Of all the people that have big dreams of making a great living on the Internet, there are more then half that will end up failing before the first month is over.
So what is the difference between the people that are failing and the people that are making a huge amount of money working on the Internet? Blogging has become a hugely popular way for people to make money online.
However there are many who are becoming frustrated because they are not making the kind of money that they hoped they would by running a blog. So what are some reasons as to why someone would fail in blogging?
You are unhappy with what you are doing. You can fail with running a blog if you are not happy with what you are doing. You will not be productive and will likely end up making excuses to avoid working on your blog altogether if it is not something that you are completely passionate about doing.
The wrong attitude is a certain sign of a business that will fail.You have the wrong priorities. You can spend and entire day feeling that you have worked your butt off to improve your business and be completely worn out by the end of the day. The bad part is that when you sit back to think about you really did not do anything that was truly productive.
You need to have a very clear idea as to what are the top priority tasks that you need to complete concerning your blog each and every day. You also need to be able to determine the tasks that can be set aside for later so that you can be truly productive. You can easily become distracted. If you are sitting at your computer trying to get some work done and it seems like you are always getting called away to take care of something else then you are going to have a really hard time making your blog a success. You need to focus on small tasks that will make your productivity level increase.
For instance you could take the telephone away from your work area while you are working or work on writing your blog posts and then take care of promoting your blog. By setting yourself up with a schedule that you can keep you will be able to limit your distractions during the day. You do not want to learn from your mistakes.
If you are doing something like wasting time and you do not seem to see any problem with that then you are definitely going to fail in blogging. You need to be able recognize your mistakes and be able to make positive changes to correct them otherwise you are doomed to be repeating your mistakes over and over again. If you can avoid making these mistakes when you are working on making your blog a success then you are going to be well on your way to creating a great online income for yourself.
By Jonathan Hook
Article Source: http://www.thewahmshack.com/articledirectory
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Thursday, April 24, 2008
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Moms Helping Moms Win Big In Home-Based Businesses
If you have ever dreamed of being a stay at home mom, then a home-based business may be the key to you accomplishing that goal. Every day, there are millions of working mothers who despise waking up to the dreadful sound of an alarm, only to go through the further misery of getting their precious children ready for someone else to raise.
I have not met a mom yet who was not brought to tears the first time they had to leave their little newborn baby at a daycare center. And it is not just new moms who have “separation anxiety”. Any mom whose heart is to be home feels this way. I cried the first time I had to leave my son at the sitter’s when it was time for me to return to work. The agony of hearing him cry for me broke my heart into a million little pieces. That day, I called my husband at work and told him that I had a figure out a way to be home with my little baby boy.
The good news, like mine, is the above scenario does not have to sound like your life forever. A home-based business is the answer! There are literally thousands upon thousands of home-based businesses that will allow the stay at home mom wannabe to become just that. I know several moms who have started their own home-based businesses who have not only contributed to their family’s bottom line, but they have in most cases, brought their spouses home so they could be a stay at home family! It is very possible to earn more money part-time, working from home, than your spouse does full-time on their job! I could point you in the direction of moms who have made it their life’s mission to help other moms stay home and raise their children, while earning a significant income from the comfort of their home.
The moms I know have a short walk to the office, every morning…right down the hall! They even get to wear their pajamas to work. If you dream of managing your home and still being able to draw an income, a home-based business is for you! Do your due diligence on the company you select and know that it is going to require a lot of hard work to make your dream of financial peace come true. Yes, it is hard to build something from scratch. But getting up at an ungodly hour each morning, fighting traffic, and trading your time for money on a job is hard too. At least being a stay at home mom, working a home-based business, puts you back in the driver’s seat when it comes to your family’s financial future.
What are you waiting for? Get online and find a home-based business to work today! Then, spread the word to another mom and encourage them by letting them know, you’re a mom who desires to help other moms win big from the best place on earth…home!
Article Source: http://www.wahm-articles.com
Nicole enjoys being a mother to her son, Jordan and spending time with her husband, Muri. She loves to travel, work her home-based business, shop and meet new people. If you would like to spend more time with your loved ones, please contact Nicole. www.fulltimefamily.com
I have not met a mom yet who was not brought to tears the first time they had to leave their little newborn baby at a daycare center. And it is not just new moms who have “separation anxiety”. Any mom whose heart is to be home feels this way. I cried the first time I had to leave my son at the sitter’s when it was time for me to return to work. The agony of hearing him cry for me broke my heart into a million little pieces. That day, I called my husband at work and told him that I had a figure out a way to be home with my little baby boy.
The good news, like mine, is the above scenario does not have to sound like your life forever. A home-based business is the answer! There are literally thousands upon thousands of home-based businesses that will allow the stay at home mom wannabe to become just that. I know several moms who have started their own home-based businesses who have not only contributed to their family’s bottom line, but they have in most cases, brought their spouses home so they could be a stay at home family! It is very possible to earn more money part-time, working from home, than your spouse does full-time on their job! I could point you in the direction of moms who have made it their life’s mission to help other moms stay home and raise their children, while earning a significant income from the comfort of their home.
