Being part of this organization makes you really smart? Why? Because the world is changing although our God isn’t!

Jill Hart is a leader ahead of her time.  When CWAHM was founded our economy was booming, well kind of.  Job security wasn’t the oxymoron it has become now.  These two words “job security” are now in contradiction with each other.  Some of you will know that I am a British export!  I came to America to live, just three years ago, and since that time the economy has plunged but that isn’t all.

I listened to the BBC news today and heard that British experts are forecasting that the job market is going to decline even further.  Government is slimming down and shedding jobs and the private sector is not anticipating hiring up.  I think most companies are trying to maintain or increase their profitability whilst holding down staff costs.  I don’t think the situation is any different here in America.

What does this mean for us?  It means that the home based entrepreneur looks a lot smarter today than they did 5 years ago.  If you are a home-based business owner stand tall, breath deeply, and rejoice in the goodness of God leading you to take charge of your own affairs and being smart about it.

Did you know that the world’s leading poll company, Gallup, has just brought out research to say that the economic recovery won’t come from central government but from the ability of cities to encourage new entrepreneurs to be entrepreneurial.

So what can you and I do?  We can look for ways to create business solutions that meet genuine needs in our community.  That may mean you simple expand your business to allow others to participate or you seek God’s help in taking your business to the next level.  God is the master builder and He can inspire you and I to dream dreams in our mind, then to create a plan for the implementation of those dreams.  Someone has said “A goal is a dream with a deadline.”  I agree.  Dreams need to be earthed in the soil of planning, activity, review and consistency.

Today, be proud of the fact that you are an entrepreneur and making a difference in our world.  Work is a holy pursuit and I think I just heard God whisper in my ear “Congratulations.”  Maybe today He is saying that to you, too.  Be encouraged and, like me, thank God for CWAHM!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Jonathan Booth is the National Coach of the School of Entrepreneurship.  He is formerly the CEO of CARE for the Family in the UK, a sister organization to Focus on the Family.  Jonathan has led three Christian organizations and worked in over 50 countries.  He lives in Oregon with his wife, Karleen and an Aussie exchange student plus two dogs and has children and grandchildren in Indiana and London.

I started my adventure in online work that could be done from home several years ago. But unfortunately, I didn’t get serious about it until this year. I started with survey sites and weeded my away through around 80 before I found several legit ones that truly pay. I am sure there are many more but I now don’t have the patience or time to do surveys for all of them.

Along the way I’ve found paid to click sites, paid to view videos, paid to do tasks and paid to “Like” pages on Facebook or post tweets on twitter sites.  There’s an entire world out there for micro-workers, as I like to call myself.  If you are in the market to be a contractor and have no real employer but yourself and work hard you can make a living working from home online. I must also say, I’ve met some really great people in this business and made friends, have great support and mentors. I would also recommend you get a PayPal account as well as an Alert Pay account. (You can always find me for help anytime on my blog – DreamzComeTrue.)

Terminology for online mircroworkers

• Micro-workers: Private Task Contractors/Virtual Office Assistants
• VOT – Virtual Office Assistant
• PTC – Paid to Click
• Affiliate Marketer / Affiliate – When you advertise approved ad’s for companies that pay you to do so
• Sweeper – When you do sweepstakes
• C.O.L.– Cash Out Limit
• Referral Specialist – Someone that works VERY hard to make money by referring people to sites under them so they make a profit off of the work of the person they referred.

So let’s start off with survey sites:

You need to know that survey sites are free. You should never have to pay to join and do a survey. They pay you. Most surveys sites also have paid tasks, videos, coupons and offers. When you do the coupons they pay you to use the coupons of your choice that you print out. Can’t beat that!  With survey sites you need to be patient as most companies have cash out limits. You will not always qualify for a survey and this all depends on the day, time and the type of survey etc., so you just never know. There is no guarantee you’ll qualify on a daily basis. Because of this I suggest using several sites to help stay busy and build money up in all of them. If on one site you don’t qualify you might on the next. With Sites like Swagbucks and Inbox I also have downloaded a tool bar that these companies will pay you to do your searches on. So instead of using maybe the Google toolbar you use Inboxes and they pay you for it. But each company has specifications on that as well. Most company’s offer referral rewards as well.  Be prepared for a ton of spam in this line of work as well. But maybe make a dedicated email just for work as if you would at any workplace. I go through my emails so many times a day that I just use one, but not recommended. It is time consuming and confusing.

Valid sites I use:

• Inbox Dollars: COL $30 and takes a month to get first check.
• Send Earnings (Inbox Dollars sister site): COL $30 and takes a month to get first check.
• Opinions Outpost : COL $30 paid by check within a few weeks of Cash Out.
• Talkback Surveys:  COL $25.00 paid to PayPal but you can also turn your money in for other offers such as donations and gift cards.
• Swagbucks: They pay with points that at some point will total as money. After 700 points I always cash out for $5.00 to be paid to my PayPal account.

Paid to click sites are very hard to find legitimate ones. I am still in the experiment process with these companies’s and already invested some money just to have the company shut down and disappear. Most paid to click sites you have to invest in order to make money worth your time. There is no company that will pay 1.00 or more to click on an ad for twenty seconds so don’t believe the hype. There are plenty of sites that have reviews and many sites that only do paid to click reviews. I wouldn’t trust any sites reviews as I have seen many pay people to post reviews. So definitely find a good trust worthy source outside of the actual site in question to research.  I personally use the method of entering the name of the company in the address bar and a ton of sites pop up usually many are reviews.

Virtual Office Assistants:  This line of business is awesome and booming if you have a home office set up. Most include phone (landline), head set, high-speed cable (not wifi), printer, fax, scanner, a computer and of course a quiet environment to be a virtual assistant. Most companies will list their specific requirements before you apply. There are data entry jobs that don’t require so much but are very hard to find legitimate companies. I have also found many bogus companies claiming to help you find the perfect job from home. I have personally applied for hundreds over the last year and no response at all but scam’s and spam. So as always read carefully and be safe on the net.

Here’s a site I recommend for legitimate online work from home jobs plus great support from other’s like us trying to make a living from home:  www. Cwahm.com

Paid Task Sites:  When it comes to paid task sites you can most def. use the survey sites to complete the tasks they offer. I prefer to use other sites that are just for paid tasks. These sites offer tasks by random employers and people who pay to have other’s complete tasks for them. Examples are posting an ad to Craigslist or voting on a picture in a contest. There can be Google tasks, twitter tasks, facebook tasks, sign up type tasks and the list goes on and on.

MicroWorkers – this one is my favorite so far. I use them hourly and try to complete ten tasks or more a day. I am paid weekly on the dot via Alert Pay. COL is $9.00 I think. I usually wait until I am over $10.00 because they do take a small percentage when you cash out.

Last, but not least, let me explain about affiliate working. I am fairly new to this but there is plenty of work out there for this line of business. Many companies, at the bottoms of their sites, list the word “AFFILIATES.” Here you can sign up and, if approved, they will pay you to advertise for them. Every site is a little different how they pay and what they expect.  Some sites, like BestBuy, have great benefits to being an affiliate with them.  I also use Adsense on my blog and as people click on ad’s and view them, they pay me. Some, like Bestbuy, pay commissions off of the sales made from your advertisement. So the limit of income is great if you are good at advertising. I would keep in mind that to go big with this there will be investments needed.

