emuddiman, Author at Summit Virtual Solutions

emuddiman

Pinterest Manager
How to Start Your Pinterest Business Without a Website
- April 9, 2020
- 0 comments
- by emuddiman
When I decided to start my Pinterest Business, there were two big obstacles that held me back. The first was how to find clients and the second was the website. And if you’re anything like me, you may think that these 2 things go hand in hand. How does an online business find clients if they aren’t ONLINE?

Truth 💣: You don’t need a website, branding or a social media account to start your business and book clients. Aren’t you starting something new for more freedom? More money?

Then why would you delay all that by waiting until everything is “perfect”?? The longer it takes you to find “perfect”, the longer you delay yourself from making money, finding clients and leaving your job if that’s also your goal. Also, as a recovering perfectionist, I’ve learned that there is no such thing😂

Unfortunately, I had to learn this the hard way. I got some bad advice early on that said I DID need a website in order to find clients. But since I was still working at my 9-5 job full time, knew next to nothing about building a website and had no money to hire someone to do it for me, I finally realized this was something that needed to wait.

Because the longer I waited on a website, the longer I was waiting to find clients and make money. Which meant it would be even longer before I could leave my job. And that didn’t sit well with me.

So today, I’m breaking down the steps I took to get my business off the ground and how I started making money without a website! Let’s do this, shall we?

Determine the ideal client for your Pinterest Business

This sounds a lot easier than it actually is. As an aspiring Pinterest Manager wanting to start a Pinterest business, it’s easy to say “blogger” when it comes to your ideal client. But what KIND of blogger? What NICHE blogger do you want to work with? You must ask yourself some questions to help define who your ideal client is. Doing this helps you target exactly who you want to work with when you start reaching out to potential clients. It also helps you become an EXPERT in one particular space!
- What industry or professionals would you like to work with?
- What are you interested in?
- What does your ideal client like to do in their free time?
- What is their age?
- Male or female?
- Where do they hang out online?
- Where are they overwhelmed in their business?
Once I went through this process, I knew exactly who I wanted to work with! You can read more about how I became a Pinterest Manager, but it wasn’t until I niched down and defined my ideal customer that my business took off.

Create your service offerings and determine your rates

This is another one of those areas that paralyzed me. How do I package my services and what in the WORLD do I charge? Ultimately, I invested in the Become a Pinterest VA Today course to help me with this, but it didn’t stop there.

Ultimately, your packages should include services that you enjoy performing and services your ideal client needs. For example, if you love creating Tailwind schedules but graphic design isn’t your thing, you don’t HAVE to offer pin design! If this is the case, perhaps your ideal client has a pin designer on his/her team but only needs you to manage their schedule. See how that works? This is the best part of owning your own Pinterest Business!

Deciding on your rates is a simple backward equation.
1. Establish how much money you need to make per month
2. Don’t forget about taxes! Determine your rate and build that in
3. What are your monthly business expenses? FYI this should be relatively small if you’re just starting out.
4. How many hours do you have available to work?
Let’s break this down. Say you need to make $2000 per month as your “take home”. We’ll assume your tax rate is 30% (better safe than sorry here!) and you have approximately $100/month in expenses. Now to hours.

Let’s break this down. Say you need to make $3000 per month as your “take home”. We’ll assume your tax rate is 30% (better safe than sorry here!) and you have approximately $100/month in expenses.

Income goal of $3000 + 30% taxes = $3900

$3900 + 100 (business expenses) = $4000

$4000 / 5 clients (or the number of clients you want to work with at a time) = $800

Note: Based on current industry standards, $800 is an excellent going rate for monthly organic Pinterest management.

BONUS!

After doing this for 4 years, I’ve found that the service that brings in the MOST profit within my business, is my Pinterest Ads management package.

Online advertising is a highly sought after discipline. Which means those who master this craft, can charge a premium for their services. And specifically with Pinterest, because of the way the ads algorithm works, it takes less time to manage ads than organic management (on Pinterest).

More money + Less time = More profit

More money on the bank + less time at your computer = more time to do all the things you love.

