One Serious WAHM

I'm Back and Revved Up!

2006-10-05T10:09:00.000-07:00

Whew! It's been quite a summer here. Brian and I found out that we're expecting a new baby! It was a shock since we weren't planning to have another baby quite so soon. Still, the new one will be here in January 2007. It's supposed to be a girl, but the sonographer wasn't 100 percent sure, so we're going to see what happens at the next sonogram.

My WAHM life has been on temporary hiatus while we adjust a lot of things in our personal lives. We bought a house - a first for us - and we've been in it about 6 weeks now. We've found out the previous owners were pretty dishonest on their disclosure, but unless we want to try to back out of the house, there's nothing we can do (although I do have the urge to smack both of them.). They were pretty lazy, too, so a lot of the "problems" required a screwdriver and 30 seconds to fix. Overall, we love the house, even with the problems. It's a 1930s-style bungalow with plenty of room for expansion. It's about 1,600 square feet, and we're turning the attic floor into living space (bedrooms for the kids and their own bathroom).

Plus, I'd grown tired of writing and needed a little break. I think that like many writers, I had no real direction when it came to my writing. I wasn't sure what I wanted to do, and I was taking anything that came along instead of focusing. I've changed that now, and I'm back to work with a few changes to the overall plan, which I'll share with you in my next post.

Stuck

2006-04-19T04:16:00.000-07:00

For some reason, I've hit a block on my book. I was making quick progress and moving along at a rapid pace, but now, I'm not making any progress. I think it's this "fear of success" thing that I, like many writers, have. The book's about 1/3 of the way done at this point, but somehow, that's too much for me. I'm freaking out.

Last night, I asked Brian if he thought I should start on a different project. He just looked at me like I'm nuts. He said, "no, I think you should finish the one you're working on." I know, I know. It's just tough. Success could be near.

The Unexpected

2006-04-12T04:47:00.000-07:00

I woke up this morning and checked my email as usual. I was very excited to find an acceptance for an online magazine I queried. I'll be doing an article to go in their summer issue. I'm so excited about it!

It's funny because I'm not focusing on my freelancing now, but I've had a couple of straggling acceptances come in.

A Weekend Off

2006-04-10T03:22:00.000-07:00

I tried something new this weekend. I didn't work. Okay, I cheated a little. I did check my email a couple of times, but I didn't do any actual work. It was very odd.

I know that I'm a workaholic, but still, it's tough to force yourself not to do anything, especially when your work is sitting in your house.

Brian says that the weekends will get easier, that I'll learn how to relax. I'm not sure about that. I don't know what to do with myself when I'm not working. Anyway, today it's back to the grindstone. I completed the concluding chapter of my book last Friday, and I'm hoping to get a good deal of work done on it today.

I also have one booklet to begin editing and one to begin laying out. I need to get to work on the marketing campaigns for both of those books as well.

My Book

2006-04-07T04:09:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm finally getting to live the writer's life. My book now is my primary focus. We have a few booklets coming in for Dawson, but they won't be here until the beginning of June. I'm also still putting together the e-course, plus working on my anthology. My focus, though, is writing my book.

I have the preliminary research done, and I got together a full outline yesterday. I also have an accountability partner, which is great. He's at the same point on his book that I am, so we're going to try to keep each other motivated. His goal is May 25 because that's when he's graduating from college. I've set my goal as the same day because it seemed like a good idea to make our goals roughly the same.

Updates - Moving Along Quickly

2006-04-04T11:49:00.000-07:00

Well, I've completed goals 6-8 today so far. That leaves me with #s 1, 4, 5, 9, and 10. I should get 4, 5, and 10 done tonight. I will have only to layout the front-page of the online magazine and the e-course to put together tomorrow (Wednesday). Woo-hoo! If I get everything done, I can start a new weekly list. :)

Finished 2

2006-04-04T03:48:00.000-07:00

I'm done with goals 2 and 3 - the marketing plans for the booklets.

