August 29, 2007
Five Things You Need to Know Before Deciding to Work at Home
1. Working at home is NOT for everyone. Don’t fall into the trap of believing that “anyone” can work at home. Working from home and running a business of your own takes a lot of work, dedication, focus, determination and patience. Not everyone has the personality to be able to run a business out of their home. Make sure you take a good look as to the type of work ethic and tenacity you have before making a decision to run a home based business.
|
2. You need to be in it for the long haul. Work at home success will not happen overnight. To be honest, it most likely won't even happen in the first 6 - 12 months - depending on the type of business. Most businesses take up to 3 years or more to start seeing a true profit. During this time, you need to be able to continue your focus and keep your eye on the prize, so to speak. 3. Friends and family may not be supportive. When you decide that you want to start a career working at home, those closest to you may not be ready to jump on the bandwagon with you. |
Without realizing it, they may actually work against you in your success by their actions and words. Expect that you will need to win them over, which will take time. Many times, a spouse will need to see the fiscal success first in order to be your cheerleader.
4. Running a business is hard work. While many people dream of being able to work from home – mainly for the freedom from a “real” job that it offers – they fail to realize that to gain that sort of freedom, they will need to work hard. With most home-based businesses, you will need to wear many hats for your business to operate successfully. You will be the one who is selling, marketing, purchasing, billing, fulfilling orders, etc. Most times, you will put in more hours than you do at your regular job in order to build up to the type of success that offers you that true freedom.
5. Expect to spend money. No matter what business you choose, there will be some sort of costs involved – more than your initial investment, no matter how big or small that amount may be. These costs can include; office supplies, marketing materials, advertising costs, website and technical fees, phone and internet costs – just to name a few. Don’t be blind by jumping in without first finding out what your cost of running your business will be.
The majority of individuals, who are looking to work at home, desire to spend more time with their family, to be their own boss, and to be in charge of their own future. Working at home can be very rewarding and tens of thousands of people are living the life they were hoping for. Unfortunately, there are many more who venture out, rush forward, and don’t have all the facts they need before making a decision to run their own business. If you are on the road to seeking that work at home adventure – do it wisely – take your time, make a game plan, and most importantly, be realistic about what you are about to endeavor upon.
Posted by Cyndi at 12:56 AM | Comments (2)
February 19, 2007
Networking - Making or Breaking Your Business
One of my favorite business authors is Harvey Mackay. He has written many books on networking and success. He has such wonderful simple principles and guidelines that if we all would follow them, we would see a drastic change in our businesses. I'd like to share a few of my favorite bits and quotes from his book "Dig Your Well Before You're Thirsty" (A Currency Book, Published by Doubleday Copyright 1997). Even though this book is geared towards networking, there are many truths and thoughts to bring into any business. And really, in essence, our business will die without us actively pursuing the practice of networking.
|
"No matter how smart you are, no matter how talented, you
can't do it alone." |
"Find an outfit to join that recognizes you have something
to offer, and find out what they can offer you: contacts, exposure, experience.
It's all there - in exchange for a little effort."
"The wise person isn't the one who makes the fewest mistakes. It's the one who
learns the most from them."
Networking is, in my opinion, one of the most critical areas of your business
that you need to constantly keep on top of. Your "network" needs to consistently
be growing for your business to continue to prosper. When you are tuned into
networking, you will become aware of the fact that opportunities to network are
presented to you each and every day, in almost every situation.
Posted by Cyndi at 01:01 PM | Comments (1)
January 15, 2007
Expert or Not?
The world of the internet is inundated with self proclaimed "experts". These "experts" will sell you their ebooks, information, ideas and seem to have all the answers for those of us who aren't "experts" in the fields they claim to be. Unfortunately many of these "experts" really are not what they say they are. They are only attempting to come up with yet another way to make money online. The sad thing is, many of them don't even realize that they really aren't "experts". They have puffed themselves up to think that they know more or are more successful than they really are.
|
For example; just because someone has been able to build a few websites, does NOT make them an expert at creating websites. Just because someone has joined some network marketing or direct sales companies over the years, does NOT make them an expert at it. Just because someone has a degree in marketing, does not make them an expert in how to market a company or product. Talk is cheap, but putting your money where your mouth is, that is what counts - they need to prove their expertise. So what qualifies someone as an expert? In my opinion...success AND experience. They go hand in hand. You can't have one without the other and a person or company cannot qualify themselves as an expert without the two together. |
We ALL have experience in different areas of our life and
business. And many people could have several YEARS experience. But without
success intertwined with those years of experience....the expertise is not
there. Even though I have years of experience working with kids in a variety of
areas, I would not qualify myself as an "expert" in children's education or
children't ministries. My work has been limited and very part time and is not
one of the main thrusts of what I do in my life or work.
If you are looking at purchasing some sort of book or information, be sure to
understand the person's background and see what sort of success they have really
had. Just because they have "done it", doesn't make them an expert. The
experience and successes that they have created from those experiences is what
can give them honor of calling themselves an expert in their field.
Posted by Cyndi at 11:57 AM | Comments (10)
January 14, 2007
Scam Alert - Be Careful What YOU deem as a scam
For years now, as people are looking at different ways to work from home, I keep seeing people saying things like "that's a scam", "stay away from that company, they are scamming people", or "be careful, I know someone who was scammed by that company". The word scam seems to be tossed around more than italian greens and oil before dinner. But are these businesses really "scams"?
