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15 Organization Habits to Help All Working Moms on Busy


Working moms juggle two crucial roles as full-time workers at home and on the job. Staying organized is essential for your sanity, especially in the mornings when you’re trying to get yourself and the kids out the door.

The challenges that a working mom faces are well-known and backed up by studies. Researchers point out that working moms juggle career, children, aging parents, and keeping every family member on track. The result can be a chaotic, stressful life.

Thus, working moms should try to develop good habits to offset the morningtime rush. Many organizational strategies work, some work better for you than others. See if any of these 15 organization tips could help you with your busy mornings.

15 Useful Tips to Help Working Moms Get Out the Door Faster

  1. Rise and shine–before the kids do

Set your alarm to awaken you at least 30 minutes before your kids get up, even earlier if you prefer a little more peace and quiet. Use your time alone to drink a cup of coffee, shower, and dress. You’ll feel calmer and mentally prepared for your day once you’re dressed and ready to step out the door.

  1. Wake the kids up around the same time every day

Your older kids should be responsible enough to get up on their own. Have them set the alarm to ensure they wake up. If they don’t get up, have a plan to wake them. One parent tells us that she went into her teenage son’s room and blew a whistle loudly on the days he wouldn’t get up.  He quickly learned to set his alarm to avoid his mom’s wake up technique. It was too annoying, he said.

  1. Give your kids a morning routine

Research supports the claim that children need a set routine.

Once your children are old enough, around four years old, teach them to navigate their morning routine. Show the younger children how to make their beds, brush their teeth, and get dressed. Have their clothes laid out in a spot of their choosing so they can easily dress without asking you for help.

Let the kiddos practice over the weeks and encourage their attempts, even if they aren’t perfect. Young kids love the independence and usually rise to the occasion. Of course, your kids will get distracted, but a simple reminder will help them get on track.

  1. Teach your kids simple breakfast prep

Provide easy to make breakfasts that your kids can make on their own. Toaster waffles, cereal, yogurt, or bagels are easy for kids to navigate. You can make smoothies the night ahead and serve those to your kids for breakfast, too.

  1. Make lunches the night before

If your kids take their lunch, prepare them the night before. There are great lunch boxes now with easy to clean compartments. Fill their lunches with fruit, veggies, and other yummy foods. Buy easy to send foods like carrots, celery, granola bars, and hummus packets.

Have your kids help you pack up their lunches so they can choose what they want to eat. It’s a great time to chat about what’s going on at school. Lunchtime at school is sometimes hard for kids because the cafeteria is crowded, and there aren’t many teachers around to supervise the conversations. So, find out what kids are saying and how your child is processing all the talks.

  1. Layout kids clothes and your clothes the night before

Every night before bed, have your younger kids help you choose what they want to wear the next day. It’s usually more manageable for the boys to pick out their clothes than the girls, so if you need to negotiate what they’re wearing, it’s better in the evening than the morning of school. Your older kids should lay out their own clothing. You can go check to see if they look okay. Some older kids resent this, but it’s a great habit for them to establish. Make it a house rule. Every house has rules, so tell them it’s just an easy house rule to follow.

  1. Ensure that homework gets done the night before

What parent hasn’t woke up to find out that their sixth-grader is frantic about an undone project due that day? It is typical for kids to forget their homework assignments. Hang baskets near your front door for homework assignments to be kept so you can get a quick glance at them before they go into your kids’ backpack.

If you see something left undone, you can show your child and have them finish it. Or if there’s not enough time, have your child contact their teacher on their own to tell them they didn’t do the assignment. Teaching your child to bear the weight of responsibility and to fix it is helpful. Teachers are usually happy to cut kids some slack when they’re honest about their mistakes.

  1. Schedule interruptions (all busy moms know these things are inevitable)

Life happens even to the most organized schedule. Things like lost shoes, kids arguing, and lost car keys happen. One mom shared how she was all dressed for work, nursing the baby just before stepping out the front door when her three-year-old daughter walked into the room and threw up all over her.

Plan for the unexpected.

Make sure your boss knows you have small kids. Hopefully, they’ll be sympathetic and understand that unplanned things happen. Pad your time schedule to allow for little interruptions in your mornings.

