Work at Home Moms Articles – WAHM Articles

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.

WAHM-Articles: Hi Kathleen and welcome to the WAHM-Articles Blog! First of all, can you tell us a bit about your business?

Kathleen Gage: I have owned and operated my company, Turning Point, Inc., for 14 years. There are several divisions in my company. One is as a mentor for speakers, trainers, authors and consultants who want to turn their knowledge and expertise into money-making products and services. I do this by teaching them eProduct development; multi media program development, self-publishing skills, teleseminar development and developing mentoring courses that they can offer their clients.

I also teach my clients how to use the Internet in their overall marketing. I do not teach them how to be the next Internet marketing guru. Rather, how to best position themselves for optimum visibility via the Internet.

I am also a conference keynote speaker. Primarily, clients who hire me to speak at an event are looking for an inspirational speaker with my background.

I also have Maxwell Publishing. I started my publishing company for the purpose of having complete creative control over the books I wanted to take to market. In the time I have had my publishing company I have taken four paperback books to market and dozens of eBased information products. My most recent book, The Law of Achievement, became an Amazon.com bestseller on the day of release. We did this with a very strategic marketing plan.

I bring over 25 years of experience in sales, marketing, management, public relations and promotions into what I offer my clients.

W-A: Has writing and submitting articles helped you build your business?

Kathleen: Actually, writing and submitting articles is one of the primary strategies I have used for many years now in creating a lot of visibility on the Internet.

There’s nothing to compare to it in how to showcase my expertise, gain incredible visibility within my target market and create other great opportunities like writing for traditional publications, being found by journalists and media show hosts. Hands down, article writing and distribution is a great marketing tool.

Article writing and submitting is something I also teach my clients as a way to build visibility and credibility within their market.

W-A: How can a business owner gain visibility through his or her writing?

Kathleen: The way it works on the Internet is that by posting your articles to various article and Ezine directories it will be picked up by publishers and editors of various Ezines, trade journals, blogs, etc. Keep in mind you want your articles to be well written. Once you post them they are there for anyone to see. If you have well written articles you open up lots of great opportunity.

I would recommend that people have a systemized approach to what they are doing. Post your articles on your blog, talk to other blog owners who share a similar market to see if they are interested in your articles, post to directories, in forums that accept articles and social networks where potential readers hang out.

In order to optimize your position you need to know what key words are specific to your market and use those in your article. This has to do with SEM and SEO; Search Engine Marketing and Search Engine Optimization.

You can also post your articles in what are known as Blog Carnivals. Blog Carnivals are becoming very popular. Basically a blog carnival is a type of blog event. It’s dedicated to a particular topic and is published according to a schedule. Some carnivals happen only once, others will be a weekly or monthly event.

There are a lot of variations as to how a carnival is organized, but usually when someone wants to organize one they ask readers to submit articles of a certain theme for inclusion in an upcoming event.

W-A: Can work-at-home-moms, like our authors on WAHM-Articles, actually make money from their writing?

Kathleen: Most definitely. They can make money from eBooks, physical books, and publications that find them and pay them to write for traditional publications.

They can also use free articles to establish name recognition and credibility within their market. I have been doing this for years.

I make money from eBooks and physical books, but I also make LOTS of money from the visibility my articles give me. At the end of my articles I have a resource box that offers something of high value for free that drive visitors back to my website(s). On my various sites people are invited to download reports, free eBooks, sign up for teleseminar and other free offerings. In order to download my information they must leave their name and email address. This puts them into a backend database.

As people receive my information they see I know what I am talking about, I build trust and credibility with them. When I roll out a new product or service I am in more of a position for them to buy. Just last week I introduced a $20 eProduct to my market and within four days made over $1,000 from the product.

The thing that is important for people to realize is that I have been at this for some time. I make great money, but it didn’t happen overnight. I have a very systemized approach to my business. The key is I treat it as a business and not a hobby.

The challenge I see for a lot of people is they don’t treat what they do as a business and then wonder why they don’t make money. I know you work with a lot of authors and people who want to be authors.

