Archive for the 'Start Up Resources + Ideas' Category

10 Signs that You are Ready to Start a Home Based Business

Tuesday, October 31st, 2006

It’s days like today that I am MOST happy, thrilled and excited about the fact that I decided to run my own home-based business again. It’s been years since I was able to go to my kids’ Halloween parade at school. And I’m so excited for the rest of the holidays throughout the end of the year - I haven’t been able to bake cookies, do early Christmas shopping, or host Thanksgiving in years as well. These are some of the traditions that make my life joyous - and working at home makes it possible for me to have my cake and eat it too!

Some of you are still in a job outside of the home, longing to take the leap into home based business-land. Are you ready? Well, if you can say yes to at least ONE of the following, you had better start giving a home business some serious consideration. Three of them should be a wake up call. If you have more of five of them you had better stop reading this blog right now and start on that dang business plan!! (Come back later though for help along the way!! ;) )

Anyway, here’s the 10 Signs that You are Ready to Start a Home Based Business ::

Your work-life schedule has become unmanageable

You have a dream that has become an obsession

You are willing to do whatever it takes in order for your business to succeed

You dream of business plans and of marketing strategy

You are willing to start your new business in your off hours and give up some of your free time

You have the ability to go 2-6 months without any self-generated income [either by tapping into savings or by cutting expenses enough to live off of one income]

Your “I shoulds” and “I wish’s” are becoming “I musts”

You have a nagging feeling that you aren’t living up to your full potential, and you have decided to do something about it

You are getting little hints from the universe that it is time to put up or shut up

That little voice that used to say “I can’t do that” is now wondering “Hey, CAN I do that?”

[Hint :: yes, you can!! Do it now!!]

How to Choose the Perfect Blogging Topic

Tuesday, October 3rd, 2006

I’m not the first person to write about how important it is to be passionate about the topic you blog about - but what other factors should you consider when you want to launch a blog? And how can you know that the topic you choose is going to be a good one for you?

I certainly can’t tell you what to blog about. I can provide you with some great questions and some guidance to help you determine what is right for you.

First of all, come up with a list of potential subjects that interest you - the longer, the better. Once you have your list, ask yourself the following questions about each of your ideas. Some ideas will quickly fall out of consideration, while others will start to emerge as stronger options for you.

And you don’t have to pick just one - especially if there is some crossover between a few ideas. Kittens, finance and art may be a stretch - but you could blog about kittens and breeding as a business, or building a business as an artist, or a create a kitten art blog. :)

1 :: Are you certain you know enough about this subject to write about it on a consistent basis?

Alternatively, if you are writing a learning blog, are you certain that there is enough for you to write about as you become more proficient in this subject area?

You want to have a LOT to say about your blog topic, so if this is a subject you can talk a lot about in life, chances are you have a lot to write about for a blog.

2 :: Will this subject offer you enough variety and opportunities to go off on a tangent or two?

You want a topic that is specialized so that you can attract a niche audience - but ensure that you don’t box yourself in too closely or no matter what your passion, you’ll run out of things to say.

3 :: Does this subject offer you a way to connect with other people, with yourself, or with the outside world?

We are social creatures - and blogs are a natural tool for connecting with others via trackbacks and comments - but does your topic offer a way connect? For example, can you be a little personal every now and then if you wrote about this idea? Does this topic require that you dig deep within yourself to come up with content? Or will creating a blog in this niche eventually foster a community as the blog matures?

The more you can predict your chosen topic will foster a sense of connection, the more enjoyable it will be to write about it. Even if you can’t predict it right now, that’s fine - it’s just a factor that will greatly enhance your desire to continue to write as your blog matures.

4 :: Can you write with some authority on this subject?

Call this the ego factor - do you know what you are talking about? Will readers look to you for guidance, advice, leadership? Are you a guru in this field?

We all need to feel important - so as you review your ideas, consider how each of them helps you to feel significant.

At the same time, too much ego tends to diminish the previous factor of connecting with your readers - so make your choices wisely when the ego is the one influencing your choice!

5 :: Do you really love this subject?

I don’t know how much more explanation this needs.. ;)

6 :: Is there room for growth in this subject area?

Is this a topic that is continually changing or expanding? Or is it just hot right now, but in danger of extinction? (Read: Brittany Spears). Consider the long-term viability of your ideas, as well as the growth opportunities the topic will offer you. Do you have more to learn on the subject? Will it stretch you a bit to take on this topic?

Growth is good. :)

7 :: Is this blog topic one that gives back and contributes to others?

To really be fulfilled long-term with your blog topic, you can’t just write for you. We are here to make a difference in this world, and each person has their own unique experiences that offers value to others.

Successful businesses are ones that add value to their customers’ lives - your blog is no exception to this law of physics. ;)

~

Your answers to each of these questions will help clarify what will be the best fit for you as you consider launching your first blog - or a new blog. The more you can say “yes” to these, the more you will enjoy writing about the topic.

If, on a scale of 1 to 10 you are at a level 15 for all 7 questions, you have found yourself a winner. But then you had better watch out for blogging addiction… which is another post for another time ;)

Information Products and Selling Books Online

Tuesday, August 22nd, 2006

I’ve been really enjoying getting to know my fellow bloggers since I made the decision to jump into this blog full force. There are some really amazing people out there doing some really amazing things! I found a little gem recently called The Mindful Entrepreneur (LOVE that name!!). Jason Clegg and I share inspiration from the same blogs we love - and probably also a bit of the same life purpose, too!

Jason also has a good background in working from home - in college, he started and ran a thriving bookselling site from home (dorm room, perhaps??). In fact, if you want to know more about doing that yourself, he has his own information product out there called appropriately enough, “Make Money at Home Selling Books Online“.

