Free Suze Orman’s Women & Money 14 February ‘08 ONLY
[ No Comments ] posted on 02.14.08 under news, resources
OK WAHM’s - today, 14 February 2008 only until 8 pm EST you can download Suze Orman’s newest book, Women & Money, from Oprah’s website.
Click here for the download - in English or Spanish
Act fast dolls and get this fab deal - Suze talks straight about $$ and you need to listen!
j 
WAHMs: Do You Need a Time-Out?
[ 1 Comment ] posted on 02.07.08 under marketing, resources
Building your own WAHM business is not an easy task. While I find it to be one of the most fulfilling things I have ever done, it can at times be overwhelming.
There’s so much to do. And all the decisions rest in my hands. That means I am responsible for the successes, and the failures.
If you’re not careful, that can turn your life into a virtual rollercoaster ride.
You are NOT your business
One of the best pieces of advice I ever received from a business coach was “you are not your business.” He coached me to NOT get emotionally wrapped up in my work-at-home business and whether or not a marketing tactic worked, or whether or not people were buying.
Those are simply business-related results and are not a personal reflection of me, the business owner.
I have also been counseled by others to NOT take negative feedback about my work-at-home business, personally.
Logically, I agree with this advice. Problem is, it’s sometimes hard to put into practice. When you are pouring your heart and soul into building a WAHM business that feeds your passion as well as your family, it’s tough to be detached.
And, when your WAHM business is on your mind 24/7, it’s easy to feel like your business IS your life.
A simple remedy
I firmly believe that as work-at-home moms we need to take periodic “time-outs” from our business if we want to keep going for the long-haul.
Summertime is a great time to do this because many businesses naturally slow down in the summer. People take vacations and their priorities switch. And, you may be less focused on business as well if your kids are home for the summer.
So, it’s a good time for you to step back, evaluate your business, your marketing and your goals, and prepare for the second half of the year.
Here are 5 steps you can take now, to refresh and rejuvenate yourself and your WAHM business, so you are both poised for growth and success when fall rolls around and the kids head back to school.
1) Take a business “time-out”
Sometimes we get so busy “doing” we forget to allow space for abundance to come to us. If you fill every waking moment with activity, there is no room left for anything else. Take a day, or a week, or two weeks off and go play.
If you can’t afford to take a vacation, then just don’t work. Instead, sleep in. Read. Relax. Play with your kids. Go to the beach. Go to the mountains. Go for a walk. Do whatever YOU enjoy and don’t think, or worry, about work.
The simple activity of doing nothing on your business for a short period of time can often move your work-at-home business forward faster than all of your hard work and activity. Because it provides clarity, focus and space for great things to
happen.
2) Check your progress on your annual goals and objectives.
Now’s a great time to go back and review your marketing plan. What goals and objectives did you set for the year? Are you half-way there?
If not, where are you and what changes can you make to ensure you achieve them by year’s end? Now is the time to address any shortcomings and get back on track … before the year is over and it’s too late.
3) Review your marketing tracking reports.
Hopefully you’ve been tracking all of your marketing activities. Now is a great time to pull out those tracking reports and review them. Take a look at what’s working and what’s not working. Use this information to adjust or fine-tune your
marketing plan and activities for the rest of the year.
4) Review how you are spending your time.
Take a look at how you are spending your time. Are you doing the work you love or do you find yourself bogged down with tasks you don’t enjoy. Do you have help for the tasks that are not a good use of your time or are you still doing everything yourself?
Make a plan to maximize your time and delegate the tasks you don’t like or that someone else could easily do for you.
5) Make adjustments accordingly
Don’t be afraid to make changes to your work-at-home business or to your marketing plan. The craziest thing you can do is to keep doing what you’ve been doing if it isn’t working or getting you the results you want. Sit down and update your plans.
Do more of what’s working and less of what’s not. Try something new. Sometimes a breath of fresh air is all we need to re-energize ourselves and our WAHM business.
© Copyright 2007 Debbie LaChusa
About the Author:
Debbie LaChusa feels blessed to be a work at home mom who gets to spend time with her family, do work she loves and earn a great living. She founded 10stepmarketing and 6FigureWorkAtHomeMom to help other working moms do the same. To see a free “Tribute to Work At Home Moms” video and register for free WAHM tips, visit http://www.6FigureWorkAtHomeMom.com.
Extreme Makeover - Business Style!
[ No Comments ] posted on 01.19.08 under marketing, organizing yourself, resources
Erin Blaskie over at www.bsetc.ca is hosting a makeover contest that every homebiz owner should have a look at.
The list of giveaways is astounding, and Erin has built a rep in the VA world as one of the best!
