Working from home can be kind of like working on a deserted island. There is no water cooler, no lunches out with coworkers, and often it can be a lonely place. Getting feedback on your work can be difficult and it’s easy to lose confidence in your ability, much less develop confidence in your expertise. Thankfully, today there are many ways to solve these problems online from the comfort of your home office.
Join Online Communities
Taking part in discussions with other work at home moms can help you hone your skills and make friends. Having friends and a social life can make you feel more confident. Communities like WAHM.com offer something even better than a workplace water cooler because you can actually choose with whom and which groups you discuss things with.
Hire a Business Coach
If your confidence level is super low or you’re having trouble finding the work at home success you desire, hiring a business coach can help push you to the next level. Business coaches are trained to find ways to fill the gaps in your education and other needs to solve specific problems.
Join a Mastermind Group
Find a mentor and join his or her inner circle or mastermind group. Usually it will cost a little bit of money but when you surround yourself with experts and other successful people you will develop a lot more confidence in your abilities and expertise. Remember, experts are always learning and sharing.
Complete Some Training
Depending on what you want to be an expert in, there are many training courses online such as Virtual Assistant or Online Marketing Manager training. Take training from people who have been successful themselves when there's no accreditation available. There is also a lot of free training through schools like MIT available. Search the Internet and you might be surprised at what you find.
Go Back to School
Today you can go to wonderful schools online and get accredited degrees and you don’t have to spend that much money. Financial aid is available. Look for nonprofit schools like Southern New Hampshire University to make the money go farther. Don’t discount career schools like Penn Foster Career School as an option. It depends on what you want to learn and what sort of degree or certification you want to earn.
Under Promise and Over Deliver
Always hold a little something back from the description of your services so that you can provide your clients with a little something extra. Each time you perform any service, go above and beyond what they expect. Suggest a beautiful quote for a blog post or forward an article you found interesting -- your client will appreciate it whether they use it or not.
Ask Your Clients for Feedback
Within the first billing cycle with any new client, always ask for feedback. Create a form with Google Documents with a short survey. This will not only give you confidence when your customer praises you, but with honest feedback you can improve your work.
When you work from home you have to work just a little bit harder to find community, get the education you need to move forward, and build up your self-confidence. But with just a little extra attention to your education and social needs, you ensure that you will put out quality work that you proudly call yours.