We've all seen ads for working at home. Ads promising freedom, telling you the amount of money you can earn, and the ability to be home with your kids. Are these ads scams?
|
Let's look at the dictionary definition - SCAM: A
fraudulent |
But, what I have seen, is people calling ANY sort of
business opportunity or job that "they" didn't see success in, as a scam. If you
fall into this thought process, be careful what you say.
To use the word "scam" against a company is a very serious accusation. If you
joined a business opportunity, they can take a lot of work to see results. If
you gave up, or didn't put in the amount of time or money needed, you cannot
call that business a scam, due to your lack of effort. This goes back to the
thought process of the fast food society, wanting results quick, with the least
amount of effort. Now, if you joined some sort of pyramid scheme, which is
illegal, that WOULD be a scam. If you sent away for information, only to NOT
receive anything, or NOT receive what was promised you, THAT is a scam. But to
label a company a scam due to your own error in judgment, dislike of what you
received, or not working as you have been advised or trained - you are only
wanting to blame someone other than yourself for a decision that you have come
to regret.
So, be careful what you call a scam. Step back and think honestly if you were
really scammed by a business, or whether it is you, who is having buyer's
remorse.
Posted by Cyndi at 11:04 PM | Comments (12)
January 12, 2007
Biting Off More than I Can Chew, What's a WAHM to do?
Just a very quick blog today.... do you ever start a project and about mid way through it say... "what in the world was I thinking?"
I find myself in that predicament this week. The site has needed a redesign for a LONG time... for many reasons - a big one being the Content Management System we were using. It was NOT url friendly and did not mesh well with SEO. I searched and searched and just could not find one that gave me the kind of control that I needed or wanted. All were too limiting so I made the decision to go back to html and shml pages to manage the content and pages of the site as opposed to a CMS.
|
So, I have had a large job in front of me, something that actually could take up to two people doing this full time all week to complete. And, as a typical WAHM, I don't have a staff of two extra people to dedicate an entire week's worth of their work time to do this. Nor, could I afford to pay two people for full time HTML coding. My solution, is to divide and conquer. Instead of getting overly frustrated and to the point of giving up before the entire project is done (which, yes, in the past I have done and regretted it).... I break the project up into parts and only do so much each day. I make sure that I also step away to work on other projects. This not only keeps me from getting burned out on the existing large job, but lets me come back to it with fresh eyes. |
I was able to hire a couple people part time to do a part of the project that didn't require any special training or knowledge of html to do.
If you have a large project, before you start, make a game plan and try your best to stick to it. If you piece it out and spread it out over several days or weeks (depending on what the project is and timeline required to finish), subcontract out what you can afford, if necessary, you'll find that it will be much more doable and won't be as unmanageable as you may have thought.
Posted by Cyndi at 03:52 PM | Comments (8)
December 12, 2006
Winter Break Fun Activities for Kids
Are you wondering how you are going to keep the kids busy during their winter break? With all the last minute shopping, wrapping of presents, baking, cleaning AND running your business, the kids may need some extra fun things to keep them busy so you can keep your head on straight!
|
Our Moms Network of sites have several sites that provide TONs of fun - from puzzles and games to coloring pages, gift tags and more. Be sure to bookmark these sites to keep handy for enjoying and printing out some free holiday fun for the kids while you strive to do your best to run your home based business AND get ready for the holidays while the kids are on break: Get a Free Personalized Email from Santa! Tons of Holiday Fun: |
Moms Network Christmas Coloring Pages
Send Free Talking Rudolph, Santa & Frosty eCards!
Coloring Pages, Gift Tags, Puzzles & more
Free Christmas Gift Tags & Candy Cards
Posted by Cyndi at 02:46 PM | Comments (1)
December 10, 2006
Your Business Shouldn't Take the Holiday Season Off
Over the years I have noticed that the holidays can be a difficult time for moms who work out of their homes to stay focused and stick to their regular work routine. While working out of your home does give you flexibility, you still do have a business to run and people counting on you to deliver your product or service. So, while it may be tempting to "ditch" work more than normal to run holiday errands, bake cookies, decorate and take more breaks than usual, I caution you to be careful to not go overboard. Plan accordingly, just as when you worked out of the home. When work needed to be done, you couldn't decide to just not show up for work or leave during the work day because you wanted to have fun, instead of being in the office. Granted, all people get vacation time and you need to, in essence, schedule your own vacation time from the business you do out of your home.
|
Being your own employer takes discipline, and requires that you make sound and professional decisions. You need to remind yourself that even though the holidays are here, you do have a business that still needs to run and be taken care of. Depending on your business, and whether you own that business or work for someone else, you need to make a plan that will carry you through the holiday season while still creating the time you want away from work. By playing hooky too much, you will fall behind in all you had hoped to accomplish, and be complaining about it when January hits, and even worse, not bring in as much money as you need each month. Remember, real businesses in the real world don't stop when the holidays hit. They need to go on as they always do throughout the entire year. |
This holiday season, be sure to make a plan, take some extra time off to enjoy family and festivities, but at the same time, making it a priority to continue with your work and business in a professional and responsible manner.