  1. Get help

It’s okay to need help. Not a soul will think anything less of you, and if they do, it’s their problem. Find an early morning nanny who can help your kids on the bus in the morning and off the bus in the afternoons. Once your kids are older, they’ll be able to do this on their own, but while your kids are young, it’s good to have the help.

Hire house cleaners when your kids are little. This way, you can concentrate more on your family and less on housework. Order fresh meals delivered to your home that you need to prepare. Again, some of these things will work for a season, when you’re especially busy with little kids. You can re-evaluate after six months or a year to see if you still need this help.

  1. Get your partner’s help.

Ask your partner to do the morning shift once in a while. Taking turns helps both of you understand what mornings are like. It can also be helpful if there need to be changes made. One partner may come up with a creative solution the other partner hadn’t thought of. When you divide and conquer the mornings with your partner, you’ll feel less stressed and able to get out the door calmly.

  1. Try to keep work at the office.

If possible, try not to do office work in the mornings. If you need to do some work, get up earlier, so you’re finished by the time the kids wake up. In the mornings, give your kids your full attention, so they feel like their mom is aware of their needs for the day. It’s tough on a kid to go to school all day and feel like their mom hardly noticed them. Tell your co-workers you aren’t taking calls till after a specific time. Don’t look at your emails until you’re at the office. You’ll be surprised how “pressing issues” aren’t as pressing as they are presented to be.

  1. Tell your kids you love them.

Kids have stuff going on at school. They need their parent’s support and love. Every day, be sure to tell your kids how much you love them and how proud you are of them. Make sure they leave for school with a sense of confidence in who they are and knowing how much they are loved and also supported. If you’re traveling, of course, you can easily text your kids or give them a phone call before they leave for school. Youmay never know the impact you are making on your kids’ life by a simple statement. Later on, when they’re older, they’ll tell you how much it meant as they faced their daily challenges.

  1. Keep a sense of humor.

Kids are kids. They cry, whine, complain, and stomp their feet. Don’t sweat the small stuff like mismatched socks or smug teenager looks. These are things you should overlook as not that important. Most of the things you’re obsessing over will all be different in five years. So relax, and don’t let the small issues get you down. Plus, your example of how to navigate stress is an essential lesson for your kids as they face their own challenges.

  1. Keep a schedule in your kitchen.

Wall calendars seem so 90s, but a paper calendar is helpful to keep your family updated on the weekly events. Hang a large paper calendar in your kitchen marked with sporting practices, games, and family outings. Your kids will always know what’s going on. In the corner of the calendar list, the family dinners for the week. This way, when the kids ask you what’s for dinner, you can point them to the calendar. Plus, having a dinner schedule will help you with grocery shopping and meal planning.

  1. Plan a routine that includes playtime

Routines bring peace, but they’re so easy to break. Who doesn’t want to sleep in when you’ve been up all night several times with the baby? But the more you can keep your routine, the better for you and your family. Kids thrive on routine. It’s actually good for kids who get stressed out quickly. So, if you strive to make it work, your kids will too. Motivative your kids by having family meetings once every couple weeks to praise them for their efforts in the mornings and how well they’re doing at keeping the routine.

Plan fun family weekend movies and outdoor activities to offset the weekly schedule. Make weekends sleep in-days, so your kids will learn what a day off means. It’s easy to be too work-focused. Teach your kids the value of resting and play so they can be well-rounded people.

Final Thoughts on Trying These Organization Habits for Busy Working Moms

Busy days with a family need good organizational habits to make it through. Try to incorporate some of these easy tips to see if they work for your family. Add others as required. You might need to tweak some of them to make them work well for you, but try to keep a predictable routine. Kids thrive with routine, and they’ll enjoy the weekends more when they’ve worked hard all week to get up and off to your daily destinations on time.

Business

Going Back to School at 30? How to Keep Working While You Learn

Going Back to School at 30? How to Keep Working


Going Back to School at 30? How to Keep Working While You Learn

Working full time and going to school full time is a lot for anyone to handle. Juggling school work with your job responsibilities and family responsibilities is a skill on its own. Going back to school at 30 might not seem like the easiest task to complete, but the feeling of accomplishment and success makes everything worth it. 

You’ve decided that going back to school is what you want to do, but you’re not sure if you can add college courses into your already-busy schedule. We’re here to tell you that you can and this guide below is going to tell you how. 

