Women were disproportionately affected by the pandemic. Most of the jobs impacted by the pandemic centered around women-led industries like hospitality, retail, entertainment, and tourism. On top of this, women tend to earn less, have fewer savings, and are more likely to be burdened with domestic work and unpaid care responsibilities. Women also make up the majority of single-parent households. As a result of these trends, it’s no surprise that the economic fallout of the pandemic hit women harder.
As we finally leave the pandemic in the rear-view mirror, women hit by the events of the past couple of years are looking for ways to get back on their feet. With the help of some beneficial resources presented below by Steel Pony, you can start focusing on what you can control as we come out of the pandemic.
Look for Online Money-Making Opportunities
While no one can deny that the pandemic did a lot of harm to our economy and society as a whole, it also made remote work mainstream. Now, countless companies offer remote positions. If you’re looking for employment opportunities, you can find all kinds of fulfilling positions online. Remote work is great for stay-at-home moms and ladies who need flexibility regarding when and how they work. Take a look around on some websites dedicated to remote work and see just how many different positions are out there! For example, Remote Bliss suggests websites like FlexJobs, Remote OK, Skip the Drive, and Hubstaff Talent.
Start Your Own Business
If you’d rather work for yourself, consider starting your own remote business. Launching a business of your own is a great move if you want to set your own hours and rates. As long as you’re ready to work hard and put yourself out there, you could be a great business owner! Start by coming up with a business idea and doing some market research. Market research will help you determine whether or not your business idea makes sense, both logistically and financially. Next, put together a business plan detailing the next steps you need to take to get off the ground and land your first customers.
Thanks to advancements in affordable digital tools, running a remote business as a solopreneur has never been easier. For example, you can use cloud accounting software to automate tedious tasks like expense tracking and client invoicing. Your clients are more likely to pay on time if your invoice is easy-to-understand and contains clear payment terms, so be sure to customize your invoice with your own branding and business information.
Finally, look for ways to market your business for free. As an example, you could post info related to your products or services on social media platforms like Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. You can also use images you have to help develop your brand. There are many free tools available that can help you edit, crop, and resize photos you’ve taken. You can even use an app to easily remove the background from images, allowing you to incorporate elements from one pic into other projects and posts.
Find Work as a Freelancer
If you’re looking for something between remote employment and business ownership, try freelancing. Women thrive in freelance roles! Freelancing is great for women because it sits apart from a business world riddled with stereotypes and workplace sexism. By pursuing your own path as an independent freelancer, you get complete and total control over your professional career. You get to pick clients that align with your values, make work decisions that fit with your desired lifestyle and achieve work-life balance based on your personal needs. And compared to running a business or working for an employer, freelancing may be easier to juggle while caring for kids.
In many ways, starting a freelance career is more straightforward than starting a business. All you need is a computer and some great communication skills, and you can get started right away. Of course, landing those first few clients will require a lot of hard work. You’ll have to get out of your comfort zone and unabashedly sell your strengths to complete strangers. The good news is that the more experience you have reaching out to potential clients, facing rejection, and enforcing your boundaries, it only gets easier! You’ll quickly learn which sales tactics work and how to establish long-term relationships with your favorite clients. Before you know it, your freelance business will grow into a full-time gig!
Evaluate Your Personal Financial Health
Besides thinking about the health of your business finances, be sure to evaluate your personal financial wellbeing. Most of us have experienced changes to our financial situation as a result of the pandemic. Rapid inflation is making even the most basic necessities unaffordable, which can be especially challenging for single moms. Now is a good time to revisit your household budget and make some adjustments.
Start by evaluating your spending from the past few months to determine your baseline. Once you know how much you need to spend on fixed expenses like housing, bills, and basic groceries, try reducing your budget for discretionary spending. For example, The Budget suggests beating inflation by canceling your gym membership and working out at home, saving on gas by taking public transit or walking, and sticking to a strict grocery list when you’re at the store. Look for cheaper alternatives to things you regularly purchase. For example, many store brands offer high-quality products at a steep discount compared to name brands.
As women, we’re used to getting the short end of the stick. We feel disadvantaged in nearly everything we try to do, especially when it comes to earning income and climbing the corporate ladder. As the pandemic winds down and you start looking for ways to get your life back on track, try breaking away from traditional work and finding more fulfilling ways to generate income. Whether you end up launching a business or landing remote employment, you won’t regret the move towards remote work!
At Steel Pony, we offer sustainable, creative clothing for creative women. Check out our shop to see our made-to-order and ready-to-ship items.
