This week's special guest:

Saundra Dalton-Smith M.D. - Imagine life with unlimited possibility, where fear, misconceptions, and insecurities don't have the power to rob us of our potential or our dreams. Many women have trouble seeing this vision because they are bound by mental ties that keep them from living free.

 

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During the second half of the show join Jill and Lori as we discuss the important business topics of the day!

January CWAHM Ad Special: 3 Month Classified Ad * High Traffic page * Featured Classified Ads also available * Purchase via PayPal (below) or in our online shopping cart $20.00 for 3 months Savings: 20%! 1 month FREE!     More CWAHM Ad Options and Specials: CLICK HERE!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A few years ago I had one of those “lightning bolt” moments. Each year I sit down to write out goals and dreams for my business. This particular year, as I sat and thought through what I hoped to accomplish in the upcoming year, how I hoped to help people, it hit me. Where does God fit in to all of this? Does He fit comfortably in the “Spiritual” categories or is He a part of everything that CWAHM is and does?

Whoa. Talk about a challenging question.

As I wrestled with this I came to realization that God wants to invade our lives – and that means our businesses, too. In the gospels we see Jesus meeting people right where they were. He healed the sick, fed the hungry, and taught the seeking. He met their physical needs as well as their spiritual needs.

He wanted to be a part of their everyday lives, not just the days they went to the temple (the Old Testament equivalent of church). He wasn’t afraid to hang out with the sick, the hurting, the “sinners.”

He wants to be a part of our everyday life, too. He wants to invade our families, our marriages, our businesses. He wants to show us that there is a different way of doing things. A better way. A way that points to the divine even in the midst of most basic business task.

He wants to be in:

* The decision to be kind to the difficult customer.
* The decision to give a sale price when we could charge full price to someone who isn’t aware of the sale.
* The decision to give a product away to someone we know is struggling or hurting.

It's our choice. We can choose to do business with Jesus. Or we can choose to do things our own way…usually the way we’ve been taught by people who seem to know how to “do” business, how to make money. And yet, in the end … is really about making money?

“So I saw that there is nothing better for a person than to enjoy their work…” Ecclesiastes 3:22, NCV Where does God fit in your business?  

About The Author

Jill Hart's entrepreneurial career began in her teens when she spent a summer working with her father who ran his own business. When he put her in charge of a Coke machine and allowed her to keep the profits, she saw the benefits of being her own boss. She is the founder of the popular Christian work-at-home website, CWAHM.com. Jill has articles published in In Touch Magazine and P31 Woman magazine, as well as across the web on sites like DrLaura.com. She is the author of So You Want To Be a Work-at-Home Mom and speaks to audiences around the country about faith, business and leadership topics.

A marketing plan outlines the basics for how you want to market your business. Your marketing plan helps you establish, direct and coordinate your marketing efforts. It’s your roadmap for success. Your marketing plan allows you to understand your customer base, better determine exactly how products or services will benefit those clients, and create a plan to market to those clients. Below are ten tips to get you started creating a marketing plan that will help you grow your business effectively:

1. Outline your marketing goals. Make sure to include any research or information that supports your marketing plan. For example, keep a notebook that has all applicable keywords, research for new sites to connect with, and business contacts.

2. Outline a specific time-frame for completion of your goals. If you layout a timeline for your goals, you will be much more likely to reach them.

3. Make a list of all of your marketing plans. Each time a new idea comes to you, add it to your list.

4. Plan out your budget. Know how much you have available so that you can be sure to spend it wisely. Be clear here on where you will spend your advertising dollars. Don’t just tell yourself, “I have some money for marketing.” Instead, be specific. “I have $100 for paid press releases.” or “I have $40 for a Google Adwords campaign.”

5. Think through how you will handle the clients/customers who respond to your marketing attempts. Too many make this mistake. They market and ask questions later. A client calls and wants additional information on their services and they are like ‘now what do I do.” We want to have you so that when that potential client calls, it runs like clockwork!

