Work at Home Moms Articles – WAHM Articles

One of our newest authors is Julie DeHart, who is a homeschooling stay-at-home-mom and a missionary serving the urban poor in the Philippines.

If you’ve been visiting WAHM-Articles and reading our weekly WAHM Tips newsletter lately, you will already be familiar with Julie and her wonderful articles on cooking and parenting. I hope we will have the opportunity to publish many more of them and share them with you!

You can learn more about Julie by visiting her website Keep-Your-Home-Cooking.com

Welcome Julie!

~ Denise

Every once in a while, someone asks me if article marketing still works. If you’ve been wondering that yourself, I have some great news for you today. You bet it does!

A few months ago, I interviewed one of the WAHM Articles authors, Michelle Shaeffer of http://www.thesmallbusinessmuse.com

She had started an article marketing experiment

Recently, I followed up with Michelle to find out how her experiment had gone, and what she had learned about article marketing. This is what she told me:

After a few months of comparing traffic and subscription rates I found that the traffic I received from my articles came with more average page views per visit and a higher subscription rate to my newsletter.  In fact, the subscription rate for visitors from articles was double that of the general traffic to my site!  About 40% of visitors who read one of my articles first and clicked through to my website signed up for my newsletter.

Two things I found helped boost that rate (in addition to writing and submitting the articles to directories, of course!) were:

1) Write articles that are closely tied to the free ecourse I offer as a gift to subscribers and the topics I focus on in my newsletter.  During a month I submitted articles on a slightly different topic subscription rates were lower.

2) I’ve added my subscribe box to every page with an image of the free ecourse, and in a pop over with a testimonial about the newsletter from a subscriber.

Thanks for providing a quality article directory for us to share our articles through at WAHMArticles.com!

Michelle
http://www.thesmallbusinessmuse

This week’s interview is with Michelle Shaeffer. Michelle is a work at home mom to three beautiful little blessings and a kitten, and wife to Arlyn. They’re a homeschooling, natural living family.

WAHM-Articles: Hi Michelle! Welcome to the WAHM Articles Blog. I’ve really enjoyed reading your articles at WAHM Articles. I don’t like to read technical “how-to’s” but you share important technical information in a way that’s easy to understand and actually enjoyable to read!

Can you tell us about your business?

Michelle Shaeffer: Elemental Muse offers reliable website hosting and affordable design for solo-prenuers and home based businesses. My info products are available through The Muses Guide

I’ve been designing websites for about 15 years (professionally since 2000) and offering website hosting for almost 4 years. In 2007 I began producing information products for WAHMs.

WA: How does your business help women who work from home?

Michelle: My goal at Elemental Muse is to help work at home moms navigate successfully through the technical aspects of setting up and running their websites by providing reliable hosting with excellent support. The difference between confusion and success for a new business just getting their website online can be the support their designer and/or website host offers.

WA: You also offer many information products to women who want to work from hom. What led you to create these products?

Michelle: The products I offer at The Muses Guide came as a natural extension of the desire to help my clients get beyond just being online to having a website that generates traffics and converts the traffic into sales through smart marketing, newsletter promotion, and other techniques.

So many of my hosting and design clients were struggling with the same questions. I offer consulting services to current clients but my time is limited and I couldn’t help everyone I wanted to. By developing The Muses Guide series I can provide the answers to more work at home moms at very budget friendly prices.

WA: Can you tell us about your new marketing workshop?

Michelle: I’ve been so excited about this project! It’s an 8 lesson course that goes from step one of determining what makes your business and products or services unique and who your ideal customer is all the way to completing a marketing plan with monthly goals. The three marketing strategy lessons contain 130+ free or nearly free ways to market your business. Each lesson is included in PDF and mp3 format so busy moms can fit it into their schedule in whichever way works best for them. The overall goal is to create a marketing plan that’s packed with options and based on personality so that it’s something enjoyable and successful.

WA: You mentioned that your workshop includes a section on promoting your business with articles. What are some of things you teach in that section?

Michelle: First, that it’s really not as difficult as you might think to promote your business with articles! I talk with a lot of women who aren’t sure how to get started or even if they can write an article. They don’t realize that once they get past the initial feelings of uncertainty it’s easy and fun. Women are good at sharing their knowledge and helping others, once we give ourselves permission to do so.