Posted by Cyndi at 09:16 AM | Comments (3)
December 07, 2006
Work at Home Tips
Working at home is NOT something that everyone can do. Plain and simple. Too many people fall into the hype that "anyone can do this!" the line that so many companies and individuals use to try to get you to sign up for their program or business. Among other things, running a business out of your home takes dedication, discipline, creativity, and being able to make tough decisions.
|
Today's Work at Home Tip: Know when to ask for help and do it! Too many times when someone has their own home based business, they think they have to run every aspect of their business themselves and are either too afraid, or worse yet, too proud to ask for help. The sign of a good business owner is the ability to know their limits. As your business grows you may not be able to "do it all". You want to be able to have resources and people that you can bring on board, even before you are at the point of needing them. This is part of good business planning. It is the sign of a smart work at home mom, who is humble enough to admit she can no longer do it all on her own anymore. When you are at the point that you are not able to handle all the tasks at hand - it is time to reach out to others for help. |
Whether it be just a little extra help from your spouse and children, or whether you need to step it up to where you hire an outside source, be sure to make that step and not put it off. Not only will it lessen the stress load on you, it will free up your time from doing tasks that others could easily learn, so that you can focus more on the growth of your business and putting your talents to their best use.
Posted by Cyndi at 07:43 AM | Comments (6)
December 06, 2006
Who is Paying For Your Ignorance?
Ignorance is bliss... sometimes yes, but most of the time no. If you are a work at home mom, who is seriously trying to build a business and succeed, you can't afford to play the ignorance card.
You need to be a responsible business owner who knows the rules and regulations that go with running a business, specifically YOUR business. More importantly, you need to adhere to them. If you don't, not only do you pay the price, but so do others, which is not fair to them.
|
It is one thing if you want to disrupt and put a bad mark on your own business, but to put other individual's and other companies out, that is just plain selfish and unprofessional. I cannot tell you how many times over the years that people have submitted content or ads to us in our free promotion areas, only to come back and demand that they be removed or changed because 1.) they didn't do the research on what they could and couldn't do online or 2.) because of not perusing what they submitted and finding errors in their email address or | src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> |
It's one thing to humbly approach a company and tell them that you made a mistake, asking if they could remedy the error for you. It is another thing to be flippant and expect that the company take care of your mistake. This in turn not only gives you and your company a bad name, but also causes the company that has offered you these free services, to spend their time, and money to change something that you decided to be ignorant about.
There are also those who don't read the rules for message boards on what is and isn't allowed, and they proceed to do what they want. Again, the ignorance causing you to look bad and creating extra work and money spent for the site owners to remove posts and/or memberships.
So, make sure that you step up to the plate with your responsibility to understand what it is you can do in regards to your business, as your ignorance will eventually shine a bad light on your business.
Posted by Cyndi at 01:30 PM | Comments (0)
July 21, 2006
Stop Singin' the Blues
Beware... this is a "tough love" sort of rant. So, if your skin isn't a bit tough, you may not want to continue to read.
You know what I get tired of hearing and seeing? The "poor poor me" bit. The complaining over and over again. Instead of whining about your situation, DO something about it. Instead of making excuses about WHY you can't succeed, leap into action to change things.
|
In essence, we all start out being able to succeed as much as the next person. I don't know too many work at home moms who were given the silver platter or a big bundle of money to start a home based business. So, why is it that some work at home moms soar and others sit and dwindle and eventually fade away. Why are some work at home moms always up and positive and others negative and look for what they can complain about. It's all about attitude. It's all about goals. It's all about hard work. It's all about perseverance. It's all about seeing the big picture and doing what you need to do in order to make it happen. AND it's all about taking ownership and acting like a responsible adult. |
If things are not working the way you want, it is time to step back and take a good look at what IS working for you and what isn't. It is also time to look at how you come across to others and how THAT may effect your business. There are several things you can do, or NOT do, to create a shift for your business:
1. Do some research and educate yourself on a variety of topics:
*How to Run a Successful Home Based Business
*How to Market Your Product
*How to Organize your Business & Time
*Search Engine Optimization (for those with websites)
*How to Write Ads that Work
*The Power of Networking
*Secrets in Advertising
*How to Budget Your Business
*Time Management
2. Take time to PUT INTO MOTION what you have learned. Don't put all that reading and research to waste by not applying it.
3. Don't be too proud to look to others for help. Look at the people that you see are successful. Instead of harboring possible feelings of envy or jealousy, or even the thoughts of "well I could never do that", study what they have done. Ask them if they could share some ideas or mentor you. Don't expect that this advice or mentoring "should" be free. Be willing to pay or barter for help. You can't expect that someone should give up their own time, away from their own business and family, to guide and teach you.
4. Make better use of your time. Take a reality check and chart your time for a few days, so you can see exactly what you are doing when you "should" be working your business. Are you spending too much time on message boards or email lists? Are you spending too much time chatting on Instant Message? Are you spending too much time browsing and getting "lost" on the internet? Are you spending too much time on customers who you may need to drop? Are you spending too much time on projects and day to day routines that could be more automated?
5. Realize that your business DOES need to change from time to time. You cannot expect growth from doing the same thing from year to year. Then be brave enough to make the changes that need to be made.
6. Reinvest the money earned from your sales to expand, promote and grow your business. Spend your money wisely on things that will help your business or your business "self" to grow and advance.
7. Don't share too much of your personal "drama" with business associates, especially in very public arenas such as message boards or email lists. You can lose alot of credibility if it looks like you cannot manage your own life (financially, emotionally etc). People will and DO look at how you represent yourself personally and how you run your life and they will mirror that sort of management and behavior onto your business.