I’m so passionate about what offering this service has allowed for my family that I created a guide to help you do the same! And in it, I share exactly what you should be charging per month, even if you’re a beginner. Plus, what you need to know about being a sought after Pinterest Ads Manager, common mistakes to avoid and the most lucrative client niches for Pinterest Ads Management and where to find them!

Choose your entity and register your business

This is a step not to be missed, most importantly when it comes to tax time. For purposes of truly establishing your business, I recommend applying for an EIN and creating either a Sole Proprietorship or an LLC. Let me define the differences:

Sole proprietorship – is a type of enterprise that is owned and run by one person and in which there is no legal distinction between the owner and the business entity.

LLC or Limited Liability Company – a corporate structure in the United States whereby the owners are not personally liable for the company’s debts or liabilities.

Basically, the main distinction with the two is what happens if you are ever sued. If you are sued as a sole proprietor, your personal assets are up for grabs. However, as an LLC, they are suing company assets and personal assets are protected.

There are financial distinctions between the two. It does cost to set up an LLC and in most states, there is an annual fee to maintain. Personally, I started out as a sole proprietor, but created an LLC as my business grew and the liabilities became greater. Check out your state’s website for more information on how to establish either entity.

Create a business portfolio

As I said from the start, a website should not be a deterrent from starting your business and making money. The longer you wait to have your website perfect, the longer you’re waiting to make money.

Once I decided to put the website aside, I created a Services Portfolio, and started pitching clients. And you know what, I was hired! Three times to be exact. Yep, that’s 3 clients for my business WITHOUT a website. And at this point, I had the cash to outsource because let’s be honest, building a website takes TIME. And it was more time than I had to give.

I want you to be able to start TODAY, so I’m sharing my portfolio template with you. This template was designed in Canva, so you will need a Canva account to access and edit. But once you do, it’s completely customizable. You can edit anything to fit your brand!

Create your processes and systems

One last step before sharing that portfolio and getting clients and that’s making sure you have your processes and systems in place. I am a process NERD. I love setting up systems and creating timelines to help me manage my business. If there’s something that aids efficiency, I’ll find it!

My favorite system for organization and workflow is Asana. I have each of my Pinterest management packages built out, step by step, to help me stay on track. Assigning due dates assures that I never miss a task or deadline.

Asking yourself a few questions will help you start the process and workflow planning:
- How will you onboard your client, and what questions will you ask?
- If you do a discovery call, on which platform will that take place (i.e. zoom, phone, Skype, etc)
- How will you send your service contract?
- How will you invoice your client?
- How will you gather passwords (i.e. LastPass)?
- Lastly, what steps are necessary to deliver your service, or what is your service process?
Defining these processes and systems early on will help you better provide your service and keep your clients coming back for more!

GET CLIENTS

It’s time to get some clients for your Pinterest Business! Now that you have your newly created portfolio, let’s put it to use. You can use any or all of the following resources to start reaching out to potential customers.
- Create a pin image (I love using Canva!), upload to Tailwind or Pinterest and link it directly to your portfolio! You can do this by saving it as a .pdf in Google Drive. Bam, links directly to your services!
- Sign up for Upwork, start submitting proposals and attach your portfolio. You can read more about how I was hired on Upwork within a week! I also have a free proposal template available for download!
- Once your determine where your ideal client hangs out, go there! For instance, if it’s Facebook groups, join that group and share your knowledge! Many groups offer “promote your goods” days where you can link to your portfolio. One piece of advice, I find the small to medium size groups are more beneficial that the gigantic ones. It’s easy to get lost on a group that has 5,000+ members.
- Tell your friends and share your portfolio!
- Post it on your LinkedIn profile!
If you go through this process, get your portfolio set up and land a client, send me a note in Instagram and let me know!

CONTINUE READING
Pinterest Manager
How to Become a Pinterest Manager!
- April 6, 2020
- 0 comments
- by emuddiman
How to become a Pinterest Manager without any experience

If you’ve landed here, my guess is that you’re at least a little curious about how to become a Pinterest Manager or Pinterest VA🙂 And hopefully, you found me from Pinterest! I’m pretty sure about these things because, just 4 short years ago, I was in your exact same shoes. Searching for something I could do at home that gave me more flexibility + time for my family and money for us to do the things we loved to do.