About the Author:  Sandra is single mother of three, two teenagers and a one year old. She graduated in 2011 with her AOSCJ and is currently pursuing her Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice with Human Services. Sandra is a stay at home mom working from home online which has been her dream come true. She loves being home with her kids, being her own boss and working her own hours. Part of her passion is helping others and working from home she has been able to help others do the same. She enjoys the new people she meets in this line of business and learning something new every day. Sandra just started as a consultant with Scentsy and is excited about adding a new work from home opportunity to her list of many. On an average day she is being Mom, working, studying and if given the time she loves to shop!! For more on Sandra’s dream come true, please visit her blog.

As a work at home mom, you are always juggling priorities. Sometimes it seems that there’s not enough time in the day to get everything done–but you must. You’ve got to juggle job responsibilities with raising your kids right and you also want to give enough time to your faith. How do you do it? Maybe these tips will help.

1. Put God First
Putting God first doesn’t mean neglecting your other responsibilities. It’s about recognizing the importance of your faith to getting the rest of your life under control. If you attend worship regularly and socialize with other Christians, you’ll be a happier and more balanced person, which will make it easier to manage everything else you need to do. Putting God first is also about making sure that your schedule allows time for faith based activities and letting everyone in your family know that these are fixed in your schedule – everything else has to flow around them, most of the time at least. Once you’ve established that, you can move on the next aspect of getting organized.

2. Set a Family Schedule
Efficient scheduling is the cornerstone of good work-life balance. You can schedule practically everything, though you don’t have to make it all public. Have a family calendar in a prominent place and include time for church, time for work and time for the kids’ extra-curricular activities. You can even include things like a weekly family meeting or movie night. That way, everyone will know what to expect.

You can also keep a private schedule for yourself. Many WAHMs struggle to find time to do the little things that keep family and social life ticking over smoothly - they’re too busy trying to earn enough money to feed the family, manage current bank accounts and pay off your credit cards. On your private schedule you can include items like ‘have a girls’ day with my daughter’, ‘call mom’, ‘treat son to an outing’. That way you’ll be sure not to forget anything.

3. Set Client Expectations
The whole point of working for yourself is being able to set your own hours. In the current always-connected environment, it might seem that the people you work for want 24/7 access to you. Newsflash! Just because that’s what they want, it doesn’t mean that’s what you need to provide. Decide in advance what hours a week you’ll be working and let your clients know. It’s that simple. Many WAHM’s make a full time income working part-time hours. It’s all about those expectations.

4. Set Income Targets
You’ll know better than anyone how much money you need to earn to fund the basics, and how much more you will need for the occasional extra. Add those up, along with money for tax and health insurance and you will know how much you need to earn overall. Once you have that target, you can set about achieving it. It’s always better to know what your goal is and you can plan the steps to get the income you need. And don’t forget about the power of prayer–perhaps yours will be answered with guidance on a new direction for your work at home business or a new client you’ve been trying to land.

5. Remember Why You’re Doing This
We’ve talked about managing work life, your schedule and your faith, but there’s one area we should still look at. The reason why you’re knocking yourself out to do it all is probably your kids. They need your time too, not just for supervising homework, but for cheering them on at activities, playing, listening and teaching them your approach to faith and living a good life. Remember, it never hurts to schedule in some one-on-one time with each of your kids so you can find out what’s really on their mind and help them deal with the issues they face as they grow.

Follow these tips and you will soon achieve the perfect balance of God, work and children–and you’ll be much happier for it.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:  Dee Mason is a freelance writer and a proud mother of two.  She re-located from New York to London quite recently and is now trying to re-adjust her work – life balance again!

Working from home may come with a lot of benefits, from skipping the daily commute to setting your own hours to spending more time with the kids, but one thing it doesn’t offer is motivation to look your best.  At first you might continue with your regular office routine, rising early to shower, dress, and get made up.  But over time you will no doubt find yourself starting to slip, until one day you’re out the door to pick up the kids from school in the same pajamas you slept in last night.  This is not only bad for your own self-esteem, it can also cause problems in other areas of your life, reducing your work efficiency and leading to problems with interpersonal relationships (your partner may love you, but do you really want to test his resolve by wearing the same sweats all week?).  In short, there are many reasons why you should continue to dress like a person who might have to enter the outside world at any moment.  And here are just a few ways to keep up your looks.

For starters, you should remember that Rome wasn’t built in a day, and you’ll have to take the same tack with your new wardrobe.  If you think that jumping back into your stuffy office attire is the ticket, you should stop and think again.  Clearly you don’t need to dress like you’re going to a corporate office because you aren’t.  But you also don’t want to get schlumpy and frumpy with sweats and pajamas every day.  Instead, you need to find a middle ground with clothing that is comfortable, yet good-looking and that meets the requirements of a stylish, modern mom on the go.

Activewear is a great place to begin.  Although you may think that this category of clothing applies only to sportswear, this is a common misconception.  Sportswear is specifically engineered with exercise in mind.  Activewear, on the other hand, includes items of clothing that are both functional and fashionable.  While you’ll certainly find garments that will suit various activities, with fitted shorts, pants, leggings, and tops in soft, stretchy fabrics, you’ll also discover hoodies, jackets, and cargo pants that are fitted and flattering.  These are clothes that you can live your life in while feeling and looking good.

From there you may want to add a few pairs of jeans and some casual blouses, just to step it up a notch if you’re going to run errands or have lunch with the girls.  Flats are a must (you can skip the pointy-toed heels) to complete your look with less stress on your tootsies, and you should consider adding a few key accessories like a stylish, oversized tote (to carry all your mom stuff or double as a briefcase for meetings with clients) and one or two items of jewelry.  And for those days when you’ve got to step it up, get yourself a fantastic two-piece suit with a blazer and slacks.  Since you’ll probably have this item for a while, make sure you purchase a high-end sample and spend a few extra bucks to take it to an alterations shop and have it perfectly tailored.  You don’t have to spend a lot to look great, and even a minor effort will result in a better looking wardrobe that puts the spring back in your step.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:  Carol Montrose writes for BluWiki. Aside from finding discounts on activewear, you can also find American Eagle Outfitters Coupons and Fantastic Sams Coupons.

Finding clients when working as a home based business is usually the number one challenge that these companies face. Finding an economical way to advertise or get the word out about their product or services is sometimes overwhelming.

Many entrepreneurs do not know how to find effective methods of marketing so they frequent farmers markets or trade shows and approach their friends and families to purchase their products. As attending these venues can become costly in money and time, finding another way to promote their operation becomes a top priority.