One of the great aspects of article marketing is the sense of confidence that it helps women build–the feeling that not only can you help others and provide valuable content but that others are interested in what you have to share. A belief in yourself and your products or services is so critical to successful marketing and a successful business. Article marketing can be a confidence booster that helps springboard other marketing efforts.

My favorite bonus tip to share is to sign up for Google alerts. It’s an easy way to see where your articles are being posted online and get a sense of what markets you’re reaching.

WA: Where do you get ideas for the articles you write?

Michelle: Many of my articles start out as an answer to a question either from a client or on a message board. When I begin to answer the same question I’ve been asked several times, it usually hits me then that it would be a good article.

WA: How has writing and submitting articles helped you grow your businesses?

Michelle: A few weeks ago I decided to start an experiment. I setup a website at www.thesmallbusinessmuse.com to promote my ezine, The Muses Brainstorm, and am actively marketing it only with article marketing and the natural results (such as this interview). I haven’t linked to it from my other websites, submitted it to search engines, or done any other promotion of it.

The reasoning behind my experiment is to answer two questions:
1) Does article marketing generate traffic?
2) Does the traffic convert at a higher rate than other marketing techniques?

When someone clicks through a link from an article I’ve written, they are familiar with my writing style and topics I cover, so it’s highly targeted traffic coming from the articles and so far it’s definitely been more responsive. My conversion rate for ezine signups is much higher than the general traffic that hits my other websites.

Writing and submitting articles is a wonderful way to share helpful information and connect with my market.

WA: Thanks Michelle! I would love to hear about the results of your experiment. Thanks again for taking the time to talk with us. Best of luck with your business!

You can read some of Michelle’s WAHM Articles here.

You can also visit Michelle at http://www.thesmallbusinessmuse.com , http://www.themusesguide.com, http://elementalmuse.com or at her blog, http://www.wahspirations.com

This week, I felt very excited to interview our new top author, Rachel Paxton. Rachel is the owner of Creative Homemaking, LLC .

WAHM-Articles: Hi Rachel! Welcome to the WAHM Articles Blog. Can you tell us about your business?

Rachel Paxton: Creative Homemaking, LLC, evolved from a print newsletter I started publishing back in 1996. I started writing the newsletter when my husband and I were having a tough time financially, and we needed to find a way to live within our means. The intent of the newsletter was to provide families with creative money-saving tips and hints that we were using in our own lives. My first web site CreativeHomemaking.com went online shortly thereafter, and I started Crafty-Moms.com and Christian-Parent.com during the next couple of years. I also currently publish a weekly online newsletter to almost 40,000 loyal subscribers.

WA: How does your business help women?

Rachel: My web sites target women of all ages and women of a variety of income brackets. I think even women with higher incomes are looking for creative, inexpensive ways to improve their lives, whether it be through cooking, organizing, crafting, or parenting.

WA: You were a technical editor for 10 years. How did you go from being a technical editor to working at home?

Rachel: At the beginning of my marriage I worked out of necessity. I was a single mom for a number of years, and after I got married I worked to help put my husband through college. I started my newsletter as a hobby right after we got married, but it wasn’t until almost ten years later that my web sites really took off so that I could work at home and be a stay-at-home mom. Thankfully, that was the same year my twin boys were born.

WA: In your author’s bio you wrote that this year you are starting homeschool preschool. How do you balance teaching your child with running a home business?

Rachel: My boys are turning three this month, so they are almost ready for preschool. Preschool is going to be our great “homeschooling experiment” to test the homeschooling waters. At this point my web sites don’t require a lot my time. I do all of my article writing while my boys are asleep. Of course after they stop napping it may be harder, but when they get older I hope to get them involved in their own activities so we can all work at the same time.

WA: Many of your articles are about crafts and decorating projects for the home. Have you always enjoyed making crafts?

Rachel: It’s funny, I’ve never considered myself a “crafty” person. Several years ago, however, I became addicted to scrapbooking. You’ll find my Crafty-Moms.com web site is full of my personal scrapbooking layouts. I do enjoy doing crafts with my kids…it is a great family activity.

WA: You’re also the author of What’s for Dinner?, and e-cookbook with more than 250 quick, easy dinner ideas. How did you come up with 250 easy dinner ideas?

Rachel: I can’t take credit for all of the dinner ideas.