After months of searching and weeks of taking classes about being a Social Media Manager, I stumbled upon Pinterest Marketing and from that moment on, never looked back! I’m here to to tell you that without a doubt, this business has changed my family’s life for the better. So if you’re looking for something similar, keep reading more about how to become a Pinterest manager so you can finally ditch the 9-5 for the time and flexibility you’ve been dreaming of!

My Journey

If you’re new here, HI! And welcome! My name is Erica and I’m an 18 year corporate 9-5 DROP OUT turned Pinterest Marketing Agency owner. And if you would have told me 4 years ago that I’d be here, doing what I’m doing now, I probably would have laughed in your face😆

I had the vision to start my business all the way back in 2018, but months of researching, doubting myself and harping on some unattainable perfection, delayed me from officially starting until June 2019.

That month, I invested in my first Pinterest manager course, filed paperwork for my business in July and by the end of September, I had landed my very first client! All while still working full time at my 9-5. By October, I had 3 monthly retainer clients with contracts through January.

Then, Covid happened. And just like everyone, our lives were flipped upside down.

But while Covid was a curse for most, it was also a blessing. The company I was working for at the time was greatly affected by the pandemic and I had the opportunity to take a leave of absence. I used that leave of absence to go ALL IN on my Pinterest business. And I did. I hired an amazing mentor, went all in on finding clients and was able to go full time by September. Buh-bye 9-5 life!

What is a Pinterest Manager

To start, a Pinterest Manager is NOT a social media manager! A Pinterest Manager specializes in helping their clients use Pinterest as a marketing platform to drive traffic, brand visibility, engagement, and ultimately, SALES.

Their main goal is to help drive traffic to their client’s website through strategic efforts that include but are not limited to:
- Creating scroll-stopping pins that speak to their audience
- Optimize their Pinterest profile (boards and pins) with the use of keywords and Pinterest SEO optimization
- Focused keyword use, targeting the client’s audience
- Scheduling pins to specified boards
- Monthly reporting
Some specific Pinterest Manager services and packages may include:
- Monthly account management
- Initial Account Set up
- Pinterest Pin Design
- Pinterest Account Audit
- Pinterest Account Clean up (SEO optimization)
Most in-demand Pinterest Manager Service

The #1 and most in-demand Pinterest Manager service currently: Pinterest Ads management!

Why?

Growing organically in the online space is becoming increasingly difficult. With the algorithms changing like the leaves, more and more business owners are leaning into the digital ads space and diversifying their marketing dollars.

Additionally, Pinterest Ads are an untapped market for A LOT of industries. While the cost of Meta Ads continues to increase, business owners are looking for other options that can get them better results. If I had a penny for every time a client said they were shifting dollars to Pinterest because they were over Facebook…🤯

Pinterest ads management is my FAVORITE service to offer as a Pinterest manager! Last year, I took a good hard look at what was bringing in the most profit inside my business vs. what was weighing me down.

Hands down, Pinterest Ads Management won out over every other service I offered. Want to know why?

Online advertising is a highly sought after discipline. Which means those who master this craft, can charge a premium for their services. And specifically with Pinterest, because of the way the ads algorithm works, it takes less time to manage ads than organic management (on Pinterest).

More money + Less time = More profit

More money on the bank + less time at your computer = more time to do all the things you love.

Focusing solely on Pinterest Ads clients allowed me to take 45 days of vacation last year!

I’m so passionate about what offering this service has allowed for my family that I created a guide to help you do the same! Check it out below!

Benefits of Niching as a Pinterest Manager

Early on in my Pinterest marketing journey, I pretty much said yes to everything. And there were some definite pros and cons to this:

Pros:
- I was able to learn A LOT about each specific service offering when it comes to Pinterest
- I was able to book out my services quickly
- I was able to learn about what services I enjoyed and which ones were not really my jam
Cons:
- BURN OUT! By saying yes to everything, I burnt out quickly
- I was working ALL. THE. TIME. Which was NOT my goal when I started my business. I needed more time and flexibility for my family, and this was non-existent at the time
- There was no room to scale. By saying yes to so many different things, I effectively prohibited myself from scaling because just wasn’t anymore time in the day
- I was taking on clients who I knew were out of alignment, which caused undue stress
By niching into one service, Pinterest Ads management, it simplified everything!
- Marketing became easier because I could focus on ONE topic instead of the 4 different packages I had to offer
- Because Pinterest ads is a premium service, and it was the only thing I was offering, my revenue and profit grew exponentially
- I became a go-to in the Pinterest ads space
- I finally had more white space in my calendar and could be there for my family even more
Essentially, niching into one service gives you one consistent message and simplifies many aspects of your business. Ever hear the phrase, “Simplify to Scale”? It’s 1000% true!

