Home-based businesses are estimated to be a $427 billion-a-year industry. In recent studies it was found that as many as 105 million people in North America alone were working at home. Considering this information, it is obvious that home-based businesses can be successful and authors Jill Hart and Diana Ennen will help you succeed with your own.
So You Want to Be a Work-at-Home Mom details all the basics of starting a business in a spiritual, motivational, and comprehensive manner. From deciding what type of business to start to keeping your family and faith first, this helpful tool details every aspect of establishing a business. With proven success tips utilized by the authors and others who own work-at-home businesses, this inspiration approach will provide you with the resources you need to start your own home-based business.
So You Want to Be a Work-at-Home Mom includes:
* Detailed information on types of businesses to start
* Ideas and assistance for setting up, operating, and marketing your business
* Definitions and descriptions of work-at-home terminology and processes
* Help for developing your Website
* Explanations of the business nuts and bolts, including bookkeeping, taxes, and more
About the Authors
JILL HART is the founder of Christian Work at Home Moms, CWAHM.com. Jill is a co-author of So You Want To Be a Work-at-Home Mom. Jill has published many articles and is a contributing author in Laundry Tales, The Business Mom Guide Book, I’ll Be Home for Christmas, and Faith Deployed. She holds a bachelor’s degree in human development and family studies. Learn more about working from home at http://soyouwanttobeawahm.com/
<p>DIANA ENNEN has been a leader and mentor in the work-at-home industry since starting her business, “http://virtualwordpublishing.com” Virtual Word Publishing, in 1985. She is the author of many books, including Virtual Assistant the Series; Become a Highly Successful, Sought After VA and Words from Home: Start, Run, and Profit from a Home-Based Word Processing Business. She resides in Margate, Florida, with her husband and their three children.
Below is an interview with the authors of So You Want To Be a Work-at-Home Mom – Jill & Diana.
If have questions they are happy to answer your questions anytime. Leave a comment below or email Jill@cwahm.com or Diana@virtualwordpublishing.com
How long have you been working at home?
Jill Hart – I’ve been working at home since 2000. I had to go back to work full-time for a brief period in 2003 when my husband got out of the Air Force. At that point I got even more serious about making my business work and I’ve been home full-time since then.
Diana Ennen – I’ve been working at home since 1985, when my son was born. He’s now graduated college and already working towards his own career. I absolutely love it. I can’t imagine doing anything else.
What types of businesses do you operate?
Jill Hart – I run Christian Work at Home Moms, http://CWAHM.com“>CWAHM.com, a website full of free resources, job listings and information about home businesses. I also write articles and books (yes, more books to come!) and am a blogger for sites like Time/Warner’s Christian Momlogic.com and a member of the Guidepos ts blogger team
Diana Ennen– I’m the President of http://virtualwordpublishing.com“>Virtual Word Publishing. I’m a virtual assistant and specialize in marketing & publicity. I’ve also written numerous books on how to start a VA business and offer PR and VA Coaching.
Tell us about your book? How do you think it can benefit those who want to start a business?
Jill Hart – The book has been such a “God thing.” He orchestrated the entire sequence of events – from putting Diana and I together as co-authors to bringing us to the right publisher. The book is a hands-on practical guide for anyone who wants to build a business from home. We cover topics ranging from how to select the right type of business for you, to how to get started, to how to market and grow your business.
Diana Ennen – I think one of the best features of our book is that it’s not only informative, but motivational as well. You’ll feel like friends are helping you on your journey to success. Also, we discuss numerous types of businesses to start and provide proven methods to achieve success. We also often hear how starting a business can be so overwhelming. That’s why we pay special attention to all the how tos. We feel very confident our book will help, not only those starting a business, but those already in business wanting to expand it.
What types of businesses are featured in your book?
Jill Hart – We have such a great range of contributors – everything from direct sales companies like Southern Living at Home and Avon to unique product-driven businesses like BSM Media and GrillCharms. These woman are amazing and give readers a great insight into how they’ve grown their businesses in very different ways.
