Many people looking for a change in their career follow the Career Academy Success Programs to renew and invigorate their work lives as an employee.
The Career Academy Success Program can help you choose the right career for your experience, work that you enjoy and where the prospects of earning a good and ongoing income are positive.
Government Funding for Training
If your circumstances have changed recently and you have lost your job make sure you submit your details because some Government Funding is available.
These funding programs are designed to help workers or newly unemployed upskill to be more productive in their current job or be able to get jobs that are more relevant.
There are limited places for selected training course funding so make sure you act quickly.
$500 Retraining Scholarships
We are currently offering retraining scholarships for older workers who need to upskill to either find work from home or be more productive and valuable to their current employer.
Remote Working Employees
If your employment situation is uncertain or has recently changed you may find it valuable to build your own brand for the skills you have and the services you can offer with your own micro business. Here are some of the jobs which are still important but are moving online and via websites.
- Virtual Assistant
- Data Entry Jobs
- Freelance Content Writer (Internships Available)
- Social Media Manager
- Trainer & Online Tutor (Internships Available)
- Graphic Designer
- Software Designer
- Bookkeeping & Office Administration (Internships Available)
- Customer Service Assistant (Internships Available)
- Online Sales Representative
- Real Estate Agent
- Market Researcher
- Business & Website Analyst
The work you do as a remote working employee is often the same as you can do as an independent contractor, working close to home or working from home, but the difference is that as an independent contractor you’re running your own business.
If you are interesting in applying for these roles click here to learn more
Covid-19 and the “Gig” Economy
In 2020, the risk of getting Covid-19 did more for those who want to work from home than high speed broadband did in 2013. We were available back then and we are available now to help you make the transition.
Although many employees lost their jobs and some were put on hold one thing has become more evident – we can all now perform our work from home and most jobs are performed using online, cloud based software.
The other continuing trend is for more people to find work as a contractor – sometimes performing lots of little one-off tasks, other times performing ongoing work as a contractor (operating your own online business)
Remote Working Contractor (Virtual Assistant)
When you run your own business there is an expectation that you’re good at managing your time, keep track of the time you work and what you do and invoicing your employer rather than just wait to be paid.
As an independent contractor you’re defined as a micro business and it’s a smart thing to do if you want to have better control over your earning potential and financial situation.
You can just jump into your own micro business and make some mistakes as you go along or you can follow some structure and nail the basics so you can confidently go out and present yourself to several different employers (clients) and start getting a name for yourself and what you do. Here are the steps to take:
- Set your business up
- Get some basic marketing organised
- Get clients
- Do your work
- Invoice, and
- Get paid
Earning an Income Online
Buying an online business gets you earning an income online faster than starting from scratch. Plus you get training and support from our team to help you learn faster.
Buy an online business with established income and you:
- Can reduce your taxable income by claiming your phone and Internet costs as a business expense
- Claim for electricity and other expenses
- Can earn an income without applying for jobs
Upskilling Needs Survey
Take our simple Upskilling Needs Survey and get access to free resources to help you work remotely online.
Online Business Courses – become a Virtual Assistant
The StartUp Academy Online Business Training course will get you started as an independent contractor will give you the knowledge, insights and tools you need to:
- package and price your services,
- learn to promote yourself and stand out from competitors,
- keep track of the work you do, and finally
- keep track of their financials.
This Online Business Startup Training Course Package includes templates and exercises to define your new online business as you progress through the course.
Best of all it is available on a $25 per week payment plan.
Online Business, Marketing, Admin & Accounting
Enrol into all training course packages and we’ll provide you with a tutor coach to help you setup your own website and marketing to attract employers looking for remote workers!
Find Remote Work
Want to work from home — or close to home? We work with businesses who are looking for remote workers and independent contractors to find the best people for the work rather than just people who live close to their office.
We provide induction and on-boarding training for those looking to work remotely from home and who want to connect with experienced industry professionals.
If you want to join our talent pool, please fill in your details in the Remote Workers Talent Pool form.
Digital Marketing and Promoting Your Online Business
Once you’ve set your business up and have even a basic business plan you can go out and promote your business and the services you offer. This stage of building a business is the sales and marketing stage and if you’re promoting work you do from your own home you’ll need to do some digital marketing to get discovered.
They use to say that “when you build it they will come” but building a digital presence is just the starting point – you need to define your ideal client, show them your solution and then get them to know, like and trust you.
You need to get exposure and get discovered and that costs money, usually in the form of advertising. There are many ways to get discovered and once someone finds you, your task is to get people to take action and contact you – this is called a CALL-TO-ACTION!
Once they make contact with you they need to understand what you offer and your terms and conditions and then order your services.
