Promoting your business is a must when you want to see growth and increase your business. Unique marketing opportunities always are a good thing to consider as they may bring in more business then you thought would be possible.
One of the easiest ways to promote your business in a unique way is to run a contest. A contest is easy to run and it’s possible you’ll gain additional business and you’ll increase the knowledge others have of you and your business.
Contests are easy to do and you can run them for a short amount of time or for a longer period. That part is up to you as there is no right or wrong way to run one. You can run them through your email, newsletter lists, Facebook, Twitter, or any other way you can come up with. It can be as simple as a question being answered or an image or word being found on your website.
Be creative when you are thinking about ways to grow your business with a contest. Think about your target market and what they enjoy doing. When you have your contest in place advertise it so others will participate in it.
Contests are good for business. They give you a fun way to invite people to your website to see what you have to offer. So if you’re looking for a unique way to grow your business, consider a contest.
This week, Karri Flatla of the Alpha WAHM Blueprint stopped by to answer some of my questions about becoming an Alpha WAHM… and to explain what a work-at-home mom needs with a blueprint anyway. I think you’ll feel inspired by what Karri had to say, and hopefully you’ll start thinking about how having a blueprint can benefit your own work-at-home life too.
Please do remember to leave a comment at the end of the post. For one thing, I would really like to know what you think about this particular topic.
PLUS you’ll be entered in Karri’s Comment Contest and could be the lucky winner of her popular digital compilation 99 Tips & Aha Moments to Grow Your Online Business (Rocket Science Not Included.)
WAHM-Articles: How can having a “blueprint” help a work-at-home-mom? Is this different than a business plan?
Karri: The Alpha WAHM Blueprint is very different than a business plan, and in the book I recommend getting clear on your personal blueprint BEFORE you write a business plan. That said, if you’ve already written a business plan, or the one you have is outdated, this “blueprinting” process is still critical to your long term success as a business owner.
A business plan lays out the nuts and bolts of running and growing your business. It’s very “left brain” if you will. However, a blueprint forces you to dig deep and understand WHY you want to have a business and WHAT you want it to bring to your life (and the lives of your loved ones).
Without teasing apart the different aspects of your vision and purpose, even the best laid “plans” will fail to provide any real value to you as an entrepreneur who is bound to face difficult decisions along the way. You need a compass, not a to-do list!
So a business plan tells you what to do, and a blueprint tells you why you’re doing it in the first place (and if it’s even the right thing at all!).
WAHM-Articles: You call your book an “empowerment guide for work-at-home-moms.” Why do work-at-home moms need to feel empowered? What do you believe we are lacking?
Karri: We need empowerment more than ever now. Working moms today have very few role models that make any sense for the realities they face here and now. Modern moms who also have paying careers are expected to be and do EVERYTHING for their families. On the one hand, we’re supposed to keep a beautiful, perfectly groomed home, dedicate our full attention to our children no matter what our own needs are, and look fabulous doing it.
On the other hand, we’re educated, we’ve earned our own incomes prior to getting married and having children, and we know what it means to have something (a life) to call our own.
Experts tell us it’s about work-life balance. In Alpha WAHM Blueprint, I passionately disagree with this sentiment. In fact, I ask women to let the notion go completely. Instead, let’s shoot for something more meaningful—like a true integration of work, love, passion, family … all of it. The modern work-at-home mom wants synergy, not separation. She also wants to stop feeling like she has to be perfect and instead can just focus on what brings her the most meaning and joy. If that means the kids don’t get as many home cooked meals or mommy-made crafts, so what?
Kids—and their dads—want mom to be happy. That is all your family really needs. The media and societal norms have construed it to be more complicated than that, but it’s not.
WAHM-Articles: Karri, you managed to write this book while being a mom to two little boys and running a successful web marketing business. How do you keep yourself motivated to grow and develop your business?
Karri: I’m as human as anyone else on this journey. That means some days I feel like packing it all in and just baking some cookies for my kids. But then I remember why I started doing this in the first place (and that I don’t like working in the kitchen much!). I am doing this because I want—with all my heart and soul—a life designed by ME and my family, not “the boss” or some corporation’s idea of work-life balance.