Traditional methods of advertising can also be costly and limits the area that the message is reaching. So how can they get this information out to their target markets? Working with a Virtual Assistant is a cost effective method to put successful marketing in place. Here’s how:

1. A virtual assistant will work with the client to learn about their business, why they started it, how long they have been established, and what products or services they have to offer. Then the virtual assistant will write an article about this business and distribute it to the appropriate outlets.
2.  A virtual assistant will help businesses with their marketing campaigns. They will work to put an effective article together to draw in the target market’s attention to the products and services that are being offered. The virtual assistant will then submit this on line so a larger audience will be able to find it.
3. When a new product comes on line or changes come into effect, articles can be a great way to get the public’s interest. By using key words and product specific phrases, finding out about the line of items will be easy when people look for them on the internet.
4. Having a virtual assistant write articles about a business will help to establish the owner as an expert in their field. By submitting these on a regular basis, clients will look for these tips, especially if they are useful and applicable.
5. A virtual assistant could also help write content for the client if they want to place a combination ad and article in their local newspaper. This would provide coverage for a specific area so they could target the market within that distribution area.
6. A virtual assistant can help build an Adwords campaign for the home based business that will be effective without costing an exorbitant amount. This will help to draw clients to their web sites and help to promote their business.
7. Using press releases about upcoming events or the introduction of a new product can also be a very useful method of marketing that a virtual assistant will help the business put in place. These can be alternated with articles so clients will look for information that will be helpful to them and possibly result in sales for the business.
8. The client’s contact information will be included in the press release and article’s bio so customers who are interested in the product line can easily find the business.
9. Once the article has been put on line, it will always be available for future reference.

Working with a publicity virtual assistant to plan and implement this kind of marketing campaign is very easy. A quick search on the internet will produce listings of virtual assistants who are experienced in this type of work. Call one today and get started.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:  Carol Eigner is a Publicity Virtual Assistant and president of CEVA Services. She has successfully written and distributed press releases and articles. For more information, contact her at carol@cevaservices.ca.

Holly Reisem Hanna is the founder and publisher of The Work At Home Woman. I recently had the privilege to interview Holly and here’s what Holly shared:

How did you get started working from home?
Since the day my daughter was born, I’ve been a stay at home mom. But after 9 months of play dates, mommy and me classes and a dwindling bank account, I felt the urge to make some money and exercise my brain. I looked online for different work at home opportunities, but the majority of my time was spent weeding through scams and sifting through various website to find all of the information that I was looking for – I was left feeling exhausted and defeated.

I had always enjoyed writing and dabbled with the idea of writing the next comedic novel; however I never considered blogging as a career option. I continued to look online for the perfect work at home opportunity when it dawned on me, “I need to create a comprehensive resource where women can find all of the information they need to work at home” and hence The Work at Home Woman was born.

How long have you been working from home?To fund this endeavor I started working part-time from home for a small publishing company managing their social media campaigns. During this time I researched and created content for my site. I hired a graphic designer to create a custom design for me and in March of 2009, I officially launched The Work at Home Woman.

I’ve been working at home since December of 2007 – almost 4 years.

Describe your website in 15 words or less.
The Work at Home Woman is a business resource for women who work at home.

If your business were ice-cream, what flavor would it be and why?
I’d have to say Ben & Jerry’s, Chunky Money – banana ice cream with chocolate chunks and nuts. Due to the fact that The Work at Home Woman covers all the nuts and bolts of working at home and running a business. The site has something that is going to appeal to everyone.

How has blogging helped your business?
I’ve been blogging for 2 ½ years and I absolutely love it! It has given me freedom, flexibility and financial stability and it has launched the business that I had only dreamt about. Beside the perks of being able to stay at home with my daughter, blogging has introduced me to opportunities and people that I would have never met else wise – and for that reason alone having a blog business is worth its weight in gold.

If you could do anything (other than your current business) what would it be?
I love to travel and I also love social media, so perhaps I’d work for a company in the travel industry, managing their blog and social media campaigns. Or perhaps I’d be a travel writer/blogger.

How has working from home changed your life?
Overall it has made me a happier person. I don’t dread Monday mornings or having to wake up for work. I love that I have flexibility to schedule my work around my life, not the other way around. And most importantly, I love that I can be with my daughter and watch her grow as I build a business.

Do you have a favorite place to work?
I do have a separate office space with my desk and printer, but I never work there. Because of wireless technology, I’m able to work in the dining room where I get lots of natural sunlight and I can look out at nature. Here I’m also able to keep an eye on my daughter while she plays during the day.

How do you spread the word about your business?
Social media has been a wonderful tool for helping me to spread the word and cultivate relationships. But I’d say that networking and collaborating with other mompreneurs has been my most successful method of getting the word out. The wonderful thing about being in the mompreneur realm is that everyone is so supportive of each other and they truly want to see each other succeed.

What do you want the CWAHM readers to know about you?
My current business has nothing to do with my background experience or education. I graduated from the University of Texas with a Bachelor’s Degree in Cultural Anthropology and a few years later I obtained my Associate Degree in Nursing. I tell you this because I want you to keep pursuing your dreams and your passions – you don’t have to settle for an unfulfilling mediocre job.

Any final words of wisdom?
Surround yourself with positive like minded individuals. When you’re stuck in a job that you don’t like, it’s so easy to get caught up in the negative energy. Find yourself a support group or network where you can nurture your entrepreneurial spirit and start to get the creative juices flowing. Eventually you’ll be able to make the leap and follow your dreams.

How to contact Holly:  
The Work At Home Woman website
Twitter and Facebook 

So you’ve decided to start a business. You have gone on a self-discovery journey to find out what what your vision is, what your passions are, as well as your gifts, talents, and skills. You’ve chosen either a direct selling company or a

network marketing organization. Or you want to turn your hobby into a business. Perhaps you have specialized knowledge and gifts that you can turn into a product or service people need, want, and desire.

Now what?

Now it’s time to build your business into a brand.

What’s Your USP?
Choose a memorable name or use your own name as a brand, whatever appeals to you the most. Design an image around that name and what’s called your Unique Selling Proposition or USP. What is a USP? It is the products or services that distinguishes your company from another one. It’s the answer to the question, what do you uniquely have to offer?

Who’s Your Target Audience?
Choosing a target market is very important in this process. Whom are you in business for? Don’t say everyone! If you aim at nothing, you will hit at nothing. Have a laser focus on your audience and your brand will be more effective and you will have success. Whom do you have an affinity for? Look around you. What are your spheres of influence? For me, after becoming a homeschooling mother, I realized what a huge, growing niche market I had stumbled across. And naturally, I understand them because I am one and I regularly talk with fellow homeschooling mothers. You need to ask questions regarding your target market. What is their pain? What is their greatest fear? What do they desire? Who influences them? When you know the answer to these questions, you can weave that with your unique passions, talents, gifts, skills, and experience. Then you truly have something unique to offer!

Where Will Your Vision Take You?
So you have a vision, you have a target market, and you have a USP. What image represents that in the best, most simple way? Get a vision for your logo, sketch it out, play with it. Use software like Adobe Photoshop. Keep in mind, when designing a logo, what change you want to effect with it. What do you want to communicate? Remember you have only a few secon
Whether you decide to be an associate for a network marketer or promote your artwork or crafts, you need to have a brand. If you are an associate or direct seller, you may change companies in the future or that company you have chosen may go bankrupt. By building a brand you are building a hedge against the future.ds and first impressions are everything. You also want to make sure your image perception meets with reality. Do you claim to be the best widget maker? Then BE the best widget maker! If there is a gap between your business image and the quality of products or services, your brand will suffer and your profits will decrease dramatically!

