NETWORKING WAHM

Hello – All the WAHMs of the world! We know your out there, with your  super successful at home businesses. If your a true WAHM? If  your a REAL WAHM entrepreneur or have a successful direct sales business and would like you to contribute to our site, please do!  Tell us about your home based business success story! Would you like to share your story to help other women? Other ladies would benefit from learning about your success stories! Which types of home based businesses have you found worked for family? Which ones are you personally having a great success with, as a  home business? Which ones have you tried which have been flops in the end?  Women often ask us which ones are great ones to take a chance on.  We feel in this economy, if we as women can help each other. WE should when we CAN! Other women would like to hear your thoughts on the topic of home based businesses. Please share your ideas and your personal secrets to success as WAHM. The dream of many women is to have what YOU have, a successful home based business while raising a family. Please help the future WAHMs of the world by sharing!

Please share your ideas, thoughts and comments.

We’re really growing! Growth it can be a great thing and a bad thing – if your a mompreneur! Mompreneurs are very different than other moms. We think up deals and ideas all day long. All while changing diapers and driving the kids around we’re running our businesses. Well in the spirit of growth we are now going to start a new venture with blog links. Our first time is today! Enjoy!

Lots of  great blogs to enjoy on your Sunday!

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A new FB Page has been setup for our site to better interact with our readers.  Please feel FREE to join the page – 

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Networking-WAHM/112652765425945    Sadly our old Facebook Page was deleted by a hacker, we have plans to move to a page soon due to our growth.

Being a mother is often referred to as a “full-time job” and with all of the responsibilities and duties that come along with this title it is unfortunate that overtime pay is not an option. In an economy where a dual income isn’t a so much additional as it is necessary income, not everyone has the luxury of “mother” being their only occupation. Many moms out there are finding that they need to go back to work but might not quite be sure how to get back into the professional world. After all, where do job searches and interviews fit in between dropping off the kids at school and rushing them to soccer practice afterward? Luckily, for the modern women, multitasking is usually not a problem and technological advances are making it easier than over to market yourself professionally without spending too much of your precious time on those efforts. 

First, if you want to be on the job market you are going to have to put yourself out on it. The quickest way to do this is by establishing a professional online presence. These days, employers like to do a little background research on potential employees, so make sure that your professional and not personal self is what initially pops up on Google searches. There are several resources you can use to quickly establish your professional online presence, but one of the best and time-efficient ones is LinkedIn. This professional networking Web site allows users to connect with other professionals in their industry for various business purposes. By creating an account with LinkedIn you are able to create an online profile that includes information about your professional experience, educational history, and portfolio work. This is a great way to get your resume information out there without taking the time to send out a bunch of resumes to potential employers.

Having a LinkedIn profile that shows up when someone enters your name into an online search engine can also save you a lot of time in the interview process. When interviewers already have some knowledge about your work experience and educational background they can cut right past the informational part of the interview and ask the most important questions that will let them know if you are the right person for the job. This saves both of you time as you won’t be called in for any interviews you are not qualified for and the ones that you are qualified for  will likely go a lot faster.

This online tool also serves as a great way to network without having to take the time out of your busy schedule to attend job fairs, hiring events, or other social functions. LinkedIn allows you to connect with other professionals you have worked with in the past and discover the inside connections you may have that can lead to future career opportunities. It also helps you to identify industry executives and other management professionals in your field that could have the power to put you in the right position. Rather than spending hours researching companies to find out who you need to contact in order to secure an interview, you can just search for professionals in your area and invited them to look at your profile to bring attention to your credentials and generate interest in your capabilities.

By-line:

Mariana Ashley is a freelance writer who particularly enjoys writing about online college. She loves receiving reader feedback, which can be directed to mariana.ashley031 @gmail.com.

In many ways we just struggle to accomplish our regular cleaning. Since it’s the Spring cleaning time of year, I’ll share a few tips.

10 Tips to improve your house cleaning -

* Place a laundry basket in the center of the room. Whatever items don’t belong in the room, place in the basket.

* Steam your microwave before cleaning it. Place a cup of water in the microwave for 3 minutes to loosen the dirt.