Continue reading to learn more!

Create a Healthy Balance

When you decide to add something into your busy schedule it can uncover anxiety and an overwhelming feeling. These feelings are normal, but with the right amount of balance, you can accomplish all of your goals without stressing yourself out. 

You’ll need to find a healthy balance between your work, school, and family/social life. The best way to do this is to find where you can cut back in certain areas. If you can cut a few hours at work but still remain full time, then do so. 

Be sure to dedicate specific times for school work and specific times for family and friends as well. 

Use Grants, Scholarships, or Loans

Taking college courses sometimes means cutting your work hours. If this is true for you, and you find yourself stressed out about losing money, then you can use your grants, scholarships, or loans to help you during this time.

When you’re rewarded grants or scholarships, this money will cover a portion of your tuition, the full amount of tuition, or the full amount plus money leftover in your pocket. If you do have money left over, then you can use it to help cover bills and you do not have to pay this money back. 

If you have money in your pocket from student loans, then you can use this money to help pay bills as well, but you’ll be required to pay it back after graduating. 

Make Time When You Can

It’s important to make time whenever you can to study. You can do this during your lunch breaks or even on the drive to or from work or school. Make recordings of yourself reading your notes or flashcards. 

You can listen to the recordings while driving. You can also consider waking up early to get in an hour or so of study time before starting your day. Make the time whenever you can find it without it affecting your daily routine. 

Consider Your Different Options

When starting college courses, you’ll have plenty of options to choose from. You can take courses in person, receive an online certification for a specific program like drug counseling, or do a mix of online and in-person courses. 

Online courses will save you time since you won’t have to commute, and you’ll have more flexibility when it comes to completing lessons and assignments. 

Going Back to School at 30 Is Challenging but Worth It!

Going back to school at 30 comes with more challenges than it would if you finished college at a younger age. The feeling of accomplishment that you’ll receive once done, however, is almost heightened when you’re able to do so at an older age with more obstacles to face.

Keep this guide in mind when you need that extra boost, and remember, you can do it!

For more posts similar to this one, visit us daily!

Lifestyle

8 Things Highly Productive People Do Working From Home

8 Things Highly Productive People Do Working From Home


Have you recently found yourself working from home?

As you’re no doubt aware, billions of people, including you and yours, feel the impact of the COVID pandemic. Due to the massive footprint of the virus, the world has had to find new ways to do things – and this includes how we go about our work.

What we are seeing is the eventual, inevitable transition from office-based to home-based, remote work. It just so happens to be occurring in the midst of one of the worst pandemics in modern history.

But with great challenge comes great opportunity. Remote work may just be your milieu.

In pre-COVID life, a small minority of individuals (around 18 percent at last count) had the good fortune of remote-based work – and it’s pros and cons.  However, it’s a new paradigm for most of us.

As one who worked in a corporate environment for years before transitioning to a remote position for four years, this writer can provide a bit of insight as to the experience.

The transition to working from home usually goes something like this:

Phase 1:

“I’m working from home – and it’s AWESOME!!!” You then proceed to dance or do a little shimmy.

Phase 2:

“I still don’t know what I’m doing yet! But, working in my PJs is so great!” Sure, you can’t drag the tech support guy to your cube, but who cares? (That dress shirt and pajama bottoms look great by the way!)

Phase 3:

“This is pretty much like any other job without the commute. Well, and the not getting dressed thing.” Yep, it still feels like work!

Okay, so I oversimplified things a bit. The truth is that we’re all different; some will fall – and stay – in love with remote work. The majority will come to feel rather indifferent, and a small minority will wish they were still in a cube. (Never understood that last group.)

For those who have only recently moved to their home base for work, you had a different – and probably, more challenging – experience. Everyone seems to be sheltered up. Nothing feels familiar. There’s uncertainty everywhere.

Not fun.

But regardless of the challenges in remote work, we can all agree that it’s necessary to remain productive. You may find that creating the right remote work habits could just take you and your career to a whole new level of success. (The reason for this is simple. In this writer’s extensive remote-based job experience, I’ve found that many people are flat-out bad at working from home. More on this later.)

In this article, we’re going to be discussing how successful people stay productive at home. Let’s do this!

working from home

8 Things Productive People Do When Working From Home

 Without further ado, here are eight things that the productive among us do when working from home.