The moms I know have a short walk to the office, every morning…right down the hall! They even get to wear their pajamas to work. If you dream of managing your home and still being able to draw an income, a home-based business is for you! Do your due diligence on the company you select and know that it is going to require a lot of hard work to make your dream of financial peace come true. Yes, it is hard to build something from scratch. But getting up at an ungodly hour each morning, fighting traffic, and trading your time for money on a job is hard too. At least being a stay at home mom, working a home-based business, puts you back in the driver’s seat when it comes to your family’s financial future.
What are you waiting for? Get online and find a home-based business to work today! Then, spread the word to another mom and encourage them by letting them know, you’re a mom who desires to help other moms win big from the best place on earth…home!
Article Source: http://www.wahm-articles.com
Nicole enjoys being a mother to her son, Jordan and spending time with her husband, Muri. She loves to travel, work her home-based business, shop and meet new people. If you would like to spend more time with your loved ones, please contact Nicole. www.fulltimefamily.com
Saturday, April 19, 2008
Straight From The FDA
FDA has found a poisonous chemical, diethylene glycol (DEG), in certain toothpastes imported from China. The agency increased its scrutiny and testing of imported toothpaste and dental products after receiving reports in late May 2007 of contaminated Chinese dental products found in several countries, including Panama.
The agency is warning consumers to avoid using tubes of toothpaste labeled as made in China and, through an import alert, is stopping all suspect toothpaste from entering the United States. FDA continues to investigate this problem and will take further action, as appropriate, to address this important public safety issue. View News Updates
To View the link re: this, please click here
Now this is what gets confusing. We, the consumers assume that if something we are shopping for is sold at a store, then it has to be safe. That a product would not be placed on the shelf of any store if there was even the slightest potential of something being wrong. WRONG!!!
Warning labels on containers refer only to toxic hazards from ingestion; however, only 10% of health problems from chemicals are caused by ingestion. 90% are caused by the inhalation of vapors and absorption of particles.
The United States of America Federal Code of Regulations exempts manufacturers from full labeling of products if used for personal, family or household care. [Source USA FCR: Section 1910.1200C, Title 29, Section 1500.82 2Q1A]
So this is my question. If Labeling laws allow a manufacturer to get away with NOT disclosing ALL ingredients, or labeling a name of an ingredient under a AKA (also knows as) name. How do we know what is really in the items that we buy? After all, the manufacturer does not have to disclose that information.
Once again I am going to touch on Formaldehyde. This commonly known preservative is being used in just about everything.... Ok, I won't go that far.... But I bet every person has some item in there house that has Formaldehyde in it. And you would not even know. Because our labeling laws make it so a manufacturer does not have to disclose that information on their labels. Or the manufacturer can use a different name for formaldehyde (AKA).
Take a look at what OSHA says. Click here.
So if you are looking to see about taking baby steps in Going Green, or maybe you want to see about shopping for SAFER, Healthier, more Cost-Effective products.... Maybe you are just curious about all of this , then feel free to visit: HERE . There is a consumers choice.
The agency is warning consumers to avoid using tubes of toothpaste labeled as made in China and, through an import alert, is stopping all suspect toothpaste from entering the United States. FDA continues to investigate this problem and will take further action, as appropriate, to address this important public safety issue. View News Updates
To View the link re: this, please click here
Now this is what gets confusing. We, the consumers assume that if something we are shopping for is sold at a store, then it has to be safe. That a product would not be placed on the shelf of any store if there was even the slightest potential of something being wrong. WRONG!!!
Warning labels on containers refer only to toxic hazards from ingestion; however, only 10% of health problems from chemicals are caused by ingestion. 90% are caused by the inhalation of vapors and absorption of particles.
The United States of America Federal Code of Regulations exempts manufacturers from full labeling of products if used for personal, family or household care. [Source USA FCR: Section 1910.1200C, Title 29, Section 1500.82 2Q1A]
So this is my question. If Labeling laws allow a manufacturer to get away with NOT disclosing ALL ingredients, or labeling a name of an ingredient under a AKA (also knows as) name. How do we know what is really in the items that we buy? After all, the manufacturer does not have to disclose that information.
Once again I am going to touch on Formaldehyde. This commonly known preservative is being used in just about everything.... Ok, I won't go that far.... But I bet every person has some item in there house that has Formaldehyde in it. And you would not even know. Because our labeling laws make it so a manufacturer does not have to disclose that information on their labels. Or the manufacturer can use a different name for formaldehyde (AKA).
Take a look at what OSHA says. Click here.
So if you are looking to see about taking baby steps in Going Green, or maybe you want to see about shopping for SAFER, Healthier, more Cost-Effective products.... Maybe you are just curious about all of this , then feel free to visit: HERE . There is a consumers choice.
The Top 5 Worst Dollar Store Buys
WITH FOOD AND gas prices on the rise, shopping at dollar stores may seem like a great way to get more bang for your buck. But while dollar stores offer plenty of great deals, there are also plenty of duds that aren't worth the money -- no matter what the discount.
"In general, things that you want to last a long time are not going to cost you a dollar," notes Shakira Brown of Retail Secrets for Savvy Consumers, a frugal living blog. "Any product that costs a dollar is worth less than a dollar. Otherwise, what profit would be in it?"
