Work at Home Moms Articles – WAHM Articles

Life can get in the way of your business quicker than you may think. It happens regularly, but it’s not something we should stress over. Stress won’t help the situation and could possible do more harm than good in the end.

Whether you work outside the home or you run a home business, life can take over in the blink of an eye. When this happens the best thing to do is regroup and add your current situation to the mix. It’s possible the current situation is only temporary, but if that’s not the case, take the necessary actions to add what you need to in your life.

When life changes, take the time to re-evaluate your business and life in general and make changes. Eliminate those things you don’t need, organize what you do need, and do what you can to make things easier on you.

Delegating is something else you can try so you have more time in the day. There are a number of things you can delegate to others with your business and personal life. Take the list below into consideration.

Working at home is very rewarding when you have your childr by your side and you’re able to make the money you need to support your family. It gives you a feeling of accomplishment and it shows you’re able to stay organized and you know how to get things done.

Whether you’re just starting out or you’ve been working at home for years, there may be times when you feel you’re not getting anything done in a day. You’re not completing your business tasks and you’re not completing your home tasks. You may feel like everything is falling apart and you don’t know what way is up. You may feel like you’re not doing things right and it’s time to call it quits.

Don’t let that happen. If you find yourself feeling this way, it’s time to stop and regroup. Sit down, do something for yourself, and start over. Go to the beginning and start over with your planning and start over with your to-do list and your schedule.

Sometimes when it doesn’t appear things are working it may be because they aren’t working. When you regroup you have the ability to think about the tasks you need to accomplish and decide if they really are necessary. You may find with your business that you’re doing tasks that aren’t helping you grow your business or you may find it’s time to hire a Virtual Assistant to help you. With your home tasks you may find it’s time to assign tasks to the children or you may find there is a better way to do them.

The most important thing to remember is the reason you’re working at home. Don’t forget your family is the top priority and don’t forget you need to keep them at the top of the list every day. Don’t lose your “why”. When you remember your why things will always fall into place and you’ll have successful days!

Dealing with your finances is not an easy task. They can be frustrating and stressful to say the least. If you have more bills than money at the end of the month or if something major comes up, figuring out what to change can feel impossible.

There are many things you can do to save money. Some can help right away while others will only help over time. If time is not something you have on your side, it may not be worth it to do those things at this time. Instead you should focus on what can give you more money now, rather than later.

One thing you may not think about, but is costing you more money than you think is your grocery bill. Here are a few things to think about.

1. Did you know while you may think it’s cheaper to go out to eat, in reality it’s not? The average cost per meal at a fast food restaurant is $8. Depending on what you fix at home, the average cost is $3. Over time that $5 difference will add up.

2. Shopping daily is costing you more money than you think. When you buy things like hamburger and chicken in bulk you save money. When you buy a pound of hamburger or a 4 pack of chicken each day you’re going to pay more than you would if you buy a 3 pound pack of hamburger or an 8 pack of chicken. The more you buy the less per pound you pay. It may appear to be more, but when you take the cost per pound into consideration, it is less.

There are other things you can do to save money at the grocery store like using coupons, planning meals around what’s on sale, planning meals that give you leftovers that can be used for another dinner meal or for lunch the next day, and making a cheap meal like taco’s or spaghetti instead of something that has a lot of ingredients. Most of these things will take a little time and planning, but in the end the money you save will be worth it.

Subjects
Choose favorite family photos that feature similar subjects. If a vacation to the mountains was particularly memorable, choose scenes from the trip for the foyer photos. Photographs featuring nature scenes will tie the outside world into the entry of the house making for a smoother transition from outside to inside.

Faces of family members also make for good front foyer photo subjects. Try to gather pictures that are all taken in a similar style to provide continuity. Smiling faces and close-ups are excellent subject matters when attempting to create a warm, welcoming feeling in the foyer space.

Finishes
All the photos displayed in the foyer should have the same finish. If matte pictures are preferred than all the photos should be printed on matte paper. The same is true for the colors of the pictures.

