Do you know what services you will offer remotely?
Show Notes for Episode 1
So you want to start working from home or remotely? In this very first episode, it’s about thinking of what type of services you can offer working from home or working remotely. Do you have transferrable skills that you utilize for a business owner, perhaps secretarial skills, booking hotels, cars, do their email management? Think about what services you can provide, write it down all of the skills you have now.
Transcript
[Music intro]
This podcast is about our experiences with being self-employed, entrepreneurship, and bootstrapping it. Sometimes I have a spectacular guest that join me and share their stories. Also, it’s about connecting to our soul, our inner selves to unwind and chill. My name is Lourdes, and I hope you enjoy this episode!
In this episode, we’re gonna talk about what kind of home business do you want to start? And man, we’ve been through a lot through 2021, and with all the pandemic it really changed our work force, hasn’t it?
And so, I wanted to ask, when you think about starting a business, have you thought about what type of services you can offer remotely? Many employed people last year and even the year before were working from home because their offices were shut down, or the states were shut down, or the country was shut down. And so, people had to work from home. A lot of them used Zoom, Teams, Skype, and other virtual meeting platforms. And you know, it was acceptable; we could hear dogs barking, kids running around. And it was just so new to a majority of people that used to work from the office, and it’s kinda different. Then there are people that lost their jobs or quit working. It was called the Big Resignation is what I heard it was called. And these people may be thinking of working from home offering remote services, and that’s really what I wanted to get into today. Is to talk about the types of services we’re gonna be offering as we work from home and talk about that.
And so, let’s start a little planning. What about the type of services you’re gonna be offering? Think about the skills that you’ll be offering. What type of experiences have you had? If you worked in an office for example, are the general admin work, is that something you can offer? Secretarial, maybe even making travel arrangements for your boss. These are just examples of service providers. I know someone who started as an executive assistant for someone in the East Coast. What she did was, she was booking his travel arrangements, booking his flights, rental cars, and she even managed his email, paid his bills, and sort through some booking requests, etc. So, these are like secretarial skills or general administrative skills that you can offer as a start.
Another type of services is if you have techy skills. Do you have techy skills? Well, if you’re good at graphic design, you can do that. If you know social media, perhaps you can do social media management or schedule someone’s social media. Or if you know WordPress, create their website or website designer. You can even help authors self-publish books, or even specialize in YouTube creation, podcasting, webinars, and audio and video editing as an example.
And if you don’t have those techy skills, guess what? You can learn them! You can go on YouTube and learn how to use Canva. You can use WordPress, if you’ve never heard of WordPress, it is a content management system. It’s one of the ways you can create your own website, and WordPress is pretty popular. And that is something you can also teach yourself online by going to YouTube, or even taking a class and getting certified. You can take a class in cybersecurity for example, and I believe they have these certificate courses that you can finish up in a year. And that’s a techy skill that’s also in demand right now, and that’s something you can offer.
Another service provider example that you could offer; do you have specialized skills? Specialized skills like accounting, invoicing, bookkeeping. Perhaps you have experience in insurance or healthcare insurance, medical coding, counseling, life coach, health coach, financial advisor, CPA. Those are just a few examples of specialized skills that you can offer.
So, as you think about the services you’re going to offer, let’s move on to the next step. What is the bare minimum you need to start your own home business? And that is a simple internet access and a computer. Actually, because you have internet access, you can work anywhere. You can be at the beach as long as you have internet access, you can still work. And because we are bootstrapping it, that is really the bare minimum. And then you’ll probably want to sign up for a free Zoom account, or Skype account. And that’s one way for you to talk to someone across the seas. International calls, you know? So, it’s free, it won’t cost you a penny because you’re gonna use your computer to talk to your prospects or clients. You’ll also need to create an e-mail strictly used for business, and maybe a cell phone if you don’t already have one. Or you can sign up for a free phone service, I believe Google Voice still gives out phone numbers, instead of you passing out your own cell phone number used for business.
The next thing would be our workspace.
You need to have a designated area to work, especially when you’re working from home. It’s so critical to have a designated area where you can work without getting interrupted. It needs to be a quiet area in your home, especially if you’re having any virtual meetings or talking on the phone with a potential client. If you don’t have an extra room to work in, of course you can use your kitchen table. Just make sure you can be in a quiet place when you are on a call. I know some moms who have young kids, they even go out to their cars and talk on the phone while they’re on the phone with their clients!
Ok, let’s talk think about our work schedules. One of the difficult things I hear when people start their own business is the designated hours you set. But it’s so important to establish your working hours, when you are actually working. Even if you don’t have clients yet, you still need to set your own working hours, and you only work during those working hours. This way you don’t get so burned out right away.
So, let’s say your hours are from 9-4, well guess what? You’re at your computer, whether you have clients or not, will be working from 9-4. Whether that’s researching, YouTube videos, whether it’s learning how to set up your own project management platforms. Just keep in mind, when you are setting your own hours, that you are actually working in your business hours. So, if your hours are from 9-4, you should be working 9-4. Of course, you will take some breaks, maybe two 15-minute breaks, and definitely take a lunch, just like you would in a real office somewhere else. I mean, you really gotta discipline yourself to work these hours. It’s very hard when you don’t have clients yet, but I’m sure you can find ways to make yourself busy on your computer from 9 till 4. You can take a class and do it during those times. Maybe even network with other people who are working from home during those times, 9 to 4. And this way, you don’t get burned out right away.
Alright, and that’s it for this episode. Again, let’s think about the types of services you’re gonna offer. Do you have techy skills or specialized skills? Have a designated place to work? Your bare minimum necessities to start a business, and your work schedule? And in the next episode, I’ll be talking about naming your business, and to determine your business structure. And also registering your business if needed. Until next time, thanks for listening to this podcast! I hope that you enjoyed this podcast and please share this episode with your friends! Please subscribe, rate, and review this episode! And as always, the show notes will be available at 8thlevelpodcast.com. Thanks for listening!
Find out how to evaluate your strengths by evaluating your weakness and strength. Download your ebook copy FREE!
About the Host
Lourdes McCombs is passionate about helping you take your unique skills into the online world, learn digital strategies, and scale. She is a Business Mentor & Success Coach and helps men and women transfer their local business online to create a global impact and to attract more clients. She is spiritual transformation coach that helps people make changes in their life without compromising their mission and their soul.
If you need clarity, or defining your life’s purpose, visit her business website: click here for her website at: BlueLarimarCoach.com
Or schedule a 30-minute complimentary meeting to get to know her, ask questions about business development and kickstart your business ventures here.
*****Disclaimer: All the episodes in this podcast are for information purposes only. The views and expressions from the show and our guests are their own. 8th Level Podcast, its subsidiaries and owner are not liable nor guarantee any business outcomes or your success. Seek optional advice from tax preparers, legal, financial pros at your own discretion. For more information of our terms and disclaimer go here.