So – what is it that is holding us back?

Not having confidence in our knowledge, our service, our products or whatever else we need to have confidence in when we are in our own business.

Let me give you my own examples:

I have come to realize that I have been working online for over 5 years now.  I have spent that entire time learning new things, trying new things (some which worked, some which didn’t), and all this time, I have been building up a tremendous amount of knowledge about internet marketing, building an online presence…..

I have spent countless hours learning how to do effective keyword research, finding niche markets, learning everything I could about Wordpress…so much that it would have taken me at least a couple of years in full time training to learn what I know now.

Yet I still was putting myself in the “newbie” category.  I didn’t feel that I had anything I could offer anyone to teach them.

Until I started helping offline businesses around here.  I realized that the knowledge that I have spent so much time learning, trying – failing and succeeding – is useful to others, and I do have alot of information I can share to help people.

That was a huge shock for me!

I have never considered myself an “expert” in anything really, (and I still don’t believe I am anywhere near that status), but the truth is I enjoy learning about internet marketing so much, that I am constantly following with new trends and trying new strategies, which does give me knowledge that is specialized.

Do you do this to yourself?

Do you undervalue what you have to offer?  Doesn’t matter if it is a product you are creating, a service you are providing, or maybe you have a hard time believing in the path you have chosen?

We all go through that – and that is something I have learned.  I hear women talking about how they don’t believe that they can charge more for a product they created because it might not really be good enough.

Or, they doubt if they should take that course, or apply for that job, or in the case for many of us getting into internet marketing – they don’t have confidence that they have what it takes to really be able to work from home, and make a decent living.

You need to stop limiting your thinking like that.  Seriously – do it right from the start.

The truth is, we all have strengths – and if we don’t value what we can offer, or what we can do – then how can we expect others to take us seriously?

“Seldom does an individual exceed his own expectations.”  ~Unknown

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Again, I ended up neglecting my blog – and it seemed that the longer I was away, the harder it was to bet back to it.  It is kind of one of those situations that you start feeling so bad for not doing something for so long, that it just seems easier to bury your head and ignore it.  Sad, I know – and there really isn’t any excuse.  I could offer some – like mentioning how busy I have been (which I have), but that isn’t really a very good reason.

Over the past few months, I have finally figured out how to try focusing my efforts – and to realize that I needed to follow in doing what I truly enjoy – not just what I “thought” was the easiest and best way for me to make money and grow a business I could be proud of.

After signing up with the direct sales company I had chosen as a consultant, I tried to do what was required to start seeing some income from it.  But, since I live in a very small, rural area- it wasn’t as simple as I thought it would be.  People just don’t have the money right now to be spending a lot on photo books and other products that they can get for less money through other sites.

And, that is a hard sell – when you are trying to explain why it is that “your” product is superior, and why it is worth it for them to spend more money for a product they can get cheaper if they shop around.  After talking with other consultants who were feeling much the same way, I realized that I was feeling guilty when people were actually purchasing from me, because I just didn’t believe in my heart that it was the best deal.

I guess that is why I am not cut out for direct sales – that, and the fact that I hate doing parties!  I know when I go to those parties, I always feel obligated to buy something, and I just didn’t want to be making people feel that same way.

So, I have let my consultant status go – I didn’t bother renewing it when it came up in February.

I still really believe the digital scrapbooking, and creating memory books and wonderful keepsakes, is a lot of fun, and is so much easier for many people than traditional scrapbooking.

And, I still believed that I wanted to be able to help others create their own books.  So, I bought a license to software that is very easy to use, which I can offer through my own site.

It may not be as “robust”, or have the bells and whistles and extra embellishments I could offer when I was a consultant with the other company, but it makes products that are just as good, and with a lot more to choose from!
It is far easier for people to use, and the products are SO much more affordable!  (You can see it at www.yourstorybooklife.com).

I have lots more to report, and so many more ideas for things I need to write about.  I am following my heart, and not trying anymore to do the things I have heard I “need to do” to make money – or to grow my business.

And, that has led me into two areas which I can keep doing, and that I know I will enjoy every day.  That is taking my love for online marketing, and putting it with my enjoyment of crafts – and I get to put them both towards growing a business I enjoy doing.

I never realized how much I love internet marketing until I kind of started to move away from it over the past year.  While I don’t make the “millions” that others promise and say they are making – I am doing well enough to know that I actually have learned a great deal over the past 5 years I have been doing this.

Now, I help other small businesses to market themselves online, and I have helped to show some offline businesses in my area how they can benefit from the internet.  I love what I am doing, and I have decided that these are the areas I am going to focus on now.