We're not just talking about shoddy products, some are downright dangerous. "Sometimes seemingly innocuous items show up with safety issues," says Tod Marks, a senior editor with Consumer Reports. Unfortunately, many of the most problem-prone dollar store products are those that offer the biggest discounts.
Here are five items to steer clear of when shopping at your local dollar store:
Batteries: Like most people, you probably don't think twice about what's inside those ultra-cheap batteries you're buying, but you should. Most dollar-store battery brands are made with carbon zinc -- a far more inferior option than the ones you can buy at the hardware or drugstore, says Tom Merritt, executive editor for electronics review site CNET. "You do not want those," he says. "It's one of the original battery technologies, and generally has very poor performance." You'll go through the pack of carbon zinc batteries much faster, negating any savings from the cheaper purchase price. Look instead for alkaline batteries. Unfortunately, these batteries are a rare find at dollar stores.
Toothpaste: While some personal-care products, like shampoo, can be excellent dollar-store buys, toothpaste isn't one of them. In June 2007, the Food and Drug Administration warned consumers that many imported toothpastes typically found at dollar stores and other discount outlets contained the poisonous chemical diethylene glycol (DEG) -- most commonly used as a thickener in antifreeze. To date, the agency has identified more than 40 hazardous brands, including several counterfeit tubes that look like Colgate. Repeated brushing with a DEG-laced toothpaste can have serious health consequences, says Rita Chappelle, a spokeswoman for the FDA. "It causes liver and kidney damage and other gastrointestinal problems," she says. Although import restrictions and recalls were issued to halt the distribution and sale of the tainted toothpaste, consumers still need to remain vigilant. "There could still be some products on shelves," warns Chappelle. Because it can be tough to tell the problem tubes from the real deal (it's not as if diethylene glycol is listed as an ingredient), the safest course is to fork over a little more cash for a tube at your local supermarket or drugstore, where there's more quality control.
Electrical Products: "When shopping for holiday lights and extension cords, it's never a good idea to bargain-hunt for the lowest price," says Patty Davis, a spokeswoman for the Consumer Product Safety Commission. Components of electrical products like these can be expensive, and that should be reflected in the price. In the cheapest (often counterfeit) items, the wiring may be undersized, meaning more current goes through than the device can handle, adds Consumer Reports' Marks. They may also have substandard insulation. At best, these problems make for a faulty product that shorts out. At their worst, the cords can overheat or melt, shocking anyone handling them or even starting a fire.
Kids' Jewelry: Because many dollar-store items are mass-produced by little-known manufacturers in China, there's a considerable risk of high lead content, cautions Marianne Szymanski, founder of ToyTips.com, a toy safety resource for parents. "Don't buy kids' products from the dollar store," she says. "Until you can be confident that there is no lead, I just wouldn't." Especially risky are any items made of metal or that will have close contact with your child's skin -- like jewelry. In 2007, the CPSC announced recalls for more than 1.5 million jewelry products from dollar and discount stores due to high lead content. While just touching the items can't hurt, kids do tend to put things in their mouths, Szymanski says. And lead-laced paint can easily flake and be ingested. Any lead consumption is unsafe, potentially affecting the exposed child's ability to learn and causing behavioral issues, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Repeated or prolonged exposure to lead compounds the problems. As last year's widespread recalls proved, dangerous levels of lead can show up in toys from any manufacturer at any price point. Sticking with well-known brands is your best bet for safety, but even that's not a cure-all, warns Szymanski.
Vitamins: Multivitamins are supposed to fill in the gaps in a person's diet, helping them meet their recommended daily intake of nutrients and bolster their immune system. That is, if the vitamin does what it's supposed to do. "The dollar store products can be dicey," says Marks. Because the FDA considers multivitamins a dietary supplement, there's significantly less oversight when it comes to their composition and effects on the body than there is for prescription medications. In a 2004 analysis, Consumer Reports found that half of the dollar-store vitamin brands it studied contained less of the nutrients claimed on the label, or failed to dissolve properly when ingested. No such problems turned up in similar investigations of major brand names, says Marks. Read our story here for tips on some of the best ways to save when buying everything from airplane tickets to groceries.
By Kelli B Grant
Reporter, www.SmartMoney.com
"In general, things that you want to last a long time are not going to cost you a dollar," notes Shakira Brown of Retail Secrets for Savvy Consumers, a frugal living blog. "Any product that costs a dollar is worth less than a dollar. Otherwise, what profit would be in it?"
We're not just talking about shoddy products, some are downright dangerous. "Sometimes seemingly innocuous items show up with safety issues," says Tod Marks, a senior editor with Consumer Reports. Unfortunately, many of the most problem-prone dollar store products are those that offer the biggest discounts.
Here are five items to steer clear of when shopping at your local dollar store:
Batteries: Like most people, you probably don't think twice about what's inside those ultra-cheap batteries you're buying, but you should. Most dollar-store battery brands are made with carbon zinc -- a far more inferior option than the ones you can buy at the hardware or drugstore, says Tom Merritt, executive editor for electronics review site CNET. "You do not want those," he says. "It's one of the original battery technologies, and generally has very poor performance." You'll go through the pack of carbon zinc batteries much faster, negating any savings from the cheaper purchase price. Look instead for alkaline batteries. Unfortunately, these batteries are a rare find at dollar stores.