1 – They Start Early

 From presidents of nations to CEOs of major companies, it seems that most people who are successful – at home or anywhere else- tend to get an early start. Rising earlier than one’s counterparts seems to provide an individual the feeling of having an “edge.”

There are, of course, practical benefits to getting up “at the crack” as well. For one thing, early risers are allotted more time to waking up and getting into their groove. The transition from sleep to wakefulness isn’t necessarily an easy one, so the earlier one starts the process, the better.

Second, people who get an early start are permitted some enjoyment in the morning.  Most people go from the fog of sleep to rushing around within a matter of minutes. This approach tends to create a sense of inner conflict and stress that carries over to one’s work.

Making some extra time to relax and enjoy the morning tends to put one in a better state of mind. Of course, such a mindset is also much more conducive to productivity.

2 – They Limit Distractions While Working from Home

 Unlike at a traditional office, there is nobody to monitor your activity. While a liberating feeling, this newfound freedom makes it all-too-easy to fall into the trap of endless distraction. Combine the internet, the pandora’s box of aimless distraction with poor impulse control – and we’ve got a real problem.

It is, therefore, crucial to limit unnecessary distractions and train the attention.

Concerning the former, it should go without saying that work is done in a quiet environment. Remote work is not an invitation to permit intrusions upon your workspace. You’ve still got a job to do.

Concerning the latter, now’s a good time to strengthen your attentional muscles. The cool thing is that by avoiding distractions, you are already doing that to a high degree! Follow up this discipline with concentrated (though relaxed) attention to the task at hand. Work in extended spurts with short breaks and finish what you start, always.

working from home

3 – They Approach Work The Same Way

 Work is work, no matter it takes place. That is why remote work, while satisfying for the many benefits it offers, gradually loses much of it’s initial “Holy crap, this is awesome!” feeling.

Remote work, if gone about in an undisciplined manner, can feel too much like a house chore. You’ll tend to it, but only to get it done and out of the way. While we all get into this sort of funk, it is essential to not allow your environment to overly dictate how you approach your work.

 The easiest way to avoid this is to remind yourself that you are indeed at work consistently. While your physical location is at home, your mind should be in work mode.

4 – They Stay Active

This one is perhaps why it is so hard to work remotely in the COVID landscape. Many states have instituted strict “stay-at-home” orders, limiting what one can do outside the home.

Still, it’s entirely possible to venture outside from time-to-time. If you have a lawn, do some calisthenics, yoga, or some other exercise that requires little extra space. If you have a mask (and you should), get out for a short stroll.

In short, do something to keep your body (and just as important, your mind) active and engaged. Speaking from personal experience, you’ll probably slack off in this regard on occasion because it’s so easy to just stay in. That’s okay! Just get back after it!

5 – They Perform High-Value Work First Thing

If you’re active a morning bird, use this energy to prioritize and work on your most valuable tasks. Too often, workers sit down at their desks and immediately fire up their email. Unless checking your email is a mission-critical task, resist the pull.

Instead, spend this time productively by focusing on the essential.

Follow a page out of the book of American Express’s former CEO, Kenneth Chenault, who said that the “last thing” he does before leaving work is write down three of the top things to do – and then tackle them first thing in the A.M.

pop meme

6 – They Schedule Everything

It’s said that Elon Musk keeps a schedule broken up into 5-minute intervals. 5. Minutes. We’re not telling you to do something that structured. However, most successful people that we know of keeps a schedule. Successful people – whether home workers or officegoers – measure their time and how it’s spent.

It turns out that scheduling things carries some genuine benefits. In fact, research shows that people who keep a routine tend to have lower stress levels, better mental health, less anxiety, and – this is cool – more time to relax!

7 – They Set Boundaries

As mentioned, working remotely is a new experience for most of us. For years, we’ve been able to separate our professional and personal lives – at least proximity-wise.

This separation becomes more complicated when working from home. Gone is that time buffer between leaving home and arriving at the office – and vice-versa. Gone is the physical separation between where you live your life and where you perform your work.

People who are successful in working from home are aware of this change and act accordingly. If you are to keep work going smoothly, it is necessary to set boundaries immediately – and make them known.