* Place all of your cleaning supplies in a bucket and carry them from room to room as you go.

* Diaper wipes are great at taking out stains in your carpets.

* Schedule your house cleaning on your calendar for different tasks on different days, so your can manage your time.

* Use a multipurpose cleaner when you can.

* Let your cleaning produces do the work for you. Spray down your areas and let them sit for 15 minutes before scrubbing.

* Windows come out best, if they’re done as a two person job. Each wash in a different direction for best results.

* Clean from the top down, so your floors are last.

* Children with socks on their hands make great little dusters.

It’s a hard economy, what steps can you take which are not costly, benefit your business and are easy to do?

5 TIPS -

1) Start bartering with you local contacts for services. Use the bartering “topic”, as a means to network and meet more local businesses.  Take the topic out into your city or town and ask other local businesses, if they would be interested in bartering. If they don’t already, branch out and develop your bartering group. If you city or town doesn’t already have one this may be a fantastic networking opportunity for all of your contacts. Think of bartering as a way you can decrease your expenditures and still keep your business fully functional.

2) Offer you employees bartered services as bonuses. Many bartering groups use gift certificates. By offering your employees gift certificates, you form a good a working partnership with other companies. This will be a great way for you to form a new networking group. If you have more than just yourself to take advantage of bartering, you’ll spread your business name. Often your employee, will develop into a new repeat customer which is a winning situation for the other business.

3) Join as many coffee business networking groups as your time will allow. Often they are not advertised, so you may need to ask around and use the Internet to find the groups.

4) Rather than having to push yourself to always sell your business. Just invite local contacts you would possibly like to do business with to your coffee group. Let the natural friendships form.

5) Use social media to network your business. Often we use it solely for our personal use. Promote your specials, new products, bonus deals, coupons etc. with social media. You would be surprise how well it works. For those who use it regularly, no advertising compares to the reach which social media has.

15 TIPS TO GET YOUR TIME BACK -

We are all guilty aren’t we? Ever have a full day go by and you have no idea even what time it is? Have you been online for hours already today? You have no idea even where your day has gone? Your day it’s almost over. It’s so easy to do. Many of us work online as careers. Most of your day or all day is spent typing away. If your a writer, if you write a blog, if you have a website or do something similar; much of your day is spend looking at computer all day.

How do we get our lives back from spending all day on the computer?

1) Take breaks –  for meals, bathroom breaks, phone calls and errands. Many of us don’t get up enough and move around.

2) Schedule your online time, like you do with the rest of your life. Block it off on your calendar as you would any other activity. So you clearly can see how much time you spend online. You can schedule your real life around your computer time.

3) Pick up the paper and pen again. Take a break sometimes and brain storm on paper first. You would be surprised how many new ideas will flow on paper. Sometimes you can build off of the ideas when they’re all there in an outline or  a bubble map.

4) Prioritize what has to be done first. So everyday do you really need to check your hosting account or read every email. Probably not?!

5) Minimize your life how many email accounts do you really need?

6) Hire help hire or an intern, if you need it? Have someone else check your emails and lighten up the load on you.

7) Teach your children to help you with some of your responsibilities.

Use technology find the best cellphone style for you and use it wisely.

9) Multitask, you can read your emails at your child’s soccer game.  

10)  Think about what your prioritizes are for the day, before getting online. Set short term goals with your time.

11)  Set a timer, so you don’t get carried away. Some may really need reminders to stop and move onto something else.

12) Rethink which Social Sites are working for you, which ones you can skip. Your goals for why your online should help your to decide which ones are best for you. Really think on how does it benefit you by taking the time out of your day to be on it?

13) The four letter word “SPAM” This is by far my worst nightmare. I have some tips for this LARGER than life problem. Delete often, sort if by sender and mass delete and don’t make it a priority in your life. This would be a perfect job for your new intern. Don’t you think!

14) Take a vacation sometimes from being online. Tell your friends your taking a break and give them a time frame as to when you’ll be back.

15) Put your spouse to work. Have them help you with the family emails, computer banking, etc.

Do you feel your time is out of hand?