You can take your brand wherever you go! Branding yourself is a fun and exciting process, requiring thorough analysis and strategic implementation. I wish you joy in this journey as you discover your unique identity!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Dana Susan Beasley, publisher and principal of AngelArts, helps fellow mompreneurs build their authentic brand identity through her online courses and mentoring. You can find her free video course on http://www.makeyourbrandsizzle.com

It was common for our parents and grandparents to marry once, put down roots, and follow one or two jobs until retirement, but Americans in the new millennium seem to be taking a revolving-door approach to commitments: just in case it doesn’t work out, the door is left open.

The turnover rates are confirmed by statistics as half of marriage commitments end in divorce, one third of volunteers do not return after their first year of service, and Americans hop from job to job with an average of 11 different occupations by the time they are 44 years old. While some of these commitments (such as marriage) reflect moral bearings and others freedom of choice, they all point to a common thread of dissatisfaction.

The research is evident, but what are the underlying causes of this widespread discontentment driving people away from their commitments? Why are pastors, professionals, and ministry volunteers experiencing burn-out? And what can we do differently to prevent this?

In his bestselling book, The 5 Love Languages, Dr. Gary Chapman proposed that the reason many marriages suffer is because husbands and wives do not understand each other’s language of personal communication. Once they identified and understood their “love language,” many couples have found renewed communication and intimacy in their marriage. Dr. Chapman’s observations were apparently accurate, as over 6 million copies (in English) were sold.

But in the workplace, languages of communication take a different form. In my experience of over 20 years in business consulting, one of the top reasons I have observed contributing to the “revolving door syndrome” is the lack of effectively communicated appreciation. In fact, according to the US Department of Labor, 64% of Americans who leave their jobs state lack of appreciation as the reason for stepping down. Just as love is the foundation of a strong marriage, effectively communicated appreciation is the bedrock of a great organization in work and ministry contexts.

While the languages of personal communication share similarities in the home and the workplace, their application and expression is dramatically different in personal and professional relationships. And to ensure that the message is not lost in translation, it is essential to understand the distinctions between different languages in their different contexts.

Hierarchy of Positions
A relationship between a supervisor and assistant, employer and employee, or two team members at different responsibility levels clearly has different relational dynamics than a relationship between spouses, family members, or friends. This hierarchy of positions introduces a power dynamic in work-based relationships, changing the whole context in which communication occurs.

Expectations and Boundaries
Work-based relationships are typically more formal than personal relationships, and the social boundaries of appropriate topics of discussion, styles of communication, social settings and physical proximity are more narrowly defined than in relationships with family and friends.

Appropriate Physical Touch
For the reasons stated above, physical touch is less important and plays a dramatically different role in the workplace than in personal relationships. Physical touch is the lowest language of appreciation for most people in the workplace, since there are clear boundaries in the work environment and for some employees even appropriate touch is not a desired mode of communication. But spontaneous, celebratory displays (high five’s, fist bumps, a pat on the back) are quite common between coworkers and are an important part of positive work-based relationships.

Quality Time
While quality time in personal relationships is primarily expressed through focused attention, quality time that expresses appreciation in the workplace can take on different forms. Within a professional context, this may include hanging out together as colleagues, working on tasks together collegially, or shared experiences that deepen team relationships.

Acts of Service
When demonstrating appreciation through acts of service in the workplace, there are important conditions to meet for the act to be valued by the recipient. The employee should first be asked if he or she wants assistance, and then the service should be completed in the way the recipient wants it done. The coworker lending a hand should define how much time he or she has to offer, and should avoid repeatedly rescuing a colleague who is underperforming so that the act of service is viewed positively by all.

Verbal Praise
As a love language, words of affirmation are usually a private exchange between two individuals, but in professional relationships, words of affirmation may also be communicated in group contexts. Public, verbalized appreciation of employees in a team meeting, in front of customers, or at an awards ceremony, is often an effective way of valuing employees for their work. Written communication through email and texting is also used significantly in work-based relationships.

Tangible Gifts
In personal relationships, gifts tend to be tangible objects, often given in celebration of a special occasion such as a birthday or anniversary. For those who value tangible gifts as their primary love language, the uniqueness, sentimental character, and price or value of the gift are often significant factors.

Tangible gifts in the workplace are less about the gift itself and more about the thought behind it—that the giver knows what is valued by the recipient or what hobbies or special interests they have. These gifts are also more commonly related to experiences—movie tickets, gift certificates for restaurants, or shopping gift cards. Additionally, one of the most common expressions of gift-giving in the workplace is through food—bringing bagels or donuts to share at the office, buying pizza for lunch, bringing in a homemade dessert, or picking up a coworker’s favorite coffee drink.

An Individualized Approach
Each person has their own preferred language of appreciation within the workplace. And within each language, there are specific actions that are valued more or less by that individual. The good news is that all of these actions of appreciation are either completely free or involve only a nominal cost. They key is to be able to use the right action with the right person, at the right time, and with a genuine spirit of appreciation.

When actions of appreciation hit the target, team members are effectively encouraged and the team is solidified and strengthened as a whole. Appreciation that is effectively communicated transforms the workplace, creating an environment in which employees and ministry workers can thrive and will look forward to longevity with a company, instead of looking for the door.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:  Paul White, Ph.D., co-author of 5 Languages of Appreciation in the Workplace. Dr. White is a psychologist, author, speaker, and consultant who makes work relationships work. For the past 20 years, he’s improved numerous businesses, wealthy family estates, and non-profit organizations. Dr. White received his Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology from Georgia State University. He has been married for over 30 years and is the father of four adult children. For more information, visit: www.DrPaulWhite.com.

Elance.com is one of the most effective ways for a freelancer to generate business. Unfortunately, many people who create profiles on Elance don’t get the business they would like. There are a number of things freelancers on Elance need to do if they intend to make money working on Elance:

You need to create a winning profile. The first step to winning projects on Elance is to create a great profile. How will bidders know you can provide great services if you aren’t willing to put the same professionalism into your profile? Your profile should have a professional image, preferably a headshot or your company logo. You need to succinctly but fully describe your services in your description. You need to show you are a serious professional, because 80% of clients say a freelancer’s profile is one of the biggest things they take into consideration when making their decision.

You need a portfolio of your projects and services. Bidders need to know that you have the experience they’re looking for. Showcase your best work by providing detailed descriptions of what you’ve done and what results they provided for previous clients. Provide links whenever possible. Before you describe your previous work, consider what your future clients will be looking for. Tailor your portfolio around their expectations.

Get your profile verified. The $15 fee is a small investment considering the amount of trust you build with your clients.

Take the tests. Clients want to see that you are proficient with the skills you offer. Take the tests to demonstrate you have mastered the skills they are looking for. Don’t be afraid to retake tests if you don’t score well. The tests may seem intensive, but remind yourself how much they will pay off in the long run.

Ask for feedback from your clients. Your clients want to know that you have provided professional and services for your other clients. They need to know you are honest and dependable. Your reviews from previous clients will have a much bigger impact than anything you will ever say.