Many of the recipes are from my newsletter readers and visitors to my web site. When I first started CreativeHomemaking.com I ran many contests to find the best recipes. They all ended up in the What’s for Dinner? cookbook. It’s actually been a big hit, and has sold much better than I ever expected.

WA: How has writing and submitting articles helped you develop your business?

Rachel: People are surprised to find out that I don’t spend a dime on advertising my web site. The #1 way I advertise my web site is by writing articles, lots and lots of articles. I think I’ve written about 200 articles to date, on everything from cooking and cleaning to home decorating, gardening, and parenting.

WA: Where do you get ideas for the articles you write?

Rachel: I get all of my ideas from everyday life. It is definitely the best inspiration. When I find myself marveling in something I’ve discovered, accomplished, or created it almost always ends up in an article.

WA: Rachel, thank you for taking the time to come by and chat with me today!

You can learn more about Rachel and Creative Homemaking by visiting her site at http://www.creativehomemaking.com Rachel is also the top author at WAHM Articles, and you can read her WAHM Articles here.

This week, I had the pleasure of interviewing Denise Landers, the owner of Key Organization Systems, Inc.

Denise is a speaker, writer, author and time management consultant. She is the author of Destination: Organization, A Week by Week Journey and has appeared on the NBC Nightly News as their Productivity Expert. She provides group training and individual assistance to improve daily work flow and time management skills.

As a productivity specialist, with a Master of Education degree in Counseling and Human Services from Boston University, Denise has spent years speaking, training, consulting and coaching on time management and effective work flow, helping companies and individuals create systems for handling both their business and personal lives.

WAHM Articles: Thank you for visiting the WAHM Articles Blog. Can you please tell us about your business?

Denise Landers: Do you know anyone who has too much to do and not enough time to do it? We work with busy professionals who want to get more done and still have an outside life.

WA: How does your business help home business owners?

Denise: In home offices, we work with individuals to create systems for managing their paper, email, time, and space.

WA: Why do people find it so hard to get organized?

Denise: The most frequent reason people give for not being as organized as they would like is that they do not have time to do this. Yet that is the very reason they need to get organized. If someone works with me for a half-day or a full day with our “8-Hour Miracle!” they will have all of that time back within the next week, and will be working ahead from there.

WA: If someone’s home office is a disaster right now, what steps can they take to start becoming organized?

Denise: Break the job into small pieces and then schedule those times on your calendar. Do not feel that everything has to be done at once because that can freeze and keep you from ever getting started.

WA: Home business owners have to wear many hats, especially if they’re parents with young children at home. How can home business owners ensure they have time for their family and friends, as well as for their business?

Denise: This is where daily processes come into play. You have to have a system that lets you easily prioritize your work, limit interruptions, and get enough done so that you can “leave the office” at a planned time. One of the techniques that I use in my seminars (and my “Productivity Series” CDs) focuses on setting up an uninterrupted block of time each day and then grouping other activities. By structuring your day, you will be 4 times more productive.

WA: Mothers often say they have to multitask to get everything done, but you teach that multitasking doesn’t make you more productive. What is wrong with multitasking?

Denise: Even though we think we are good at multitasking, the reality is that we get more done, faster, when we can do one thing and then switch to another. Multitasking is also creating long-term problems with our short-term memory. Our brains were not meant to fire in multiple directions at one time.

WA: What are some better options to multitasking?

Denise: The easiest way to start making changes is to write down everything—not on a list but on a single sheet of paper for each item, or on an index card. By having one task per card, you can then prioritize your activities and also group like activities together. If you do this for EVERYTHING that you are trying to do or remember, you will have one rather than multiple systems (stuff in your head, scraps of paper, lost lists).

WA: What are some of the long-term effects of not being organized?

Denise: When we are constantly multitasking, we are pumping adrenaline, which is connected with stress. Adrenaline is a great defense but harmful if you are constantly producing it. 80% of our medical expenditures are stress-related.

WA: What options are available for people who need some extra help organizing their offices and their personal lives?

Denise: If someone feels that they do not want to do this themselves, there are many resources. Hire a professional organizer who can come in and work with them individually, as we do with our half-day kickstart programs and “8-Hour Miracle.” We also can work with you virtually, which gives you a schedule for getting things done, guidance, and accountability.