So, when you come to read my blog – you will learn everything I can share with you about internet marketing – whether you are wanting to make money through affiliate marketing, creating your own products, freelancing, or other ways – or if you have a business (like selling crafts or anything else you can dream up), and you want to learn to market it online.

That is what I know – and what I am going to share with you.  I can point you in the direction to other information that I don’t specialize in – such as finding jobs online, mystery shopping etc. etc…..- if that is what you are most interested in learning.

And I hope you taken the message away from this post I was hoping to convey:  while sometimes you might find that you are “all over the place”, and that you feel like you keep trying things believing that this is “the one” – it can easy to start feeling that you are a failure, and that you just can’t seem to figure it out like everyone else has.  It might be easy to give up – but if you believe in something, and you can find that one thing you enjoy – trust me…it isn’t always going to be the first “great idea” you have…..then you will get there.  And, don’t ever feel bad about the mistakes you have made along the way – that is how you learn, and someday, that information you learned while making those mistakes, will come back and surprise you with how much it can actually help you!

Remember…

“Miracles have been accomplished by people who have kept trying when all hope seems lost.”

And…..

“Success lies in the journey – not the destination.”

I hope you will keep following along, and I promise, I have alot to share with you!

Some days I really wonder where the glamor and thrill is of working from home!

Don’t get me wrong – I love my kids and am thankful every day that I get to be here with them!  But, some days…….

All I have to distinguish my “office” from their “play area” is one small plastic carpet cover for my chair.  It doesn’t give me much space, and I feel like Les Nessman from WKRP (you would need to be over 30 to understand who I mean!).

Yet – for some reason, my kids will spend the whole day standing beside my chair – one on each side – talking, coloring, writing, playing….unless I remind them about my “office” rules.

Oh – how I long for a real door sometimes!

Having the chance to really make use of the skills and knowledge I have learned over the past 3 years was so exciting for me!  And, to see results so quickly, makes me feel pretty good too.

The site I was working on wanted me to help them with everything – because they were targeting an international market.  It is actually a very competitive market, and it will require more work still.

But, I have their site already getting steady traffic every day, and the stats show that the people coming to the site are exactly the ones they were wanting.  They have already had a couple signups for their mailing list (which I wasn’t even ready for!  I still had to finish setting the emails up to go out!).

So – I am pleased with how that is going.

Meanwhile, as if I didn’t have enough going on, I finally bit the bullet and signed up as a consultant with Heritage Makers.  I had finished a book about my Grandpa, which I received a couple of weeks ago.  When I saw the book, and how it made me feel to hold it and actually be able to read it – I knew I had to be a part of this.

I already have a bunch of people who want to create their own books after seeing what I did.  The fact that they are hardbound books, and not just scrapbooks, is amazing.  And, they are so much simpler to do!

I just don’t have the time or the space to do traditional scrapbooking – as much as I tried.  This is so much better for me.  I can do it all online and don’t need to get anything out and set up.  I can create whatever I want, and if it turns out really good, other people can order their own copy. (I have 3 people who want one of my books I did!)

So – I will mention from time to time how things are going with that.  I don’t imagine I will do many parties, as I don’t know what I would be like with that.  But, I imagine I will be able to talk to people and show them what is involved, and let the product sell itself.

If you want to see what Heritage Makers is about, you can go to www.YourStorybookLife.com to see my site.

I am very excited for 2009!

I have been busy getting things set up to do some online marketing to offline businesses in my local area who need help getting a website up and running, as well as helping them with some SEO and other marketing.  I got my first client just before Christmas, and have been busy getting their site finished up and everything set up for them.

They wanted to add a blog and a forum to their site, and they want me to do some optimizing and link building for them too – which is great!  Strangely, I enjoy doing all of this kind of marketing, even if I am outsourcing some of the more tedious tasks.

I never realized just how much the offling business world really doesn’t understand about internet marketing and how to use the internet to help bring them customers that are paying.  And, to use the internet for marketing and advertising – the possibilities are astounding, but for some reason, the offline world seems to think that the internet won’t really help them.

So, I will be busy doing this over the next few months and will see how it goes.  I am offering my experience with writing to do articles and submit for clients, as well as write copy on their sites and set up free reports to give away if they want.

This is just another way that you can think outside the box to find a way to make money from home.  If you have a skill, then offer to help people who don’t have the same kind of skill as you do.  Keep your mind open, and you may be surprised what can happen!

Happy New Year to you all – and I wish you nothing but the best for 2009!!