Today I'm going to try to get 4-7 done. I should be able to work on the contracts throughout the day. They're something I can put together while I'm hanging out with Jayden. I want to reserve my time later in the week to work on the e-course, which is going to take the most time.

This Week's Goals

2006-04-03T15:22:00.000-07:00

Here are my goals this week. Let's all cheer me on! :)

1. Finish front-page layout for writing parents e-zine.
2. Complete write-up of marketing plans for booklets.
3. Determine what I need to do for booklet promotional ideas.
4. Return all contracts.
5. Put together contracts for WAHM anthology.
6. Put together selling option for WAHM anthology.
7. Write addendum to contract for booklet authors to sell products.
8. Research auto-responders.
9. Write 7-day free e-course on web writing proposals.
10. Complete total outline of home-based businesses book.

Marketing

2006-04-03T07:33:00.000-07:00

Marketing is not my strong suit when it comes to business. That's an area where Brian and I have to learn to work harder. I've been reading through a couple of books on self-publishing. Though we're not self-publishing, we're starting a publishing company, I'm finding that I can take the information from the books on self-pubbing and use it to apply to our efforts.

Last night I started coming up with marketing plans for the first few of our booklets. I'm working up a marketing plan for each one based on selling online and offline for each product. I came up with some awesome ideas based on the concept that if you offer people something for free, no matter how small it is, that's good enticement for getting them to buy. I think these marketing proposals are going to work well.

Catching Up Over the Weekend

2006-04-02T14:16:00.000-07:00

I worked on four projects that just needed some finalizing. I put up my birth announcement up for sale. I'm really excited about this project. I got someone from WAHM.com who did the design, and I put together the text and will handle orders from it.

I also designed my e-zine for writing parents. I've pushed the launch date back to April 15, but it's all ready to go. My part of Brian's newsletters for May are done, so that's ready for him to start on layout. I finished my personal writing site as well. It's going to have a free e-course on it. I'll be putting that together this week.

It feels good. I feel as if I'm starting the week off on the right foot. I have four open and ongoing projects: Dawson Progressive, WAHM Lessons, Home-Based Businesses book, and The WAHP. It should be a good week. I'll post my goals for the week later.

Scaling Back

2006-03-31T18:26:00.000-08:00

I decided today to scale back everything that I have going on. I'm not shelving any projects, just putting them aside for now. I have a series of blogs, Crafts and Projects, Family Finances, and Reluctant Cook, that I was going to direct to a new URL along with One Serious WAHM. They were going to form my homemaker site. I also have Diabetic Spouse about Brian's illness that I was going to turn into a site. I've cut back one of the online magazines for now as well.

I feel that right now I need to get some projects completed before I think about moving on. This weekend, I'm putting up my commemorative birth announcement. (I'll add a link when I get it up.) I'm also finishing Writing Parent Online, the articles for May's food newsletters, and my personal writing site.

That will leave me with four projects to work on continuously throughout the next week. I have Dawson Progressive. Right now we have contracted writers for 8 booklets. We're also talking with 2 authors about books. I'm working on researching and coming up with marketing plans for all of them.

Then I'm working on compiling my work at home mom anthology. I have 8 of 20 submissions right now, so we're, what, 40 percent of the way there on submissions. Brian and I came up with a great plan for added material this week, so I have that to work out, too.

I'm also writing my own book about starting a home-based business. It's a little different from the books that are out there already, so I'm hoping that it will do well.

Finally, I'm preparing a free e-course and corresponding online seminar for my writing site. I hope to have that done in the next couple of weeks. Then I have to research autoresponder programs, which are new to me.

Those tasks will keep me incredibly busy, so I think they're enough for now. When I get one of them done, I'll begin to pick up the other projects and move forward with them.

Trying to Focus Again

2006-03-29T04:21:00.000-08:00

One of my ongoing problems is the ability to focus on one task. I have so many projects going on, and so many ideas for new projects, that it's tough to get myself to stay on track. I get off-track because of the many projects we have going on, and then I have to regroup.