WA: When someone hires a professional organizer, what can they expect? Will they be criticized for how they’ve managed things in the past,or be asked to give up things that are important to them?

Denise: I am always appreciative of the trust that someone places in me when they invite me into their office and ask for help. The most common question is, “Is this the worst you’ve ever seen?” There is no shame in wanting to make things better. Professionals will never tell you what you have to get rid of. They work you through the process of why you are keeping something, and the final decision is yours.

WA: You’ve written several articles on time management and productivity. How has writing and submitting articles helped your business?

Denise: I have several sources for informative articles that people can access. One is on sites like yours that they visit. I also offer monthly articles to my clients, seminar audiences, and online subscribers. These are archived at www.keyorganization.com/time-management-articles.php. Another source is on my blog at www.productivitytoday.com. The writing lets me stay in touch with my former clients and contacts. They know that I’m there when they need me.

WA: Where do you get ideas for the articles you write?

Denise: Because organizing and managing time are such challenging issues today, I see situations everywhere that trigger ideas for making changes. In addition, my clients will sometimes pose a problem that I can respond to with an article.

WA: Thank you for giving us some of your time, Denise. I wish you the very best.

You can read some of Denise’s articles at WAHM Articles , and you can learn more by visiting Denise at Key Organization Systems, Inc.

This week, I had the opportunity to chat with Sophia McIntyre of Work At Home Space and Healthy Perspectives.

WAHM-Articles: Hi Sophia. Thank you for visiting the WAHM-Articles Blog. First of all, can you tell us about your business?

Sophia McIntyre: Hi Denise. Thank you for having me here.

I own the website Work At Home Space. It’s a free resource for anyone looking to work from home. I offer a list of reputable work at home companies who hire telecommuters. I also offer unresearched daily job leads, business articles and information, free ebooks, health and wellness articles, home businesses and other work at home related topics. Plus, I have a growing forum with tons of resources.

W-A: How does your business help moms?

Sophia: I’m always seeking knowledge on things I’m not quite familiar with and I take what I know and my experiences and share them with others hopefully to prevent them from not making the same mistakes I did. I consider my business a stepping stone in guiding people in the right direction.

W-A: How did you get started working from home?

Sophia: I started online in late 2002 when I came across an ad typing program. At that time I had no idea there were such thngs as work at home forums let alone know that one should never pay for training material fees. Luckily for me I didn’t lose out, but it was a turning point for me when the company went belly up.

W-A: If a mom wants to work from home, what choices does she have?

Sophia: She has a lot of choices. It will depend on what she wants to do and what kind of income she wants to bring in. There are many different options to explore from working for an employer as a customer service rep for example, owning her own home business, affiliate marketing, writing, blogging or freelancing.

W-A: How can participating in a community forum help moms work from home?

Sophia: Community forums are invaluable tools. Not only are they loaded with resources on working at home, but you can get first hand information from the members who are doing it and can share their experiences and knowledge. It’s a great place to network because you are meeting people from all over the world with different interests and backgrounds.

W-A: You also own a blog called Healthy Perspectives. Can you tell us about your blog?

Sophia: Healthy Perspectives features an array of health topics, nutrition, recipes and fitness for maintaining an overall healthy and well-balanced lifestyle.*

W-A: What inspired you to create Healthy Perspectives?

Sophia: My love and thirst for knowledge in the health and wellness industry. I love reading how foods good and bad can benefit us in a healthy way. I’m amazed on all the information I have found during my research that not only it tastes good, but how it can prevent this or why it’s important to eat that. There are a multitude of illnesses I’ve never heard of and they are popping up everywhere so I like to be informed.

W-A: Every online business owner struggles to get traffic to her site. What have you done to promote traffic to your website and your blog?

Sophia: Forum networking and signature advertising are my best advertising methods thus far. Not long ago, I started writing more articles and I’m slowly starting to see results. I also guest author on a work at home blog that has given me a bit more exposure to my website. For my blog, I mainly do link exchanging with other health related blogs and I also joined BlogRush which has spiked my traffic a bit.

W-A: How has writing and submitting articles helped your business?

Sophia: I haven’t written many articles, but lately the last few I have written and submitted have slowly given me some results.

W-A: Where do you get ideas for the articles you write?