Black and white photos look better when paired with other black and white pictures. Sepia tones create a unique look and give the foyer an old world feel. The neutral colors of the photos produce a more formal and sophisticated feel, while a collection of brightly colored pictures creates a more informal feel to the space. Choose the finish that works best in the space.

Frames
Frames should all be the same finish for a unified look. Although different size photos are fine, they will look out of place if some frames have a light finish and others have a dark or metal finish. Continuity with the frames will be integral to creating a visually pleasing photo arrangement of family pictures.

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Summer is upon us! This is the time of year to spend quality time outdoors with your kids and family. It’s also time to bring out the grill and patio furniture. Also, if you have a pool, get busy with cleaning it out for some summer fun!

Summer time can be a slow time for some home businesses. Although, It will depend on what type of business you have to determine if you will experience some slack with your business sales and traffic. Kids are home from school, and families go on vacations. Of course, that means many people will be busy during summer months and also spending less time online visiting your blog or website. That usually means a stall with your business.

If you experience a stall with your business this time of year, do you tend to get depressed and thus, experience some demotivation? I have been there many times! However, what an ideal time to kick your writing opportunities into high gear!

Don’t get down in the dumps during summer! Instead, especially if you don’t have any kids or summer obligations; take the opportunity to get in deep with your writing. Why not join an article writing challenge? Or maybe, start writing that eBook or online course you’ve put on the back burner for so long, or perhaps do some videos for your home business. For most people online, the opportunities are wide open to take advantage of during slow times.

Above all, DON’T ignore your business during the summer months! Most times, if you do, your business will suffer. And when it’s time to get going with sales, leads and sign ups come this fall, you will fall short even more of much needed traffic for success.

10 Writing Opportunities to Think About

* This is the ideal time to freshen up your blog or website with new writing material

* Get started with writing some eBooks for your business

* Start a writer’s group with your home business associates

* Take a free online course

* Study the writing markets; looking into what the various markets are looking for, guidelines, etc..

* Contact old clients and offer some freebies. This could lead to new client projects

* Prioritize your email list, paying close attention to your top clients

* Write up and schedule some blog posts for the fall and winter months

* Polish up on your resume and cover letters

* Declutter your home office and re-organize

There are all kinds of things you can be doing during the slow summer months that will benefit you and your business. However, don’t let those things take priority over enjoying a fun-filled summer!

Tammy offers more articles on writing and also her freelance writing services at Freelance Writing Jobs and Services.

You can also find Tammy at her Grandparenting Articles and Tips blog.

Spring is a time of renewal, and for many of us, a time for cleaning and organizing our homes. The melting of winter into spring is a great time to bring order to your abode after the inevitable chaos the hibernation season brings. But spring cleaning can be a daunting task, particularly if you tackle it alone. Simplify and speed your organizing day by enlisting your family to help. Don’t think your kids will participate? Make it a fun event and you’ll have volunteers you will enjoy spending the day with.

Like many organizing activities the key to success is to plan ahead. Pick a date you can dedicate the whole day to both the work and fun. Make certain you have the supplies you need, including handy snacks and drinks. Work in teams of 2 or 3 and then switch halfway through the day. Don’t forget to choose some up-tempo music to keep the energy levels up, and make certain each member of the family enjoys listening to their favourite CD during the day.

Most kids have four basic possessions – clothing, toys, books and school related papers. These items are forever changing and accumulating. The change of season is a great opportunity to sort through the excess taking up valuable space in your home. To keep your kids interest in check during your spring organizing day, give one or two of the following ideas a try.

Let’s begin with making room in the closets. Tell the kids you’re having a fashion show and let them try on all of their clothes (no, not all at once!). What doesn’t fit gets handed down to a sibling or packed into a box for donation. Sort what does fit into outfits and stack in drawers. Have your child make a list of new clothing needs for the next shopping excursion.