I'm getting much better because now I recognize when I get off more easily and can move backward to get myself caught up. I've found that in general I work better when I complete a whole task before moving on. If I can get a project done, then I'm ready to start on a new one and give it my full concentration. Otherwise I end up getting a little done here and there on a zillion projects, but I never feel the sense of accomplishment from getting anything finished.

Cuisine Creator and WAHM Lessons

2006-03-24T04:15:00.000-08:00

Brian's designing an online software interface dealing with recipes. I'm not allowed to share the details, but I can say that I think the main grocery shopper in every household will LOVE this idea. We've set it for launch on August 1. I think it's going to be great. I'm putting together the newsletter for it. I'm going to write most of the newsletter for now, though we're going to start paying for one article per issue. We have writer's guidelines here.

I'm also working on an anthology of stories from work at home moms. So far, I have 7 stories, including my own. I've edited them and advertised a little more. My main focus right now is getting more entries, but there's really not a lot I can do in that regard as I can't force people to submit. I'm just hoping that we get some good stories. Right now I'm going to wait a week or so to see if there's a new wave of stories from the ads I just put up. Then I'm going to think about running an advertisement. We'll see.

Online Magazines

2006-03-22T03:53:00.000-08:00

I'm starting up 2 online magazines. One's going to be called Now A Student. For right now, it's going to come out every 2 months. I don't think that I have the time to do it more often than that. It's going to focus on non-traditional types of students mainly online students and adult students with careers, children, and other things going on in their lives.

The other one's going to be called Writing Parent Online. The focus is about parents balancing writing and parenting. It will be monthly.

In the beginning, I'm going to have to do the bulk of the writing for the magazines because we can't afford to pay anyone anything decent. I'm going to have one section of WPO that will be paid. Other than that, I'll be doing it.

I'm excited about this project, and I think that eventually we will pay writers for it. That's what I hope anyway.

Career Goals - part 2

2006-03-21T11:43:00.000-08:00

Going back to Dawson is coming on all of a sudden, so we're still planning.

The general idea is that I'm focusing my work on three niche areas: writing, working from home, and college. I'm working on creating 2 online magazines and creating an organization for content writers to gain more knowledge and credibility in the fields about which I hope to write.

I'm also working on a new booklet: 101 Careers in Gender Studies. My first two booklets are The Basics of Web Writingand 102 Ways to Make Money from Home. I also run The WAHP, a site for work at home parents.

As if all of that (plus a very active 14-month-old won't keep me busy enough), I'm going to work on my first book. Plus Brian has a project up his sleeve, and I promised I'd edit his newsletter for that.

Whew! That's a lot, but I'm so excited! It's going to be awesome!

Brandi

Career Goals - part 1

2006-03-21T11:23:00.000-08:00

Brian and I have been doing a lot of talking about my career goals lately. I must say that for the first time in quite a while, I'm pumped about the prospects! Let me give you a little background.

I have a bachelor's degree with a triple major: history, sociology, and women's studies. I originally went to graduate school in history but didn't care for the program. I left to become a general assignment reporter in a major metropolitan area.

When I got pregnant with my son, I left my job to pursue a career as a freelancer. The road has been tough! I got my first content writing gig in October 2004 working for two guys from England who own an SEO company. From there, I took jobs as bid sites, keyword article banks, and other content sites.

We needed the money, so I did the work. I didn't enjoy it, however, and I found that my own writing dreams were on the backburner because of everything else going on.

Over the past couple of weeks, I've been researching self-publishing. I've always been a take charge kind of person. I realized that even if I go the traditional publishing route, I'll still have to do much of my own marketing and publicity. If that's the case, then why not do the whole thing myself?

Then there's Dawson. Brian and I naively started an online company, Dawson Media, LLC, in 2005. We had no clue what we were doing, and it didn't go that well. We have to file an annual report with the state, and we were going to just close up shop with the filing.

