and deliverables in an easy to navigate dashboard.

With the ability to break tasks into smaller sub-tasks and assign each one a different deadline and owner, you can be sure that every detail is covered.

Collaborators can be added to projects, which means they are kept updated with tasks that have been assigned to them as well which means that you don’t have to spend your days chasing people!

Asana sends a daily email with due and upcoming tasks, which, again, is a lifesaver in case anything slips through the net on your own to-do list!

There is also a fantastic reporting function so you can track the status of your projects against deliverables and understand where you may need to tighten the reins or pick up the pace!

17 Hats- As a solo entrepreneur, this platform is impressive for automating a considerable part of the administrative side that goes into running a business. From invoicing, contracts, proposals, to-do lists, calendar integration, and so much more, it is a real “one-stop-shop” to keep you streamlined and organized!

With a 7-day free trial, you can try before you buy, so if it’s not for you, there’s no obligation. But I think it will be!

Active Campaign- I know there are a number of email management systems out there, and everyone has their own preferences. For me, it has to be Active Campaign. The automation function is just beautiful! Take some time to set them up, link to a form and embed on your website/social media, etc. so that each time someone signs up, the emails are already being sent-you don’t need to worry about sending emails at the right time because it’s already in process!

I also love that when I’m feeling inspired, I can write out as many different email campaigns as I like, set a send date, and it’s taken care of.

The reporting function is also great - you can see which campaigns are performing better than others, what your readers are responding to and do more of that!

Email marketing is an incredible way to nurture your audience, build trust and ultimately sell; with Active Campaign, you have the ability to automate this process and almost “set and forget” a lot of your email marketing.

Plus, with a starting package of $9 a month for all that functionality, it seems like a no-brainer!

Google Drive- An oldie but a goodie!  I love that Google Drive allows multiple people to work on one document, with the ability to suggest edits, make comments etc. so that initial work does not get lost.

I also love the fact (as a Mac user) that we are all working in the same document format, so there are no missing settings, and things don’t get lost in translation.

Additionally, it’s a great way to share documents and processes and provide “view only” access, so that the information can be shared and downloaded with each party, but content can’t be edited or changed.

It’s also super easy to link Google Docs to platforms like Slack and Asana to allow for easy navigation between conversations.

Which brings me to…..

Slack- How do you build community and rapport when operating remotely?

Slack!

This is a fantastic platform to engage with colleagues, clients, networks all over the world to have a general chit chat, share best practices, make announcements, network, and engage with other entrepreneurs.

You have the ability to create multiple different channels to ensure that conversations stay focused as well as engage in direct conversations with people in individual and private conversations.

Additionally, you can share sensitive information with individuals using the #secret function, meaning that the content is hidden until the receiving person opens it, and it disappears after a few hours.

And last but not least…

AMSE!

The Association of Military Spouse Entrepreneurs is an incredible resource for a multitude of project management and business development needs. With monthly masterclasses covering a wide range of business-related topics, an online platform that provides resources including:

• Downloadable templates

• Access to trusted partners

• Discounts

• Co-working opportunities

And, perhaps most importantly, an incredibly supportive community run by two amazing ladies who truly want to see every military spouse succeed in their business!

So, there are six amazing platforms for you to help manage your projects, grow, and maintain your business.

I could go on, but I know we all have work we need to be getting back to!

Wishing you every success!

---

Meet Gems-

Gems is a Business Consultant who specializes in the creation of online courses, as well as providing 1-1 business coaching to solo entrepreneurs, focus on business growth by working on mindset strategies and the implementation of additional revenue streams. 

With a Masters in Global Management and a 15-year career in Project Management, Gems started her own business when she married a US serviceman and her career trajectory changed. Now, she is able to combine her love for coaching and online course creation with her expertise in Project Management, to help others grow their

---

To TikTok or Not?



Another social media platform is quickly rising to the top of the ranks for business owners: TikTok. 

Originally a place to share short videos set to music and populated by the Gen Z crowd, TikTok has evolved quickly since its launch in 2016. It now hosts a surprising 19.4 percent of users aged 40-50+. TikTok has been on the radar of digital marketer and entrepreneur Gary Vaynerchuk for years as a potential platform for business.

TikTok is following the trend that Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter have. Once being known as “fads” for a younger generation, these are now a serious part of digital marketing. Several brands have already jumped ahead of the trend and joined TikTok to take advantage of the 800 million users worldwide, particularly its younger demographic. Chipotle, The Washington Post, and Guess are just a few brands that have been using TikTok for marketing. 

These companies are using the platform to create campaigns that engage their audiences, build trust, and show authenticity. They recognize the importance of user-generated content. User-generated content or UGC is content that has been created and published by unpaid fans-basically, digital referrals. UGC on TikTok takes the form of challenges that ask followers to use a hashtag to share the challenge and share fan-made videos highlighting the brand. 

Doing Business on TikTok

TikTok recently added the ability to include links and commerce URLs in profiles and videos. The organic reach on the platform is enormous, and now you can also drive meaningful traffic to your website.

Some of the features and statistics that make TikTok appealing to businesses:

• TikTok has the highest follower engagement rates across 100,000 user profiles sampled from Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok in an online research project conducted by Influencer Marketing Hub. 

• TikTok has loyal users that visit the app multiple times a day.

• It had 113 million downloads in February 2020 alone.