Don’t be afraid to bid higher than your competitors. Elance clients want different things. Many of them would rather pay for quality. The clients who are looking for the cheapest bid would be the easiest for you to get, but they aren’t worth your time if you are an experienced professional. There is no reason to be afraid to bid what you are worth if you are better than your competitors. Of course, you need to stay within your clients’ budgets.

Elance is one of the best sites for professionals to generate business. The professionals who are going to win business on Elance are the ones who know how the system works and what clients are looking for. Put some effort into your profile and don’t expect serious results overnight. Building business on Elance will take time but it will be worth it in the long run.

About the Author:
Kalen Smith is a personal finance blogger for www.MoneyFile.net, a personal finance website in the saving and financial advice sector.

The importance of having an accountability partner is often overlooked since to most people, the concept of an accountability partner is foreign. The truth is that a lot of you already have accountability partners but it is a relationship you sort of fell into and so it has no formal definition. Yet, the role an accountability partner plays in our life is often a sensitive one that requires trust and should be a relationship that is entered into intentionally. Having an accountability partner means that you are surrounded by a person (or people) you can trust to be real with you.

What is an Accountability Partner?
First of all, it is important to know for sure what an accountability partner is. In a nutshell, an accountability partner is that person that helps you to keep on track. You share your dreams and goals with that person and as you go through life, he/she helps you stay true to yourself and can draw your attention when your focus is shifting from the goals you have set. This person also offers encouragement and is there to cheer you on when you achieve your milestones. Ideally, this should be reciprocal.

Why Do I Need One?
Although we all need an accountability partner – that person who will always tell you the truth in love – for a work at home mum (WAHM), the need for an accountability partner is more vital. This is because as a WAHM you are more or less isolated; no colleagues to discuss things over with, no boss to keep you going. Therefore, you need someone who is also in your unique situation; that is another WAHM to share dreams with and to exchange encouragement with.

What to Consider when Choosing an Accountability Partner
An accountability partner is someone you choose; you get more meaning out of the relationship that way. So before you go choosing one, here are some things to consider.

• Trust: Is this someone you can trust? If you do not already trust the person, can you grow to trust her? This is really important because you are going to be sharing some of your struggles and victories as a WAHM with this person; you need to make sure that you are on the same page. Also, do you trust this person to lovingly tell you the truth? What’s the point in having an accountability partner if you are not sure that you will get the truth from this person?
• Core Values: It is not really possible to have as an accountability partner, someone who shares all your values; and if you do, you are a very lucky person. Still, you need to make sure that you both share the same core values or it is going to be a splendid waste of time.
• Attitude: Is the person’s attitude positive and encouraging? This is someone you will be entrusting your dreams to for safe-keeping; you definitely do not want a fire extinguisher keeping guard over your dreams. In the same way, you also need to have a positive and encouraging attitude if you want to attract that kind of person to you.
• Compatibility: Although it might work, pairing up with a 9-5 mom might not be very productive for you. This is because there are unique situations you would be facing as a WAHM that a working mom might not understand. You need to find someone who can appreciate where you are coming from and where you are going to. Choose someone who understands your situation.
• Location: It is possible to have an accountability partner who is thousands of miles away. Thanks to email and Skype, you can still have as much contact as if you were next door neighbours. However, if you are the sort of person that needs a regular hug and the occasional lunch out, you might want to consider someone who lives close by.

Learning how to choose an accountability partner is an important step in growing as a person and in your goals. It is something you need to prayerfully consider; don’t rush into the relationship. You could decide to have one accountability partner or a group of accountability partners. Just make sure that you are all on the same page.

About the Author:
Sharon Fiberesima is an expat wife who found herself in the unique position of having to earn an income from home. Living in a foreign country and working as a freelance writer and WAHM, she understands the isolation many WAHMs face and created WAHM-encouragement, a free bi-monthly ezine to offer encouragement to WAHMs. You can sign up for the ezine at http://www.myreservoir.net/wahm-e/.

When starting a business the first step is easy. Before we do anything else we must simply decide to begin. Every decision following that one tends to be more difficult. However, we have a few tips to help get your started down the path to starting your dream business.

1. Choose the right business.

If you know you want to start a business, but aren’t sure what business is a good fit for you, don’t lose heart. Take stock of what types of things you love to do, skills that you bring to table and things you would do in life even when you aren’t paid (volunteer work, for example).  Make a list using all of these things and then look for a theme running through them all.  If you can find the theme, chances are you’re on the right path to finding a business that’s a good fit for you.

2. Set a timeline.
Once you’ve made a decision as to what business you’ll start, you need to start setting goals. Begin with the end – pick a date for when you’d like to be up and running. Then make a list of what needs to be done to make that happen and set goal dates for each item on the list.

3. Get a plan.
A business plan may sound like a whole lot of work for minimal rewards, but in actuality it will save you a good deal of time and effort later. Putting a plan together helps you keep focused and allows you to cut out things that aren’t a fit for where you’re headed. Search online for business plan examples and ideas and create one unique to you.

4. Get help.
None of us is a one-woman show. We may run our businesses on our own, yet all of us have people that mentor us (either formally or informally), people that we can turn to with questions. Make a list of people you can call on for different areas of expertise. Having these people in your rolodex now will save you stress when trouble comes – and it will eventually.

5. Outsource.
One thing new business owners often make a mistake doing is trying to do everything themselves. Yes, it may cost to bring in help, but even a few hours a week can make a huge difference in the time you will have as a business owner to do the actual business of growing your business. There are other possibilities, too, such as swapping and bartering for Virtual Assistant services. Be creative and don’t be afraid to ask for help.

6. Make it happen.
Once you have a plan in place, you must take the plunge. Dreaming, planning and list-making are all great things, but without action nothing will come of them. What needs to be done to get your business off the ground? Do it!

You can see how easy it is to start your own business. We also recommend that you read as much as you can to learn all you can.

About the Authors:
Jill Hart, Founder of Christian Work-at-Home Moms http://www.cwahm.com/ and Diana Ennen, President of Virtual Word Publishing,http://www.virtualwordpublishing.com/ have teamed up to write So You Want to Be a Work at Home Mom: A Christian’s Guide to Starting a Home-Based Business http://www.soyouwanttobeawahm.com/. Start or expand your business today with their help. Article is free to be reprinted as long as bio remains.

Social Media is quickly growing into one of the most-used marketing tools for work-at-home moms. One of the largest social media websites, Twitter.com, can be an effective way to spread the word about your business and learn from other top representatives in your business niche. However, it can take a lot of time to determine the best ways to use Twitter effectively for business. Below are ten tips to help shorten that learning curve.

1. Choose a Meaningful User Name
If possible, grab your business name as well as your own name for use on Twitter. Having an easy-to-find and easy-to-remember username is essential.

2. Brand Your Twitter Page
Don’t leave your Twitter page boring and plain – spice it up. Make sure you add your logo, contact information and any other information that will be helpful for customers and visitors to your page. You can use a website such as TwitBacks.com to create a free or very low-cost background to bring life to your page.

