5 First Steps For The Work-from-home Fauji Wife

So, you’ve decided to work-from-home and juggle the many social commitments & postings that are part of the military life, while carving out a niche for yourself. But how do you begin working-from-home? 

Here are a few first steps to take the bull by the horns:

1. Get that training/degree/know-how. Now that you’ve decided what you want to do – it could be online teaching, writing, graphic design, art, baking or anything else, check if you need any further education or training to get started in the field. Get on Google and search for online courses and/or Youtube for relevant tutorials and courses. If it’s a paid course, see if you have the budget for the course fee. I personally find that even if a course is expensive, if it’s adding to our professional know-how and we’re sure we’ll use the education, then it’s worth investing in. But then, that’s just me. Set time and money aside for your studies and gen up before you set up your office.

2. Set up that home office like a boss. Studying is fine, but don’t let this become a career too (unless you keep studying while working). Give yourself a few months, maybe a year, to learn and then find ways to get to work using that information. The first way is to set up that home office. Get the tools of your trade. For example, a laptop, a planner, paints and canvas, baking equipment or anything that you need for your work. Set aside a place in your house (or kitchen, if you’re going to be a professional baker) to create your work-place and set it up with a desk.

3. Curate your first assignments. You need to build a portfolio of work in any field. Here’s how you can do this. If you’re a writer, set up a blog and write for a few well-known but free websites that’ll showcase your writing & give you the practice. If you’re an artist, paint a collection of pictures and keep sharing your art through social media. If you’re a jewellery designer, baker or graphic designer, you’ll need to create some work and share it with the world. If you’re a wellness consultant or life coach, I’d suggest launching a website listing what you offer, write a blog about the topics you deal with and maybe, invite people to an online free consultation.

4. Create a website or Facebook page. In today’s world, a work-from-home venture must have a worldwide web presence of some sort because that’s how you’re able to showcase what you do and reach out to prospective clients. Make sure that your website or page lists what you do, your qualifications, samples of your work and an email id through which people can reach you. I like www.Wix.com to set up a website because it’s free and totally DIY. I also recommend setting up a blog on www.Blogger.com and creating pages or communities on Facebook as a way of reaching out to people.

5. Get to the meat of the work. You’ve got the relevant training, set up a corner into a home office, got yourself a small portfolio of work to begin with and created a web presence. Now it’s time to roll out your offerings properly to the world. Nope, don’t let this overwhelm you. I’ve seen that focusing on small steps and doing what I can where I am helps me do work that fulfills me. 

If you’re a writer, this is the time to learn how to pitch your ideas to publications and send those out. Or, if you want to write a novel or ebook, then this is the time to roll up your sleeves and get down to writing the outline. If you’re an artist, create more work and see if you can sell them via word-of-mouth and your Facebook page. If you’re a baker, check with the senior ladies in your unit/base and see if you can teach baking or take orders if you give the mandatory 10% to the welfare organization. Wellness/lifestyle professionals can start by hosting a free or paid workshop, or sign-up the first paid client after all those free coaching sessions.

That’s all for now. Work on these steps and enjoy your work-from-home adventure.

P.S. Still wondering what you can do from home as a fauji wife? Check out this article to figure out.

Looking for inspiration to work-from-home or set up your own venture as a fauji wife? Check out our interviews of fauji wife entrepreneurs + work-from-home how-to guides.

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