• It was utilized by 8.2 million women and 6.1 million men in the US alone, making women a higher target demographic.

• Users age with the app.

• Modifications have recently been made to accommodate businesses such as paid ads and a “Shop Now” button.

Short-form video is proving a popular way for followers to consume content across platforms. If you can create content that appeals to the demographic on TikTok, it could prove to be a pivotal marketing tool for your business.  

Use Caution with TikTok as a Military Spouse 

Unfortunately, if you happen to be a military spouse wanting to take advantage of this not yet saturated platform, there is a snag. The military and other government agencies have banned TikTok from being used on government-issued phones and warned their members to be cautious when using the app on their personal devices as well. This action comes in light of suspicions that the Chinese developed app could be a security risk. Investigations are ongoing, but you can learn more about this in these articles: 

Army Follows Pentagon Guidance, Bans Chinese-Owned TikTok App. Military.com

US government agencies are banning TikTok, the social media app teens are obsessed with, over cybersecurity fears. BusinessInsider.com

Just like every social media application, internet site, or any public situation where information has the potential to be used against the service or our government, measures must be taken to minimize risks. As spouses, we should be familiar with OPSEC measures and use our best judgment when posting pictures, blogs, or articles. Social media platforms should be no different. 

---

Meet Christinna- Christinna Kitchaiya is the founder of  Bad Ass Military Moms. Having been a military wife for 18 years, and a mother for 14 years, she has been through the ups and downs and has found her passion in creating a community for others to share their stories. 

---

Entrepreneurship during deployment, what it really looks like.

The alarm rings and you attempt not to hit the snooze.

Any minute the kids will be up, so you drag yourself out of bed. You stayed up late last night working, and then the baby was up several times with teething issues. You are exhausted, but you have goals - you start your day.

Next comes breakfast, getting the kids ready for school, checking and rechecking backpacks, packing lunches, and carpooling. Add in calling to confirm the plumber, doctor appointments for physicals, preschool drop off, work, pickups, and then lunch. That's just before noon! Then two client meetings, social media updates, and a photoshoot. By the time you SO arrive home, and it's bedtime, the real work begins. 

Then...deployment happens.

Another deployment/workup has taken control of your life. You tell yourself that you can handle everything with the house, kids AND your business until you are reunited; that it isn't too long. But you start panicking on the inside about what this will actually be like. 

As the spouse of a service member, additional factors are making the "life" of an entrepreneur more complicated. Deployments, workups, on-call schedules, and the unpredictability of their spouses' work come into play. When you are an entrepreneur, the work doesn't really stop to catch up. It can sometimes feel like you are juggling too many "balls" at once, and there are just not enough hours in the day. When deployment strikes, but you do not want to take a break from your business, here are four powerful tips to keep pushing yourself forward without any of those "balls" droppings. 

Determine your Priorities 

It is vital for you to determine your priorities when approaching any sort of rocky road when it comes to your business. Although in a perfect world, nothing would be put on hold, the truth is, you can't always continue with the same to-do list as you did before. Take some time to determine what is most important and have a timeline to complete those items on the list. I usually categorize my tasks into the A, B, or C group. A group is a priority and requires more than half of my attention. The B group are the things that I would love to accomplish next and usually are given another 30% of my attention. Finally, the C group are the things that would be "nice" to accomplish. For example, you may love to wrap every product you send out personally, but that may need to wait for now. Making a list like this allows you to focus on what is most important to propel your business forward. 

Learn How to Delegate 

You do not have to do everything yourself, and honestly, sometimes they are parts of running your own business that either you do not want to do, or maybe are not as good at as others. A wise entrepreneur once told me that I should make both a to-do list and a NOT to-do list. Yes, I know, another list! Trust me; this is an important one too. 

Once you know what is on both lists, consider looking for help to complete the items on the NOT to-do list. Delegating those items will free up your time to focus on the items on the to-do list and also give you some time to do all the other things deployment will throw at you. Are you looking for a place to find like-minded people who can maybe help with your load? The Association of Military Spouse Entrepreneurs is full of connections, mentors, and friends who can provide the support and skill set you may need. 

Set Aside Times to Hustle 

When you have to manage every aspect of the home, children, a business, and your personal life and needs, it is essential to be respectful of the time that you use. Look at your calendar and schedule a specific time you can focus on your business with minimal distractions. Keep in mind the needs of your business: daytime only versus flexible hours, different time zones for a meeting, kid-friendly or not, etc. Consider weekend hours as well, if possible. I am personally a night owl with a flexible business and get my best work done late, so I block my work time from 8-11 pm every night during the week and keep weekends free. 

Give Yourself Grace

Deployments have a way to throw curveballs at you, even when you feel like you have everything under control. Try to give yourself some grace when things don't work out the way you planned. Moving forward with patience and grace, for your circumstances during deployment will have longer-lasting effects on your business than beating yourself up when difficulties arise.

---

Meet Noralee-

Noralee Jones is a MILSO of 12 years, mom of 4, and writer/creator at www.mrsnavymama.com. Having experiences with 7 deployments, 4 PCS moves alone and the author of the Self-Care Guide for MILSOs, she is an expert on the importance of taking the time to focus on filling our bodies, minds, and souls with our individual needs in order to make the most out of our lives. She is also the Co-Author of The Newbie’s Guide to Military life and focuses on supporting MILSOs through the ups and downs of military life through Mrs. Navy Mama. You can find her on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

---