By: Jill Hart

Work-at-home moms face many different challenges. From learning to accept help when needed, to building confidence in ourselves, to remembering the reasons why we chose to work from home. Below is the first in a series of tips to help work-at-home moms in the simplest of ways – the ABC’s.

A = Adjustments. A work at home mom must expect the unexpected. She must be prepared to adjust her schedule at any given moment for any number of reasons - a sick child, a backed up drain, or an upset client. A mom who learns to welcome these moments as a chance to show love to her family and concern for her clients will be ahead of the game in the end. Approach these “interruptions” with a great attitude and see what a difference it makes.

B = Better. Works at Home Moms have to be on top of their game. To run a business as well as manage a household takes determination and scheduling. You may not feel like you have a schedule, but take a look at your day/week and see how you are spending your time. Next, think about what you can do better, what you can delegate and what would be better off removed from your schedule to allow you to spend your time in a better manner.

C = Confidence. You wouldn’t be a work at home mom without it. Take time to celebrate each success no matter how minute it may seem. Each success will help grow your confidence and turn you into a savvier businesswoman.

D = Dry - Don’t let things dry up. Keep content fresh, offer new products and services whenever possible. This will keep you motivated and keep customer returning.

E = Effort - Don’t kid yourself. It takes a TON of effort to make a home-based business successful. Don’t give up with thing get rough. Keep plugging away - it will pay off

F = Feisty - Every work at home mom has to be at least a tad bit feisty. Stand up for your business when need be - don’t be afraid to say no when necessary.

G = Generosity - When I fist began my business I sought advice from many successful work-at-home moms. One of the best pieces of advice I received was that what I gave to others would come back tenfold. I’ve found that to be very true. Helping others is as much a blessing to me as it is to others.

H = Help - There will come a time that you’ll need help. You must be willing to accept it, to allow others to do for you what you cannot. In turn, try to be a help to other when they are in need.

I = If - If you don’t do it, who will? Mothering is such an important role that gets overlooked so often these days. Always remember that being there for your children is the BEST gift you can ever give them.

J = “Just for you” - Take a little time to do something just for you each day. Even 5 minutes of doing something you enjoy can revive a tired mommy.

K = Keep - Keep your chin up. It will get better. Don’t let a lag in business growth get you down. Find some creative ways to get the ball rolling again.

L = Laugh - Take time to laugh with you kids each day. And don’t be afraid to laugh at yourself when need be.

M = Mommy - Remember, the reason you do all that you do is for those little ones who call you “Mommy.”

Working from home can be difficult, but it is well worth the effort. By keeping things in perspective we can reduce the stress that we put on ourselves. Remember these ABC’s and you’ll go far in your work-at-home career.

Article Source: http://www.wahm-articles.com

Jill Hart is the founder of Christian Work at Home Moms, CWAHM.com. Hart is also the co-author of the upcoming book, Home Based Blessings, due out in November 2006 for Christian moms who want to work at home. Hart and her husband, Allen of CWAHD.com (Christian Work at Home Dads) reside in Nebraska with their two children.

By: Jenn Givler

I hear it all the time. Entrepreneurs are not convinced that they need a plan. And, I have to admit, when I started my first business back in 1999, I didn’t think I needed a plan either. I just figured I wanted a successful business and that was enough to move me forward. I started working with a business coach who gave me quite a few reasons to write a plan. I broke down and wrote the plan. And you wanna know what? It helped my business take leaps toward my goals.

See, before I had a plan, I was just out here floundering around. I couldn’t even really articulate what success meant to me. Once I had a plan in place, I knew exactly where I was headed, and I had a pretty good idea about how I was going to get there.

It doesn’t matter what kind of business you have – your own, or a direct sales business – you will benefit from having a plan. A business plan includes your long-term goals for your business, as well as a short-term plan to get you there. Still not convinced you need a plan? Here are three good reasons to have one.

1. It’s not so much the plan document itself that is important, but it’s the process of going through and creating a plan. When you create a plan for your business, you really get a chance to pull apart your idea and look at each facet of it. You have the opportunity to decide if this is something you are truly passionate about. And, you get to clearly define your business. When you have a Crystal Clear picture of what your business looks like (on paper, and off) you can articulate what you do to your customers. If you can’t tell people what you do and what your business is about, you’ll lose them.

2. Do you know for sure that you have a viable business idea? Creating a business plan will allow you to see how feasible your ideas are. If you do an in-depth plan that includes financial and market research data, you can see in cold hard numbers how your plan will work. You’ll know exactly how big your market is, and you’ll know exactly how much money you need. You will also be able to see if there are places that you need to make adjustments.

3. Your business plan is your road map to success. Without having a clear picture of the end result you’re seeking, how will you know when you get there? Your business plan will allow you to set longer term goals, and it will give you a plan that you can follow to achieve them.

It’s possible to create and follow a very simple plan. In fact, your plan doesn’t have to be longer than one page. A good plan includes your vision, mission, your objectives (or goals), and the strategies you will use to reach your objectives.

If you are not seeking financial backing, you can create a simple plan simply by outlining the sections mentioned above. Once you’ve set up your plan, take action. It’s not enough to just write everything down. Follow your plan and update it often. Before you know it, you’ll have a Powerful Business!

Article Source: http://www.wahm-articles.com

Jenn Givler is a Business Empowerment Coach. She specializes in teaching new entrepreneurs how to get started in their business. Jenn can help you find your passion, create your business plan, and begin effectively marketing your business. For weekly business tips and advice check out her e-zine: www.jgivlercoaching.com/newsletter.html.

By: Nell Taliercio

The two jobs that come to mind first when people think of telecommuting quite often are transcription and data entry. There are a few similarities between the jobs:

• Good typing speed (60 WPM or better)
• Accurate typing
• Reliable computer
• Reliable internet connection (probably high speed)

Despite the similarities, the jobs themselves are quite different.

Transcription jobs require a bit more training, especially if transcribing from a recording. Medical and legal transcriptions are much more specialized. It may also require the purchase of a 4-track transcriber. A good vocabulary and grammar skills are also important. The pay rates for transcription are usually based on a per-line rate, ranging from $ 0.06 to $ 0.12.

Transcriptionists quite often get regular work with more than one company, on a freelance basis. But, there are times when people can get a full-time position, with benefits with one company. If you already have a position doing transcription in-office, it might be worth asking your employer to consider telecommuting.

Data entry jobs are less specialized, but can be equally challenging. You need to be very accurate in your typing, not only with the standard keyboard, but also with the ten key. Data entry jobs may pay an average of $8 an hour, to start. There is quite a bit of competition for the data entry.

After you decide which job is right for you, you need to decide if you want to approach it as a job, or as a business owner, offering your services to companies on a freelance basis. Both approaches have their pros and cons.

If you run your own business, you have the freedom to pick and chose your jobs, set your own schedule and vacation times. But, you also have to keep track of your income and expenditures for taxes. If you work as an employee, it saves you doing all the extra paperwork involved in running your own business.
Either way, you need to act as professionally as possible, to keep a good working relationship with the companies you deal with on a daily basis.

Article By:

Nell Taliercio, the Telecommuting Answer Lady, owns www.telecommutingmoms.com where you can locate legitimate work at home jobs and practical advice to start your work at home career tomorrow!