Diana Ennen – We cover everything from direct sales companies to specialized areas such as medical transcription and virtual assisting. Also, Jill shares detailed information on starting a community based membership site. We think you’ll get a lot of helpful tips too from such work-at-home powerhouses as Maria Bailey and Lesley Spencer Pyle.
Do you have any tips for success for Christian entrepreneurs that you’d like to share?
Jill Hart – I think my favorite tip – shared with me by one of our contributors, Tammy Degenhart, almost ten years ago is that working together benefits everyone. She told me, “Jill, what you give to others God brings back tenfold” and I’ve seen that hold true time and time again. It may not be in financial gains and it may not look like what we expected but God is so faithful in that when we work together there is no competition – it’s a win-win situation.
Diana Ennen – Do what you believe in and use your own skills and prior experience to find the business that’s just right for you. Research/Research/Research. The more you research, the better your business. Continue to market and be out there. So many once they find a few clients stop marketing. You need to get out there continually. You then become the go to person when someone needs services or products that you offer.
What are some of the challenges that you see with those starting or operating a business?
Jill Hart – In my experience, I’ve talked with many women who get frustrated because success doesn’t come easily or quickly. Working from home may sound easy, but in reality it can actually be just as hard as working outside the home. There are many unique challenges, especially when working at home while raising children. If women don’t prepare themselves, they can becom e discouraged and disheartened.
Diana Ennen– One of the major challenges I see is losing belief in yourself that you can do it. That’s why I think a faith-based book will be so beneficial. Even when times get tough, you can rely on your faith to forge ahead.
With the economy, do you believe it’s still a good time to start a business? Why?
Jill Hart – I think it’s a better time than ever. The internet is so much more widely used than it was even nine years ago when I began my website. If people do their research and find a company that fits them as well as their budget this can be a great time to break into the work-at-home field.
Diana Ennen – Absolutely. In fact, I think there’s never been a better time. You might have to work a little harder, but it absolutely can be done. Plus, there are so many businesses who need us more than ever because of the economy. For example, with virtual assistants because businesses are downsizing they are seeking the help of a VA to help on an as needed basis.
Your book is written from a Christian p erspective? Tell us a little about that and how you feel that makes it so unique?
Jill Hart – My faith is central to who I am and therefore central to my business. I began Christian Work at Home Moms because I wanted women to have a safe place where they could discuss not only business things, but also talk about an area that doesn’t get talked about a lot in business circles – how our faith affects our businesses. The book is written in a way that doesn’t hit anyone over the head with our faith, but it’s true to who we are and talks about things from the vantage point that we see life – through the lens of our faith.
Diana Ennen – There are so many books out there today on starting a business. However, few have the Christian mom in mind. We provide a lot of scriptures and examples of how you can use your faith to help you. Our hope is that not only will your business thrive, but it might just give a little boost to your faith as well
Category General |
From one of my favorite newsletters, Joan Stewarts Publicity Hound.
Ever feel like you’re talking to yourself at your blog and at social networking sites? If so, try this experiment. It will lead to more comments at your blog, on your Facebook wall, on Twitter, and even at niche social networking sites.
Choose one of the following phrases and add it to the end of your blog posts or messages:
–”Am I wrong?”
–”Am I crazy?”
–”What do you think?”
–”Do you agree?”
–”What’s your best advice?”
–”How many of you are guilty of this?” (I use this phrase after linking to an article that talks about “the biggest mistakes.”)
–”Your thoughts?”
–”What’s your best tip?”
–”What’s your Number One pet peeve?”
These are all conversation-starters. They show your readers that you’re curious about what’s on their minds.
Sometimes those magic phrases lead to a lively give-and-take.
When I end my messages with one of those questions, I generate more comments at my blog and more retweets from my followers on Twitter.
You can also use those phrases when pointing to controversial content at somebody else’s site. Don’t shy away from sharing other people’s information on Facebook.
One of the best ways to do that is by creating a Facebook Note, where you can upload photos, link to other websites and use HTML to command attention.