Sophia: Some of my articles have been from personal experiences, some from articles in magazines I have read or tidbit of news I’ve heard from the radio. The others come from forums. Like I said, forums are invaluable in many ways. It’s a place to learn, share, gather information and ideas.

W-A: Do you have any words of wisdom to share with someone who’s thinking about
working from home too?

Sophia: Patience, persistence, consistency, perseverance, research and love what you do.

W-A: Thanks for your time Sophia! I hope you have a very Merry Christmas, and wish you success in 2008.

Several of Sophia’s articles are published at WAHM-Articles.com, and they offer invaluable advice for starting and marketing your home based business. You can also visit Sophia at her website http://www.workathomespace.com/ or her blog http://healthyperspectives.blogspot.com/

This week I also had the pleasure of interviewing another one of our authors, Filoiann Wiedenhoff.

Filoiann’s work can be found on a number of home business and Christian websites and blogs. Visit her website www.filoiannwiedenhoff.com to download her free e-book, a compilation of six of her most popular “How to Deal” articles that help readers deal with real life issues practically and biblically.

WAHM-Articles: Hi Filoiann, and welcome to the WAHM-Articles blog! Please tell us about your business.

Filoiann Wiedenhoff: I write Christian and work at home Literature to Ignite, Inspire and Empower men and women to live godly and successful lives that will glorify God. I am currently working on a few projects to be published hopefully by the beginning of next year; A Lay Counseling Handbook along with inspirational and work at home eBooks to be sold on my website coming soon. I also have a free monthly newsletter that includes my latest articles, a special message and latest updates and tips. `

W-A: How does your business help moms?

Filoiann: As a work at home mom myself, I’m finding that there’s so much to learn about starting and maintaining a work at home business and how important it is to educate yourself in the process, so as I am learning I am also sharing that information with others through my work at home articles section on my website and at the same time encourage them spiritually. I also believe it’s important for us to network together and support one another. With that said, I recently included a “Friendship Connection” link page on my website to invite others to add their own business links.

W-A: You wrote an ebook about how moms can deal with real life issues practically and biblically. What can you tell us about your book?

Filoiann: My eBook “How Do We Deal?” is a compilation of my six most popular articles that deal with real life issues such as grief, loss, worry, stress, fear, bitterness and more. I hope to encourage people that they are not alone in their grief and that their struggle is not abnormal, but on the contrary is more common than people want to admit and that they do have hope for their situation. I’m planning to write an in-depth “How Do We Deal?” handbook with more topics in a book style format coming soon.

W-A: How does writing and submitting articles help your business?

Filoiann: Article Marketing is one of my main marketing strategies for my business. In writing quality articles my work has been published on a number of websites and blogs and the best part is that it’s free advertisement. I highly recommend article marketing; it’s a win-win situation for anyone that chooses to make the time. It’s a win for publishers because they get quality content and it’s a win for you because you get free advertisement on their websites and at the same time establish you as a writer and business owner.

W-A: How do you get ideas for the articles you write?

Filoiann: I try to write articles that target my niche home business. I believe there needs to be a purpose in writing articles that have direction and will lead readers to your particular website. By writing articles that target my niche I am writing for particular readers who have similar interests that will hopefully lead them to want to know more. Besides writing articles for marketing I also write articles for encouragement and empowerment that are solely for my website, by doing this I want to give my readers reason to come back and visit.

W-A: How did you get started working from home?

Filoiann: I started out as an affiliate marketer that promotes other people’s legitimate products online and I still do but as I continued doing my work at home business research I found that people who work at home doing what they love, their passion, skills and abilities are more successful and do their business for a longer period of time than those who don’t. So I did just that and turned much of my focus to writing Christian and work at home literature and since I have narrowed my “niche” I have been getting a wonderful response from the public and the best benefit is that I love what I do! It has been a wonderful experience.

W-A: Do you have any other words of wisdom for moms who are thinking about starting their own home business?

Filoiann: Yes, there are legitimate home businesses out there, you just have to find the one that is right for you. Also, beware of scams and be patient, a legitimate home business takes time and effort and is NOT a get rich quick scheme so be wise and stay ethical.