Toothpaste: While some personal-care products, like shampoo, can be excellent dollar-store buys, toothpaste isn't one of them. In June 2007, the Food and Drug Administration warned consumers that many imported toothpastes typically found at dollar stores and other discount outlets contained the poisonous chemical diethylene glycol (DEG) -- most commonly used as a thickener in antifreeze. To date, the agency has identified more than 40 hazardous brands, including several counterfeit tubes that look like Colgate. Repeated brushing with a DEG-laced toothpaste can have serious health consequences, says Rita Chappelle, a spokeswoman for the FDA. "It causes liver and kidney damage and other gastrointestinal problems," she says. Although import restrictions and recalls were issued to halt the distribution and sale of the tainted toothpaste, consumers still need to remain vigilant. "There could still be some products on shelves," warns Chappelle. Because it can be tough to tell the problem tubes from the real deal (it's not as if diethylene glycol is listed as an ingredient), the safest course is to fork over a little more cash for a tube at your local supermarket or drugstore, where there's more quality control.
Electrical Products: "When shopping for holiday lights and extension cords, it's never a good idea to bargain-hunt for the lowest price," says Patty Davis, a spokeswoman for the Consumer Product Safety Commission. Components of electrical products like these can be expensive, and that should be reflected in the price. In the cheapest (often counterfeit) items, the wiring may be undersized, meaning more current goes through than the device can handle, adds Consumer Reports' Marks. They may also have substandard insulation. At best, these problems make for a faulty product that shorts out. At their worst, the cords can overheat or melt, shocking anyone handling them or even starting a fire.
Kids' Jewelry: Because many dollar-store items are mass-produced by little-known manufacturers in China, there's a considerable risk of high lead content, cautions Marianne Szymanski, founder of ToyTips.com, a toy safety resource for parents. "Don't buy kids' products from the dollar store," she says. "Until you can be confident that there is no lead, I just wouldn't." Especially risky are any items made of metal or that will have close contact with your child's skin -- like jewelry. In 2007, the CPSC announced recalls for more than 1.5 million jewelry products from dollar and discount stores due to high lead content. While just touching the items can't hurt, kids do tend to put things in their mouths, Szymanski says. And lead-laced paint can easily flake and be ingested. Any lead consumption is unsafe, potentially affecting the exposed child's ability to learn and causing behavioral issues, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Repeated or prolonged exposure to lead compounds the problems. As last year's widespread recalls proved, dangerous levels of lead can show up in toys from any manufacturer at any price point. Sticking with well-known brands is your best bet for safety, but even that's not a cure-all, warns Szymanski.
Vitamins: Multivitamins are supposed to fill in the gaps in a person's diet, helping them meet their recommended daily intake of nutrients and bolster their immune system. That is, if the vitamin does what it's supposed to do. "The dollar store products can be dicey," says Marks. Because the FDA considers multivitamins a dietary supplement, there's significantly less oversight when it comes to their composition and effects on the body than there is for prescription medications. In a 2004 analysis, Consumer Reports found that half of the dollar-store vitamin brands it studied contained less of the nutrients claimed on the label, or failed to dissolve properly when ingested. No such problems turned up in similar investigations of major brand names, says Marks. Read our story here for tips on some of the best ways to save when buying everything from airplane tickets to groceries.
By Kelli B Grant
Reporter, www.SmartMoney.com
Friday, April 18, 2008
Going Green
GREEN" just makes sense for a better tomorrow. Learn how and why to create a safer and healthier home environment for you and your family. We offer FREE live internet webcasts weekly.
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Sunday, April 13, 2008
Baby Steps In FREE Online Marketing
Ok, so I touched a little on offline marketing last week. Now let's discuss online marketing for your business. This will be just very basic tools that are helpful.
So you are ready and open for business. How will you reach the people that use the internet?
If you need a domain name, site building or hosting, check out GoDaddy
I'm going to touch on some tools that I use for my business. That help me to get my business recognized.
First, url submissions. Yes, you can pay to have your url submitted from someone else but I choose to do this myself. And here is a listing of some of the search engines and directories.
As long as you know your url, you can go to the search engines and submit your url on your own. You will look for the (suggest a site or link) usually found at the top or very bottom. Here is a list of some of the search engines.
DMOZ.org
ExactSeek.com
Google.com
Livesearching.net
MSN.com
ScrubTheWeb.com
Search-O-Rama.com
SearchSight.com
SingingFish
VXbox.com
Yahoo.com
Websquash.com
Sahfor.com
Add URL-Free.com
Aeiwi.com
Allfreethings.com
Walhello Internet Search
Free website directory
IceRocket - add your feed here
Mixcat Internet Website Directory
JDGO Search Engine
If you are using a blog to advertise your business, then you will want to use Ping-o-Matic every time you update. This tool lets blog search engines know that your blog has been updated and sends a ping out to the selected search engines.
Advertising. So many people shy away when they hear this. But there are so many Free ways to advertise your business online. One of my favorite is SaleSpider. These are free. All you have to do is create a user name and a password and then create your ad that you want to place and know which category you want to place it in. I love how these work. You are even sent an email on most of them that let you know when your ad is going to expire.