8 – They Keep Their Mind Right

 This last one may very well be the most important.

Everyone knows that we are all dealing with an unprecedented amount of uncertainty. Some of us don’t even know when we’ll be “allowed” to leave our homes. If that’s not bad enough, there’s an unstable economy, a lack of transparency from government officials, and confusing messages about the state of public health.

pop meme

Final Thoughts on Staying Productive While Working from Home

Whatever you do, keep your head up and your mind right. How you do this is up to you, though it wouldn’t be a bad idea to practice some relaxation techniques, meditation, or something else. If you prefer, try getting in a regular physical workout.

Above all else, may you and yours be safe and free from fear during these uncertain times.

Health

Get Moving: How to Stay Healthy When Working a Sedentary Job

Get Moving: How to Stay Healthy When Working a Sedentary


Get Moving: How to Stay Healthy When Working a Sedentary Job

You’ve been feeling a bit sluggish and your body is always in pain. It could be because you have a sedentary job. These jobs pay better than your basic retail job but they can hurt your health. 

You need to be able to stretch and walk around regularly. Depending on how crazy your work schedule is, it may be hard for you to find the time. Rather you know it or not, it’s not too hard to work fitness around your daily life. 

To help you bring in the cash and stay healthy while you do it, here are a few ways to take care of yourself when you’re working a desk job.

Stretch at Your Desk 

Sometimes it’s hard to find time to leave your desk during the day and that’s fine. You can do stretches and exercises without ever leaving. 

If you’re not sure where to start with this you can find some great desk workout ideas online. 

Take the Stairs 

Most workplaces have both stairs and elevators. When you’re left up to choose, go with the stairs. It gives you more opportunity for walking. 

If stairs aren’t your friend then you can get the same kind of benefits from parking further away from your building. Basically, find as many opportunities to take steps throughout your day as you can. 

Have Weekly Fitness Sessions 

While you may not be able to fit in working out every day you can still get wellness benefits from scheduling a few. You don’t have to head to your local gym. You can go on a jog a couple of times a week. 

Some workplaces do have a gym on sight. If yours offers this service then make sure that you’re taking advantage of it. 

Get Up 

Even though you work at a desk you don’t have to keep yourself glued there. You can get up and walk around a little whenever you want. 

For example, say your boss asks you to take a conference call. You can take the call and then pace around as you listen and take notes on a pad. 

Schedule Your Meals 

Between staff meetings and projects you may not give yourself too much time for lunch and if you do take a lunch it’s quick unhealthy options. You need to give yourself time. 

Write down your lunchtime on your calendar every day. When you plan for it you’re less likely to rush to the nearest convenience store and grab a bag of chips and a soda. 

Staying Healthy When You’re Working a Sedentary Job 

Having a sedentary job isn’t a bad thing but there are some health concerns that come from them. You’ve got to schedule in time for fitness and a lunch that’s more substantial than the stuff you get from the work vending machine. Incorporate some of these steps into your day so you can stay in top form at your desk job. 

Did these wellness tips help you start feeling less fatigued and sore from your sedentary job? Check out our blog daily for more articles like this one. 

Health

Working 9 to 5: How to Relieve Back Pain at Your Desk

Working 9 to 5: How to Relieve Back Pain at


Working 9 to 5: How to Relieve Back Pain at Your Desk

We live in a world of ever-increasing technology, where 86% of workers sit all day at their jobs.

Additionally, 80% of Americans will experience back pain at some point in their life.

These two facts are not mutually exclusive. In fact, they are directly related.

As most of us work for at least eight hours a day, sitting at our desk, we have become quite sedentary. A sedentary lifestyle combines with poor posture and bad habits we’ve accumulated can lead to a lifetime of back pain.

However, it IS reversible! Don’t go throwing in the towel just yet!

Keep reading to learn our top tips for getting rid of nagging back pain at work!

Strength Training

One of the biggest causes of lower back pain is the perpetual weakening of core muscles due to sedentary lifestyles or lack of physical activity.

When deciding how to relieve back pain, consider strength training. It’s an excellent way to strengthen up your core and all other parts of your body. While it may not seem super appealing, strength training can be fun and can be done as quickly as 30 minutes two to three times a week. You don’t need to become a steroid-pumping bodybuilder!