8. Don't beg. It it not professional or ethical. Don't tell people that you are desperate to make a sale or meet a quota, or worse yet, try to get people to pity you for a personal situation you may be facing that requires you to need more money. You NEED to separate your personal life from your business. People will be turned off and view what you are doing as capitalizing on a bad situation in your personal life. If you need more money to come in, offer a sale or discount. Do it in a very upbeat, positive and fun way. Don't guilt people into doing business with you.
9. Each person brings a unique view and personality to their business. Utilize and capitalize on that uniqueness. Find your OWN way, through hard work, creative ideas and perseverance.
Remember the expression "Rome wasn't built in a day"? Well, neither can your business be built in a day. A successful and long living business will take time to grow as it needs to. This could be months, it could be years. The sooner you realize that there will be good AND bad times ahead, the sooner you can get away from the "poor poor me" attitude when things aren't as you had hoped they would be.
Posted by Cyndi at 12:17 PM | Comments (6)
June 07, 2006
Ack - Summer already?
I cannot believe how fast this school year has gone. There is just one left of school for my 6th grader. My preschooler was done before Memorial Day. So, getting ready for the change in how I need to be able to work my business around my kids during the upcoming months. This happens to me every summer, as it does with thousands of other work at home moms. So, just what IS a work at home mom to do?
This gets to be a creative time in managing work load with running to kid activities and extra outdoor playtime and at home time. And of course.... the kids are bored by the second week of summer vacation claiming there is "nothing" to do! Not to worry, there is always a solution to make things work and keep things on task with your home based business.
Here are some tips that have helped me keep on track during summer vacation:
1. Start the summer by having a family meeting. Explain to your children that your home based business is your job, and the money that comes in from you working helps to pay for things that your family needs. Reiterate that your office is in your home, and that is where you need to get your work done. And that while they will be able to have lots of fun this summer, you still have work and a business that you need to run.
2. Get up at least 1 hour earlier in the morning and focus only on your business.
3. Always take some work with you when going to activities as there is typically some down time. This is a great time to make to do lists, pay bills, write articles, make some phone calls, catch up on notes you need to write etc. Most all home based businesses have portable work - take advantage of this.
4. This is the perfect time to get your kids involved in your business. Let them help with mailings, filing, and other small tasks. Pay them a small fee for helping OR let them earn a special treat or day trip (i.e. movie, water park etc.)
5. Have quiet time each day for the kids. This is a time for them to do an activity such as reading, writing, doing puzzles, or napping if they are young enough. Nothing is wrong with kids having a bit of downtime during the day. This gives you some quiet work time. Visit Kid Printables to print out 100's of games, puzzles & activities to keep your kids busy this summer.
6. Get your husband on board to help. If possible, have him take some vacation days during the summer to allow you to have a good full day of work. He may also be able to take one of the children to his office a few times during the summer. Most kids think that is a fun trip. In the evening, let him be on kid patrol so you can grab an hour or two of work.
7. Don't take on any new large or unnecessary projects during the summer. You will just get frustrated as your time is most likely more limited.
8. Sign the kiddies up for some free or inexpensive programs offered through your community or school district. They'll have fun being with other kids their age while you can get a bit of a work day available to you.
For many of us work at home moms, things need to go along as usual. We don't have a home based business that is "just for fun" or a hobby, and we need to keep our business going forward just like those moms who go to their job outside the home each day. We just have more flexibility on when and how we can get the work done. During the summer months, that flexibility needs to be utilized at full throttle!
Posted by Cyndi at 07:16 AM | Comments (1)
May 15, 2006
Make Your Business Card Work
I bet many people don't even think about it. They get used to handing out their business cards left and right, so that people are able to get in touch with them. They are doing what they are taught and told to do. Making contact, keeping their name in front of people. But, have you REALLY looked at your business card? What does it really tell people? Will they have to trigger their memory to figure out what it is that you do?
When given the opportunity to be placing your business card in someone's hands, or in an advertisement, make sure you are making the most of that opportunity.
|
While the basic information such as your name, company name, phone number, email address and website are essential and of utmost importance, what is even more important is the message within your business card. If you are asking yourself "what message?", then you are not utilizing your business card to it's fullest potential. Too many times I have seen (in print) or been handed a business card that fails to tell me exactly what that person does. Just the name of their company, and the title of who they are, is not going to immediately inform me of what they do, let alone catch my attention. |
Your business card should be a reflection of your company's motto, slogan and personality. It is an extension of your company and can speak for your company with a visual. Get away from the bland and go for the gusto. You want to make sure that you are doing what you can to stand out from your competitors. Don't make people wonder what it is you do, or what you sell . Give them all the information they need to know, so that with just a glimpse of your card, they will know if you are a company they are interested in contacting . Don't throw good money away on advertising by using your business card if it isn't something that people will stand up and take notice of. By just tossing your company name and contact information out there on a business card, will only do you good if an individual is specifically looking for someone from your company. If you are with a direct sales company that gives you only approved business cards to use, see if you are able to create your own business card that can include your company slogan, or a short blurb that you make up yourself.
Business cards are great to use for many purposes, and an essential part of your business, just make sure that you use them to enrich and help your business.
Posted by Cyndi at 11:29 AM | Comments (2)
March 21, 2006
Now You See Me, Now You Don't - Mistakes of a Home Business Owner
Over the last few years I have witnessed home business owners go about advertising their products and services in the wrong way or not at all. Not only are mistakes made in the ways that ads are written but, also, many people have unrealistic expectations of their advertising, especially when an ad campaign has not been put together properly in the first place.