Marie

I love creating new products, and finding new areas where people are looking for help or information – especially when it comes to work at home moms (or parents who would like that chance to work at home!).  I hope to be able to create a bit of a series of products that will all be available through this site as they are created, and that there will be something for everyone.

The first line of products I am creating is for starting a home business in the pet care industry.  There is a huge demand for these types of businesses recently as more and more people are beginning to see their pets as part of the family.  There are doggy daycare centers, pet grooming businesses, pet sitting, dog walking, pet bakery businesses – the list is endless!

So, if you love animals – and have been thinking of ways to start a business from home, go ahead and give me any questions you may have about starting any of these kinds of businesses.  I will take all the questions and use them to create a product that can really help you to get started.  You can either shoot me an email, or post them right here in the comments section.

I just recently had to put my 15 year old cat to sleep, and it broke my heart more than I ever thought possible.  So – I guess this has helped me to make the decision about which area I will focus on creating some products for women to use to start their own business.  Sometimes we don’t even realize how much out pets mean to us – but there are so many opportunities out there to be able to take your love of working with animals and use it to help you build the business of your dreams.

I will keep things updated as to when the finished products will be available – if you haven’t already, be sure to sign up for the mailing list so that you can be notified whenever a new product is made available.

And – be sure to send me your questions!  Thanks!

So – if you are searching for something, be sure you check out the Resources page.  I will personally be checking every ad that comes in.  I will not just post everything – it needs to be something that I feel will be a genuine opportunity for my readers.  You might just find exactly what you are looking for among the opportunities you will see – so be sure to take a look!

Or – if you have a business, or resource that will help other WAHM’s – then check out the advertising page for rates, and submit your ads to be posted.

Hopefully, everyone can find some benefit to having these resources and oppportunities posted for everyone to make use of.

I have found in my years online, that women are a tremendous source of support for other women – and will go to unbelievable lengths to help one another.  Building a business is no different – they are prepared to offer guidance and resources to help others get to where they are.  Hopefully, there will be some resources included here that will help you.

For the past couple of months, another WAHM and I have worked very hard at setting up a great community site to help other moms and parents who want to work from home.  We have added a ton of resources to help, we have offered our own help inside the forum – and we have basically set things up so that we have a platform to help everyone get to the point they are aiming for.

But – as I have noticed over my time online, it seems that unless you are promising an exact method – or one of those hyped up “systems” that “guarantee you will be making thousands of dollars a month by simply typing in numbers on your computer…..” – that people aren’t interested.

The ones who are, however, are the ones you know are serious about getting ahead.  They are serious about putting in the necessary work to succeed at whatever they are setting out to do.  Because, you know what?  There are no sure-fire, make money RIGHT NOW methods online, no matter what you may be hearing otherwise.

Last spring, I put together a huge guide of information for anyone who is interested in working at home – it is full of links, resources, tips to help you find work – everything that you would need if you are just getting started and are looking for a direction to follow.  Everything is put into one guide – in one very easy to follow and access format – to basically hold your hand and help you search for something that you might be interested in.

However – again, it seems that people aren’t as interested in this kind of information as they are in the kind that they eventually end up saying they have been “scammed” over.  And, sadly, it happens time and time again!  People would rather pay for the information that shows how you can process rebates from home for ridiculous amounts of money…..and this really frustrates me!

Those kind of jobs are just now real – in fact, most of the time they are flat out scams!

But, people keep paying good money for this kind of stuff!

Maybe I was way off base when I went to the trouble of putting it all together – the stuff to avoid, the best resources to find work, actual links to companies hiring workers – because I can’t guarantee anyone will make anything with the information I provide.  It requires them to actually go out and apply for jobs, and look for work through the resources and links I give in the guide – and unfortunately, too many people think that there must be an easier way!

Anyway – Sandi and I opened up our forum and membership site to people to come in and check it out – completely free – and we had some who came on board.  But – there was not the numbers we were hoping for.  Now, while I realize that a lot of people don’t want to get involved in any kind of social community until there is more activity – and more members are signed up – but how else will a community ever be built?

We are trying to create a place that people can feel free to ask any questions they want – without being jumped on with advertisements for business opportunities, or be made to feel that their question was “dumb”.

And, we also want to make a place that people CAN promote their business opportunities, and maybe use it to network in a more relaxed atmosphere – in a section just for that kind of activity.

For those who have come over and taken a chance – and seen what we have put together – we want to say thank you!  We know that things have been slow getting started, but we hope that we can create a community together that fits everyone’s needs.

And, to those of you who have bought my guide – and thanked me for the information you learned from it – I also want to say thank you.  I hope that you can find what you are looking for, and that you will make use of what you have learned!