Don’t go it alone!
Use our collaborative marketing solution to compliment your digital marketing to get discovered without spending TOO much money. Combine the Online Business Course, digital marketing and our mentoring to get online with a digital presence and promoting your services using your personal marketing message.
If you’ve been an employee for most of your life and this is the first time you’re putting yourself out there as an online business owner / contractor you may find some tasks challenging. That’s why you have a mentor and course tutors.
The hardest part of a transition to becoming a Virtual Assistant is how you
- “present” yourself to potential employers (or clients as you’ll come to call them), and
- how you negotiate the scope of work you do, your rate and how you invoice and get paid.
Once you go through the transition to becoming an online business owner and working online, remotely from home it will become second nature to you.
The Ultimate Online Business Package is now available on a payment plan!
Talk to someone
Want to talk with someone about the training and marketing programs?
Training Articles from our Sales & Marketing Team
These articles are designed to help our students start their own business, create ads, respond to inquiries, provide great customer service and earn money working remotely from home.
- Xero Bookkeeping Tutoring – How To Respond To Ad Enquiries
You placed an ad for Xero bookkeeping tutoring services and you’re starting to receive inquiries. Congratulations! However, before you start calculating your profits it’s important to gather some basic information from your potential clients – they’re called Prospects. Asking a few targeted questions up front will help you to qualify your prospect and ensure that… Read more: Xero Bookkeeping Tutoring – How To Respond To Ad Enquiries - How To Write A Compelling Ad For Your Xero Bookkeeping Training and Tutoring
Compose an ad for your services that sets you apart from your competitors and has potential clients clamouring to know more. Put yourself in your client’s shoes for a moment. Imagine that you are searching through ads online, looking for some help with Xero bookkeeping. You’ve narrowed your search to your local area and yet… Read more: How To Write A Compelling Ad For Your Xero Bookkeeping Training and Tutoring - Xero Bookkeeping, Tutoring and Training – Following Up After An Ad Enquiry
In an ideal world you would place your ad for Xero bookkeeping tutoring, your phone would start ringing immediately and your clients would be lining up around the block to book your services. Unfortunately converting a prospect isn’t that straightforward, but with a few simple steps you can significantly increase your chances for signing up… Read more: Xero Bookkeeping, Tutoring and Training – Following Up After An Ad Enquiry - Xero Bookkeeping – Sales Pipeline and Rapport Building
What to do when your bookkeeping prospect says “no”. You’ve placed an ad for your Xero bookkeeping services, you’ve received several enquiries and you’ve called them back to follow up only to discover that other bookkeepers are offering bonuses, incentives, giveaways etc. So, you improved your ad and created an introductory offer. You speak with… Read more: Xero Bookkeeping – Sales Pipeline and Rapport Building - Referral Networks – Don’t Have The Skills? Refer Them On and Get Reciprocal Leads
You’ve received an enquiry in response to your bookkeeping tutoring ad, however, after asking a few questions and ascertaining their needs you realise that the solution to their problem falls outside of the scope of services you provide. That’s the end of the call, right? Not necessarily. - Xero Bookkeeping Tutors – How To Create More Money Making Opportunities
Grow your Xero bookkeeping business by offering training and consulting solutions. As a Xero bookkeeping tutor, you will encounter many different scenarios that provide opportunities to increase your earnings potential. You can guide prospective clients to enrol in training courses that include a tutoring component, or you may decide to work as a virtual assistant,… Read more: Xero Bookkeeping Tutors – How To Create More Money Making Opportunities - Pre-Sales Customer Service – Engage Prospects and Build an Income Pipeline
Build a list of potential income sources by helping people. When a prospect picks up the phone to call you or enters your online chat, it’s safe to say that they already have an interest in your product or service. They may have browsed your website and gathered extensive information, or they may have simply… Read more: Pre-Sales Customer Service – Engage Prospects and Build an Income Pipeline - Listing Your Xero Bookkeeping Services On Bark—Is It Really Worth It?
Project bidding sites such as Bark and AirTasker may seem like an attractive way to find new bookkeeping clients, but who really wins—you or the middle man? Project bidding sites provide an online platform for service providers to quote for contracting projects. The customer then narrows down their choices to a short list and selects… Read more: Listing Your Xero Bookkeeping Services On Bark—Is It Really Worth It? - Stay Relevant and Competitive By Refreshing Your Xero Bookkeeping Ad
Regularly updating your Xero bookkeeping service ad to reflect your skills growth and flexibility will help you you find your ideal clients. When you place your first ad for Xero Bookkeeping services you are likely to receive a burst of initial enquiries followed by a gradual decline. This is because: People have already seen the… Read more: Stay Relevant and Competitive By Refreshing Your Xero Bookkeeping Ad - Online Customer Service via Website Chat is a MUST for Businesses – Australian Federal Government Says So!