This is why having a personal blueprint is so important. It provides you not only a sense of deep purpose and meaning, but it serves as a reminder when things aren’t looking so hot in your business. When you stay connected to the real you—to the truth you’re striving to live each day—very little can stop you from achieving your work-at-home dreams.
Thank you so much for visiting WAHM-Articles, Karri!
If you want to learn more about getting empowered and creating your own personal blueprint, you may want to check out Karri’s book, Alpha WAHM Blueprint.
Please remember to comment below to enter Karri’s Comment Contest. Do you think having a blueprint would benefit your business? Have something else to add? We’d love to hear from you!
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I love to read books. To tell you the truth, I’m usually reading several of them at once!
I just finished reviewing a historical fiction novel, Hearts Awakening by Delia Parr, for my WAHM Books Blog, and I wanted to let you know I’m giving away a free copy
To enter, just pop over to the WAHM Books blog and leave a comment at the end of my review. I’m hoping you’ll tell me who your favorite historical fiction author is. I enjoy good books in this particular genre, and I’m looking for some new authors to read. 
But even if you don’t have a favorite to mention, please leave a comment anyways, and I’ll enter you in the draw.
I’m making the draw next Thursday, right before I leave on Easter vacation. Happy Easter to you!
~ Denise
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The work at home moms blues. Do you ever get those?
I do. More often than I’d like, in fact. Which in a way, surprises me. I’ve never had so much control of my life as I do as a home business owner. If something gets me down, I can put a stop to it!
But, in another way, I’m not so surprised after all… I’ll be blogging about that more this week.
I would love to get some input from other moms on this topic too. Do you ever get the work at home mom blues? Whether you do or not, I would really appreciate it if you could participate in my brief survey here.
To thank you for your time, everyone who participates is entered to win a free one-month 125×125 button ad space on WAHM-Articles.com. (You need to supply the button ad.) I’ll be drawing the winner March 22, around noon MT.
I really look forward to hearing what you have to say! Who knows, maybe I really am the only one who sometimes feels down about working at home. And then again, maybe we have a lot of encouragement to offer each other!
Here’s the link to the survey again.
~ Denise
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The holiday season is almost here. At WAHM-Articles, that means it’s time for the 2nd Annual Holiday Article Writing Challenge.
For the next 45 days, Corrie and I invite you to join us for a series of mini-challenges that every WAHM can do, and anyone can win! Oh yeah, we have prizes too.
The HAWC is our way of helping our fellow WAHMs have a profitable holiday season while still having time to enjoy it.
Here’s your first challenge, should you choose to accept it:
How many articles do you think you can write over the next 45 days? The goal you set it up to you. The only thing you have to do to win this challenge is submit them to WAHM-Articles.
The author of the 20th article we publish will win the first challenge prize, a copy of WAHM-Articles e-Book, Saving Christmas, and accompanying bonuses.
Then stay tuned to learn what the second challenge will be.
Do you want some encouragement for the writing challenge? Come join our WAHM-Articles community, or follow WAHM-Articles on Twitter. We’re tweeting challenge updates with the hashtag #hawc.
Are you ready? On your mark, get set, let’s write those articles!
Check Out These Upcoming Challenge Prizes
*Featured Advertiser and Text Forum Link Ad Package*
*Featured Advertiser:*
The Featured Advertiser listing will be displayed on our home page. It has a
maximum of 300 words and includes a banner.
*
Text Forum Link Ad:*
Top text link ad of up to 15 words shown on all pages of the forum.
This is a great way to attract more traffic and more visitors to your
business. With an attention grabbing headline and great ad copy you’re bound
to get noticed. Both ad spots are in a highly visible location offering you
and your business maximum exposure.
Valued at $40
*********************************************
Free Button Ad Space on Work at Home Jobs and Real Work at Home Jobs
WAHMs can always use free advertising! Especially during the holidays when business promotion time may be an issue.
*********************************************
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I know that times are slow for many of us. But the really great thing about being a work at home mom is that we can be so adaptable. If something isn’t working, we can easily make changes to our business to keep us profitable, no matter what the economy is doing!