3. Learn the Lingo
Twitter can be very useful, but it can also be very frustrating … especially if you have no idea what all those little symbols mean that fly across the screen. Take the time to research the meanings of the tags most often used on Twitter. One great place to do so is right on Twitter itself: http://help.twitter.com/portal

4. Follow Industry Leaders
Veteran entrepreneur Diana Ennen shares this tip: “I love to follow industry experts on Twitter and gain all their business insight.  It’s almost like being right there in their office and getting in on their trade secrets.  Not only do they post tips and how to information, they often share their business successes and mistakes and that allows me to learn from them.  It’s so worth it!“

5. Interact
Don’t be shy! Take a few minutes each day to comment on what others are discussing or to throw out a question or idea. You never know when a topic is going to spark a response and help you build relationships with customers and your fellow Twitter users.

6. Don’t Make It All Business News – Be YOU
It’s great to share about the things going on in your business and you certainly will want to share specials, discounts and other items of interest to your customers. However, as a small business owner you have the unique ability to put a personal face on your business. Let your customers and readers get to know a little about you as well as your business.

7. Run Contests
Twitter is a great fast-paced way to a run a contest. By having a great prize, you can create a viral network of “tweets” about your company and the giveaway you’re holding. Sit down beforehand and plan out some great 140-character tweets that you can use throughout the giveaway time – whether that be minutes, hours or even days.

8. Share
Make your Twitter feed a worthwhile read for your customers. Share tips that apply to your target market, links to articles and other informational tidbits. Create a #hashtag for your business or topic (see #3 above) so that you can track re-tweets and mentions of your posts.

9. Be Thankful
A great way to make friends and build contacts is to thank others who re-tweet (RT) your posts. Send a shout-out saying thanks or feature them at special times like FriendFriday (#FF). They’ll know that you’re grateful and you’ll build a community that supports you – and each other.

10. Promote Others
Contrary to popular belief it IS in your best interest to work together with other entrepreneurs and to help spread the word about great things that they may be doing. Not only will people be drawn to your Twitter feed for great information, but they will see that you’re willing to share about more than your own interests. Another great benefit is that those you help promote will one day be there to help promote you, as well.

Twitter is a great marketing tool for work-at-home moms. It can help drive traffic to your website, as well as aid you in building relationships with your target market. Use the tips above to help guide you in how to best use social media to benefit your business and your customers.

–
Jill Hart’s entrepreneurial career began in her teens when she spent a summer working with her father who ran his own business. When he put her in charge of a Coke machine and allowed her to keep the profits, she saw the benefits of being her own boss. She is the founder of the popular Christian work-at-home website CWAHM.com and mentors business owners at http://SuccessfulChristianWomen.com. Jill is also the co-author of So You Want To Be a Work-at-Home Mom (Beacon Hill Press, 2009).

You can find her on Twitter at http://twitter.com/cwahm

by Jill Hart and Diana Ennen

Over the last several years blogging has become the foundation for social media campaigns of businesses big and small. Where Facebook and Twitter help keep companies in the limelight, spreading the word about special events, discounts and newsworthy items, blogs are the place where companies build their reputation and make sales.

As popular as blogging has become, I often hear from home-based business owners who are trying to figure out exactly what a blog consists of and how they can use one to benefit their business. Below are three tips that can help maximize the impact of your business blog.

1. It’s All In The Name

Be sure to choose a name for your blog that is both descriptive and easy to remember. Try to stick to either your business name or the name of your star product/service. If none of these are available consider using your name or business tagline.  Also, consider possibly adding in your keywords … such as Publicity Virtual Assistant.
2. Use Keywords Effectively

When you write posts for your business blog be conscious of the words that you choose. Pepper your posts with keywords relating to your business, products, services and brand. These keywords will trigger Search Engine results and help you reach the top of the results for your keywords. Be careful not to overuse keywords, though, because readers will get frustrated  and the Search Engines consider that against the rules.

Also, consider keyword phrases – often called long tail keyword phrases (why, I’m not sure!).  Long tail keywords are simply a sting of words that make up a phrase that represent your keywords. Think, what would people type in Google to find me.  Examples, “how to start a business.”  Think … how can I define my blog more (or this particular post). I wrote this blog post on … (fill in the blank), now what keywords do I need to put in so others can find me?

3. Quality Information (No Fluff!) & Fresh, Regular Content
Another thing to consider when writing business blog posts is to keep your posts informational. The more quality content you offer to readers, the more often they will visit your blog. Also, by posting regularly your readers will get to know the schedule and tend to visit your blog on a regular basis because of it.

You know your audience best.  What do they want to hear?  Need to hear? Solve that problem that you’ve been having and you know others are having too.  Consider adding in reviews, recommendations, etc.  Your blog can be so much more than you talking about your business.  What fun thing can you add?  Contest, giveaways, etc.

There are many ways to use a blog for business use. If used correctly, a blog can be a terrific tool to inform potential customers of your business. Be sure to update your blog regularly so that the content remains fresh and people coming back for more great information.

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Tips from Jill Hart of Christian Work at Home Moms, CWAHM.com and Diana Ennen of VirtualWordPublishing.com. For more tips visit http://SoYouWantToBeaWAHM.com or check out the book So You Want to Be a Work-at-Home Mom. These tips can be used if you include this short bio.

Many women these days have big dreams of starting an online business to help them achieve financial stability and independence. Unfortunately, ninety nine percent of them will never even get started, and that’s a shame. Starting an online business is a proven way a woman can get ahead, and still manage the responsibilities at home. What stops all those women from getting started? Motivation. They simply can’t get past the “I’ll do it as soon as I can get to it” mentality. The truth is, if you don’t get motivated, you are never going to “get to it”. It has to become a personal priority. Here are 3 great ways to get motivated to start your own online business!

You Need to Have a Mission Statement

A mission statement is something that you write down that helps keep you on track and identifies what you are trying to do and how and why you are trying to do it. Make a list of the top reasons you want to start a business, and then prioritize your top three. Now put your top three into positive sentence form. An example? “I will create a profitable business where I can create a better financial future for myself and my family, create pride within myself, and make a difference in this world and my community.” (Feel free to steal that one if it works for you!) Now print and display that mission statement at your work station, or make it your computer background. Read it every morning, and never forget that each day is working towards that statement!

Make a Collage of Your Life After You Achieve Your Mission Statement

Print pictures of where you want to live or travel. Include a bill you are trying to pay off with the words “PAID IN FULL’ written across it. Pictures of your family to remind you who you work for… a smidgen of that beautiful fabric you are gong to be able to recover the sofa in… If your new life after business success includes nothing more than retiring on time, then include pictures of hobbies you will have time for, or that RV you are dying to travel the country in. This collage, too, belongs right where you can see it every day. What you can see, you believe. It’s concrete. And the whole idea behind motivation is getting you to understand that you can have all these things, do all those things, and have that life you dream about.

Create Affirmations That Will Inspire You to Make Each Day Count

Pick up inspiration word stickers in the scrapbook aisle of your local craft store. Use these stickers on your day planner, stick a few to the bathroom mirror, place one in the center of the steering wheel of your car… whatever it takes to get through your head that not only can you do this, you need to do this!

Small, simple things. Might even be fun putting them together. But don’t underestimate the power of motivation to make a difference between “I will get to it” and “I did it!”

Written by Kathy Woodard. For free ideas for women learning to make money on the internet, visit Kathy at http://www.women-on-the-net.com . Also visit her atwww.TheBudgetDecorator.com.

