How to Make Money from Home with Contena

Welcome to Money-Making Stay-at-Home Moms: How to Make Money from Home with Contena

There are 38+ interviews in this series (see links to additional interviews below).

Today I’m continuing my Money-Making Stay-at-Home Mom Series (this is 38) by adding an awesome company to it. Working from home by writing for Contena. Freelancing for Contena is a legitimate and great way to make money from home.

Contena has one of the most robust, thorough, and well-organized freelance databases. I reached out and interviewed a work-at-home mom, Amanda. She answered the following questions. Welcome, Amanda.

Q. What inspired you to begin working?

A. I wanted to start using my passion for helping others and also my background in education, writing center pedagogy, and composition & rhetoric. I was working in an office job I didn’t enjoy, so when the opportunity to begin working with Contena presented itself, I jumped on it. It’s been the best decision!

Q. How did you go about starting your business or arranging a work at home position?

A. I was looking for an opportunity to do something different. I love writing, working from home, and having a flexible schedule so this really checked all my boxes! You just have to apply. It’s easy.

Q. What are some tips you would like to share with others who are interested in doing something similar?

A. Think about your goals and what is truly important to you. For me, I love the flexibility of being able to work from home, from Starbucks, or from anywhere I might be traveling. I like being able to go to the gym in the middle of the day or meet my mom for lunch Friday afternoons. This flexibility is what I enjoy the most. I can’t imagine going back to a regular job with rules!

I have one other suggestion. Some people thrive under structure and balance and freelancing is definitely not either of those things. It’s okay if you prefer to have a rhythm to your day. Freelancing can be like standing on a small boat in a storm—it can be hard to get your balance and you really have to shift your weight depending on what’s thrown at you. I do believe that most people can learn to be this flexible (if they aren’t already), so if you’re unsure, then start small and see what you think before you take the full plunge to full time.

Q. How many hours do you work a week or how much of your time does this position require? Is it flexible? Is it consistent?

A. I’m working around 40 hours a week. Since all I need is my laptop, I’ll pop on before bed and over the weekend to make sure I’m not missing any emails. It’s flexible and somewhat consistent. I can predict when the busiest times will be so I know to be available at those times. There are definitely patterns.

Q. When/how do you find the time to work?

A. All I need is my laptop (or my phone in some cases) so it’s so easy to pop through my messages and communicate with members. Everything we do is online, so I don’t have to meet members in person or talk on the phone. This makes it really easy to communicate.

Writing can be so private and personal, so I feel like I get to know the members on a deeper level than even if I met them in person. Most days, I don’t think about what I do as work, which is unbelievably cool.

Q. Was training/schooling required for the position? How/when did you complete it?

A. I have degrees in English and Education and a Masters degree in Composition & Rhetoric. I love that I get to use all aspects of my education on a daily basis.

Q. Does Contena have limitations on who can join?

A. Contena doesn’t have any limitation to who can join. Some of our writers are completely new to freelance writing; others have been writing for years. They don’t make new joins take an exam or complete any other requirements. Contena opens for new writers as frequently as possible but on occasion there is a waiting list. This is because Contena works with each new writer on a detailed, personal level. Writers just choose a plan and can get started immediately.