Before you invest any money:

1. Do Research on what type of business you want to start that fits your schedule, needs and personality
2. Find the “Niche” that’s right for you by evaluating your gifts, skills, passions and hobbies.
3. Look up existing businesses that are similar or the same to see how they do it and learn as much as you can.
4. Do as much market research as you can.
5. Be flexible but wise and learn as you go.
6. Keep moving forward and don’t give up!

W-A: Thank you for giving us some of your time, Filoiann. I wish you the very best in your business and with your upcoming books.

Filoiann: Thank you WAHM Articles.for allowing me this opportunity. I appreciate your site and look forward to working with you in the future!

You can read Filoiann’s articles at WAHM-Articles.com and remember to download her free ebook, How Do We Deal?

With Christmas holidays (and Christmas calories) just around the corner, this interview is especially timely.

If you’re anything like me, you may have had a hard time losing weight after having a baby, and keeping it off. Today, I have the pleasure of interviewing Arlene Pellicane of Losing Weight After Baby. She is a true inspiration to moms who struggle to lose weight successfully after baby.

Enjoy!

WAHM-Articles: Hi Arlene, and welcome to the WAHM-Articles Blog. First of all, can you tell us about your business?

Arlene Pellicane: In 2006, a dream was born to write a book about losing weight after baby. I had experienced 3 back to back pregnancies and friends were asking me what I had done to lose the weight successfully each time. Producing the book has been my main priority and all the marketing that goes along with that. The heart of my business is to impact and encourage moms with the simple message, “You can do it!”

W-A: How does your business help moms?

Arlene: Many moms have given up on working towards losing their pregnancy weight or they need some practice advice to get started. My business is designed to come alongside that mom and fan the flames of motivation. My writing style is very action-oriented. I don’t want to produce another book that’s read but doesn’t make a real connection or cause some kind of life change. I help moms put systems in place to ensure their success.

W-A: You’re writing a new book, Losing Weight After Baby: 31 Days to a New You. What can you tell us about it?

Arlene: My book is unique because it’s written in 31 daily readings that any busy mom can read. Each day ends with an action step. It’s the opposite of a fad diet book. It’s about making small incremental changes you keep for life. I encourage moms to read it with another mom for accountability and have their own biggest loser contest for 31 days.

I had different moms read my manuscript and was especially happy when my friend who is a mother of 4 young children was able to read the book in 31 days. You can probably guess where, the bathroom!

W-A: Every new online business owner struggles to get traffic to her site. You just launched your website, www.losingweightafterbaby.com in October. What have you done to promote traffic to your site?

Arlene: Launching the site was an eye-opener. Like many, I figured having a great looking, content rich site would bring the masses. After blitzing my database, I thought the hits would skyrocket and then spread like a virus. But in reality, a few dozen of my friends looked at it and that was that. So I learned about article marketing and bought Judy Cullins’ ebook which
helped me tremendously. She advised to regularly hand submit articles to top websites so that’s become a part of my day-to-day activities along with starting a blog, setting up a profile on Facebook, and podcasting.

W-A: How have you used a podcast to market your business?

Arlene: My podcast, “Losing Weight After Baby” has been very effective in marketing my business especially on iTunes. My husband submitted our podcast to several podcast directories. Our subscriber base has tripled since we started the podcast a mere 14 weeks ago. These moms are getting to know me and will be great promoters of my book and other services someday.

W-A: How has writing and submitting articles helped your business?

Arlene: Exposure, exposure, exposure! Writing articles puts you in front of the public. The more you submit, the more you are perceived as an expert in your field. That credibility is worth gold.

It’s also been very encouraging. Sometimes you lack feedback in your home business and you feel like you’re just spinning your wheels. When I look at article stats and see that someone is actually reading my work, I am thrilled! And when I see my articles on websites I didn’t submit to, I know others are picking up my work and that’s gratifying.

W-A: You have a toddler and infant. What do you do to stay motivated when you’re stuck under a pile of laundry, dishes and to-dos?

Arlene: I go back to the basics and remember why I started “Losing Weight After Baby” in the first place. To reach moms with a message of hope.

Speaker and CEO of Buffini & Co, Brian Buffini, says we grossly overestimate what we can accomplish in one year and underestimate what we can do in ten. I find that very motivating and go back to that idea over and over again.

W-A: Do you have any words of wisdom to share with someone who’s thinking about working from home too?