The riches are in the niches, my friend!

How much money does a Pinterest Manager or Pinterest ads manager make?

If you are offering Pinterest Ads management, $1000 per month should be your baseline! Remember, this is a PREMIUM service and your prices should reflect that.

At $1000 minimum, just 5 clients and you’re hitting $5k per month! Only want 4 clients? Then price your services at $1,250.

If you’re brand new and starting out as a Pinterest manager for organic marketing, your packages can be priced anywhere from $650-$850+/monthly depending on the deliverables in your package offering.

How to become a Pinterest Manager or Pinterest Ads Manager without any experience?

The first step is to start learning! You can do so without even leaving this website 🙂

Pinterest Mini-Course

Pinterest Boost Blueprint – Learn exactly how to master Pinterest SEO and keywords in order to optimize your Pinterest profile and ensure your content or products show up in the right search results every single time.

Blog Posts to start with
Short and Sweet Videos

Watch me on YouTube

Ready to learn even more about becoming a Pinterest Ads Manager?

Grab The Essential Guide to Becoming a Pinterest Ads Manager and get started!

Inside this FREE guide, I will teach you what you need to know about being a sought after Pinterest Ads Manager and answer FAQ’s. I’ll also tell you common mistakes to avoid PLUS the most lucrative client niches for Pinterest Ads Management and where to find them!

Take the first step towards financial and time freedom and grab this guide today!

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Pinterest Manager, Upwork
How I Got Hired on Upwork in One Week
- March 26, 2020
- 2 Comments
- by emuddiman
Updated Aug. 2023

I delayed starting my Pinterest Ads Management business FOR MONTHS, all because of one thing: Where in the world was I going to find clients? And this is coming from someone with 18 years of SALES experience in the hospitality world, and I was still terrified when it came to finding clients for my new business

If you’ve done any research on the topic, you’ll find that the number one tip from most online educators is that Facebook Groups is the way to go. Show up, network, be helpful, but never “salesy”. But as someone who is building my side hustle while still working a full time job, the Facebook thing didn’t work for me. I wasn’t able to be online all day and by the time I would see a potential opportunity, there would be hundreds of comments, making it too hard to be seen.

Enter Upwork. If you’ve considered freelancing at some point, chances are, you’ve come across it. I actually learned about this platform in one of those Facebook groups, so I guess they’re not all bad:). But GIRL, it can be HARD to gain traction and get hired when you’re just starting out which is another reason I think Upwork is a great place to start.

For many, getting hired on Upwork may feel just as difficult as Facebook so I want to tell you exactly how I got hired within my first week as an official freelancer. Are you ready?

How to get jobs on Upwork with no experience – My Story

My first profile on Upwork was all over the place! Was I an event manager or virtual assistant? I had the experience and education to support event and travel management, but nothing for virtual assistant.

The first job I was hired for was assisting a blogger with time management, scheduling and overall time blocking her day based on her regular tasks. Were these specific skills listed in my profile? Nope. But I was able to create a cover letter capturing WHY I was the person for the job (18 years in event planning, adhering to deadlines and creating strict timelines) and HOW I would be able to assist her with time management (time blocking, like task organizing, daily themes). It’s also important to note that in this instance, the hourly rate I proposed was higher than what the client had budgeted! But because I was able to effectively tell her why I was the right person for the job, she reached out and hired me anyway!

When I decided to niche down and become a Pinterest Manager, I obviously had no Upwork job history to support it. For this reason, I chose to bid jobs on the low side at $20-$25/hour. The first Pinterest job I was hired for was monthly management for a men’s fashion blog. I bid an hourly rate slightly higher than what he was budgeted for, but because my cover letter was created with his goals in mind, he still reached out and started a conversation. After speaking with him I learned that his overall monthly budget was $100. This is very low for Pinterest Monthly Management so I had a decision to make: take this client on at a less desirable rate to gain experience and exposure OR turn him down and wait for something that paid more.