Now that I've been talking about self-pubbing, and I'm working on an anthology, we've decided to revamp Dawson and keep it open as a small (very small for now!) publishing company, which is what we intended in the beginning.

To break up the text, I'm going to continue this post with a part 2.

Five Ways To Save Time

2006-03-20T03:21:00.000-08:00

When you are working from home, you will find that you have many needs to be met under the same roof. You are managing a family. You are honing your personal identity and sense of self. You are running a business. Plus many of you are educating your children. That means that you need all of the time you can get. I have learned that saving a few seconds here and there really adds up. Here are five ways that you can save five minutes or fewer everyday and still end up with a cleaner home, better business, and happier family.

Wipe down the bathroom daily.
Use those nifty anti-bacterial wipes to wipe off the bathroom sink, counter space, and the back of the toilet everyday. Your bathroom will look cleaner, and it will not take as long when you need to do a full cleaning.

Cook two entrees at once.
If you're making spaghetti tonight, work on putting getting pork chops baking while the noodles are boiling. Then you will have tomorrow's dinner ready without any work.

Make everyone rinse and reuse cups throughout the day.
There is no need for everyone to get a new cup every time he or she wants a drink. Instead require everyone to rinse and reuse cup so that you don't have as many dishes to do.

Don't fold socks; rubber band them!
Assign everyone in your family a color and get rubber bands. Require everyone to band the socks before they go in the dirty clothes. You can pull them from the dryer and sort by band color. There's no matching and folding required, and there shouldn't be any single socks either!

Get more pairs of scissors.
If you're always running to the living room to get scissors for the kitchen, buy a pair for the kitchen. Double (or triple) up on all common items and put them wherever they are needed.

These quick time-saving tips won't save you hours a day, but the concepts will help you to begin to shave time from your day.

Breaking Down My Goals

2006-03-16T03:39:00.000-08:00

As part of my One Serious WAHM site, I've decided to share with you my goals and how I progress toward them. I will admit that it's tough for me, and I'll tell you why. First I find that sharing your goals with anyone can seem silly. Perhaps you think others will laugh and think you're a dreamer. Or maybe they'll think you're not ambitious enough.

Second, the thought of public humiliation can be downright terrifying! In the past, I've come up with grandiose plans that never work out. I'm trying to change that by forcing myself to write my goals. If I do that, then perhaps I will know when I've hit the right spot with the plans.

So I'm going to share with you - starting tomorrow - how I've divided my goals for 2006.

As a writer, diversification is key. I couldn't make it on only one of my projects or even one type of writing. Instead I'll break it down for you step-by-step what I'm going to do. I hope that you’ll get as much out of it as I imagine that I will.

What I Do

2006-03-15T03:57:00.000-08:00

Now that I've shared a few things with you about what I've learned so far working from home, it's time to tell you all about what I do.

I am a writer, but it's much more complex than that. Being a writer means being able to diversify my income sources so that I can make something that begins to resemble a living. Right now, I write web content for 2 companies on a regular (weekly) basis. No, I won't tell you who they are. It isn't that I want to keep it a secret, but they're not hiring right now. Trust me, if they ever let us know they're looking for new people, I'll share that information.

I'm very interested in helping other people learn about web writing. I've written a booklet to do just that. I'm also working on more booklets since the first one has gotten a bit of a good response from very little advertising.

Over the next weeks, I'm sure I'll share more about my writing plights - after all, that's the point of my WAHM blog.

Plus, I have 2 new ideas for business ventures, and I want someone along for the ride with me. I'm going to try selling at online auctions, and I have some craft ideas that I want to put into motion.

5 Money-Saving Tips

2006-03-14T03:49:00.000-08:00

Being a work at home mom means that most of you will be giving up an income. You need to learn to use your money wisely. Fortunately (or not) for me, I decided to work from home only a year or so after getting my first post-graduate school job. I've never experienced not living on a budget, but having my son has made me aware of more ways to save money. Try out these money-saving tips for your work at home lifestyle.