For many of my readers, though, I believe you want to write your own information product. Well, look no further for help on this, dear readers! Because Jason has written a two part series called 10 Steps to Writing an eBook. Part 1, Part 2. Nice and simple instructions to getting your project off of the ground!

I have subscribed to Jason’s FeedBurner feed, and love staying on top of his work. I just wish he would write more of it! :)

But What if I Don’t Want to be an Entrepreneur?

Thursday, August 3rd, 2006

I know that I focus a lot on starting up your own business here on my site, simply because I can’t seem to stop myself from starting up businesses (I swore off of them last time… I think I need EA meetings… Hi, my name is Wendy, I’m an Entreprenur Addict…)

Anyway, I know there are a lot of moms out there who want to work from home, yet just aren’t cut out for this business building gig. No worries. Thanks to Sarah Zeldman’s SolutionsForBusyMoms Blog, I can send you to a great resource to learn all about Telecommuting. Rather than steal her thunder, just go read the post!

Articles Page is Live!!

Wednesday, August 2nd, 2006

Ok only one article is new as of today, but the section is new!! Check out the Articles from eMoms at Home!

The new article addition, by the way, is the Top 10 Obstacles to Success as a Work at Home Mom. It brings me to a whopping three articles (yes, I know, I’m writing furiously lately, so just keep coming back for lots more). What are the other two articles? Well, I’m going to make you visit my articles page to find out!

*end shameless self serving plug for traffic*

New eMoms BlogJolt Yahoo! Group

Wednesday, July 26th, 2006

Inspired by the success of the LinkedIn Bloggers Yahoo Group, I have started a similar forum for women bloggers to work together to help each other build traffic and visibility in the blogging community.

The valuable key idea borrowed from the LinkedIn Bloggers group is a “BlogJolt” (they call it a Blog Boost). Each week, a group member with a blog is selected for the featured BlogJolt. The group members each post an entry referencing and linking to the target blog, thereby flooding the recipient with traffic, visibility and an increased Technorati Rank. Some requirements for becoming the target BlogJolt will be previous participation in past BlogJolts and at least 20 previous blog entries which other bloggers can reference.

I will be on a crusade over the next few weeks to invite my fellow women bloggers to join the group and get involved.

Please join the eMoms BlogJolt Group now - it’s free, and a valuable service to you and our community. Please also email this post to a friend with the link below to help spread the word and add members. The more we have in the group, the more it benefits everyone!

I have also added a page separate blog into the main navigation. We need at least 25 members to launch our first BlogJolt. Please tell your fellow female bloggers now!

New Work at Home Articles Section Coming Soon

Wednesday, July 26th, 2006

I was up until the wee hours of the morning last night to meet my own self-imposed deadline to have three new articles written for the eMoms at Home site. The topics include:

The Top 10 Personal Barriers to Professional Success

The Top 10 Work at Home Key Success Ingredients

Secrets to Faster Blogging Success

I just need some time to proofread the work and build the site section, so look for this new resource by the end of the week. DONE!!

Strategic Business Decisions and Changes

Thursday, July 13th, 2006

Well, I must say I am a bit surprised at the success of this little work at home moms blog. I’m not doing anything to promote it (though I did get a little blog boost today! Thanks guys!!), and the site is getting as much, if not more traffic than eSelfHelp.

So I had a really great conversation today with my friend and fellow entrepreneur Todd Smart of BeTuitive Marketing, and we threw some ideas around for this little business I have going here. I was wondering… should I go with what’s working and pursue eMoms more aggresively? Or should I go with my passion and continue to devote my resources to eSelfHelp?

But then we both kind of came up with a better question at the same time ::

What if I were to MERGE the two company visions together into one more seamless entity? What could I accomplish by converging my passion for self help and targeting it more specifically at stay at home moms?

I thus far have kept this blog more business oriented, and kept my eSelfHelp blog on the more personal side. But to be frank, if I didn’t have my act together personally, I would NEVER be able to pull off working from home professionally. And since it was personal problems that really kept my first two home businesses from succeeding, I have a hunch that there are a few other moms out there with the same frustrations.

So I have come to a huge ‘fork in the road’ so to speak. My business plan thus far will have to be substantially reworked, and that’s ok. I don’t like excluding people who don’t work at home, (or work for themselves), yet this is what I have done for half of my career - I know what I am doing in this space…

I guess I am saying I have almost made my decision, I just need some time to readjust to this new direction and take some time to let my mind “stew” on this convergence of opportunities…

If you are a regular reader (or even just here for the first time!) I would really LOVE your feedback on this issue. Do you want to hear about internet marketing and work and kids? Or do you also want to know about what it takes to keep yourself motivated day after day when there is no boss to hold you accountable? And what to do to if you start getting really depressed because you are stuck in a basement office with no light and you can’t get out because you don’t have a sitter for days on end?

Your input is requested, as I want to ensure the material I am putting out is still relevant to you and adding value - my ultimate goal. Please comment, comment, comment! :)

More Work at Home Ideas :: Recruiting

Wednesday, June 21st, 2006

This work at home idea helps if you have some recruiting industry experience; it’s not very easy to start a recruiting company without having any industry knowledge. The work is not difficult, it just takes a certain kind of personality to be successful. If it is of interest, it would make sense to get a full or part time job with a recruiting firm before you launched out on your own. But once you make the launch, do so carefully. The industry is highly competitive, and saturated with non-compete agreements…

But to give you an idea of just how lucrative the business can be, I point you to the (more…)

Writing the Business Plan

Monday, June 19th, 2006

I started on my biz plan a few months ago for eSelfHelp, and put it down for a while to get the site up and running. But the site has enough content and ads now :: I need to get back to the plan and refine my strategy.

I’m taking a forward/backward thinking approach. (more…)