Ultimately, I decided to take the job so I could 1) gain experience and confidence in Pinterest Management and 2) gain additional Upwork exposure in the niche of Pinterest Management.

I know a lot of people who would disagree with this method and while I also preach “know your worth” there’s something to be said for putting yourself out there, taking messy action, and getting started! In my scenario, this was a risk that worked. After a month and a half of working with this blogger, another fashion blogger INVITED me to submit a proposal for her job! I was ultimately hired which gave me additional credibility to get hired for my third job via Upwork! Heck yeah!

Getting started on Upwork the right way

If you haven’t been hired yet on Upwork, it can be challenging to get that first job. Especially if you are like me and are starting something brand spankin new with ZERO work history or education to show for it. In these cases, I suggest finding something you know you can do, maybe something on the peripheral of your preferred niche, and start submitting cover letters. And while it’s ultimately a personal decision, you can bid lower than the client’s budget to try and get a little experience under your belt. Once you get hired for a job or two, Upwork ranks your profile differently, you show up in more searches, and clients will ultimately have more confidence in hiring you. But I’m getting ahead of myself here. Let’s start at the beginning and walk through all the steps you need to get hired on Upwork!

Step 1 – Create a killer Upwork profile (check approval process on Upwork)

Think of your Upwork profile as you would your LinkedIn Profile. Be sure to highlight any work experience, even if you’re starting something totally new! Including any past work experience and education gives your profile more credibility and tells potential clients, ‘hey, you can trust me!”. For example, as I mentioned above, when I started out, my first profile was geared more towards event management and travel planning since that was my background. But my first job was assisting someone with time management and time blocking. You never know!

Additionally, you’ll want to showcase the skills you wish to be hired for. In my profile, skills listed are Pinterest, Pinterest Marketing, Virtual Assistant, Social Media Management and so on.

Don’t forget a profile picture! This is super important! Clients hiring on Upwork want someone they can trust and a photo can do just that by lending credibility to you and your brand. A good photo should be a close up image with minimal background noise and always in good lighting. No photos from spring break with your bestie, please!

Lastly, check out top performing profiles in your niche. Don’t copy but emulate how they sell their services. I utilized aspects from a few profiles I liked that included aspects of both Virtual Assistance and Event Management.

Step 2- Upwork Connects and how to buy them

What are Upwork connects?

Upwork connects are credits that allow you to submit proposals on Upwork freelance jobs. Each job is assigned a certain number of connects and once purchased, they are added to your account. The maximum number of connects used to purchase a job can vary depending on size and scope of the project. The current maximum number of connects that would be assigned to a job is 6.

How to buy Upwork Connects

You’ll be able to purchase your connects under the settings section of your profile, then “Membership & Connects” on the left hand side bar menu. Upwork connects are currently $0.15 each and can be purchased in bundles of 10, 20, 40, 60 and 80. Your connects balance is shown on the right hand side bar of the “Find Work” page as you search for jobs.

Step 3 – Start searching for jobs!

Now that your profile is ready, it’s time to get hired! All the steps up to this point are crucial for success. The following is my exact strategy to applying and getting hired on Upwork:

Read the entire job description. If it’s vague or lacking information that you need to submit a proposal, save your connects and move on to the next. See below for good vs. bad examples.

I would consider this an example of a job lacking enough information to submit an applicable proposal. What do I need to do to help you with the 5k? Do you need marketing support? Do you need a DJ hired? Do I need to sell and bake cookies or OMG, DO I NEED TO RUN?! I’m kidding and serious at the same time. How do I know if I’m a good candidate for this job if I don’t know what you’re looking for?

I love this job posting. It tells me the requirements right off the bat (4+ years paid experience), the working environment and necessary technical skills.

Check the number of proposals

If there have been 50 proposals already submitted, your chances of getting hired are slim. Remember the saying “the early bird gets the worm”?! That’s so true here! The lower the number or proposals, the better your chances for being hired. Aim for 0-10 or 10-20.