We all have our struggles, this is one of mine. Frustrating to say the least! Supermom want to be, oh my goodness! We try to be perfect at all we do and accomplishing a lot, but in the end the key is PRIORITIZING NONSTOP! All comes down to constant choices all day long! Always thinking which choice, will make a bigger impact on your family,  is what it boils down to.

We all know it the basics. In today’s world it’s hard to manage your time,with social media, emails, spam, phone messages, children’s after school activities, cooking, shopping, etc. Keeping and prioritizing both your short term and long term goals is what I have found  really works. Now I’m color coding with highlighters on one legal pad. One color which has to be done A.S.A.P. and the other needs to be done, just not this minute. You could use your phone to do the same thing, but I love color!

The worst part of being a writer is my spam! My goodness - just take a look at your spam folders. If your a net person it’s totally overwhelming to say the least! I’m almost always asked by others,  what do you do about  all your SPAM? The best thing I have found is to delete it often. Many of the net moms like me, have had to hire personal assistants to handle it. The problem is the real emails and comments are mixed in with the spam. 

A mess after taking just a few days off.

Dear Spam Fairy please come help!

Networking  is the most solid way to grow and develop yourself  as a business professional, by networking your business will naturally grow. You can do both at the same time, most of us learn almost through osmosis just by being around others. You not only meet potential clients, but also friends you’ll learn from. Networking is a tried and true method of growing any business. Networking doesn’t have to cost a lot,  you can become your own advertising and marketing consultant. You just have to be sincere and yourself. How great is it to know, you yourself, are your own best marketer and salesperson ever!

With a new year around the corner, many of us are making new plans for growth and change. The New Year is coming up, how are you planning on changing your business and social  life. Have you given thought to adding  any new networking groups to you marketing plan in the new year? Your should try to add a few groups each year. Drop out of  networking groups which have not worked in the past year in helping you grow your business.  Try to find the networking groups which will be more effective in your growth. Seek out the groups which are not far for you to travel to. Time is money and money is time, including travel time. If you start your research online try to find the groups in your area which will best serve you.

In thinking about joining more groups in the new year. Also think about professional organizations, entrepreneur groups, and technology groups. Think outside of the box, maybe join the groups you can learn from in addition to offering just networking opportunities.  Think about your own skill set and what you could benefit from learning when looking into groups. Classes are also a great way to network.  In doing so you can grow your list of contacts, from an ample group of contacts to a new substantial group. Just think of how much you could grow your business, if you substantially increased your contacts in one year. How much would you grow?  Really contemplate on doubling your contact list over time.

Are you a Multitasking Diva? Multitasking is the enemy to some moms and best friend to other moms. How do you feel about multitasking? Love it or hate it, as moms we all seem to end up doing it at some point, out of pure necessity.  We either hate to multitask or love it, don’t we? We all know multitasking divas, in our real lives. Either at your children’s school or in your  neighborhood,  we all have them in our communities. Are you a  multitasking diva yourself? One of the ladies, who just seems to get a total charge out of making dinner, driving the kids around, talking on your cell phone and all while whitening your teeth, all at the same time. Guilty of it, I swear it’s fun at times to do many things all at once. Often in my home, at times every appliance is on - all at once, to the point the power company must take notice.  Most of the time it’s fun and I don’t mind doing it.

I do think some of the enjoyment is taken out of our lives by multitasking all the time. The quality of what we do must suffer some. I will think of how if I really focused on just less things, the quality of the dinner would be much better. In example, would dinner be less thrown together and more well thought out? I’d have to say, there is something to be said in doing less some of the time, if not just for our own peace of mind and relaxation.

I think back to my own childhood. Would my mom ever attempt to do all the things we do in today’s world, while being a mom? I think not. She would be more concerned with doing less and doing them well, with all of her energy focused fewer things. Could I ever picture my mom acting like me? Driving, while on her cell phone, while putting her makeup on her way to work. No! We are definitely not our mother’s daughters. More is expected from us as mothers, wives and daughters, than our mothers generation. We are not as laid back in our lives as they were. I think they raised us to be this way. Something majorly has changed over the generations in the way we approach our own time and tasks.