Not making good use of Notes is one of the mistakes we discussed during the recent teleseminar on “11 Ways to Avoid Missed Opportunities on Facebook.” You can read about the other 10, and learn how to access the transcripts and recordings, at
http://budurl.com/jfgw
How many of those opportunities are you missing?
====================================
Reprinted from “The Publicity Hound’s Tips of the Week,” an ezine featuring tips, tricks and
tools for generating free publicity. Subscribe at http://www.publicityhound.com/ and receive by email the handy cheat sheet “89 Reasons to Send a Press Release.”
If you like these tips, please pass them on to your friends, clients and colleagues.
Tags: blogs, getting comments on blogs
Category PR Information |
I was honored to be featured on The Virtual Pefection last week. You can still listen.
http://mypodcastharmony.com/avpnew/episode-29-lets-talk-marketing-show-notes/
Hope you enjoy it! Love to hear your comments.
Diana Ennen / Virtual Word Publishing, www.virtualwordpublishing.com
Tags: Diana Ennen, virtual assistant, virtual perception
Category Virtual Assistant Information |
The numbers are staggering as more and more are choosing to forego corporate America and start their own businesses. Whether it’s to stay home with their children or make the kind of money they know they are worth, millions are joining the ranks of self-employed. Have you always been longing to be among them? Well, it’s never been easier. If you can type well, you can work at home. And expert Diana Ennen can show you how.
In 1985 Ennen started her word processing business and was able to establish a full time client base within six months. In 1996 she wrote the first edition of Words from Home right at the same time the virtual assisting industry was getting its start. The book has recently been updated in its 2nd edition to meet the growth of new technology and advancements.
What can a word processor do at home? Among the many tasks they can accomplish would be typing resumes, manuscripts, medical and legal transcription, student papers, etc. Also, many word processors have also taken it one step further to work globally and also expand their skills and specialties to become a virtual assistant. Virtual assistants can work for clients anywhere in the world and specialize in other areas including publicity, marketing, web design, bookkeeping, e-mail handling, and so much more. Lawyers, doctors, businesses, and best selling authors are utilizing our services to get their work done faster and more efficiently. Also, other virtual assistants are finding they can grow their businesses more by using other virtual assistants and word processors and subcontracting the work out. They can then specialize in what they do best and leave the other tasks to their qualified subcontractors.
Ennen’s motivational book, Words from Home, Start, Run and Profit from a Home-Based Word Processing Business offers a complete reference guide on how to start, run and profit from a home-based word processing business. It’s 165 pages on everything you need to succeed and targeted to work-at-home moms with good secretarial skills. If you have been an administrative assistant in the past, you can be an entrepreneur in your future.
“Our goal with this book is to not only show how to start your own word processing business at home, but also how to do a brilliant job at it,” says Ennen. “You will take pride in the fact that your business will be a cut above the others. Anyone can run a home-based word processing business. What we want to show you is how to operate the best word processing business.”
To get advice on starting a word processing business and to receive our free booklet on how to obtain clients go to www.virtualwordpublishing.com. Start your business today and enjoy the financial security you always dreamed of.
Contact: Diana Ennen
http://www.virtualwordpublishing.com
(954) 971-4025
diana@virtualwordpublishing.com
Category General |
What a fabulous show today at cwahm networking – & you can listen anytime.
* Krista Dunk & Tammy Redmon and the co-founders of Koinonia Business Women. KBWomen is a new organization dedicated to supporting, connecting and encouraging Christian professional and business women.
They discussed so many things, including their upcoming concert. Also, my favorite was their discussion on self-talk and what you need to succeed. Get rid of the negatives and start talking positively and see the difference.
* Rachel Gilmore is a mom and author of The Complete Leader’s Guide to Christian Retreats — Rachel discussed how she came to write her book.
Listen weekly to:
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/cwahm
Category General |
I often get asked, what exactly do you do? I’m proud to say I’m a publicity virtual assistant. What does that mean? I help authors, small businesses, online businesses, etc. with their PR campaigns. From sending out press releases to preparing a full media campaign, I work one-on-one with clients to make a difference. As a published author myself, I think that adds a lot to what I’m able to do. Being a writer, I can create great materials that work.