We are now changing our direction – and we are going to offer our membership as a bonus that is included in the price of the guide.

So – you are now getting the chance to get the basic starter information in the guide (which is full of links and ideas), and then you can sign up for the lifetime membership at the forum – where you will get access to more resources and help from other work at home moms.  This is a HUGE offer, and I guarantee you will not find anything else like it online.

I am still in the process of putting the finishing touches on everything – so if you end up buying the guide before I have updated some of the info with how to access the membership site – just let me know.

There is help out there – and there are real, LEGITIMATE and honest ways to make money from home – but you need to stop looking for the easy answers.  Take the time to learn the basics and really put an effort into finding satisfying work that you can be proud of.  Would you really feel satisfied and proud to tell people you make money stuffing envelopes for a living?  (Even if that WAS a legitimate method of making money at home!)

Again – I am sorry if you are one who is offended by what I have said.  I just get very frustrated with people who keep complaining and crying that they have been scammed, and that there isn’t any way to make legitimate money online working at home……..There are ways, but you need to be willing to put a bit of work into finding them.

There is no such thing as “Get Rich Quick” - and you need to stop waiting for that miracle method that will have you making money without doing anything.  It isn’t out there – and once you realize that – you need to pull up your bootstraps and start looking for the REAL work.  And, when someone offers to give you help, take it!

If you are interested in seeing what is included in the guide – it is at www.FromHomeMomsWorkSource.com I am going to be redoing the salespage to include the membership part of it (which you can see now at www.WAHMSAlliance.com).

I hope we can help at least some of you achieve your work at home dreams!

It has been a lot of work – but it is worth it.  I never thought I would say that.  I was only really working on it in the beginning because it is a requirement for getting financing.

But, after spending weeks on the plan, I have realized just how vital a solid plan really is to setting up a business that will have a chance to survive.  You need to really think about everything – your marketing plan, your financial plan, how you can compete with other similar businesses – there is so much that you need to work out.

I have really learned a lot about myself, and a lot about what I will need to build my business in this process.  I have had to try imagining any problems I might run into, and how I plan to overcome them.  I have had to think about how I want to advertise and market – and who my target market even is!

Through all of this, I have already been having to overcome little obstacles along the way – finding suppliers, working out pricing, deciding on the best possible business model – and one monumental hurdle I have been facing is where to get the software that I need to create the business I am envisioning.

I have just kept pushing forward – and every little setback I try to just step over top of and find another way.  I have been in touch with numerous people, who have given me all sorts of prices and quotes.  I have even been told by one person (who had not even seen my business plan at all – I just gave him software specs and asked for a quote!) that my business idea was not well thought out!

My point is:  If you are wanting to start and grow a successful home busines – or any business for that matter – you need to have a plan.  And, you really need to put everything you can into putting that plan together.  You will realize little details that you otherwise would have missed.  And, your business will suffer in the long run if you haven’t planned for what you need to do.

Find someone who can advise you and guide you through creating the plan for your business.  I have been fortunate to have the help of a woman from our local Women’s Enterprise Center who has helped me tremendously – offering feedback and suggestions to help me get my business plan created.  And, she has even helped to push me a bit over some of the little bumps in the road as I came across them.

Build your plan, then use that plan as your guide to building your business into something that you can be proud of!  Don’t cut corners in the beginning, or you will struggle down the road.

I mentioned the membership site – and we are working on it as well.  Hopefully we can get things going pretty soon.  The other lady, Sandi, who is working with me on this project is due to have a baby any day now, so we are trying to get as much done as we can before the baby comes.  It is going to be great!

I have been going through some of the material I have to upload for women to read and learn from, and there is a ton of information there.  And, Sandi has just as much to put in to the site.  So, there is going to be a lot of material to help all women right from the start.

Also, we are talking to a few other work at home moms who have been successful and arranging interviews with them.  Hearing directly from other women who have managed to learn what they needed to do, and share their tips and advice is a huge factor in helping others to see the same kind of results.

We are also setting up monthly teleclasses and conferences to answer questions some women may have and try to offer a bit more hands on type of help to go along with the forum participation.

Right now, we have a survey set up over on the main page of the site to get a bit of feedback.  We would really appreciate any of you taking a couple of minutes to go over and take the survey.  You don’t need to give any personal information, and it only takes about a minute to complete.  Also, on the last page of the survey, you can copy and paste a website address where you can download a FREE report we put together about becoming a work at home mom.  There is some great advice and tips in there to get you started.

The page for the survey is www.WAHMSAlliance.com.

Thanks!  I hope to see you over at the site when it is finished!