The Federal government says you can’t afford NOT to. Pre-COVID, many businesses sold their products and services via retail outlets, distributors, door-to-door, and at markets and events. Advertising online and in local directories and publications was the preferred marketing channel, and for the most part it was effective. During the pandemic however, businesses had to… Read more: Online Customer Service via Website Chat is a MUST for Businesses – Australian Federal Government Says So! - Terms of Trade for Xero Bookkeepers—Getting Your Clients To Agree
Why you should require your bookkeeping clients to comply with your Terms of Trade In the excitement of bringing a new bookkeeping client on board, it’s important to keep your feet on the ground and consider some of the practical and legal implications of entering into a new trading relationship – particularly if you are… Read more: Terms of Trade for Xero Bookkeepers—Getting Your Clients To Agree - Xero Bookkeeping Prospect Not Ready To Buy? Find Out Why
What to do when prospects get ‘stuck’ in your Xero bookkeeping sales pipeline Have you ever received an inquiry from a prospective client, only to get the silent treatment or a “thanks, but no thanks” when you try to follow up? Sometimes, no matter how professional you are or how competitive your rates are, some… Read more: Xero Bookkeeping Prospect Not Ready To Buy? Find Out Why - 5 Simple Ways to Avoid Losing a Bookkeeping Client Before You Even Get to the First Meeting
You need to schedule, confirm and remind clients about meetings You’ve placed an ad for your bookkeeping services, received an enquiry from a prospective client and booked a meeting. Well done! Before you break out the champagne however, there are a few things you need to do to ensure that you don’t lose this client… Read more: 5 Simple Ways to Avoid Losing a Bookkeeping Client Before You Even Get to the First Meeting - Finding Xero Bookkeeping Work—”Who You Gonna Call?”
Which of these calls would YOU make to earn income and find work as a bookkeeper? At first glance, making calls to potential clients and employers may seem incredibly daunting, but with the right techniques and a bit of practice you’ll become much more comfortable and increasingly productive for your bookkeeping business. - From Childcare to Bookkeeping—A Training Success Story
How One Childcare Worker Made the Leap and Became a Self-Employed Xero Bookkeeper When Agnest decided to transition from a career in childcare to becoming a self-employed bookkeeper she didn’t make the decision lightly. She had no experience in bookkeeping and as a mother to two small children, she knew that a change would require… Read more: From Childcare to Bookkeeping—A Training Success Story - After the Introduction Call—What a Bookkeeping Licensee Needs to Send to Local Accountants
Follow Up Your Introductory Calls With A Well-Worded Email and a Complimentary Value-Add After making your initial phone call to a local accountant, BAS agent or tradesperson the next step is to follow up with an email about your bookkeeping services. Offering a value-add such as a training manual or a free service shows that… Read more: After the Introduction Call—What a Bookkeeping Licensee Needs to Send to Local Accountants - Want More Xero Bookkeeping Clients? Work for FREE If You Have To
Working for free is a last resort, but you’ll learn a LOT and increase your confidence How much you charge for your services will depend on your confidence in your knowledge and experience, as well as your people and conversation skills. If you have been a small business bookkeeper or BAS Agent for five years,… Read more: Want More Xero Bookkeeping Clients? Work for FREE If You Have To - Xero Bookkeeping Business—What Are Your Assets?
What You Need to Buy and Grow an Online Bookkeeping Business Congratulations! You’ve decided to quit your boring nine-to-five job and buy an online bookkeeping business. You’ve agreed on a price with the vendor, decorated your home office and you’re ready to go. Before you can start earning money however, there are a few things… Read more: Xero Bookkeeping Business—What Are Your Assets? - Have a Website? Earn Extra Income With Affiliate Marketing just like the Career Academy.
Earn income online while working remotely from home We’ve written in the past about starting or buying an online business, the benefit of owning digital assets and the different ways you can earn an income online while working remotely from home. Affiliate Marketing is one way that you can add an additional passive income stream… Read more: Have a Website? Earn Extra Income With Affiliate Marketing just like the Career Academy. - Xero Bookkeeping—Why Would Someone Call YOU to Work for Them?
Give your Xero bookkeeping prospects a clear reason to choose your ad over your competitor’s. We’ve written in the past about creating a compelling ad to attract potential clients and the importance of periodically refreshing your ad to stay relevant. However placing an ad that lists your services and contact information is not enough to… Read more: Xero Bookkeeping—Why Would Someone Call YOU to Work for Them?