Who can use a publicity VA? Everyone! Who doesn’t need more help with their marketing.
Interested? Email me at diana@virtualwordpublishing.com and take advantage of our summer specials. $10.00 off our hourly retainer rates. Also, no minimum retainer requirements. Act soon though. We fill up quickly.
Thanks! Diana Ennen
Tags: PR, publicity virtual assistant, VA
Category General |
Just wanted to wish everyone a Fabulous 4th of July. A great time to spend with family and friends. Time to hit the pool, BBQ and just enjoy summertime fun. What do you have planned for the 4th. Love to hear!
Category General |
We all realize how Virtual Assistants have revolutionized the way we work today. Most businesses now count on their Virtual Assistant the same as they used to count on their secretaries, only so much more. VAs are a prized and respected part of their client’s team, and unlike secretaries, who often were taken for granted, Virtual Assistants are praised for their professionalism and skills. Most businesses today can’t imagine where they would be without their VA. And as the potential for success in a virtual assistant business continues to explode, so does the need for good Virtual Assistants.
Today’s Virtual Assistants need to take pride in their business and also to learn as much as they can about their niche, which is the specialty they have chosen to specialize in. One niche that I highly recommend is to offer publicity and marketing services to clients. This is an area that is growing in leaps and bounds as more and more authors, businesses, and other professionals realize the need to market their business to get good publicity. A business can expand tremendously when hiring a Virtual Assistant to help them spread the word about their products or services. Also, authors today aren’t aware that once they write a book, that’s when the real work begins. They need to get the word out about their book in order for it to be successful. That’s where a good Publicity Virtual Assistant comes in.
Publicity and marketing is thrilling to say the least. There’s such a great rush when your client gets recognized in national magazines, or a TV station wants to do a segment on them and you helped them achieve this success. Or better yet, when your efforts start resulting in substantial increased sales for them. Clients will not only keep using your services, but also tell others about this new positive addition they have to their business. And best yet, you too get to feel that satisfaction as you are helping them achieve their goals.
One of my most successful tips is learning how to effectively use any publicity that a client receives. When clients get national attention in a magazine, newspaper, or TV Segment, or even on a popular website, it’s important to make sure that everyone is aware of this. A press release should immediately go out to announce their accomplishment. This release should be added to their website and also should go to all their local papers, radio stations, and TV networks. Media loves to highlight a success story of their locals, so make sure you get this out there as soon as you can. And you don’t have to wait for the publicity to happen. If your client lands a major TV segment, you can start sending this press out beforehand in order to get more media for when the event happens. You just want to make sure that the client is fairly confident the segment will air. Also, don’t worry if the segment gets bumped back, that often happens as breaking news takes priority. This can almost be a blessing, as then you get to do more publicity before the airdate.
It’s also important to follow-up with the reporters and let them know how much you appreciate the acceptance of your quotes for an article. When you go the extra step to show them your appreciation, they remember you when the next article comes up and they need help with more expert advice. Many reporters work for multiple magazines so one good ally can lead to lots of media exposure. Always keep your PR hat on. Learn to take any situation and turn it into good press for your clients and your business as well. Stay on top of current events and see if you have anything to offer. Whenever a story hits the press that any of my clients would have a connection to, I’ll send it right away. Having press releases already prepared for clients on their business is always a great help. How do you know about these events? Sign up for Google Alerts under the topics of interest and then whenever a story is written, you can follow-up with your press release or article to the reporter. It works! I also use ProfNet from PRNewswire, which allows me to get daily leads from major news outlets. You can also consider PRLeads.
It’s also important to learn how to write a good press release and article and also where to send those. Make sure that your press releases and articles are newsworthy and also something that interests the readers. When I write a release, I always think would I read this release? Would it interest me? If not, I doubt your target audience would be reading it either. Plus, be careful to sound too promotional. You can easily get your message across without sounding like an ad.