*** Make sure you use a separate email account for this.... You will probably get a little junk email as well*** But I'm sure you know how to hit delete.
If you are a WAHM and would like a free email account, then you can go to WAHMZONE. I love the way these accounts are set up.
Now, let's talk about banner/button/link/text exchanges. Just about every business is willing to exchange with another business. Company A will place a banner or text on company B and then company B will do the same to company A. They swap. It's great exposure and FREE.
The standard size banners used are 468x60, 125x125 and 88x31 which is used for plugging... I will get into that in a minute. View the sizes below.
Banner
Button
So you are ready and open for business. How will you reach the people that use the internet?
If you need a domain name, site building or hosting, check out GoDaddy
I'm going to touch on some tools that I use for my business. That help me to get my business recognized.
First, url submissions. Yes, you can pay to have your url submitted from someone else but I choose to do this myself. And here is a listing of some of the search engines and directories.
As long as you know your url, you can go to the search engines and submit your url on your own. You will look for the (suggest a site or link) usually found at the top or very bottom. Here is a list of some of the search engines.
DMOZ.org
ExactSeek.com
Google.com
Livesearching.net
MSN.com
ScrubTheWeb.com
Search-O-Rama.com
SearchSight.com
SingingFish
VXbox.com
Yahoo.com
Websquash.com
Sahfor.com
Add URL-Free.com
Aeiwi.com
Allfreethings.com
Walhello Internet Search
Free website directory
IceRocket - add your feed here
Mixcat Internet Website Directory
JDGO Search Engine
If you are using a blog to advertise your business, then you will want to use Ping-o-Matic every time you update. This tool lets blog search engines know that your blog has been updated and sends a ping out to the selected search engines.
Advertising. So many people shy away when they hear this. But there are so many Free ways to advertise your business online. One of my favorite is SaleSpider. These are free. All you have to do is create a user name and a password and then create your ad that you want to place and know which category you want to place it in. I love how these work. You are even sent an email on most of them that let you know when your ad is going to expire.
*** Make sure you use a separate email account for this.... You will probably get a little junk email as well*** But I'm sure you know how to hit delete.
If you are a WAHM and would like a free email account, then you can go to WAHMZONE. I love the way these accounts are set up.
Now, let's talk about banner/button/link/text exchanges. Just about every business is willing to exchange with another business. Company A will place a banner or text on company B and then company B will do the same to company A. They swap. It's great exposure and FREE.
The standard size banners used are 468x60, 125x125 and 88x31 which is used for plugging... I will get into that in a minute. View the sizes below.
Banner
Button
This is used for plugging.
A banner/button/plug can have anything on it. Words, pic, anything. And if you are in need of having one created, visit MisbeehaveBanners. Banners and buttons will be done by exchanges (swap). So I am in the wahm field. I would swap my banners/buttons with other wahm's business's. And if you go to http://www.mykidsmywhy.com/ you will see a link on the left side called Link Exchange. Follow the instructions and we will swap links or banners.
Now for a plug button. Which is the small one. This is great. Once again,, if you go to http://www.mykidsmywhy.com/ you will see a link on the left side called PlugBoard. And if you need a plugboard, visit here. Just as you would with the banners, you will copy your button url and place it into the button url field and use your website url in the http:// field. Instant advertising that is done FREE.
Community Advertising has great prices on Solo Ads. Now this you will pay for but it's worth it to me. It works like this.
We run ads like they came from you! Including using your business name for the title of our e-mail address with NO credit and NO mention of Community Advertising in your ad! Additionally we don't use e-mail addresses that are tied to our domain names. The focus for your business should be on YOU -- not US!When we run your advertisement we hand select the groups that we run your ad in based on the type of business you're running the ad campaign for. It's targeted advertising that is specific for the type of business that you're running. Our ad groups are tested and targeted to be effective!
List your business. Alot of sites will have a directory listing that will let you ad your business url to their list. So for what I do, I would go to Moms Network. You will see a link at the top called WAHM Directory. Under the directory, I would pick what category fits my business best and submit my business to be listed.
Blogging is another great way to get exposure. And of course, it's free. I use blogger. You can do the same url submissions with a blog that you can do with a website. See the list of directories that I found. What's nice about this is all you have to do is click the link and look for (submit or suggest) and follow the instructions for each one.
Article Submission. Just one more useful tool in getting your business recognized. And yes, it's FREE. I myself have a few articles that I have wrote. So if I can do it, then pretty much anyone can... LOL.. What I have just wrote is an article. You would just look at the type of business you are working, and write about it. Something that can help someone else in your field. Make sure you have a bio at the end that leads to you. Your name, your website and what you do. If your article is accepted, everyone can view it and that is free exposure.
If you have no idea where to go to submit your article, use your search engine. Play with the keywords. For myself, I would type in work at home, article submissions.
Everything I am touching on right now is either FREE or so very inexpensive. And I really tried to lay this out so simple for the newbie.... I hope this helps and if you decide to use any info, remember to include my bio:
Cindy Ashworth is a part time wahm and the owner of http://www.successfulwahm.blogspot.com/ and http://www.mykidsmywhy.com/
Monday, April 7, 2008
Why Market Your Business?
Marketing! It's everywhere. If you are someone that is working from home in your own business, then you can't help but hear how marketing your business is essential in your business growth.