W-A: Can an article writer author a book too?

Kathleen: Writing articles is a great way to write a book. I teach people what is called repackaging their information. Think of it this way. You have a certain expertise. That expertise can be packaged a number of different ways. Articles, tips, books, eBooks, teleseminars, live presentations, etc. You are only limited by your imagination.

W-A: Is it important for an online business owner to author a book?

Kathleen: In a word, Yes! I have found that a book lends itself to lots of credibility. Say you have two people who have the exact same expertise. Who do you think will be viewed as more of an expert? The one with the book or the one without the book. In the consumer’s mind, usually the one with the book. That is if the book is well written and people know about the book.

W-A: Once you write a book, obviously the next step is to take it to market. What steps are involved in that?

Kathleen: That is a great question. Many people assume that a book will miraculously market itself. The fact is, the writing and publishing are the easy part. The real work comes with the marketing.

One of the most effective ways to market a book is with live presentations. Unfortunately many authors shy away from speaking. But truth be told, one can sell thousands of dollars worth of books from the platform. One of my co-authors actually sold $23,000 after a 35 minute keynote. That’s a lot of money.

Other ways to market would be through joint venture partnerships where others help you to market your book both online and off.

The thing I do is to work at gaining online visibility, driving people back to my site, inviting people into my database by way of an offer and then I have control of how to market to them.

You can also utilize media release, radio interviews, web radio interviews, teleconferences and social networks.

W-A: Can anyone put their books on Amazon.com? How does a new author set up an Amazon campaign?

Kathleen: It is actually quite easy to get listed on Amazon. There are some companies that try to sell this whole mystique around getting on Amazon to potential clients who just don’t know how simple it is. A newer author thinks this is a really big deal when in reality if you have a little time you can easily do it yourself. You have to join the Amazon Advantage program. There is a lot of information at http://advantage.amazon.com/gp/vendor/public/join/

W-A: Do you have any tips for writing a description of your book for Amazon?

Kathleen: Make the description colorful. Don’t just list the book. Put thought into your description. Use keywords specific to your market and your book. Go to some of the pages of bestselling books and notice how the descriptions are written.

The fact is, the more enticing the copy on the Amazon page the more likely people will be to want to buy your book.

W-A: Before I let you go, what advice would you give to a mom who was serious about making money from home?

Kathleen: As I mentioned earlier, if you treat making money as part of a real business you can make money and lots of it. However, don’t expect to get rich quick and by all means, don’t fall for all the hype you will find online.

Be willing to invest in training programs, but be aware of how much you are investing. Have a plan.

Get a mentor or a coach. Do your research to find out who is “the real deal” and who isn’t.

Realize, this takes work. Let me repeat that. This takes work. It is not going to happen by chance, it will happen by design. Be willing to put effort into your business.

Be clear on who your market is and is not. Be clear on what you have to offer your market. What is it that sets you apart from someone else that is selling a product or service that in the consumer’s mind is exactly the same. Your job is to help them differentiate you from others.

Something that can help with that is to conduct an in-depth market analysis. Many people skip over this step because it is time consuming and not always the most exciting thing to do. And yet, once you begin an analysis you will be amazed at what you find out about the market and about yourself.

Have a focus. It is easy to bounce from thing to thing to thing. Realize before you can make $1,000 you have to make $1. One success builds on another and another.

Don’t try to sell something just to make money. You have to be congruent with what you offer.

Have goals. Write your goals down.

Most of all, be willing to take risks and walk through your fears. Obviously something is driving you to own and operate your business. What is it? If it is solely for the money, chances are you will not be as successful as if it is because you have something that can make a difference in the lives of others. When you come from the space of service and knowing what you have to offer can benefit others, it becomes a very exciting process.

W-A: Thanks so much for your time Kathleen!

Kathleen: Thanks for inviting me to share my thoughts.

You can learn more about Kathleen by visiting http://www.streetsmartsmarketing.com/ You’ll also find several of Kathleen’s articles published at WAHM-Articles.com.