change-your-life

Being a WAHM(Work-At-Home-Mom)

Wed, 13 May 2009 05:20:09 +0100

WAHM: Your Ticket to Being Home with the Kids & Earning an Income for Your Family

Have you ever dreamed of a job where you could spend time with your family and earn money at the same time? Most traditional jobs don’t offer that. But, becoming a WAHM could be your ticket to your dream. But, before embarking on such a quest, here is some helpful information detailing what it’s all about.

WAHM?

Just what do these letters stand for? WAHM stands for Work At Home Mom. Over the past 20 years, more and more women have come out of the workplace and gone back into the home.

The decision hasn’t been an easy one. It became apparent a long time ago that men were the only ones being allowed to “have their cake and eat it too.” They could pursue a corporate career and still come home in the evenings to the family.

Women with careers had a different path to follow. Besides working longer hours to achieve the same pay and credibility as their male counterparts, they also had to contend with the housework and the kids. After a long day at the office and doing the household chores, the kids sadly got what was left over which was usually a very worn out mother.

That has since changed. WAHMs are proving everyday that women can contribute to the family financial situation and nurture their families. Both online and off, a network of support has been created for any woman who wants to consider an option that will help them meet their needs.

How to get started?

When you talk to your family about the possibility you want to have an idea of the direction you will take. Check out sites like justaddsweat.com, internetbasedmoms.com and wahmtalkradio.com. They offer helpful hints to moms getting started with a work at home enterprise and also a network of opportunities for connecting with other WAHMs.

If your income has been a big part of the monthly family finances, then switching to a work at home enterprise will cause your finances to take a hit. Be sure there is enough financial cushion in your bank account to weather the first six months of your new career. It will take time to establish your business.

Opportunities

First, figure out your interests and skills. WAHMs can find business opportunities to work for someone else doing everything from audio transcription to writing articles to accounting. Be aware that there are scams about and that legitimate companies looking for professionals won’t ask for money upfront from you.

Some WAHMs carve out their own niche and begin an online business. If you are skilled with crafting, you can create a website to promote your crafts and sell products. A blog is also another idea. Blog about your area of expertise and develop a following. Combine that with affiliate or search engine marketing to generate revenue.

Making it work

With new career comes the issue of balance between home and work. Just because you are home doesn’t mean you won’t need help around the house or time away from the kids in order to work. Consider these tips for creating a balance:

•    Develop a set schedule for work and play on a weekly basis
•    Discuss dividing up household chores between you, your spouse, and older kids
•    Do pre-work such as fixing lunches, prepping breakfast, choosing clothing the night before
•    Hire a babysitter once or twice a week
•    Separate home office space inside the house

There are advantages to being a WAHM. Plan carefully and be patient. Support from your family makes all the difference.

Give Your Best

Sun, 01 Mar 2009 06:47:55 +0100

"Always do your best. What you plant now, you will harvest later."

- Og Mandino

Responsibility

Sat, 28 Feb 2009 04:49:17 +0100

"There are two primary choices in life: to accept conditions as they exist, or accept the responsibility for changing them."

~Denis Waitley

FEATURE ARTICLE: HOW TO STOP WASTING MONEY ON YOUR MARKETING

Fri, 27 Feb 2009 13:02:08 +0100

What would it be worth to you to know the most cost effective way to attract clients? The great news is that it doesn't cost a thing and it's easy to figure out. It's all about measuring the return on your marketing investment.

Measuring your marketing strategies may not seem glamorous, but the information it provides is invaluable to the growth of your business. Measuring is the only way to know what is working, and just as important what is not working.

Think about it, once you know what your most effective marketing strategies are, you will attract more clients and save money at the same time. You'll know which marketing activities to drop and which ones to do more of.

In addition to doing more of what works, you can also look at ways to expand and refine your best marketing strategies.

The truth is, measuring your marketing strategies isn't hard to do. Simply compare the amount of time and money you are investing on each strategy to the amount of business each strategy is bringing in.

To measure your marketing, you need to know how every client finds out about your business. If you haven't been tracking this, don't worry. It's never too late to begin. Start today and ask, or create a way to know, how each of your clients finds you.

It's easiest to measure your marketing strategies in an automated way (for example using Excel). But, you can always use a pencil and paper if you need to. To get started, create a list of all of your past and current clients.

Put the list of clients on the left side of the spreadsheet one on each row from top to bottom. Then create columns across the top of the spreadsheet for each marketing strategy you use
(left to right). You might have columns for: referrals, speaking, advertising, etc.

Then go down the list and for each client put a mark (the number '1') in the marketing strategy column that represents how the person found you.

Stay with me, we're almost there. Now calculate the percentage of clients that each marketing strategy produced. Simply divide the total in each marketing strategy column by the total number of clients. Then you will know which of your marketing strategies is most effective.

Another critical piece of information to calculate is how much you're investing to attract each client per each marketing strategy. To figure this out simply total all of the costs involved in each marketing strategy and then divide that by the total number of clients you gained with each strategy.

When you take the time to measure, you will know which marketing strategies bring you new clients and which ones don't. You will also know which marketing strategies bring you the highest return on your investment.

You might even discover that your most effective marketing strategy requires the least amount of money? Aren't you curious to know? Measuring your marketing pays off. So why not start measuring so you can stop wasting money on things that don't work and find out what is working and do more of it!

© Stephanie Ward, 2009

Stephanie Ward is the Marketing Coach for Entrepreneurs who want to set their profits on fire! Grab your FREE copy of the special report '7 Steps to Attract More Clients in Less Time' plus monthly business building tips, at: http://www.fireflycoaching.com.

The Road to Happiness

Fri, 27 Feb 2009 12:52:34 +0100

The road to happiness lies in two simple principles; find what it is that interests you and that you do well, and when you find it, put your whole soul into it--Every bit of energy, ambition and natural ability you have.

John D. Rockefeller III

Why Do So Many People Let Their Dreams Die Unlived?

Fri, 27 Feb 2009 13:02:32 +0100

One reason is the negative cynical attitude of other people. These people are not enemies; they are friends, even family members. If our friends are negative towards our dreams or aspirations - our friends can kill us.

A man gets excited about the possibility of a new job or a new idea. He sees the opportunity to make money, do more meaningful work, rise to a personal challenge; revving for this stimulating new prospect. But then he tells his neighbor about it over the back fence once evening, he gets a smirk, a laugh that says, "You can't do that", a foot-long list of all the problems and obstacles and fifty reasons why he will never make it and is better off to stay where he is.

His enthusiasm disintegrates. He loses all his fire and self-confidence and begins to think of all the reasons why he can't make it, instead of all the reasons that he can.

Friends can do more damage than a dozen enemies. Remember, the easiest thing to find on earth is someone to tell you all the things you cannot be. Don't listen to them.

It is always the fellow who has never made $40,000 a year, who knows all the reasons why you can't make $100,000. If you have a dream, give it a chance to happen. Don't let your brother in law or your plumber, or the guy in the next office, rob you of that faith in yourself that makes things happen. Don't let the guy who lives on the couch and watches TV every night tell you how futile life is.

If you have that flame of a dream deep down inside you somewhere, do something about it. And don't let anyone else blow it out. Believe you can, and you will find you can. TRY! You will be surprised at how many good things can happen to you!