Here’s an example:
One industry that has really been doing well right now is Virtual Assistance. As businesses are letting people go as they cut budgets, more and more of them are turning to Virtual Assistants to keep their business going.
If you’ve ever considered adding a Virtual Assistant component to your existing business, or starting a full-time Virtual Assistant business, this could be the perfect time to do it.
This week’s prize from Diana Ennen of Virtual Word Publishing can help you get started!
She’s giving away a copy of her book, Virtual Assistant – The Series: Become a Highly Successful, Sought After VA.
I love this book, and it was one of the first investments I made when I decided to become launch my own Virtual Assistant business. I still keep it handy and refer to it regularly whenever I need a little boost. Who better to get advice from than a VA Virtuoso who has been successfully earning an income from home as a Virtual Assistant for over 20 years!
This is a complete reference guide to starting a successful and profitable Virtual Assistant business, from someone who really knows what it takes and shares openly how you can do it too.
These over 200 pages cover everything you need to know from…
- how to know if you have what it takes to be a Virtual Assistant.
- writing your business plan
- developing your marketing strategies
- establishing a presence on the Internt
- specialty services you can offer. Niching your services means you can charge even more!
- managing the daily operations of a Virtual Assistant business
The Appendix is extremely helpful as well, and includes a sample marketing letter you can use to help get your first clients, an independent contractor agreement, a sample disaster recovery plan, and much more information you will find helpful in your new business.
To get your own copy, make sure you’ve entered the Saving Summer Giveaway on the right hand side of this page.
And after you do that, go to Virtual Word Publishing and check out more of the many wonderful books Diana offers on how to make money from home.
Have you joined our Holiday Article Marketing Challenge yet? If not, you really should! Not only will you increase your traffic this Christmas, or holiday, or whatever you want to call it. We’re also giving away nearly $300 in awesome prizes!
And I’ve just added one more that I think you’ll LOVE, especially if you’re interested in building your business with article marketing.
Here’s what we have so far:
Full advertising package at WorkAtHomeSpace for one month valued at $60
Includes: Featured Ad listing, Sites to See listing, Side Column listing, and Banner rotation.
Featured Author of the Month package from WAHM Articles, valued at $25 Includes: 200 words (text supplied by you) about your business on the front page of WAHM Articles. You may also include your photo OR a banner, and two links in the text. This will be placed on our home page for 30 days and archived in the WAHM Articles Blog.
Two ghostwritten blog posts, 200 – 300 words each, from Ghostwriter to the Rescue,
valued at $20
Advertising package that includes: (valued at $70)
Free 125 x 125 button at this location:
http://www.real-wah-jobs.com/
Free 125 x 125 button at this location:
http://www.onestopwebemployment.com/
Free Featured Ad at this location:
http://www.onestopwebemployment.com/
Tupperware products from Audrey Okaneko, valued at $30
Now, for my “surprise prize” for the Holiday Article Marketing Challenge!
In just three short weeks, I’ll be a Certified Article Marketing VA. Wahoo! I’m halfway there. And you know, I’m learning tons. I didn’t realize there was this much more to know about article marketing, and how to use it build your business.
I’m especially excited that I will be able to use this knowledge to help others build their businesses through article marketing.
So, to celebrate my little milestone, and my upcoming certification, I’m adding a new prize to help someone else learn everything that I have learned in this course.¬† One lucky person will get to pick my brain (and all my new article marketing resources) about how to use article marketing for their business.
I’m giving away a month of one-on-one coaching with moi! You’ll get to email me with ANY question about article marketing for your business, Monday to Thursday, for one month. And I’ll answer you within 24 hours.
I had to pay nearly $400 for this wealth of knowledge. And it’s worth every penny. 
But I’ll share it all with one luck winner for free!
What are you waiting for? Create an account at the WAHM Articles Forum, and sign up for the Holiday Article Marketing Challenge!
Come on, I dare you. 
Some of you have been asking me if just submitting an article that meets our publication guidelines is enough to get a week of ad space for your business. So I’ve changed the rules, and yes, submitting an article that meets our publication guidelines can get you a week of ad space AND 50% off a button from our sponsor Designed by Lara, AND an entry into the draw for a year of ad space and a banner ad designed by Designed by Lara.
