​The pandemic changed life for people around the world in many ways. Women, in particular, have been disproportionately affected. Both stay-at-home moms and women in the workplace experienced a significant shift across all areas of their lives. Real Life with Heather presents some ideas to help women make money by pursuing some online jobs.

​Women typically take on more household responsibilities than men, including housework and caregiving. They carried more responsibility to help children with remote learning during shutdowns while still addressing their work and household tasks. The pandemic created a more significant need for flexible work arrangements for families with children.

Due to women's overrepresentation in in-person jobs, pandemic shutdowns forced them out of the workplace in large numbers. According to a survey, 56% of women have considered a professional change during the pandemic. After months of navigating a new life, women want to return to work but have new conditions. They are looking for jobs that have better growth prospects and greater flexibility. Fortunately, today's digital world offers opportunities to generate income online for women who are out of work or who want a career change.

If you are like many other women impacted by the pandemic, you want a job that allows you to make your schedule so you can work around your family's needs and obligations. Consider some of the possibilities for flexible ways to make money from home:
Virtual Assistant: Work remotely arranging travel, scheduling meetings and appointments, preparing reports, entering data, and organizing projects. This position requires organizational skills and a strong work ethic.

• Online Tutor: Use your knowledge to help students succeed.
• Freelancer: Utilize your skills and experience to offer services like social media marketing, website design, graphic design, video editing, writing and more.
• Content Creator: Start a blog, podcast, or YouTube channel. Choose a niche and monetize your account to earn passive income.

​Build an online shop to sell items you make, set up a consulting firm, create an interior design company, or start a home bakery operation to be your own boss. Focus on your areas of expertise to choose something you can develop into a successful business.

Once you have your idea, select the proper legal business structure for you. Forming a limited liability company offers many advantages, such as tax benefits, flexible operating agreements, limited liability protections and minimal paperwork requirements. Each state has unique regulations regarding LLC formation, so make sure you learn the requirements before you begin the process.

​After defining your business purpose, setting up your company, and taking care of the legal details, you can focus on marketing your new endeavor. Effective marketing has significant results on your bottom line. Spend time designing your brand and utilize consistent marketing and messaging so people can easily recognize your company.

Logo design is an essential aspect of building brand awareness with potential clients. It helps you make a solid first impression and separates your operation from the competition. Hire someone to design your logo or save money by using a free logo design maker. Online systems make it easy to create the perfect design for your business. You choose from various digitally-created logos after inputting your text and specifying an icon and desired style. You can further adjust the design by selecting your preferred colors and fonts.
 
Lifestyle changes stemming from the pandemic have changed how women approach their work lives and career choices. You can embark on new job opportunities that help you create balance in your life by embracing online possibilities for jobs or new startups.

Business owners and professionals can feel additional pressure at the end of the year. Some may even be struggling to enjoy the holidays. From striving to meet year-end goals to scrambling to get documents together for the end of the quarter (and beyond for the upcoming tax season), they cannot completely break away from work to enjoy the holidays.
 
If you are looking for a way to be productive during holidays, Real Life with Heather hopes these tips will help. 

​Even though you may be facing a long commute home for the holidays, you can use the downtime to your advantage and make it a point to be productive while you’re on the road. Of course, make sure you’re not the one driving. Consider using apps so that you can make alerts, gather your to-do list, or make notes. Your travel time is also a great time to clear your inbox, re-evaluate your goals, and analyze your marketing and sales progress. All it takes is a smartphone and a few productivity apps, and you’ll soon be getting your work done as you travel. When you get to your destination, you’ll be able to enjoy more time with the family.
Once you arrive, set your phone to the side as much as possible so you can be fully present when you’re with others. 

​If you won’t be at home during the holidays, consider doing some things differently to free up more of your time. There’s no need to overextend yourself when decorating your home if you won’t be spending a lot of time there. If you typically take the time to put up a real tree, go for a small artificial one this year to avoid the hassle. Hang a wreath on your door and turn on your porch light instead of taking the time to string lights on your shrubs and trees.
 
Travelers should learn to buy gifts online rather than taking the time to visit shops. When you do make online purchases, ship them to your loved one’s home so you don’t have to travel with the gifts and worry about the extra luggage fees. Once you get to your destination, you can wrap the gifts or put them in gift bags. It’s worth noting that airport security may open wrapped gifts, so don’t wrap any gifts that will be traveling with you on the plane.
 
It’s also a good idea to carefully choose which holiday events you need to attend. Prioritize parties that can provide networking opportunities, because they may help you meet some of your year-end goals.

Often, it’s difficult for business owners and busy professionals to ask for help with their work. The truth is, you will be able to accomplish more if you know your limitations and recognize when it is time to ask for some assistance. You should keep the work that requires your expertise and delegate that which does not. For example, your assistant or secretary could order the cards or gifts for your clients to ease some of the holiday burdens on you.

​Working from home is common practice nowadays. And if your business hasn’t moved in this direction yet, ask if the option of working from home is available. The time your daily commute takes away from getting something done is a viable reason to request time to work from home. This way, you can spend more time on what’s important, and less time on what’s not. Plus, there are fewer distractions at home, allowing you to focus on your work in a more efficient manner. If you do make the switch to working from home, it’s important to set up your space to ensure it’s a happy and healthy area where you can be productive. To enhance your workspace, add some plants and artwork, open the shades for more natural light and make a point to avoid clutter. 

Finally, take some time to look ahead to the new year, and think about new goals you want to meet. For example, if you mean to return to school for a career or business boost, take steps toward enrollment before the end of the year. Put it on your to-do list to explore degree programs that are flexible and offer competitive tuition. Or perhaps you’re starting to realize how overly reliant you are on your phone. If you have trouble putting down your smartphone, the new year presents the perfect time to look at adjusting your digital habits. This type of detox can help people amplify their productivity as well as reduce screen time and that feeling of being tied to a phone.
 
With these tips in place, you’re bound to be more productive. Just don’t forget that it’s the holidays, and your newfound boost in productivity means that you will have more time on your hands. Enjoy it with your loved ones.