A few years ago I had one of those “lightning bolt” moments. Each year I sit down to write out goals and dreams for my business. This particular year, as I sat and thought through what I hoped to accomplish in the upcoming year, how I hoped to help people, it hit me. Where does God fit in to all of this? Does He fit comfortably in the “Spiritual” categories or is He a part of everything that CWAHM is and does?

Whoa. Talk about a challenging question.

As I wrestled with this I came to realization that God wants to invade our lives – and that means our businesses, too. In the gospels we see Jesus meeting people right where they were. He healed the sick, fed the hungry, and taught the seeking. He met their physical needs as well as their spiritual needs.

He wanted to be a part of their everyday lives, not just the days they went to the temple (the Old Testament equivalent of church). He wasn’t afraid to hang out with the sick, the hurting, the “sinners.”

He wants to be a part of our everyday life, too. He wants to invade our families, our marriages, our businesses. He wants to show us that there is a different way of doing things. A better way. A way that points to the divine even in the midst of most basic business task.

He wants to be in:

* The decision to be kind to the difficult customer.

* The decision to give a sale price when we could charge full price to someone who isn’t aware of the sale.

* The decision to give a product away to someone we know is struggling or hurting.

It’s our choice.  We can choose to do business with Jesus. Or we can choose to do things our own way…usually the way we’ve been taught by people who seem to know how to “do” business, how to make money. And yet, in the end … is really about making money?

“So I saw that there is nothing better for a person than to enjoy their work…” Ecclesiastes 3:22, NCV

Where does God fit in your business?

About The Author

Jill Hart’s entrepreneurial career began in her teens when she spent a summer working with her father who ran his own business. When he put her in charge of a Coke machine and allowed her to keep the profits, she saw the benefits of being her own boss. She is the founder of the popular Christian work-at-home website, CWAHM.com. Jill has articles published in In Touch Magazine and P31 Woman magazine, as well as across the web on sites like DrLaura.com. She is the author of So You Want To Be a Work-at-Home Mom and speaks to audiences around the country about faith, business and leadership topics.

A marketing plan outlines the basics for how you want to market your business. Your marketing plan helps you establish, direct and coordinate your marketing efforts. It’s your roadmap for success.  Your marketing plan allows you to understand your customer base, better determine exactly how products or services will benefit those clients, and create a plan to market to those clients. Below are ten tips to get you started creating a marketing plan that will help you grow your business effectively:

1. Outline your marketing goals. Make sure to include any research or information that supports your marketing plan.  For example, keep a notebook that has all applicable keywords, research for new sites to connect with, and business contacts.

2. Outline a specific time-frame for completion of your goals. If you layout a timeline for your goals, you will be much more likely to reach them.

3. Make a list of all of your marketing plans. Each time a new idea comes to you, add it to your list.

4. Plan out your budget. Know how much you have available so that you can be sure to spend it wisely.   Be clear here on where you will spend your advertising dollars. Don’t just tell yourself, “I have some money for marketing.”  Instead, be specific. “I have $100 for paid press releases.” or “I have $40 for a Google Adwords campaign.”

5. Think through how you will handle the clients/customers who respond to your marketing attempts. Too many make this mistake.  They market and ask questions later.  A client calls and wants additional information on their services and they are like ‘now what do I do.”  We want to have you so that when that potential client calls, it runs like clockwork!

6. Make a list of any/all the marketing you’ve done in the past. Note next to each item on the list whether or not the marketing attempt was a success or failure and why.

By taking each of these steps you will find yourself well on the path to an effective marketing plan.

Jill Hart, Founder of Christian Work-at-Home Moms and Diana Ennen, President of Virtual Word Publishing, have teamed up to write So You Want to Be a Work at Home Mom: A Christian’s Guide to Starting a Home-Based Business.  Start or expand your business today with their help.

The victim’s mentality is one where you blame everyone else for what goes on in your world. Whether it be in the past or present you can never quite admit that you may have had something to do with whatever the situation was. Now of course there are some situations like incest, molestation, rape and racism that you cannot usually control. However, there is something you can do to move out of the mentality that these types of situations tend to stick you in.

If you suffer from the victim’s mentality and you are running  a business, there are dangerous roads ahead for you and your business:

1. The victim gives clients the run around as to why they did not meet the deadline. While it is true, things happen, what occurs with the person who has a victim’s mentality is that they are always allowing circumstances to get in the way of productivity. They are unaware that they are creating more negative circumstances for themselves and possibly losing valuable clients.
2. The victim procrastinates and pushes the blames on others. They never follow-through and this is something that hurts them more than helps. People will know that they can not rely on them and will not use their services.
3. The victim will simply shut down and leave the client wondering what happened to the work that was to be completed. The victim will find a way to avoid the client at all cost and move on the next unsuspecting person who then, themselves, becomes an unwilling participant in the victim’s mentality.
4. The victim will manipulate and lie.Why? Often times it is what they have been taught to do. They had to learn to avoid harmful situations. They run their business with manipulation and lies which is not good for business. Especially for the Christian entrepreneur!

The business owner trying to run a successful business but carrying around a victim’s mentality will never truly be successful. Sure they may get a glimpse of success but it will fade fast. They will never be happy with what they have and they will run their business in a lazy manner, often times waiting for the bottom to fall out.

If you find that you are living with a victim’s mentality there are ways to conquer it:

1. Read Psalm 139 for assurance of who you are in God’s eyes. Often times the victim has no idea how worthy they really are to God.
2. Hold yourself accountable to change. You do not have to stay stuck in the mentality of a victim.
3. Learn your triggers. We all have triggers to the negative behaviors in our lives. Find you what your are and learn ways to combat them.
4. Hire a lifestyle coach.  A Lifestyle coach will help you discover those areas of your life that need adjusting and will give you action steps and directions to help you with the change.
5. Be willing to accept the good, the bad, and the ugly. Your life is not perfect and neither is anyone else’s. Take the time to see the parts of you that are not so attractive. Find out why you have them and how they relate to your victim’s mentality.
6. Be willing to release. When you change, things and people will change. Be prepared to let go of what is not needed. Stuff and people can be toxic to your transformation process.
7. Pray and believe. The strongest component to your change will be your prayer life. Be consistent in going to God with whatever is on your mind; especially in those times when you the triggers and cause you to play the victim pop up.

You no longer have to play the victim when God is waiting to make you the conqueror!

LaTara Ham-Ying is the Founder of Integrated Woman Ministries; a coaching ministry that focuses on helping the work at home woman develop transforming life concepts for a better business from the inside out. Offering membership options, workshops for life and business, and a mastermind group focused on Christ, it is the goal of Integrate Woman Coaching Ministries to help women work from home successfully! Learn more about IWM by visiting http://www.integratedwomanministries.com

by Michelle Shaeffer, CWAHM Blogger

Are you making one of these mistakes in your new home based business venture?  For a successful home based business watch out for these common problems.

Mindset: Hobby vs. Business

Are you running your business like a “business” or like a “hobby”?  You’ve got to change your mindset to look at your business like a business.  Get your business license and get setup right.

Take time to organize yourself and set clear goals.  Setup an accounting system.  Write a business plan (even a short one) and include your goals.  Block out time daily to work both “on” and “in” your business.