Advertising is a natural part of growing and expanding your business. You cannot expect your business to grow to its utmost potential without some sort of advertising involved. This does not mean you need to break the bank to advertise.
|
You don't need to use expensive advertising to promote your business and see results. But you do need to be smart in how you advertise and need to be realistic in what you are expecting for results. Most importantly, you need to be consistent and repetitive. Many businesses fall into what I call the "now you see me, now you don't" syndrome. This is a scenario I see which happens over and over with home business owners. They pull their ad after a one time or very short run in a newsletter, magazine, newspaper, direct mail, radio or website. |
This is one of the largest mistakes a business owner
can make; a mistake that happens with many new business owners and even some
veterans. Studies show that a consumer needs to see your ad (product or service)
anywhere from 6 to 10 times before making a purchasing decision. Not only does
the repeat of your ad and company information give your company recognition with
the consumer, it also gives your company creditability. All you need to do is
put yourself in the consumer's seat. If you saw an ad only once, from a company
you have never heard of before, for a product that you might be interested in,
would you make that purchase right then and there? Probably not. But when you
see a product/ad over and over, you begin to recognize that company AND begin to
subconsciously trust that company as one who is legitimate and who is
successful.
Think about this: You are a subscriber to a magazine. You are reading thru the
current issue and notice a variety of ads. You spot one that perks your
interest. You read it, and you go on to read the rest of the magazine. The
following month you receive the next issue of the magazine. You read it and then
you remember an ad you saw in the last issue, but cannot quite remember the name
of the company or all the information about the product. You figure it will be
in this magazine as that is where you saw it in the first place. You can't find
it. You don't have a copy of last month's issue, so you forget about that ad and
the company and the product you were a bit interested in. What does this mean?
It means a lost sale to the company that only advertised in that one issue. A
potential customer may not be ready to make that purchase when they first
discover your product, but two or three months down the road, they ARE ready to
purchase. If they can't find you, there is no sale.
Learn from the example of one company's very expensive mistake. An internet
company decided to throw all their money into a one-time advertising shot during
the Super Bowl. They hired extra people to man the phone center, expecting huge
results. C'mon - this was the Super Bowl with millions upon millions of viewers!
Guess what happened? The phone barely rang. They sat dumbfounded AND now broke.
You cannot expect great results with a one time shot at getting your word out,
even when it is to millions of people.
Think of the big companies. How do you think they GOT to be big companies?
Almost every company starts out as an idea of just one person or a handful of
people. They grow and become successful from advertising and getting the word
out about their products and services. Why do you think you know the names 3M,
Fischer Price, Old Navy and so many more? It's because you consistently and
repetively see their name and ads everywhere. No, not everyone wants to be the
next 3M, but a company WILL not grow if you don't advertise it. Word of mouth is
great, but can and will only get you so much business. Networking is great, but
again will get you limited business. You cannot solely depend on word of mouth
and networking.
Advertising is essential for your business to grow, but it doesn't have to make
you go broke to do it. If you aren't doing so already, you need to allow
yourself an advertising budget. No matter how big or small, each month there
should be money allotted for advertising. If you haven't been including
advertising in your budget up to now, it is best to save up for a few months to
run a good campaign. While you are saving and putting money aside, you can do
your research as to where you will be spending your advertising dollars. Always
find your target market for your product or service. It makes no sense to
advertise the baby products you sell to a readership of auto mechanics. Find
advertising options that are affordable for the exposure you will get. While
advertising in a large magazine sounds tempting for the exposure, if your ad is
tucked way in the back, in very small print, it might not be that beneficial.
While you could spend $1000 a month to have an ad in that large publication, you
could find better exposure in a smaller publication for a lot less money and
therefore reap better results. That $1000 could last for 6 to 10 issues in a
smaller publication as opposed to just one issue in the large publication. Make
your exposure last so you can gain the recognition and credibility that your
company needs.
Do your research and plan ahead. If you are going to contact other advertisers
from a publication you are interested in advertising in, be sure to ask them the
following questions: How long did you run your ad? How large was your ad? (Size
IS important as ads that are too small can be lost and if someone has a lot of
information to put in a small ad, it may not bring good results) What type of
product or service did you advertise? What kind of results were you looking for?
(Again, an important question, and listen to their answer. They may have had
unrealistic results themselves, hoping for quite a bit of sales from only one or
two ads.) How were you tracking the ads from this publication? (Many people, in
all reality, have no way of knowing HOW their ad has succeeded with certain
places because the ad it too generic or does not have special coding for them to
track where a sale is coming from.)
While the thought of paid advertising may frighten you, don't let it. Yes, it is
something that you do need to include in your business plan to grow your
business but, if researched, planned, and executed properly, you will see
results that you wouldn't have dreamed to be possible. Maybe, and probably not
immediately, but in the long run, your business will prevail and grow.