1. Cut down the wardrobe.
You don't need a full professional wardrobe if you're working from home. If you meet with clients, you can stick with one business suit. Otherwise, you should get business casual but comfortable attire. That doesn't mean that you have to toss everything you have, but think about how many outfits you really need when you're considering buying more clothes.

2. Start making more foods from scratch.
While you won't necessarily have more time, you can learn to use the time you do have better. You can learn to bake cookies and put on bread at the same time or to make dinner dishes from scratch - only now you're home all day. That means you can make more food and freeze it to eat later. You can learn to save by cutting down on pre-packaged convenience foods.

3. Buy used furniture for your office.
While you may want an office that rivals what you had in the corporate world, it isn't necessary. Who's going to see it? Go for inexpensive or used for your office. I purchased my desk for $10 at a yard sale, and I've been using it for 18 months now. It's worn but stable, and when my son colors on it, I don't mind. Your home office won't stay pristine, so go used and save some green.

4. Reuse. Reuse. Reuse.
Many office environments have a sparkling look. Everything's new. Office supplies are gobbled up like there's no tomorrow. You don't have that luxury now. Learn to reuse manila folders by using file labels. When you need a new binder, check to see if the information in one you already have can be filed elsewhere or tossed. Check around your house for makeshift containers so that you're not spending a fortune equipping your office.

5. Buy snacks.
While it may sound counterproductive to save money by spending, it isn't. If I don't have snacks on hand, I'm more likely to make a sandwich or eat leftovers. If I have a canister of peanuts, though, I'll eat them instead. It saves money to prepare for eating throughout the day.

WAH Jobs Versus Businesses

2006-03-13T04:38:00.000-08:00

A lot of people get confused between working from home and running a home-based business. There are work at home jobs and work at home businesses out there. Pay close attention to the difference because sometimes businesses will sell themselves as jobs to get you to buy in.

With a business, you will have to invest money upfront. If you are joining an established company, such as Mary Kay or Avon, you are paying a franchising fee as if you were buying the right to open a McDonald's in your neighborhood. Self-run businesses will require capital to set-up, marketing, and run.

With a work at home job, you should not be asked for any money upfront. Let's go back to McDonald's. You don't pay to fill out an application there. You don't pay to work for someone. The company pays you to work for them.

A business will require sweat, blood, and tears (and maybe a couple of years) to earn any significant profit.

A job will start earning you money now in the form of a weekly or monthly paycheck.

A business has an undetermined income. You, your product, and your marketing efforts determine how much you make on a monthly basis.

With a job, you will make the same hourly wage every week. You will know how much you will earn, which means there are no lean months. Neither are their any fat months.

Many people begin a work at home job while building a work at home business, and that option works for a great number of work at home entrepreneurs. The job pays the bills until the income from the business takes over.

Take some time to check out any company you are considering for either a job or a business opportunity. Ask questions and be sure you understand everything before committing anything.

I'm Not Crafty! Waaaa!

2006-03-10T03:43:00.000-08:00

I wish I were crafty. No, I mean it. I've tried so many craft ideas it isn't funny. My husband finally said, "please realize that you're not that kind of woman."

It was hysterical because it took him so much time to work up the courage to say that. I've tended to be very good at everything I try except crafts, so I'm sure it's tough for him to have to be the one to break it to me.

The problem is that I don't have patience. I know that. I just don't know what to do about it.

Candle-making is the best I've been at any craft-type hobby, and I wasn't all that great. Still my candles stay together, and we burn them. They look beautiful when they're burning.

I just always think there's go to be some craft I'm good at out there. I look at other people who make great returns off their items, and I think, "I could do that."

I have two new ideas. They're both cheap, so if they mess up, I won't be out more than $5. I'm going to try making bath salts and wine glass charms. Hey - nice bath and a glass of wine! What's better?