For someone new in the work at home field, marketing can be a scarry term. Especially if you have never heard of it, done it and not even sure what it means.
Understand this. Marketing is needed in EVERY business. Without it, your business will not thrive and will probably fail.
Let's look at it this way. Let's say you had a building that you were renting and you decided that you were going to open up your own clothing store. How will people know you even exist? Sure, a few people may drive or walk past your business. But, what about all the other people that don't go your way? What about those that live in a different city, state or even country? And what about those that use the internet? You are missing and endless amount of people if you are not marketing over the internet.
So where do you begin in marketing your business? First let's start off easy... A little offline marketing. You will need business cards. You can order 250 FREE business cards here and just pay for the shipping. I love using my business cards everywhere. And I mean everywhere.
Your local mom and pop shops of all business's will usually let you leave your business cards at the front counter. They want to help local business's as well. I have left my cards at restaurants, bowling alleys, in restrooms, on pay phones (not taped down), at atm machines and even in grocery stores.
Another great way to market: Coloring Pages. Yes, these work. You will want to print off some coloring pages and make sure that you have your website at the bottom of the page. You can take these coloring pages to daycares, nurserys, preschools and even some grocery stores have a babysitting center that will watch your kids while the parent does their grocery shopping. Ask any of these places if you can leave some coloring pages there for the kids to color. And everyone knows that kids love to show their parents their artwork. And the parent will see your website on the colored page.
Here's a great tool that I used when we had a limousine company years ago. Go to all the local business in your area and ask if they want to network with other local business's. This is how it works. You will want a diversity of different business's involved. A coffee shop that will offer 1 free large coffee to go. A hair salon that may offer a free hair cut to a new client. Or a card shop that may offer like 20% off their purchase. Do you get the idea? Six to eight business's will be
perfect for this. Make sure to include your business and an offer as well.
Let's say that you have 8 local business's that want to join this. Now don't worry, you don't have to be an artist to do this... LOL. You will have 4 business's listed on the left side of the flyer and 4 on the right side of the flyer. Company name at the top. What they are offering under the company name. And then phone # and address under that. At the bottom you will have the expiration date of the offer. A vey quick and sloppy example is above. I just happened to have this saved and uploaded it here... I know, I should have taken time to make it professional but you should be able to get the picture.
Get prices from various printing companies and run off about 400 copies. Whatever the cost is, will be split among all 8 companies. Each company is willing to leave 50 fliers at their front counter for customers. This is a great way to get exposure and it really does not cost much.
Holiday marketing is fun. If it's Halloween, this is what you do. Hand out baggies of candy with your business card inside. Simple.
And if it's Easter. Invest in the plastic eggs and place a business card inside along with some candy. Most Easter egg hunts will gladly accept donations of the filled plastic Easter eggs. Just another great way to market.
Next time I will touch on the online marketing. I hope this helps. As always, feel free to use the content above as long as you link it to me and my bio.
Cindy Ashworth is a WAHM on a part time basis. And can be found at www.successfulwahm.blogspot.com and at www.mykidsmywhy.com
For someone new in the work at home field, marketing can be a scarry term. Especially if you have never heard of it, done it and not even sure what it means.
Understand this. Marketing is needed in EVERY business. Without it, your business will not thrive and will probably fail.
Let's look at it this way. Let's say you had a building that you were renting and you decided that you were going to open up your own clothing store. How will people know you even exist? Sure, a few people may drive or walk past your business. But, what about all the other people that don't go your way? What about those that live in a different city, state or even country? And what about those that use the internet? You are missing and endless amount of people if you are not marketing over the internet.
So where do you begin in marketing your business? First let's start off easy... A little offline marketing. You will need business cards. You can order 250 FREE business cards here and just pay for the shipping. I love using my business cards everywhere. And I mean everywhere.
Your local mom and pop shops of all business's will usually let you leave your business cards at the front counter. They want to help local business's as well. I have left my cards at restaurants, bowling alleys, in restrooms, on pay phones (not taped down), at atm machines and even in grocery stores.
Another great way to market: Coloring Pages. Yes, these work. You will want to print off some coloring pages and make sure that you have your website at the bottom of the page. You can take these coloring pages to daycares, nurserys, preschools and even some grocery stores have a babysitting center that will watch your kids while the parent does their grocery shopping. Ask any of these places if you can leave some coloring pages there for the kids to color. And everyone knows that kids love to show their parents their artwork. And the parent will see your website on the colored page.
Here's a great tool that I used when we had a limousine company years ago. Go to all the local business in your area and ask if they want to network with other local business's. This is how it works. You will want a diversity of different business's involved. A coffee shop that will offer 1 free large coffee to go. A hair salon that may offer a free hair cut to a new client. Or a card shop that may offer like 20% off their purchase. Do you get the idea? Six to eight business's will be
perfect for this. Make sure to include your business and an offer as well.
Let's say that you have 8 local business's that want to join this. Now don't worry, you don't have to be an artist to do this... LOL. You will have 4 business's listed on the left side of the flyer and 4 on the right side of the flyer. Company name at the top. What they are offering under the company name. And then phone # and address under that. At the bottom you will have the expiration date of the offer. A vey quick and sloppy example is above. I just happened to have this saved and uploaded it here... I know, I should have taken time to make it professional but you should be able to get the picture.