Posted by Cyndi at 09:12 PM | Comments (3)
February 23, 2006
It Takes Money to Make Money - Yes It's True
Too many people are entering into working at home blindly and end up frustrated or throwing in the towel because they didn't plan accordingly. Unless you are extremely creative, with some special connections and a run of good luck, you cannot expect to start a business and not spend any money. I think at times a mom is so excited about the prospect of working at home that they jump in with both feet, but with no plan on what to do after they start their business. This is why I always stress to moms who are wanting to work at home to take their time, research the companies or ideas they are thinking about, and make a plan.
|
So many seem to go down the "what do I do now" path after they start a business, especially those that joined a direct sales/home party plan business. They may have had the carrot dangled in front of them about how easy it will be, about how much money they can make and about how they get to create their own work hours. They probably were not told about the monthly expenses that are inevitable which can range from: web hosting, phone bills, office products, training materials, postage, fees, a monthly commitment to buy products, and marketing/promoting their business. It is rare that a real business would require no money in order to run, build and grow it. |
Do yourself a favor, and plan as to what your monthly expenses will be. Think of everything that you possibly would need to keep your business going. There is something true about the cliché "it takes money to make money". Does this mean you need to have a fortune in order to start and run a business? No. But what is does mean that whether it be $10 or $1000 a month, a business does cost money to run. Those who think otherwise are not looking at a home business realistically or are not serious about keeping a business going. So, be smart, do your research and make a plan before jumping into the work at home arena. You will find more success in the long run if you do.
Posted by Cyndi at 11:10 AM | Comments (4)
February 09, 2006
They Aren't on Your Time Frame - Practice Patience
Patience is a virtue. This cliché is the essence of running a work at home business. Impatience can breed failure if you aren't careful. One of the most important areas in which patience is needed, is realizing that YOUR time schedule and your potential CLIENT's or RECRUIT's time schedule may be totally off synch from each other. Whether you are looking at recruiting someone for your business opportunity or attempting to sell your product/service to someone, you need to realize that these contacts and potentials aren't as anxious about your business as you are. Don't get caught up in your own time table that you disregard and in essence toss out contacts that could very well be the best people for your business.
|
A prime example is for those who are promoting a business opportunity and are wanting to recruit new representatives or consultants. While it is exciting to be able to get people signed up right away, you need to realize that these individuals most likely do not have the same urgency that you do. For example, if you work off of leads that either you collect or you purchase, some people may not fill out all the questions, such as their phone number. Don't write off the people who don't leave phone numbers. Over the many years of working with moms who are in search of work at home businesses, I have found that sometimes online, people are very leery about giving out too much personal information such as a phone number. |
You should still follow up with them via email, sending some information for them to be able to peruse at their leisure, and ask about connecting with them via phone. Then keep them in your contact list and reconnect with them. People are at different stages on their quest for working at home. While some are ready to jump in right away, someone may be "just curious" and "just looking" right now. Never rush to judgment on your contacts or leads. If someone is just starting out, they may be collecting info on 10 - 30 companies and don't want 10 - 30 different people calling them on the phone. They may feel that they might be put on the spot or pressured by being on the phone with someone they don't know. So, by building even a small relationship via email - that can put the person at ease to then eventually want to speak with you via phone.
If you sell a product, there WILL be many people that impulse buy or know specifically what they want while shopping around, but there are also a large percentage of people who need to see your name and product over and over to let it sink in with them and let them gain trust in your name and business. It is one thing to have friends and family and people from networking circles you are involved in becoming your customers, but the real key to your success is when you are able to turn virtual strangers into customers, and hopefully into repeat customers for years to come. Again, don't discount the people who make initial contact with you, whether it be seeing your products in a store, at a trade show, or sending you an email with a question. These are all potential customers who may just need to be kept in the loop and feel like they are learning more about you and your products before making a decision. Not everyone will be in need of what your business has to offer at this moment in time. They may be ready to make a purchasing decision 3 months from now, but as stated above with business opportunities, they may be simply searching, browsing and collecting information on their options prior to making a final decision.
Don't shoot your business in the foot by discounting people because they are not where YOU want them to be right now in their decision process. You may even find that the people who take their time and research thoroughly before coming to a decision, will end up being the best customers or hardest workers on your team.
Posted by Cyndi at 10:46 AM | Comments (1)
January 27, 2006
Work at Home Moms and Their Bad Rap
This is not a "feel good" type of blog today. And I'm sure some may not like what I write about. It may even upset some, but I am thinking the people that get upset, are most likely the ones that are guilty of what I speak. It is about an issue that I feel needs to be addressed based on the conversations over the last few years with many many work at home moms. These moms in business have become frustrated by how other work at home moms can seem to indirectly effect their business.
Unfortunately, many work at home moms seem to fail to realize that they are business owners, and thus should be acting like business owners. Those who do not, have continued to give the term "Work at Home Mom" a bad rap.
|
Let's admit it... the label of being a "Woman Entrepreneur" who works out of her home gets allot more respect than the label "Work at Home Mom". Sad, but true. Part of the reason is that a stereotype for "moms" who run a business already exists, but much of this train of thought is largely due to what others have seen or experienced from a work at home mom. I cannot tell you how many people over the years have commented on how "work at home moms" are not "real" business owners. This being based on what they have personally witnessed or experienced in their interaction with work at home moms. |
When you own a business, no matter how big or small, there are rules, behavior AND ethics that you need to adhere to. I have been dumbfounded at times with the behavior, dishonesty, lack of responsibility and lack of character displayed by some work at home moms. Being a work at home mom doesn't give you the right to take short cuts, shun a responsibility or commitment and doesn't give you the right to get special treatment or freebies just because you are a mom in business. Then there are the basic "do's and don'ts" that should be incorporated into the way you conduct yourselves with others in business.
Yes, we all have made mistakes, honest mistakes in fact. As long as those mistakes are addressed honestly and upfront, there can typically be a workable remedy to these. There is a big difference between an honest mistake and an act of what you know to be wrong. Take an honest look at yourself and ask if you have done any of the following, knowing full well you are doing it.