Arlene:
1. Make a daily work schedule. It won’t be set in stone, but have some routines you and your kids can rely on.
2. Exercise regularly and eat smart. When you’re running on good fuel and fit, you can produce a lot more.
3. Focus on the task at hand. When you’re with your kids, don’t be thinking of work and vice versa.

W-A: Thank you for taking the time to visit us Arlene. I wish you the very best of success in your business.

You can learn more by reading Arlene’s articles at WAHM-Articles.com or by visiting Arlene’s website .

This week I have the privilege of interviewing my mom! Not only is she a great mom and grandma, she is an article writer, Christian children’s author, and co-owner of WAHM-Articles.

WAHM-Articles: What is your business?

Ruth Willms: I’m co-owner of WAHM-Articles and a children’s author at RuthWillms.com. Plus I’m a freelance writer and I writer for magazines and periodicals.

W-A: How do you help moms?

Ruth: My first desire always is to inspire moms and equip them to interact well with their kids. I wished I had understood my kids’ development and needs better. Studying for my Early Childhood Education certificate opened up a whole new world to me on what kids are all about. I want to impart that understanding to moms to help them be the best person and mom they can be.

And then, as a Christian, I want to help parents make the Bible real and exciting to their children.

In my writings I also hope to share the knowledge I have gained as a self published author. I’ve gained a lot of skills and understanding about this whole process of planning and writing a book and taking it through the steps of editing, publishing and marketing. I believe giving my readers this material will be a huge help to them.

W-A: Did you always want to be a writer?

Ruth: Actually, I always wanted to be a teacher. Looking back though I can see that story telling and writing have always been two of my greatest strengths.

I used to steer clear of even taking writing courses because I thought I’d never be good enough. We writers reveal a lot of ourselves in our articles and books and I wasn’t ready to share my life so openly. I used to be a very private person. When I finally did take writing courses my mentors were very kind and encouraging which helped me overcome my intimidations. Writing has helped me to be more of a people person.

W-A: How did you get your new book, The Lion Tree, published?

Ruth: When I finished my book, The Lion Tree, I was really not looking forward to all those rejection slips from publishers. Also I wanted to keep all my rights to my book.

Actually, it was you, Denise, that got me thinking about self publishing. Thanks for finding a local based publishing coaching company for me to work with. They walked me through the many steps in the right order. Everything was very manageable once I knew who to contact on every step.

They taught me the procedure of obtaining an ISBN and then they made up my barcode.

The coaching company even had a list of artists for the cover work and editors although I chose to find my own. You are a great editor. The author writes the story but you, my editor, made it flow smoothly.

The coaching company put my manuscript into a PDF to send to the printer of my choice. I chose to work with a local printer, Blitzprint. They are great to work with and very reasonably priced. There were no shipping charges. I just picked up the books when they were ready.

W-A: What advice would you give someone who wants to become a children’s writer?

Ruth: That really depends on what phase of your life you are in when you enter the writing field. I recommend taking journalism and English courses at college or university if you are able.

Take in other courses and seminars on writing as much as you can.

I believe that in order to be a writer for children you have to really want to be a writer and you must know and like children. You must always respect your audience as a writer and if you don’t know or like them, how can you? Read books that will help you to understand children and study articles and books that are already published. They will help you know how to handle subject matter for the younger ages and vocabulary and the length of the story. Also, read for research, general knowledge, and object lessons on how the professionals handle the material. You are writing for a highly specialized field. Children’s minds are very impressionable and what they read affects them their whole life.

If you really want to be a successful children’s writer, start writing and don’t give up.

W-A: Do you have any suggestions for how to market a new book?

Ruth: Well, yes, I could write a book on marketing with all the research I have done and all the marketing I am doing. If you self publish you better be prepared to learn marketing because no one else will do it for you, unless you hire someone. Even if you have your book published by a publishing company they still want you to be involved in marketing your book.

There are lots of ways to market your book especially now that we can go on line. Set up your own website to advertise and sell your book. Writing and submitting articles targeting the right audience for your book is a great way to drive traffic to your website. There are several sites you can sell your book on. Two of the most popular ones are Amazon and eBay.

To attract the press and get free publicity prepare a press kit. Send out a press release every time you have a reading or signing. Set up signings at libraries and book stores. Go to tradeshows and collect email addresses to build your database.

