In Season

WEEKLY WAHMIE (Work-at-Home Mom's Inspiration and Encouragement)

"Stuff comes to those who wait, but it's usually the glitter dust left by those who hustle"

                                           Scholastic

A really good friend and colleague told me a few years back that we live in seasons. It was comforting to hear since she was just entering into the "empty- nest" season and I my little egg had just hatched! She had a bit more time to build a successful business, where as I deemed myself successful if I got a shower that day.  We were definitely in different seasons. And though we built our respective businesses in ways that fit our dissimilar lifestyles, we both grew our businesses at the same rate.  She grew her business by her offline marketing efforts and I kept up the pace at home by focusing on online marketing.

Things are not standing in our way.  What we see are challenging circumstances standing so close in front us that they appear to be blocking our paths.  It can be blinding at times, but let's remember that it's just an illusion. If we look around the circumstance, we will find that our paths are clear.

If there are things that appear to be standing in your way, the wait for another season to come along and take care of those obstacles could be a long one. No matter what season you find yourself in, you won't reach your goals if you don't do something.... anything to achieve them! Don't wait.  Start today with one small step towards your goals.

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How to Make Money During Financially Challenging Times

The Correct Focus is Key!

I know quite a few people who are dealing with financial challenges these days.  My county is listed in the top 5 foreclosure capitals in the United States. I personally know people who’ve lost their homes and jobs, and as of summer 2012, I still saw “bank owned” signs all over the place.

If you’re going through a financial challenge right now, I totally empathize with you.  I too have experienced some financial challenges over the years.   However, I implore you not to fall victim to the new social conditioning to expect the worst.

Generally speaking, small businesses who CREATE and DELIVER value are doing just fine. In fact, most are doing better, not worse.

I know it may seem like common-sense that if you’re seeing your finances decline, then you should focus doggedly on trying to make more money as quickly as possible, but this is absolutely the wrong strategy.

The correct focus for small businesses is that when you see your finances decline and you want to increase your income, then you need to focus on CREATING and DELIVERING more value. If you do that, then you’re doing the very thing that WILL generate a sustainable income increase.

Check Out Home Based Business Ideas on MomsMakingMoney.org

Are You One of the Late Bloomers?

WEEKLY WAHMIE (Work-at-Home Mom's Inspiration and Encouragement)

"It's never too late to be what you might have been." - George Eliot

Being a late bloomer is a good thing because we gain more wisdom as we get older; giving us a clear sense of who we are and of the path we would like to be on.

As late bloomer, you may have been unclear about your career path when you were younger, but then you went on to either discover your talents later in life or you are finally taking a chance on pursuing an old dream.

One of the biggest mistakes you can make is thinking that you're too old to begin again or waiting until the time is just right to pursue your dreams.

It's never too late to start living your life the way you imagined.

It is important to follow the passion and wisdom of your heart. When your heart calls for change, then it's absolutely time to change.  This call is a spiritual plea to live your life more authentically.

Being a late bloomer is a blessing.  And you can begin walking towards this blessing by simply taking one step at a time.

Have a productive and prosperous week!

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I Could Be Rich Just Like Her - Part 2 of 2

Picture it. A young mother with no business experience uses her passion and talent to start her own business. People told her that she was crazy. They told her that her business could never survive the competition. But she was headstrong and determined to make a go of it. After years of hard work, she is now an entrepreneurial icon who inspires others to follow in her footsteps. "I could be rich just like her!" you say to yourself as you stare at the words on this page, "But how the heck did she do that?" you are probably wondering.

I'm going to tell you how she did it because there are no secrets to her level of success. All you have to do is follow in 4 of her enlightened footsteps:

Footstep #1
Choose a business based on your own personal interest and passion.
A lot of things look like great opportunities-and that's because they are. Any business worked correctly and diligently will bring forth some sort of income, but very little joy on a daily basis. If you stop focusing on just the monetary promises, you will easily discover that certain opportunities may or may not be the right one for you. Your own joy must be present in your business in order for it to be a genuine success. If you find that you are joyfully using the product or service regardless of the number of clients that you have, then you have made the right selection.

Footstep #2
Match your business with the right consumers.
Your business can not be all things to all people. You will find that all consumers may need your service, but most will not want it. You could spend hundreds of hours and thousands of advertising dollars trying to convince them otherwise, or you could simply strive to reach more targeted customers who actually want your service. Begin to think in terms of how your product will solve the problem of a specific consumer. Then conclude by figuring out where that perfect consumer seeks his or her solutions so you will know how to reach them. You will find that the market you have pre-qualified is more responsive, ready and willing to pay for your service.

Footstep #3
Step away from the crowd to identify yourself.
Standing out from the crowd can give your business the competitive edge it needs to succeed and ultimately make you more money. Even if you do not have a unique product, you can discover a unique way of selling your product that will connect you with a unique group of consumers. A great example comes from the book "Home Made Money - Bringing in the Bucks" by Barbara Brabec: Barbara writes, "...if you were to offer an originally designed vest and call it a handmade patchwork vest, you'd likely appeal to the type of buyer who might pay $25 to $45 for the item at a crafts fair or in a small shop. On the other hand, if you were to take the same item, create half dozen other unique vest designs and call the line InVestments, you might be able to sell the garments for up to $500 to an exclusive audience who are used to spending thousands of dollars on designer clothing." Hmm...now that's thinking out of the box.

Footstep #4
Allow your business to make the money for you.
Did you know that 97% of home based businesses fail because they simply did not have a quality business process in place? We always feel that we can do it all. Well of course we can, we are women! But when exactly do we plan to do it all if we are doing everything else too? So what do you do? Should you push forward crossing your fingers that you won't fail just like the other 97% percent in your group? Absolutely not! You will check back into reality and put a system into to place to guarantee that you will not fail. Start by making a list of all of the daunting tasks that you have to do everyday to keep your business going, and then research the virtual assistance and technology available to help you automate those pesky tasks.

The worst thing you could do to your business is "wing it" and hope for the best.
If you truly want to be "Rich Just Like Her" then you will need to realize that the desire alone will not assure your success. You will need to do the work associated with the success you desire. It may be hard at times, but it is so worth it!