However, the benefits of strength training transcend the woes of back pain in the office.

You’ll be stronger and healthier for longer with consistent strength training. Those who strength train are less likely to rely on wheelchairs in their old age.

In the short-term, you’ll sleep better, improve your health and metabolism, and will probably even drop a few pounds, despite adding muscle.

Yoga

Yoga is another great answer for how to relieve back pain. It’s also a less intimidating approach to strengthening your body, with an emphasis on core strength.

Holding yoga poses also increases flexibility and mobility. Some people also find it incredibly relaxing and even a means of meditation.

There are varying levels of yoga, from beginner to advanced. You can look up videos online or go to yoga studios where instructors can help you every step of the way. Instructors can also give you modifications for poses you aren’t quite capable of yet.

Just remember, everyone has to start somewhere, what’s most important is that you start!

Lose Weight

Sitting at a desk all day is a major cause contributing to gain weight. The more extra weight you carry, the more painful sitting at your desk can be. It’s a vicious cycle.

Carrying around extra weight all day can add to the physical stress of poor posture. It can also be a reason as to why we adopt poor postures.

Losing the excess weight can go a long way toward a healthier life and a great answer for how to relieve back pain!

Don’t worry about crazy fad dieting or unreasonably restricting yourself of carbohydrates or calories! There are healthier, more sustainable ways of eating with the intent of weight loss.

Get with a dietician or personal trainer to put you on the right nutrition path to help you lose weight.

There’s no negative side effects of getting healthier!

Sit With Good Posture

While it may not seem like something as simple as slouching throughout the day can cause intense back pain, it’s true.

Sitting with poor posture puts excess stress on certain parts of your spine. Over time, this can lead to long term damage to discs, muscles, and joints.

Correcting your posture while you sit at your desk can be a simple solution for how to relieve back pain. It will take time and constant awareness of how you’re sitting, but can lead to fantastic, pain-free results!

Get a Standing Desk

Another way to slowly increase core strength and get rid of back pain is by getting a standing desk at work.

Hopefully, your place of employment will support this healthy and therapeutic method and provide the desk for you. At the very least, they should allow you to move a standing desk into your workspace.

If you are having trouble with management getting the go-ahead, consult a doctor and ask them for a note recommending a standing desk.

Get an Ergonomic Laptop Stand

If you’re working on how to relieve back pain but your employer won’t allow a standing desk in the office, consider an ergonomic laptop stand.

This is a laptop standing desk that is a lot less intrusive, not to mention a lot less expensive, than a traditional standing desk.

This laptop stand sits atop a regular desk and elevates your laptop to standing height.  Because of its small size and incredibly reasonable price, not only will your employer allow, but they’ll probably pay for it!

Adjust Your Work Station

Now that we’ve talked about the standing solutions to 9 to 5 desk jobs, let’s discuss other work station changes you can make.

Let’s face it, standing at your desk all day is not for everyone. If bad knees, hips, joints, or old injuries prevent you from standing at your desk, there are other options!

For example, your computer monitor should be about two inches higher than eye-level and about an arm’s length away. Also, your feet should be planted on the ground with your knees directly above your ankles and shoulder width apart.

Finally, make sure you’re sitting in a chair with good back support, especially in the lower lumbar region.

Take Frequent, Short Breaks

When looking for ways how to relieve lower back pain, consider taking more breaks during the day. Don’t get carried away or your boss will start to question your integrity at work.

However, it’s completely reasonable to take 5 to 10 minutes every hour to get up and stretch, go to the bathroom, or just walk around for a bit.

As an added benefit, it’ll give your eyes a break from your computer screen, which can cause headaches and cause a surprising level of fatigue.

Get a Headset for Your Phone

Finally, if you’re at your desk all day and spend a considerable amount of time on the phone, consider getting a hands-free device. For people who cradle the phone between their shoulder and ear, this posture can cause a lot of pain over time.

A hands-free device will allow you to multitask or even stand up and walk around during phone calls.

Business

Freelance France: The Freelance Writer’s Guide to Living and Working in France

Freelance France: The Freelance Writer's Guide to Living and Working


Freelance France: The Freelance Writer’s Guide to Living and Working in France

With nearly 5 million people in France working after emigrating from abroad, many people have taken the world of freelancing as an excuse to go somewhere new. IF you’re one of the many people trying to freelance in France from somewhere else, there are a lot of clever ways to ensure that you do it successfully. Freelancing is hard and doing so from another country takes some know-how.