Check their budget

Here’s where you need to know your worth and make a decision based on experience. If you want to make $40 an hour on a job whose budget is $20, then you best be sure your profile, experience and proposal cover letter show your worth! You need to let that client know WHY you’re worth $40 and why it would be worth their while to hire you, even if you’re out of their price range. It’s a risk because the buyer could only look at the cost and eliminate you based on that alone, but I say if it looks like your dream job, GO FOR IT GIRL!

Pro tip: When you find a job you like, click the heart icon to save it to your favorites. You’re gonna need some time for this. I like to batch my work so I search for jobs, add several that I like to my favorites, THEN I go back and pitch all at the same time. I find this helps me be more efficient and I can get into the sales mode rather than switching back and forth between searching and selling. Try to save at least 10 at a time when you’re searching.

Upwork Kickback

Keep in mind when you’re proposing that Upwork does take a cut of your proceeds. Currently the sliding scale is as follows:
- 20% for the first $500 billed with the client
- 10% for lifetime billings with the client between $500.01 and $10,000
- 5% for lifetime billings with the client that exceed $10,000
When you’re just starting out, 20% can seem like a lot. And there are plenty of negative reviews out there that say just that. However, when you start freelancing, people don’t magically stumble upon your website or Facebook page. If you want to make a living as a potential freelancer, you need to work to find clients. And for that, Upwork is a great starting solution. Overtime, and after you build trust and credibility with your client, you can discuss moving your contract off the Upwork platform to avoid the additional fees. I generally start this conversation after 3 months of work with my clients.

Step 4 – Submit your Upwork Cover Letter

Now that you have several jobs saved to your favorites, it’s time to apply!

Again, make sure to read the entire job description. This time, look for any keywords that you might be able to use in your cover letter. For example, the title of one of the jobs I was hired for was “Looking for a Pinterest Rockstart to Help Us Take Our Business to the Next Level!”. So my proposal started out as “Hi! Pinterest Rockstar here! I would love to be considered for your position!” See how I utilized her words into my cover letter? I continued to do this throughout the proposal.

I also like to look at their job history on Upwork. If they’ve hired in the past, their reviews may include their name. If so, I like to use it in my initial address to them. This shows the client that I not only read through their job posting, but I looked at their entire profile and did my research!

Propose often!! This is my NUMBER ONE tip! Submit proposals and cover letters as often as possible! Each time I was hired on Upwork, I was submitting anywhere from 3-5 proposals PER DAY! You read that right. Ultimately, it’s a numbers game. The more you propose, the higher the chance you’ll be hired.

BONUS FOR NEW SIDE-HUSTLERS AND FREELANCERS

Sometimes when you start side hustling or freelancing, you may not even know what it is you want to do. Take me for example: After 18 years in the corporate world, stuck in a 9-5 job that was going no-where and provided zero flexibility for my family, I knew I needed an out…but when I started looking, I didn’t know exactly what that out was.

So if this is you, let me introduce you to a profitable and beyond flexible career. One where you can easily achieve $5k, $6k or even $10k months WITHOUT sacrificing all of your time and energy to get there. Know what it is?

Pinterest Ads Management!

If you are a mom who’s stuck in a dead end, dreaded 9-5 job. OR a stay at home mom, longing to bring in your own income with a flexible schedule that still allows you the ability to work at home with the kids, then I want to introduce you to the online career of Pinterest Ads Manager. And I’m not talking about another MLM here. I’m talking actual online career, helping clients with big budgets manage their advertising on Pinterest. One that allowed me to take 45 days of vacation with my family last year!

This isn’t social media management. It’s not writing captions and posting pictures. It’s a skillset that pays BIG bucks to those who nail it. Being an ads manager is one of the most sought after freelance careers with most people making a minimum of $5k per month.

And I want to share EVERYTHING you need to know about getting started.

Inside my new FREE guide, I will teach you what you need to know about being a sought after Pinterest Ads Manager and answer FAQ’s. I’ll also tell you common mistakes to avoid PLUS the most lucrative client niches for Pinterest Ads Management and where to find them!