Just post a comment here or send me a note at contact at wahm-articles.com to let me know that you want to claim your ad space and enter the draw.
Because we’re heading into the end of May, I’ve lifted the limits, and now you can get as many weeks of ad space and entries as you want. All the other rules still apply though. You can refresh your memory here.
Do your visitors or subscribers know about article marketing and how it can help them promote their business?
You can show them how to get free traffic for their websites and get a free ad for yourself at the same time! (plus get an entry into our grand prize draw for nearly $400 of advertising on May 31.)
I recently wrote an article about article marketing for moms. Simply reprint it on your website, blog or newsletter (include all the active links, please) then claim your free ad and contest entry here!
To celebrate Mother’s Day and all our fabulous authors, WAHM Articles is giving away ad space like crazy throughout the month of May.
Mother’s Day Ad Madness begins May 1 and runs until midnight on May 31 2008 (Mountain Time).
What You Win
Everyone who plays wins something!
1. Everyone who plays receives a free 125×125 button ad spot at WAHM Articles. Your ad will show on all pages of the article directory. You’ll receive one week of advertising for everytime you play, up to 4 weeks.
2. Everyone who plays also receives 50% off one 125 x 125 button ad from our sponsor, Designed by Lara. This offer is good during the month of May only, and only for the button that will be displayed on the WAHM Articles directory. No matter how many times you play, you can take advantage of this offer one time only.
3. Each time you play, you’re automatically entered into a draw to win one full year of banner ad space at WAHM Articles ($360 value) and a free banner ad from our wonderful sponsor, Designed by Lara.
Here are the rules.
1. You MUST have 2 approved articles in the WAHM Articles database to play.
2. To play, all you have to do is tell a work-at-home-mome who’s not already a member, about the article directory at WAHM Articles. How you do that is entirely up to you! You can blog about us, email about us, chat about us…. whatever works for you.
3. Post a comment below telling me what you did to share the WAHM Articles directory with at least one other work-at-home-mom who isn’t a member already. You don’t need to provide proof, BUT anyone found cheating will automatically be disqualified. (I know YOU wouldn’t do that, but there are some who would. 
)
4. In your comment below, please include:
a) what you did to share the WAHM Articles directory with at least one other work-at-home-mom who is not already a member.
b) your author name on WAHM Articles
c) indicate whether or not you would like to take advantage of the 50% off discount a button ad from Designed by Lara (available for each player one time only).
5. Each time you follow the above steps, I will give you 1 week of button advertising on all the pages of the WAHM Articles directory. You may play up to 4 times and receive up to 4 weeks of advertising space.
6. Each time you follow the above steps, you will receive one entry into the draw for banner advertising for a year, and the free banner from Designed by Lara. You can have up to 4 entries.
7. After you post your comment, I will contact you to let you know when your ad will run. All ads will run between May 1 2008 and April 30 2009.
8. If you have indicated that you would like a button ad from Designed by Lara, Lara will contact you with more information.
This is Important – Please Read
1. You may not choose when your ad will run.
2. Ad space is given on away on a first-come, first-served basis only.
3. If you win more than one week of advertising space, your ad may or may not run on consecutive weeks. All ads will run on a first-come, first-served basis.
4. All ads must be “family-friendly” or they will not be accepted. I blush easily, and my kids like to visit my website.
5. Only activities initiated during the month of May count for this event. For example, if you’ve had a link to us on your website for the past month, it doesn’t count (although it is GREATLY appreciated!). If you put up a link for the first time during the month of May, it does count.
6. Grand prize draw will be held midnight, May 31 2008 (Mountain Time).
If you need ideas on how to tell others about WAHM Articles, stay tuned to the WA blog. Throughout the month of May, I’ll be posting ideas for simple things you can do to help spread the word.
Ready to play? Starting tomorrow, May 1, tell at least one other work-at-home-mom, who’s not already a member, about the article directory at WAHM Articles. Then post a comment below about what you did, and include all the other information I asked for.
Clear as mud? You can post your questions below too, or send them to me at [email protected] and I’ll try to clear things up.
Have fun, and have a VERY Happy Mother’s Day!