To enter yourself, or to nominate a friend who needs a Biz Makeover, hurry over to Internet Business Makeover and sign up!
j
Overcoming Fear of Success in a Home Based Business
[ No Comments ] posted on 01.18.08 under organizing your biz, resources
So, you’ve begun a home-based business. Perhaps you’re a writer, or selling your own arts and crafts. However, you frequently find yourself putting tasks off, or not making time for clients, as you should. You wonder why you can’t simply “get it together” - why you aren’t as successful as you’d like to be. Have you considered the possibility that you may actually fear your own success?
Fear of success is an issue that many small business owners struggle with as they launch into self-employment. After all - you have the potential to be as big (or as small) as you dare to be! That is a scary prospect for many people, who have spent their whole lives working for eight hours a day, taking home a steady paycheck, and struggling to make ends meet. It’s hard to imagine bringing home more than enough money, or being able to have luxuries - especially for doing something that you truly love to do. This leads to problems for many home business owners.
Fear of success can manifest itself in many ways - all of which are dangerous to the success of your business. You can suddenly become distracted - finding it difficult to focus on the task at hand. You may find yourself disorganized - losing client’s phone numbers, misplacing important information, or failing to meet deadlines. Or, you may simply begin to experience stress, fear, and dread about the future of your business. If you are having these issues around your business, stop and look inside yourself. Is it fear of failure that you’re truly afraid of? Or is it fear of success?
Stop and ask yourself what about success is really so scary. Are you afraid that there is greatness inside of you that you just might unlock? Are you afraid that your friend and family will look at you differently if you are a successful entrepreneur? Are you worried about how bringing home an income may affect the dynamics within your marriage? All of these issues can be addressed, and should be, before they cause your business to fail. Take the time to journal on the subject, and really think about what specific issues are causing you stress. Then you can begin to work towards overcoming them.
On a daily basis, begin to work towards managing your fear of success. Begin to frequent forums for small business owners and entrepreneurs. Post motivational quotes near your work area. Begin to dream big, even though it may be scary at first. Set high goals, and when you achieve those, aim even higher. You are truly in charge of your own success. No one can stop you except yourself, and you’ve done enough of that already! It’s time to stop holding yourself back. Take small steps toward your goals, and eventually you’ll look back in amazement at how far you’ve come in such a short amount of time. Allow yourself to be successful - you deserve it as much as anyone else does! Begin working towards your goals today, and you may discover that they aren’t as intimidating as they once seemed.
About the Author:
Marcia Chumbley is a work at home mom and grandmother in Minnesota. She is the owner of a Christian Work From Home Moms and Grandparents web site at http://www.faithfulgrannies.com . Bringing generations of Christian Work From Home Moms, Grandmothers, Parents, Boomers and Families together while providing resources, inspiration and affordable advertising while balancing the work at home experience.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Marcia_Chumbley
small biz site of the week
[ No Comments ] posted on 01.15.08 under marketing, resources
This week we visit Tessa Stowe of SalesConversation.com
I am not a salesperson by any means, but Tessa has a gift for teachy non-sales people how to step up and close the deal.
Enjoy!
j
Branding in the Google Age
[ No Comments ] posted on 01.11.08 under marketing
When someone says the word “branding” what pops into your head? Major names with big budgets? No doubt, but branding is extremely important for anyone serious about building a business. And in the age of Google, MySpace and Facebook, you just might be surprised about what your potential audience can find out about you
This article on CBC.ca is referring to personal branding, but it’s an important lesson for all of us who live and work in our Google-age.
CLICK HERE for the full article
small biz site of the week
[ No Comments ] posted on 01.07.08 under marketing
site name: Bizz Logos
url: www.bizzlogos.com
why: BizzLogos allows users to post their logos and generate links back to their webpage. Signing up is fast and free.
Check them out at www.bizlogos.com
The 2008 Shoestring Budget Challenge
[ No Comments ] posted on 12.22.07 under marketing, news, organizing yourself
Over at the www.vadiva.com site I’ve posted my 2008 intentions.
Besides losing about 80 lbs, I plan on limiting my marketing budget for the biz to $200 MAX. per month.
It’s going to be an interesting ride, and I hope you will follow along to see where the road takes me
J
Rates calculator
[ No Comments ] posted on 12.17.07 under resources
Ever wonder what you should be charging per hour for your services?
I happened across this cool calculator that gives you an hourly rate to charge. I’m not sure how accurate it is but it’s thorough 
Check it out at FreelanceSwitch.com
Is your brochure 1 in a million or 1 of a million?
[ No Comments ] posted on 12.16.07 under marketing
Creating a brochure that stands out and grabs attention is not just for bricks-and-mortar types. It’s also a great tool for any size biz.
Over at StartupNation.com, contributing writer Lynn Meredith Schreiber has written a great article about creating a brochure that demands to be read - so you can become the 1 IN a million, and not remain just 1 OF a million.
Pimp My Pamphlet - How to Design and PDF Effective Sales Brochures
Enjoy and happy marketing!