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March is here and that means the last month of the 1st quarter is here. This means we’re almost a quarter of the way through this year. Can’t believe it’s gone this fast.

With that said, it’s time to discuss the goals you set. How are you doing with them so far? Are you on track to complete them on time? Did you set goals that were too hard or too easy to achieve? It’s not too late to rethink them or step up the game to reach them.

Goals help you reach new levels of success with your business. If you didn’t set goals, there is no time like the present to set them. If you set them already, now is the time to sit down with your list and see how you’re doing.business,

If you set goals and wondered if you really need them for your business or if you didn’t and are rethinking your decision on this topic, you need to read “Do You Really Need Business Goals” by Michelle Shaeffer. This is an article written by one of my guest bloggers and she really knows what it takes to reach success in business.

Once you read Michelle’s article, take some time to think about your business and goals and see if you need to have them. If you decide you do and you have them already, make sure you’re in line to reach success. If you don’t have them and want to, take the time to set goals that are achievable and will help you reach success.

My life has been busy with raising a teen, writing and more writing. I feel blessed to be able to work at home and I can’t think of myself being anywhere else. Sometimes life just gets in the way and other priorities get pushed to the back burner. I know that’s okay because life and family take precedence over my work life.

I have to admit it’s hard raising a teen. I’m grateful I have a teen that is mature for her age and more mature than her peers. It has always been that way since she was just a wee one, but like any normal teen, she has her thing…mornings aren’t really her thing nor is breakfast (sometimes) or going to bed at a certain time or cleaning up her room. Yeah, typical teen things. I’m grateful. She’s a great kid and an honour roll student.

We have a good relationship; we communicate and she tells me a lot of things about school, course planning, friends and boys. All those boys! She has a good head on her shoulders, she’s intelligent and she makes good life choices.

As a Mom, I feel for other kids. They blaze, cut themselves, skip school, get poor grades, hang with the wrong people and get bullied online. They lack self-esteem and confidence and have tons of insecurities. Where are the parents? I know they are both working because they have to. It’s not easy to live on one income in my area. I’m not preaching to anyone on how to raise their kids especially teens, but parents have to be involved in their kids lives. They have to lay down boundaries of what is acceptable and what is not and there has to be consequences if those expectations aren’t met. They have to help boost their kids’ self-esteem and confidence levels. They need to be loved and supported in these difficult years of being a teenager. Forget YOLO (You Only Live Once) and swag right now because that can come later. Getting your kid to understand that is another thing, but when you give them guidance, you’ll get better results than telling them what to do.

Encourage your kids to get involved in school sports or clubs where they will find like-minded peers who are striving for the same goals. Being good at something and getting compliments from it will help your kids gain confidence and self-worth.

A parent’s job is never done. My lap is too small for my daughter now, but my heart is always big enough to wrap around her while she still has room to breathe.

Sophia McIntyre is offering two free eBooks on raising teens titled “Raising Teens: Dealing with Bumps in the Road” and “Talking the Talk: Communicating with your Teens”. You can grab them both on her website at www.workathomespace.com/ebooks.php.

Being a full time work at home mom (regardless of what you think or believe), does have it’s thorny roses. It’s like anything else and also like an outside the home job. No matter what, there will be challenges in whatever you do.

The various social networks are always a great help. If you use the social platforms correctly, YOU too will establish your home business and also build your brand. It takes some hard work and determination to make it in the WAH niche.

When I say correctly, I mean be polite and courteous by putting aside all differences you have with others. Really, it takes a lot less energy than being negative with your social audiences. And it sure don’t help promote your business.

The Tips Below Include positive and social skills that lets you promote your website or affiliate links more effectively.