Here are five things to keep in mine when freelancing in France.

1. Start Paperwork Early

Many people from across the world love the kinds of social benefits, support, and funding that European countries give to all kinds of enterprises. Whether it’s healthcare, small businesses, or the arts, European countries are the vanguard in supporting ideas from other places. However, the two costs of this grand environment of support are the costs paid through taxes and through the bureaucracy.

Your patience and your knowledge of obscure French words will be put to the test when you consider becoming a full-time French freelancer. Acceptance is the first step in dealing with French bureaucracy. The sooner you get started, the easier it’ll be to handle your taxes and other responsibilities of French work life.

If you want to ensure that you don’t get slammed with a huge tax bill at the end of the year, start monthly payments now. If you send the French government a little bit of money each month, you’ll offset your tax bill at the end of the year. And if you overpay, you’ll be returned that money after you file.

Many freelancers work outside of the system because the government can be cold. However, they’ll take note if you’re trying your best. Just know that if they’re asking you to do something, you should do it as soon as possible. Check out this useful guide for pronouncing those difficult bureaucratic terms over the phone.

2. Join a Co-op

France has an auto-entrepreneur setup to help self-employed people to get started. Lots of writers and freelancers start out in this way, but then move on to join a worker’s cooperative. It’s the best way to help ensure you start up your own business properly.

When you’re a freelancer, you are your own business. In many tax schemes, you’re a contractor to the companies you’re writing for or else you’re a temporary worker. You need to know how you’d like to file your taxes at the end of the year.

The best way to do that is to get involved in a worker’s cooperative where you can ask questions to people who are already doing the work.

Paying out ten percent of your earning to a cooperative is typical, but in exchange, they protect you as a writer. They’ll ensure that you get what you’re owed from non-paying clients and they’ll handle all of your accounting. You can get payslips and get a permanent contract, proving you have steady employment.

These services are essential when setting up your life in France or even trying to get your own apartment.

3. Communicate Professionally At All Times

While you might use a personal email or texting for lots of your communication, keep your communication professional at all times. When you use your personal likes for business, you need to know how to shift your tone. If you fail to set the tone right at the start of your communication, you’ll struggle to backpedal into something more professional later.

When you start out as a freelancer, people might not show you the respect you deserve but once you get the hang of it, you’ll make the shift easily. You’ll quickly learn how the French handle their work communication. Much of their contact is very formal, so expect to use proper nouns and professional terminology for everything.

Steer away from slang, any kind of overexcited language, or comments you wouldn’t want to associate with your professional career. You can be casual, so long as you know how to be firm all along the way. You need to keep your initial contacts very formal to ensure that you are taken seriously from the start of your working relationship with someone.

4. Turn Into a Networking Machine

Someone who is good at networking can spin gold out of any situation in a matter of a few conversations. However, for most people who aren’t French natives, becoming a freelance writer in France is a challenge. You don’t have those lifelong connections that other people have or even the connections they make in college.

Send out CVs and make phone calls like there’s no tomorrow, but be sure that you put yourself in the right situations. You need to be places where you’ll find and meet people to work with.

If you’re a parent, you might be able to find a group of parents who are also from where you’re from, interested in socializing. If you don’t mind being in a circle that’s limited to your native tongue, this isn’t so bad. However, if you’re trying to stay sharp with your French, you’ll need to seek out other connections.

Let your friends know if you are able to work as a translator. You can make more connections if you just tell the people in your circle what you’re able to do.

5. Keep an Updated Website

It’s vital to have a good website when you’re out meeting people. Get your URL printed on your card. Include a photo on the front of your site so that people who meet you remember who you are.

Hire a designer if possible to ensure that your site looks great and is translated properly.

Let people know that you’re located in France right now. While it’s nice if people come by to offer you work in New York or London, if you’re not around, it’s just an added frustration.

Freelance in France and Live Your Dreams

As anyone who’s ever lived abroad can tell you, living in another country is much different than visiting. You’ll have a different lifestyle when you freelance in France than if you go there on vacation. Moving somewhere new is hard, but if you have flexible work, you’ll be better off.

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