Get prices from various printing companies and run off about 400 copies. Whatever the cost is, will be split among all 8 companies. Each company is willing to leave 50 fliers at their front counter for customers. This is a great way to get exposure and it really does not cost much.
Holiday marketing is fun. If it's Halloween, this is what you do. Hand out baggies of candy with your business card inside. Simple.
And if it's Easter. Invest in the plastic eggs and place a business card inside along with some candy. Most Easter egg hunts will gladly accept donations of the filled plastic Easter eggs. Just another great way to market.
Next time I will touch on the online marketing. I hope this helps. As always, feel free to use the content above as long as you link it to me and my bio.
Cindy Ashworth is a WAHM on a part time basis. And can be found at www.successfulwahm.blogspot.com and at www.mykidsmywhy.com
Saturday, April 5, 2008
How to Stay Confident in Your Decision to be a WAHM
There’s no denying that there will be times when you will question your decision to be a work at home mom. Don’t worry, it’s completely normal and it happens to everyone at some point in his or her career.
The key to making certain that you remain confident in your decision to be a WAHM is to carefully consider whether or not working from home is the best choice before you embark on your journey. You should also be prepared for off days, times when you don’t earn as much money as you thought you would, and plain and simple bad days. We all have them, and I can guarantee that at some point, you will too. However, the key to your success is in remembering the positive aspects of working from home and staying committed to your goals.
First, you should create a business plan. In fact, you should have a business plan before you ever leave your current job and begin working from home. You should also have a realistic understanding of how much money you expect to earn during the first year of your business.
The number one way to lose confidence in your success as a work at home mom is to come to the realization that you aren’t making as much money as you thought you would. Careful consideration and planning should go into your choice of a work at home career and you should plan ahead for days when you find your business isn’t as prosperous as you would like it to be.
You should also make sure that you have enough money in savings to carry you through the early part of your work at home career. By knowing that you have your finances secure, you can concentrate more fully on your business without feeling the effects and stress of financial pressure.
When your business plan is set, and you have enough money in savings, it is much easier to remain focused on your decision to be a work at home mom. Though there will be times of change in your career, as long as you are goal oriented and successfully meeting your goals, you can encourage yourself and remain positive through the hard days of your career. By taking the time to set your plan and make daily, weekly, monthly, and even yearly goals, you will find that you will remain focused and confident in your decision to work from home.
It is important that married women have the full support and confidence of their husbands before beginning to work from home. It can be very detrimental to your success if your husband begins to lose faith in your ability to work from home.
Before you make the decision to leave the workplace, you and your husband should discuss how you will handle the financial aspect of your work from home career as well as how you will balance the responsibilities of family and work. With the support of your husband, family, and a great business plan, you’ll find that it will be easy to stay confident in y our decision to be a work from home mother.
Marcia Chumbley is a work at home mom and grandmother in Minnesota. She is the owner of a Christian Work From Home Moms website at Faithful Grannies 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. She holds a degree in Business and is a CMOM.
Article Source CWAHGrandparents.com
The key to making certain that you remain confident in your decision to be a WAHM is to carefully consider whether or not working from home is the best choice before you embark on your journey. You should also be prepared for off days, times when you don’t earn as much money as you thought you would, and plain and simple bad days. We all have them, and I can guarantee that at some point, you will too. However, the key to your success is in remembering the positive aspects of working from home and staying committed to your goals.
First, you should create a business plan. In fact, you should have a business plan before you ever leave your current job and begin working from home. You should also have a realistic understanding of how much money you expect to earn during the first year of your business.
The number one way to lose confidence in your success as a work at home mom is to come to the realization that you aren’t making as much money as you thought you would. Careful consideration and planning should go into your choice of a work at home career and you should plan ahead for days when you find your business isn’t as prosperous as you would like it to be.
You should also make sure that you have enough money in savings to carry you through the early part of your work at home career. By knowing that you have your finances secure, you can concentrate more fully on your business without feeling the effects and stress of financial pressure.
When your business plan is set, and you have enough money in savings, it is much easier to remain focused on your decision to be a work at home mom. Though there will be times of change in your career, as long as you are goal oriented and successfully meeting your goals, you can encourage yourself and remain positive through the hard days of your career. By taking the time to set your plan and make daily, weekly, monthly, and even yearly goals, you will find that you will remain focused and confident in your decision to work from home.
It is important that married women have the full support and confidence of their husbands before beginning to work from home. It can be very detrimental to your success if your husband begins to lose faith in your ability to work from home.
Before you make the decision to leave the workplace, you and your husband should discuss how you will handle the financial aspect of your work from home career as well as how you will balance the responsibilities of family and work. With the support of your husband, family, and a great business plan, you’ll find that it will be easy to stay confident in y our decision to be a work from home mother.
Marcia Chumbley is a work at home mom and grandmother in Minnesota. She is the owner of a Christian Work From Home Moms website at Faithful Grannies 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. She holds a degree in Business and is a CMOM.
Article Source CWAHGrandparents.com
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
Quick, Simple Way To Recharge
With juggling kids, homeschooling, home, business, everything that we as Mothers have in our hands, it can really get tough sometimes. So, what do you do to recharge? What helps you make it through and feel creative or inspired or just able to face things again? Here are some things that work for me.