* not taking responsibility for your actions or choices
* operating your business and responding to situations with emotions
* not paying money due to individual's or companies
* blaming others for your lack of success or knowledge
* claiming ignorance in situations to try to get out of them
* dressing inappropriately for meetings or events
* being rude and unprofessional in email or phone correspondence
* bringing your personal life into your business
* not delivering product that someone has ordered
* creating lies to cover your mistakes or lack of following through on your word
* participating in gossip about other business owners
* embellishing the facts about your products or business to gain more business
* expecting free services, products, discounts or not having to pay a bill
because you are a "work at home mom"
If you are going to be a mom in business, even if it may just be part time or a hobby for you, you have to act like a business owner. It's time to buck up, suck it in, and decide that you will do YOUR best to do what you KNOW is right.
Posted by Cyndi at 11:14 AM | Comments (5)
December 11, 2005
Not Everyone will Want What you are Selling
Over the years, while working with work at home moms and dads who are home based business owners, I see at times their unrealistic ideas as to how their business should grow. Many expect overnite success and many expect that everyone else should have the same interest level in the type of business they are involved in as they do.
When you are in business, no matter what it is, you need to realize that not everyone is going to be as excited about what you do as you are. Everyone has different interests, different goals, and different likes and dislikes.
| Just because YOU love home decor, candles, toys or scrapbooking (or any other type of product/service) does NOT mean that everyone else is going to be jumping at the opportunity to get involved with you. Your passion for the products/services you represent is not going to be the same passion as a majority of the people that you encounter. Whether you are actually selling products, or tying to grow a team with a direct sales company, you NEED to realize that building a business takes time and it takes time to find the right people to connect with. |
If someone is looking for a business opportunity to get involved in, they will be taking many things into consideration with the type of product or service being ONLY one part in their decision making process. They will be looking also at: 1. Pricing of the product; if the cost is too much more than similar products in a store, this will be effect their decision. 2. Company policies; if the company has too many strict policies on advertising, high quotas or bad policies on returns, this will also effect their decision. 3. Commission structure; if commission structure is too low, where someone can barely make an income after all their costs are deducted, again, this will effect their decision. 4. Materials and training costs; this is also a major concern for someone looking at a home business. They will be looking at the ongoing costs of staying involved which can include: cost of catalogs, paperwork, company website, business cards, sample kits and extra product etc. 5. Cost to get involved; this may be the number one issue that someone looks at when making a decision on starting a business. While YOU may have been able to afford to join, the cost may be too high to someone else. Not everyone has the same amount of funds available to them in order to start a business.
So, as you seek to grow your business, be sure that YOU are taking a reality check and understanding that the reason there are literally 1000's of businesses to get involved with is because there are so many different items that an individual takes into consideration when embarking on their work at home business search.
Posted by Cyndi at 06:32 PM | Comments (3)
October 16, 2005
Wow how time flies....
I cannot believe how long it has been since I have had time to blog on here. Note to self..... don't start a new blog when you have a major event you are planning for!
There are times that the best intentions just are not able to be followed thru. When I installed this blog script I really thought I'd be able to hop on at least several times a week, if not daily, to share some work at home thoughts and ideas. HA! When already stretched sooooo thin on time, it is hard to make time for something else, even though you think it may only add 5 - 10 minutes to your daily routine.
| Sometimes, you just need to set some things aside when the plate is already full or overflowing. This is where prioritizing comes into play. Take a look at your current workload and ask if you can honestly handle anything else. If you can't, then set aside your new idea, and revisit the opportunity at a later date, after life as you know is settles down a bit or if there is a change in your business. |
Remember that there ARE things that CAN wait until tomorrow... or even until next month OR next quarter. Stay focused on your "have to do" list while at the same time keeping track of the new ideas you'd like to infiltrate into your business. As a home based business owner, your business needs and jobs can change from week to week and at some point, you may be able to add in some of the extra tools or programs that you feel would be beneficial to you and/or your clients. Be honest with yourself and be practical in the expectations you put upon yourself.
Posted by Cyndi at 04:28 PM | Comments (0)
August 12, 2005
TGIF? What is That?
It's Friday. Most people who hold down a job are proclaiming the "TGIF" (Thank God It's Friday) acronym. Funny thing is.... for many of us work at home moms, "TGIF" doesn't mean much as far as a sense of "relief" goes. Most work at home moms find that they need to also put in some hours on the weekend for their business. At least that is how it goes around here.
We all try and plug away during the week to get done what we need to, but when juggling children, household duties, volunteer obligations along with running a business... sometimes 24 hours in a day just isn't enough.
| The weekend can bring a bit of extra help when dad is home and can take on some of the responsibilities, which in turn can give you some extra time to catch up on the weekly tasks that slipped through the cracks. Many work at home moms who are involved in direct sales are holding parties, open houses or making deliveries. As work at home moms, many times we need to fit our business responsibilities in where we can. I use the weekend to answer emails that weren't "urgent" during the week and to catch up on paperwork along with website changes that weren't critical. |
So even though most of the working world is singing the "TGIF" tune, myself, along with many other work at home moms are saying.."it's just another day."
Posted by Cyndi at 08:17 AM | Comments (0)
August 11, 2005
Being Taken Advantage of...
When working at home, one of the hard things to do is to make it clear to others that you are actually working. This can be extremely frustrating while you are attempting to keep on task and get work done.