KEY TAKE AWAYS for how I got hired on Upwork within 1 week with no experience
1. Follow the steps to create a killer profile
2. Find jobs with good descriptions and credible profiles
3. Apply OFTEN!! My first week on the platform, I was applying a minimum of 3-5 jobs per day! It’s a numbers game y’all! The more you apply, the greater your chance of being hired.
4. Consider taking jobs that might not be in your exact niche to gain experience and exposure
5. Consider taking jobs at a lower rate to gain experience and exposure
6. Apply for jobs when their received proposal range is low, i.e. 10-20.
Drop me a line and let me know how it’s going once you get started! Any questions or struggles, I wanna hear about it!

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Uncategorized
How to Work at Home and Homeschool Your Kids
- March 24, 2020
- 0 comments
- by emuddiman
Hey there! I’m Erica, welcome to my first blog post! I’ll start out by saying that this was NOT my first intended article. However, after recent events caused by the outbreak of coronavirus or COVID19, I thought it would be best to share some of my newly learned best practices for working at home with my kids while also trying to homeschool them. Plus, I wanted to share our current schedule in hopes of helping other moms who may be struggling. Currently, I work full time in the hospitality industry, but I also have a personal business, Summit Virtual Solutions, helping bloggers and online business owners create success via Pinterest. In the future you can check back for articles all about Pinterest Marketing and being a Pinterest Manager! Now onto the goods.

How to work at home (and homeschool) with your kids effectively

Setting a schedule

Anyone else Type-A to the max? I love a good schedule and creating one for our “new normal” was task number one. My boys thrive on consistency and knowing what’s next. Here are my best schedule creating tips:
1. Determine when your kids are at their best for learning. For mine, it’s the first thing before they get tired from the day’s activities. This is also when I have their attention the most.
2. Determine when your work schedule demands the most out of you and when you are at YOUR best. For me, it’s also the morning which means I get up and crank the laptop early
3. Are there any scheduled learning activities for the kids each day? If so, add them in.
4. What are your kids favorite activities and how can you incorporate them? For us, its LEGO all the way!
Bonus: Download my current work from home schedule with my boys’ learning times built in!

Taking breaks

This has been super important for our family, and let’s be honest, my own personal sanity! As we transition to working from home and homeschooling the kids, we tried to create a schedule with everyone in mind. Currently, we have concentrated learning time from 9am-10am, they have a play break until lunch (I work) then we all go out as a family (weather pending) for a walk or bike ride. I’ve found this additional one on one time helps fill their “love bucket” for the afternoon. More on that later.

Flex time

I’ve been very lucky in that, due to the circumstance, my company has been very flexible, ultimately allowing flex time. Flex time is essentially working when you can to incorporate a full day and making sure your work is complete. Since my husband is still working outside of the home (which is an entire post/rant in and of itself!), I am ALL ON MY OWN during regular business hours. As I mentioned earlier, I’m starting my work day earlier and ending later to accommodate the stopping points in the day necessary to help the boys with their school work.

Filling the “love bucket”

It’s important to fill your children’s “love bucket” each day. For us, this is one on one attention with both boys doing something they love and without any other distractions. No working or teaching during this time! Activities for us include LEGO building, nerf gun chases, sliding down the stairs on a mattress (boy moms, you feel me!) and totally random dance parties. When your kids’ “love buckets” are filled to the brim, they have better attitudes, act out less and are more apt to do what you ask later….like more school work. Trust me on this one – I got my oldest to read for 20 minutes (his LEAST favorite thing to do) after 10 minutes of floor play and goofing around.

Reward system

Ain’t no shame in the REWARD game! Let’s be real for a second. We’re working at home, FULL TIME, while also trying to homeschool our kids. If you gotta promise ice cream in return for school work, at its 10AM, DO IT! Both of mine are so motivated by something they want, that sometimes it’s the only way to get them to do what I want. Plus, our current situation with COVID19 won’t last forever, so do what you gotta do to make this time in our lives as easy and stress free as possible.

We also reward with TV and electronics because at the end of the day, we still have a job to do. Two to be exact. Mom-ing is as much a full time gig as any salary paying job. It may be impossible to be a star at both right now but I’m here, giving you full permission to set the bar low and continue moving forward. We’re all doing the best we can right now! Remember, YOU ARE AWESOME! And regardless of what you think, you’re still killing it. I promise.

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