I'd love to have a small craft site or even to list them on a craft site that gets more traffic - as if I need more work to do. One of the things I've learned about being a WAHM is that I have the time and desire to try new things all the time. It keeps the creative juices flowing.

A New Venture

2006-03-09T03:27:00.000-08:00

Well, I've decided to go ahead and take the plunge. I'm going to try online auctions. I talked to hubby about it last night, and he thinks it's a good idea, too.

I was going to do online auctions a while back, but I never got around to it. I ended up selling the things I was going to put up for auction at a yard sale. We went through our things a few weeks ago, and we've been stockpiling stuff for a yard sale. When I was looking through it, I realized there's some really nice stuff in there.

I've decided to give online auctions a try. For right now, until I see how it goes, my plan is to just put the money away in my son's college fund. I figure that our family doesn't need the money for living expenses, so we might as well put it to good use elsewhere. Plus it's easier to do it if I know that the money's going somewhere good!

I'll keep you posted on how it goes!

5 Business Ideas for WAHMs

2006-03-08T03:47:00.000-08:00

In my time as a WAHM, I've considered (and even tried!) a number of businesses. Although I knew I wanted to write, I didn't give myself permission to focus only on my writing. I kept thinking that I needed something else. Here are a few of the businesses I've tried.

Multi-Level Marketing

I joined Melaleuca. This Idaho-based wellness company sells products that the company reps claim are non-toxic. What I learned was that you build the business by building your sales down line. You have to recruit people to make money. I discovered I'm not the recruitment type, but if you have a sales personality, you may be able to succeed in this type of business.

Online Auctions
This idea never got off the ground. I thought that I'd sell on eBay and other online auction sites. I even purchase a few items for the venture. What I discovered instead was that I wasn't organized enough yet to make it happen and make any considerable money. Right now I have three items that I'm going to test to see if I can start earning money for my son's college fund through online auctions.

Crafts
What was I thinking?!? The truth is that I'm not a crafter. I'd like to be. I envy people who are, but I'm not. My mother-in-law has a knack for seeing a few items and being able to put them together into something beautiful. I need to buy things ready-made. Crafting is a lucrative home-based business, though. It's very common for moms to make their crafts in the evenings and sell them online or through craft shows. I just wish my husband had the courage to tell me to give up that idea.

Bookmarks
Perhaps this idea could work. I would need better printing equipment to make it happen, though. I came up with a few bookmark ideas and even designed them. Then I got stumped. I hadn't thought through my plan, and I didn't know how to market them or where to sell them. I also couldn't make enough per bookmark because I'd have to pay someone else to print them. If you have a quality laser printer and a laminator, then this business idea could work. You'd need a niche market, but if you can find one, then you're in business.

Disciple's Cross
Yes, this is technically a craft, but the crafts in #3 were my own designs. I bought the kit for Disciple's Cross with the intention of selling them through the buy-back program. I discovered that not only could I not make the crosses well, but the buy-back program isn't what it's cracked up to be. They're months and months behind in paying people. The people who succeed with DC are the ones who use it as a supplier. They make the crosses and then sell them on their own.

Reasons I Love Being a WAHM

2006-03-07T03:12:00.000-08:00

Being a work at home mom is an amazing adventure. I feel that I get the best of both worlds. Although I had anticipated leaving my child in daycare, I cannot imagine doing so now. Instead I get to be home with my son during the day, and my husband is with him in the evenings. Our son gets quality time with Mom and Dad alone and time with us together. My husband and I also have time to ourselves after our son goes to bed.

I also get the satisfaction of having a career. A career is very important to my identity, and there is no way that I would be willing to give that up for anything. It was very vital to know that I could begin a new career journey once my son was born.

Being a WAHM also gives me great flexibility. If we have something to do or that we want to do, we can. It just means adjusting our schedule, but there's no boss hanging over me to tell me that I will have to take comp time in order to hang out with my little man. We can go eat lunch with my husband whenever we'd like or take a day to go to the pool if we want. Although I know it means a long night ahead, the sacrifice is worth it.