Publicity is a great niche for Virtual Assistants. To learn more stop by my site at www.virtualwordpublishing.com or contact me for a free 10 minute call on PR tips or my free PR Informational Package.
**
Diana Ennen and Kelly Poelker are the co-authors of numerous books including Virtual Assistant: the Series, Become a Highly Successful, Sought After VA and accompanying Virtual Assistant the Series Workbook, and Virtual Assistant – The Series: Working Virtually, A Guide to Working Remotely as an Employee. For complete information on starting your own VA business stop by http://www.virtualwordpublishing.com and http://www.vatheseries.com. Article is free to be reprinted as long as the author’s bio remains intact.
Tags: PR, publicity, virtual assistant
Category Virtual Assistant Information |
Teena Rose helped me with the resume chapter for my book, Words From Home: Start, Run and Profit from a Home-Based Word Processing business (available on my site www.virtualwordpublishing.com. I think you’ll enjoy her latest article.
Disappointed with Limited Employment Opportunities, Professionals are Refusing
to Hit the Unemployment Lines, Turning a Bad Situation into a Prime Opportunity.
Written by Teena Rose; http://www.resumebiz.com
- – - – - – - – - – - – - ~**~ – - – - – - –
Americans never lack a burning drive to succeed, even during a recession. Rather
than face unemployment or under-employment, professionals are taking their existing skills and reapplying them, cushioning their current job against having any impact on their financial stability or futures.
The mad rush to find even a mediocre job is being replaced by a thirst for finding
viable, recession-proof businesses. The proposition of helping jobseekers is
what originally drew Dan Harper to the idea of resume writing as a business after
leaving the U.S. Army in 1996. A resident of Madison, Wisconsin, Dan was recently
let go from Fiserv, after a second round of layoffs. “When I asked my son what
I could do if I wasn’t working in information technology, he said I should be a resume writer,” said Dan. Resume writing, he admits, took a back seat while he continued searching for project management jobs. He only started to take the idea to fruition once he learned an estimated 1,300 to 1,500 people were also competing for the same project management jobs — hence his business, The Uber Group, was born.
Dan isn’t the only one shifting career focus. Recruiters whose industry has been bruised and battered are shifting job roles as well, adding job search and career services to avoid being a jobseeker themselves. Amy Castoro, a staffing and recruiting professional who has worked for major companies such as Walt Disney, Adecco and Right Management, started her company
and began offering interview training, resume writing, and coaching as the recruitment industry declined. “The recruiting industry was hit hard by the balancing of the economy. My ability to translate my skill as a recruiter into my own business has been the sole reason I am generating income,” says Amy.
Resume writing does take certain skill and therefore not everyone is cut out
for it, advises Teena Rose, author of “Start Your Resume-Writing Business: The Ultimate Resource to Building a $100,000 Business.” She offers three nuggets of advice to those weighing this type of business:
• First, factor the salary differences between a job and a business. Unlike a
job, a new business can start strong or start weak — financial instability can
be unacceptable for some.
• Second, know your personal traits and what motivates you. Some people work
better individually, while others need a team to stay motivated and on task.
Make sure you’re someone who can manage and steer a business simultaneously.
Third, be prepared for continuous personal and professional growth to remain profitable and competitive. Regardless of what the millions “so-called” online resume writers say, resume writing is more difficult and complex than it looks.
- – - – - – - – - – - – - ~**~ – - – - – - – - – - – - -
Written by Teena Rose, author of “Start Your Resume-Writing Business: The Ultimate Resource to Building a $100,000 Business,” is a long-time career professional who started her business from the corner of her bedroom and saw clients at her dining room table. Mrs. Rose shifted from being home-based to an office/retail front, and then back to home again. Known throughout the resume-writing community, she shares her experiences on how to start, operate, and profit within her latest
book. Download her book @ http://www.resumebiz.com
Tags: resume writing, writng a resume
Category General |
Please bare with me as I build this WordPress blog. It will be the first time I’ve done it on my own and I’m learning along the way. Hopefully soon it will come together nicely. Right now, not so much!
Thanks!
Diana Ennen
Category General |
