So many people are happily working from their own home. You can do this too if you know where to look. More and more employers are seeing the benefits of having employees work remotely with some even hiring you as an actual employee. However, majority will still hire you as an independent contractor.

These independent employees are called freelancers. By definition, this is someone who lends out their skills for a specific project. If you build a reputation for good work and meeting deadlines, you will often get offered other jobs.

For a successful remote work relationship, you need to have the following traits:

• 1. The 3 P’s: professionalism, patience, and persistence; believe in yourself, meet your deadlines, and research constantly. Finding the right job can be taxing, but with time and resourcefulness, you will find that there are actually so many opportunities available out there.
  2. Frequent and honest communication; trust is needed between client and employee. This is the basis of any successful relationship. If both parties know that the other will deliver, quality of work will increase. It is also important for one to be able to easily reach the other if questions were raised. Because people don’t often see each other face-to-face with home based businesses, it is imperative that there are various means of communication. Instructions can better be understood if the lines are kept open.
  3. Avoid assuming what clients want; with limited communication is easy to assume things. You have to avoid falling into this trap. Instead, ask for feedback. At least you’ll know how they feel about each output. If they have something they don’t like, you can act on it and make corrections immediately.
  4. Be honest: trust increases when the clients know that you are not hiding anything from them. As mentioned earlier, trust is the basis of any successful relationship. If this is the foundation of your working relationship, you’ll know that it is headed for success.
  5. Use web applications to facilitate communication; there are widely used web apps available. Get one without all the extra bells and whistles, thus making it simple and easy to understand. Good programs are Basecamp, ConceptShare, Adobe ConnectNow, and BlinkSale (when you want to employ a professional method of giving your statement of account).
  6. Use design documentation think of the many ways you can document the entire process. It is easy to track your development this way. Avoid confusion and know where you’re exactly at in the process.

For your guidance and information, here are a few of suggested web documents that can be helpful with your home based work:

• 1. Creative briefs: it gives you the overview of the projects while supplying you with various strategies the will develop the website. Your questions will be answered by acting as a guide all throughout the process. You will be given a target with which you have to meet and will provide you with a step-by-step process as you work towards reaching a certain goal.
  2. Sitemap: it will give you a clear idea of what the clients want. The visual guide provided will be there to serve as your roadmap. You will know what is needed in each step and what is required of you while you complete each task.
  3. Wireframes: this is a visual representation of the actual web page. This will help show the relationship between content pieces without bringing all the other esthetic aspects into it. This helps the client from getting distracted by design issues while working on other things.
  4. Content Matrix: This is an Excel spreadsheet that will give you the overall view of the entire process while supplying you with notes on what needs to be done. You will have a clear picture of what has been done and what is yet needed.
  5. Notes on mockups: Adding an area where your client sees your opinions behind each decision helps a lot with the development. This also helps you tell your story so that the client will get to understand you better.

The secret to successful remote work is to equip yourself with the right tools and attitude. Depending on where your specialty lies, your client has to know that you are able to deliver. In the end, this is what makes you successful in your online venture.