If you make a commitment you’ve got to keep it.  Be reliable and consistent.

Be professional.  Have clear policies on your website including shipping, return, refunds, and any other issues that come up.

Focus: Craft/Service Only vs. The Big Picture

You may be excellent at the crafts you create, ideas you turn into products, or services you deliver.  Running a business requires a bigger picture perspective though.  You’ll need to study marketing and promotion to learn how to get those crafts, ideas, and services to the right people who want them.

Don’t plan time only to create your products or deliver your services.  Block out time to plan, improve, and market your business, too.

Contacts: Building a List From the Beginning

Many new work at home moms don’t realize how important and valuable their list is!  Start building your mailing list as soon as your website is up and running.  By collecting names and email addresses of those who are interested in your products or services, you’ll always have a list of people you can market to who are already interested.

Finances: Not Investing in Your Business

Many work at home moms begin a business without much money to invest.  You can build a business without large investments, if you’re willing to put in the time and effort to get it moving.  But you’ll find that as you invest more, you’ll grow faster.  So, learn to invest in yourself and your business to move forward faster.

Start with small investments if you need to such as your own domain name, professional (not free) website hosting, and helpful business books.  As you learn things, implement them right away.  As your business brings in more revenue you can afford to invest more back into your business in bigger ways (like a business coach, mastermind group, or more advertising).

Expectations: Expecting Immediate Cash

Building a business isn’t a “snap your fingers” or “click your heels” project.  Most businesses take at least a few months to get off the ground and generating positive cash flow.  Keep learning new marketing strategies, work your marketing plan and get out there and be bold about getting your business noticed.

Don’t get discouraged if you’re not making big money overnight.  You’ll have to put in effort and time to get things going.  Have faith!

One of the first steps in starting your own online business is making a website. This website is your place of business and must be treated as such. Your potential customers will visit your site and decide within seconds if they will stay or go. Turning these quick browsers into buyers is one of the major obstacles in building your new business. Below are ten things you can do to help increase your website’s conversion rate:

Call to Action – Telling your visitors what to do can help turn their indecisiveness into action. Tell them what to do to begin the ordering process. Tell them why they should buy from you and that they should “Buy Now”. Tell them to Click Here to make the purchase. Give clear and concise instructions.

Easy Navigation – Do not make your site a maze for your visitors to try and navigate. Have a simple, clean design with an easy navigational menu. Use short, straightforward, easy-to-read paragraphs. Make all your pages uniform and professional.

Be Direct – Write your page copy like you would talk to your customer. There is no need for fancy words. You do need to be professional but your web pages DON’T need to be written like a complicated legal contract.

Contact Info – Always have your name and contact info on every one of your web pages. Be sure to write an About Us page. People will NOT trust you if they do not know who you are. Make up a Privacy Policy page so your visitors feel secure, which will add to that trust.

Professional Graphics – Graphics can help increase sales but do not use the childish looking cartoon clipart. Use professional well-designed graphics. There are some sites where the cartoon clipart will fit but most will need sharp, clean professional graphics.

Easy Ordering Process – One sure way to lose a customer is by having a long, drawn-out ordering process. Having to click through too many pages to order will have your potential customer clicking to another site. Be sure your shopping cart is secure and doesn’t ask your customer to write a book or click to the moon!

Upfront with Prices – One thing that makes me leave a site very quickly is if they try to hide their prices. Even if your prices are a bit high, you will be better off to be upfront with them than to try and hide them. Also, have easy access to your shipping rates and return policies.

Sense of Urgency – Sometimes people need a little help deciding if they should order or not. Creating a sense of urgency can help them make that decision. Limited Time Offer, Limited Supply, First 10 Customers, Buy Now for Free Gift. All these types of phrases help get the customer in the “Buy Now” frame of mind.

Stress the Benefits – Be sure to explain what your products and/or services can do for your customer. Benefits sell more than features. For example: If you are selling office chairs, be sure to tell them how it will help their posture thus minimizing back pain instead of explaining what the chair is made from. Let them know the chair will support their spine rather than going on and on about the fabric. People want to know what your product can do for them!

Make Your Visitors Feel Appreciated – If your visitors feel appreciated just for being a visitor, then they know they will be treated well as a customer. Give a free gift just for stopping by. Give them a discount on their first order. Let them know you appreciate them and thank them for even stopping by your site. All these things can help sway a person’s decision “To Buy or Not to Buy.”

Try as many as you can and see how effective they can be.

Terri Seymour (also known as “The eBook Lady”) has over ten years online experience and has helped many people start their own business. Visit her site at http://www.seymourproducts.com for resources, $1 resell ebooks & software, free tutorials, affiliate programs, free ezine and free business ebook with Master Resell Rights. http://www.seymourproducts.com/free.shtml

When you own a business it is extremely important to get your name and business brand out to the public. We, as business owners, are always looking for new and cost effective ways of doing that. We do not want to settle into a routine because it works. We should always be looking for fresh new ideas to spread the word about what we offer with our business. Below are five innovative ideas that you may or may have not yet seen to help get you more traffic, more sales and more income.
1. Introductions in Blog and/or Ezine – This is an effective method of cross promoting for you and fellow online business owners. Search for sites that compliment (not compete with) your site. Email the owner and introduce yourself, let them know a little about you and your site and then ask them if they would be interested in a cross promotion with you. You would introduce each other on your blogs/sites/ezines and tell a little about their business. This would be better than just an ad because it adds a personal touch which people tend to pay more attention to than just ads.
2. Swap Article Resource Boxes – if you write and submit articles, swapping resource boxes with other article marketers could be a great way to increase your traffic, sales, etc. As with the introductions, search for complimentary businesses and then contact the owner. A good place to start would be some of the better article directories. Find quality articles and consider contacting the authors for your proposal.
3. Compile an Article Portfolio – Article marketing is very effective and by compiling your articles all in one convenient portfolio would be a good way to get more of them used by ezine publishers, webmasters, etc. Group your articles together in one large word file. Then convert it to pdf. This is a great way for people to be able to access your articles easily as well as choosing the subject they are interested in. Provide download links to your portfolio in your email signature, on your website, in your ezine, on your blog. Post in on forums, your Facebook page, twitter, etc. The possibilities are endless!
4. Ad Pool – Contact a group of fellow blog owners, ezine publishers, etc and discuss the possibility of forming an ad pool with them. Each person puts in an ad and you all rotate the ads in your ezine, blog, etc. Be selective in the types of ads you accept so they are taken more seriously by your readers.
5. Swap Video Ads – This would be similar to link exchanging and ad swapping but taking it a step further. Choose complimentary businesses and you can actually help bring each other more business by swapping video ads for your site or blog. It’s not always easy to find, new innovative ideas for your marketing campaign but by putting a new spin on some old ways, it can turn out to be very successful for your business. Helping yourself by helping others is always a plus and the above mentioned ideas all will help you accomplish that!

Terri Seymour (also known as “The eBook Lady”) has over ten years online experience and has helped many people start their own business. Visit her site at SeymourProducts.com for resources, $1 and $2 resell ebooks & software, affiliate programs, free ezine and free business ebook with Master Resell Rights.