I know many work at home moms who let themselves get taken advantage of by people wanting them to drop what they are doing and come to the need of their problem or come "play" just on a whim. Whether it be watching their kids, driving them to a destination or even just wanting to run to shop or have lunch. This is when a work at home mom needs to put her foot down, if she is serious about tyring to take care of her business and being a real business owner.
| Don't get me wrong, working
at home DOES give you flexibility, and that is one of the perks. But you
also need to have the discipline to be able to follow through and commit
to your own goals and have the commitment to your business. Not everyone
CAN work at home. Some people have a really hard time being able to stay
focused and keeping on top of the deadlines they have created for
themselves.
There have been many times that I have had to do this with people, and over a period of time, they have "gotten" it. If someone calls and wants to take 3 hours to go shopping that day, most likely I can't. |
But that doesn't mean I can't the following
week. Being able to plan ahead with people, and getting them to understand that
you need to plan ahead, causes less stress and misunderstandings.
If you are a work at home mom who is being serious about working at home and
needing that income flow, then you may need to regroup and let the people in
your life know that they need to understand that you are "at your job" during
certain hours of the day. Let them know that while you'd love to be able to drop
and run, sometimes you just can't. Just think of it, if you were working in a
regular job, would these same people call you there and expect you can just
leave or come to their aid anytime you wanted to? No, they wouldn't think that,
and work at home moms sometimes need to retrain their own thought process along
with gently retraining those in their lives and letting them know that they have
a schedule that they need to stick to.
Posted by Cyndi at 09:52 AM | Comments (1)
July 18, 2005
No such thing as a summer slow down
For those work at home moms who are very serious about running their business as a business, as opposed to as a hobby, (and NOTHING is wrong with having a hobby business, please don't misunderstand what I'm saying)...there is no summer slow down for us. Our bills remain the same, so the money needs to continue to come in and this summer, I think my phone has been ringing more than it has in the winter & spring.
At times I envy those work at home moms who do see a bit of a summer slow down and are in the position to be able to experience that. While it is wonderful to work at home and have the flexibility of rearranging your schedule, the busier your business becomes, and depending on the nature of your business, that flexibility can move further away. As our businesses grow, many times the work hours may need to change. What started out for me as a mainly working at nite business, has come to the point of really needing to be available for much of the daytime - regular business hours. I am dealing with individuals and companies who have "regular" business hours so need to adjust my schedule to that. I'm still able to get alot of work done at night, as that is the easiest after the kids are in bed, but some business contacts and issues HAVE to be handled during regular working hours.
While summer may not be slowing down for my business, I do still make sure to take the time to enjoy the sunny days with my kids with a variety of activities. Still enjoying many of the benefits and reasons of wanting to be a work at home mom.
Posted by Cyndi at 08:51 AM | Comments (2)
July 17, 2005
Glitches, Set Backs.... GRRRR
No one can say that working at home isn't a challenge! Not only do you have the family's schedule and needs to work around, but technology can REALLY stink at times!
There is nothing worse than having an unexpected outage of service that can throw off your entire day. Deadlines get tossed to the side, frustrations build, and you feel like you are taking two steps backward with your home business. This happened to me when our cable service went out last week. Even though I have a dial up that I can use at a back up.... it is SOOO slow compared to cable. I couldn't get as much done, it was taking forever to upload things and stay connected. I found myself more frustrated because of this. I finally had to just walk away and work on paperwork, which had been pushed to the side because there is always something else that "has to be done" online. Lesson learned.
We all need to embrace the glitches that can pop up. In stead of letting it effect our home based business in a negative way, use that "down time" to pay attention to another area of your business that doesn't get the time that is probably deserves to get.
Posted by Cyndi at 10:16 PM | Comments (0)
July 13, 2005
Will SPAM ever end??
It seems to go in spurts. Spam, spam, we all hate spam. Today when I logged on, in my main account I had 860 emails and ALL were spam except for 25 emails!
When trying to run a home based business, time can be pretty limited, with the kids in the background, especially during summer months. To have to spend so much time deleting junk from people, hinders the rest of the work day and time needing to be spent on the "real issues" and tasks of running a business.
So.... I need to spend time creating contact forms for all the sites and getting rid of all the email addresses but one. Seems like every time I start this, more important issues crop up and the project gets put to the wayside. But, it is time... too bad all of us have to pay for those who spam spam spam the days away.
Posted by Cyndi at 12:34 AM | Comments (0)
July 11, 2005
Willing to take Advice in your Home Based Business?
| So many times I see work at home moms
running in circles and spinning their wheels, wondering why they aren't
seeing success. What is more frustrating, is when someone asks for
ideas, suggestions and help, and you offer them, from experience and
knowing/seeing what works in a home based business - but they don't
utilize those ideas. If you are a work at home mom or dad, don't make the mistake of being too proud, or thinking that you know for certain what will work at what doesn't. Many times you need to cater to the audience you are trying to reach, and that approach may differ from the past audiences you have been dealing with. |
Make sure you are always open to learning new techniques, new ideas and new ways of advertising, promoting or running your business.
Posted by Cyndi at 01:12 PM | Comments (0)
July 06, 2005
It's Crude to be Rude
| Every day I'm amazed at the
rude emails I receive. I can't imagine that someone, in person, would
use the same tone and words that come across in email. Typically it is people who have not paid attention to what they have done, are ignorant, or just plain don't read. And these are people who typically are work at home moms or dads, running a business... and I'm thinking.. well, you totally lost a potential sale here. Think before you type. Think before you send. And be SURE you know what it is you are saying. |
Posted by Cyndi at 04:50 PM | Comments (0)