There is lots of information out there on line and in books. Two helpful books to learn about marketing are Canadian Writer’s Guide: Official handbook of the Canadian Authors Association, 13th Edition and Novel & Short Story Writer’s Market, 2007;where & how to sell your fiction.

W-A: How can writing articles help an author?

Ruth: I’m glad you asked me that. Writing articles has been a big part of my success in publicity for my book, The Lion Tree. Using key words in my articles has brought more traffic to my website to buy my book. Publishing articles gives me a constant presence online and shows my expertise giving me credibility as a writer for children and moms. It’s a wonderful marketing tool.

W-A: Thanks for talking to me today!

If you’d like to learn more about Ruth and her new Christian Children’s novel, The Lion Tree, visit http://www.RuthWillms.com. She also has several free Christian children’s stories you can read and print.

You can read Ruth’s articles at WAHM-Articles or by signing up for her monthly newsletter for Christian parents.

This week we have an interview with Fiona Lohrenz of Child Care Only. She’s developed a unique online business based on her day care experience.

WAHM-Articles: Hi Fiona! Welcome to the WAHM-Articles Blog. Please tell us about your business.

Fiona Lohrenz: I have run a day care for the past 10 years which caters for up to 50 children. More recently I have developed a child care site www.childcareonly.com which is aimed primarily at people starting a child care business or providers already in operation and provides articles and resources to help them start/run their businesses.

W-A: How did you get started in the daycare business?

Fiona: I was desperately trying to find a way to get out of the ‘working for someone else for minimum wage’ trap and saw a niche in the market for quality child care. The industry ticked all my boxes as I realised I could work for myself, be with my kids and also feel like I was doing some good for others too. Plus I knew there would be lots of variety in child care – no watching the clock.

W-A: You have developed a really unique product to help other moms start daycares, a Start a Daycare DVD guide. How does that work?

Fiona: Literally, it does what it says on the box. It is a take you by the hand, step by step dvd guide to starting a day care. The great thing is you can pop it in, watch it through and then rewind and pause on pertinent sections. It covers everything from building permits (if
required) to licensing, to designing rooms, equipment, policies and paperwork, daily schedules/routines, handling kids and parents etc.

We’re also putting the final touches to our paperwork software which will ask a few questions and then produce all the forms, contracts and policies you need completely personalised. That will be included with the dvd soon.

W-A: Why did you create this DVD?

Fiona: I spent 2 years researching and planning before I opened my day care and it was still a steep learning curve for a long time thereafter.

It was hard work and extremely frustrating so I figured why not take that 2 years of hard work plus all the other years of experience and save someone else all that heartache. I just wish I’d had it starting out – at the very least I could have started my business a lot sooner and saved a lot of sweat and tears.

W-A: Operating a daycare is a challenging job. How can a mom know if opening a daycare is the right business for her?

Fiona: Anyone who reads my articles knows I am an advocate of on the job experience. It’s the only way you’ll ever know if you are suited to this profession. I always recommend volunteering your services at an existing day care so you can observe first hand if it’s the industry for you. Another fantastic way of finding out about the nuts and bolts of these business is to arrange interviews with existing day care owners and pick their brains. The practical knowledge and advice of people ‘on the ground’ is unbeatable. Other than that, be honest with yourself and trust your instincts….if the sight of a snotty nose or a stinky bottom sends you reeling then you might want to consider a different profession!!

W-A: How has writing and submitting articles helped your business?

Fiona: I have been amazed at the cumulative effects of writing articles. It does take a bit of time to see any results but if you are consistent with your writing and submitting you will see a definite and tangible increase in traffic purely from articles alone. The great thing is seeing yourself repeatedly high in the search engines thanks to submitted articles. Aside from all that the discipline of consistently writing interesting, informative and relevant articles has kept me on my toes and always looking out for new angles and ideas that can improve my business.

W-A: Do you have any other words of wisdom for moms who are thinking of starting their own business?

Fiona: Believe. Believe. Believe. Don’t listen to the naysayers.
Research. Research. Research. Be ready for the long haul. Persist.
Persist. Persist. Keep an open mind. Listen to ideas. Don’t give up. Consistency is key.

W-A: Thanks Fiona! We wish you the best of luck in your business.

You can visit Fiona’s website and learn more about her DVD at http://www.childcareonly.com. You can also read her articles on WAHM-Articles.com.