Meditate or Pray: Taking time to be still and quiet, and to reconnect can do wonders for the spirit.
Journal: I journal most days, even if it’s only for a few minutes. I write down my visualization exercises and then I write down at least 5 things that I am thankful for right then.
Thank Someone: A few times a week I randomly pick someone who I am thankful for and/or inspired by and just send a little note or email. I find that my effort to lift someone else’s spirits lifts mine too.
Movement: Yoga, pilates, or dancing. I turn on iTunes and exercise or dance with my kids. It can really relieve stress. The days when I least feel like doing this are the days when I need to the most. If I can just make myself move I find I feel much better the rest of the day.
Quiet Time: Sometimes I light a candle and just sit and read quietly from my Bible or an inspirational book.
Bubbles: Yes, I know this is a stereotype, but it works. If I’m lucky and the kids are all asleep I’ll give myself 5 or 10 minutes in the bath to relax with bubbles and just work to clear my mind of all the stress.
Coffee (aka Reward Yourself): I purchase frappucino mix and make them at home as a treat when I’m particularly stressed. Use something you love as a reward for surviving your day.
Foot Massage or Reflexology: Giving yourself a foot massage or doing reflexology on your feet can really boost your energy level.
Energize with your Nose: I find certain essential oils to be energizing as well — peppermint, lemon, or orange oils work for me. Some people like pine or rosemary or thyme to energize.
Identify and Attack: A few days ago I was really stressed and I cleaned out a closet. As strange as that might sound, I identified that I was feeling “out of control” about a particular situation, and so by doing something that helped me feel organized and in control I resolved that feeling, and then was able to focus on work.
Write it Down: Making a “to do” list before bed helps me sleep better because I don’t worry that I’ll forget something that way. It also lets me easily rank what’s important, and what I can let go of, and that helps me feel more focused and energized.
Support Group or Coach: Sometimes we all need a little support and encouragement. One of the things that helps me tremendously is when I have a session with my business coach. Just the listening ear, outside perspective, and relentless positivity is so inspiring.
I really questioned it before I gave it a try, but I can say that this is one of the best business decisions I’ve made. The accountability doesn’t hurt either when I need to motivate myself to action. Knowing someone else is going to ask if I made positive steps this month is a good motivator. But more than that it’s really recharging to get out what’s going on, what’s going wrong, what’s going right and have someone there to help you through it. So get a coach! Or find a sounding board. Talk to a friend or colleague about being accountability partners. Surround yourself with support and you’ll find comfort and inspiration.
Article Source: http://www.wahm-articles.com/
Meditate or Pray: Taking time to be still and quiet, and to reconnect can do wonders for the spirit.
Journal: I journal most days, even if it’s only for a few minutes. I write down my visualization exercises and then I write down at least 5 things that I am thankful for right then.
Thank Someone: A few times a week I randomly pick someone who I am thankful for and/or inspired by and just send a little note or email. I find that my effort to lift someone else’s spirits lifts mine too.
Movement: Yoga, pilates, or dancing. I turn on iTunes and exercise or dance with my kids. It can really relieve stress. The days when I least feel like doing this are the days when I need to the most. If I can just make myself move I find I feel much better the rest of the day.
Quiet Time: Sometimes I light a candle and just sit and read quietly from my Bible or an inspirational book.
Bubbles: Yes, I know this is a stereotype, but it works. If I’m lucky and the kids are all asleep I’ll give myself 5 or 10 minutes in the bath to relax with bubbles and just work to clear my mind of all the stress.
Coffee (aka Reward Yourself): I purchase frappucino mix and make them at home as a treat when I’m particularly stressed. Use something you love as a reward for surviving your day.
Foot Massage or Reflexology: Giving yourself a foot massage or doing reflexology on your feet can really boost your energy level.
Energize with your Nose: I find certain essential oils to be energizing as well — peppermint, lemon, or orange oils work for me. Some people like pine or rosemary or thyme to energize.
Identify and Attack: A few days ago I was really stressed and I cleaned out a closet. As strange as that might sound, I identified that I was feeling “out of control” about a particular situation, and so by doing something that helped me feel organized and in control I resolved that feeling, and then was able to focus on work.
Write it Down: Making a “to do” list before bed helps me sleep better because I don’t worry that I’ll forget something that way. It also lets me easily rank what’s important, and what I can let go of, and that helps me feel more focused and energized.
Support Group or Coach: Sometimes we all need a little support and encouragement. One of the things that helps me tremendously is when I have a session with my business coach. Just the listening ear, outside perspective, and relentless positivity is so inspiring.
I really questioned it before I gave it a try, but I can say that this is one of the best business decisions I’ve made. The accountability doesn’t hurt either when I need to motivate myself to action. Knowing someone else is going to ask if I made positive steps this month is a good motivator. But more than that it’s really recharging to get out what’s going on, what’s going wrong, what’s going right and have someone there to help you through it. So get a coach! Or find a sounding board. Talk to a friend or colleague about being accountability partners. Surround yourself with support and you’ll find comfort and inspiration.
Article Source: http://www.wahm-articles.com/
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