1. Use Social Networking – There are literally boundless opportunities to connect with the right people that will benefit you the most. Take time to get to know every one of your connections. It just makes good business sense!
2. Keep Up With Technology – Now for a lot of work at home moms, new technology is a foreign language. However, if you’re going to be working on the Internet, you definitely need to keep abreast with all things tech. For example; will a smart phone, lap top, or Ipad help you with your business? In most cases, all the above would be excellent assets with keeping in touch with your contacts and other work at home professionals.
3. Thinking About a Partnership – Now sometimes this is not even feasible due to close friends or family members being involved. However, it may be a perfect work solution and no foreseeable problems are waiting to strike. A partnership business all depends on the various parties involved and their attitudes. The determination to always work hard (for all parties), needs to be practiced. There also needs to be some sort of agreement signed by all parties on how business should be done and also know upfront what’s expected of you at all times. Take time out for some careful thought before getting your feet wet with a partnership business.
4. Stay Away From Bullies – Yes there are indeed a ton of bullies online just waiting to belittle you! What do these bullies want? Most times folks that bully gets a false sense of security. And they sure don’t think much of themselves if they do. It’s called getting their kicks; which is a twisted way of making themselves look good. Stay away from bullies and stick like glue to positive people that will respect you just as you respect them.
5. Seek out friendships and help buddies – For most people, having friends you can rely on and help give you feedback (when you need it) is a necessity. Online friends helps with the work at home isolation or (blues) is sometimes what it’s referred to. Also, it’s always a good motto to treat your online (and offline) friends and buddies the way YOU would like to be treated.

The best time to be social is NOW! Hopefully the 5 tips above helps someone along the way reading this article. Be sociable ! Be successful!

Tammy is a passionate blogger. You can find more grandparenting tips and articles by Tammy Here

You can also find Tammy on Twitter

Happy New Year, everyone! I hope you had a relaxing break and you did everything or almost everything you set out to do.

A New Year symbolizes new beginnings for many. It’s a time of change, new growth or rekindling. Whatever the situation may be with you, it’s never too late to start setting attainable goals. For many people, setting new goals in the New Year becomes a bit of a challenge. You may be gung-ho for the first three months and then suddenly your motivation drops completely. Here are three tips on how to set goals that work.

When you set goals, you need to write them down. It doesn’t work if you keep it all in your head. You have to see it and visualize it. For some people using an online software such as Evernote for their goal setting works very well, while others prefer a tangible notebook. If you’re going with the latter, I recommend you get a notebook you can personalize and look at as your goal book. You can easily use a steno pad or yellow pad of paper, but when you think about it, how motivating is that to look at?

Secondly, you have to break down your goals and be specific. It’s easy to say you want to lose weight. That’s very general so what you want to do instead is write down, for example, how many pounds you want to lose, your goal date, or how many inches you want to lose off your waist, hips, etc. Next, to lose those inches or pounds, what will you have to do? You might decide you want to eat 150 fewer calories daily and incorporate 45 minutes of brisk walking per day. Once you’re able to accomplish it easily, revisit your goal setting notebook and tweak it. Set a new goal of eating 250 fewer calories or add another exercise regimen. If you fail to do it, don’t scrap your goal completely. Go back to your starting point of 150 fewer calories.

Thirdly, you have to rid yourself of the temptations. In the above scenario, you can donate your junk food to the food bank or give them to your friends or other family members who don’t live with you. Once you throw out the “old” you can bring in the new, but that’s only the physical part of it. You have to also change the way you think. In order to start receiving good, you have to purge your mind of the negative. It’s not easy if you’re not normally a positive thinking person; it won’t happen overnight, but if you’re aware of it, it’s easier to catch it and change it.

When it comes to goal setting, you’ll experience failure before you find success, but don’t give up and don’t let it frustrate or discourage you. Keep your focus and the goal you want to reach and don’t forget to celebrate your small successes along the way.

What tips do you have for goal setting? Please share your success stories in the comments below.

Sophia McIntyre is an Internet Marketer and Ghostwriter, and founder of WorkatHomeSpace.com, a free resource focusing on work at home jobs, home businesses, ghostwriting services, money making opportunities, and more.