6. Make a list of any/all the marketing you’ve done in the past. Note next to each item on the list whether or not the marketing attempt was a success or failure and why. By taking each of these steps you will find yourself well on the path to an effective marketing plan.

Jill Hart, Founder of Christian Work-at-Home Moms and Diana Ennen, President of Virtual Word Publishing, have teamed up to write So You Want to Be a Work at Home Mom: A Christian’s Guide to Starting a Home-Based Business. Start or expand your business today with their help.

It’s official. Social media is here to stay. It’s not a fad like so many initially thought and it isn’t going anywhere soon. Businesses have realized that not only is it a great way to connect with current clients, but a great way to land potential clients as well. And that’s only the beginning. Social media also allows you to promote all your upcoming events and products, and even gives you front row access to editors and reporters who might write on your area of expertise. The possibilities are truly endless. But the big question now is, how can entrepreneurs best use the current social media opportunities to help increase business? Ten tips to incorporate social media into your marketing plan:

1. Determine What Social Media Sites Are Best For You. Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn are the top three, but that’s only the beginning. Determine who your target market is and then meet them where they are. It’s okay to ask by taking a survery by email or on your website asking which social media avenue your clients prefer. Once you determine that, be consistent and realize that you can’t be everywhere all the time. Pick the ones that are best for your business and really engage.

2. Team Up With Other Entrepreneurs. By teaming up, you allow easy access to retweets, Facebook posts, etc. Plus, it’s a great way to provide your audience with more valuable information on topics that would interest them by sharing information that is provided by the business(es) you team up with. Just make sure that your choose teammates with information that is a good fit for your audience.

3. Don’t Just Advertise, Build Relationships. We’ve all seen them. The tweets and Facebook postings that we know are scheduled and we know are only trying to sell us something. We aren’t saying that you can’t promote your services or products. In fact, we encourage you to do that. But do it right. Don’t just be about landing the deal. Truly connect with your audience and show them why they would want to work with you. We know you’ve heard it a million times already, but it speaks for itself and bears repeating: Social media is meant to be “social.”

4. Make It a Two-Way Street. You post and you post and you post on Facebook. You’ve tweeted away on Twitter & you’ve updated your status on Linkedin. Finally you’re done. Social marketing is ready to be checked off the list. Not so fast! Realize that just like you are posting there are others out there posting and building relationships as well. Get out there and respond to others, too. When you think about it, how do you feel when someone posts on your Facebook posting or blog entry? It feels good, doesn’t it? When you see a Facebook posting that you like leave a comment - always making sure you add value and are not just promoting your business.

5. Make It Exciting. We see this often: business owners on Twitter who get on for 20-minute increments and during that time we are inundated with retweets. They will throw in an occasional tip or two, but basically it’s just 20 minutes of nonsense. Now we love a good retweet, but we don’t enjoy this at all. When you are marketing your business via social media, make sure that you engage with others and make it exciting. Give some good information and tips - don’t just retweet to be seen. Provide great value and your followers will not only enjoy your messages, but when they are looking to refer someone who needs your services, you will be on the top of the list.

6. Learn From Others. One of the best things about being in business these days is that you have the opportunity to follow the pros and see what they are doing right. They eagerly give out tips, videos, etc. Make it a point to follow those who you respect and can learn from. Sit back and take notes. But more importantly, take the action steps necessary to make these points work. It’s more than learning from them, you need to actually do what they recommend as well.

7. Contribute to Other Networks. Another great aspect of social media is getting your message out to more than just your audience. Offer to guest post for other networks in your area of expertise. You never know who may see your posts and become a client.

8. Create An Expert Status. Why do people follow you? Many times it is because they see you as the best at what you do and they want to learn from you. Therefore it’s important to always give solid tips and advice to really show your expertise. Create high quality blog postings, tips lists and posts to share with your audience. It may take extra time to create high quality work, but the effort will be well worth it in the end.

9. Spruce Up Your Page. Social media has come a long way in a short time. No more are you limited to a tiny avatar of your logo. Most of the social networking sites today allow you to fully customize your page with images, backgrounds and more. Spend the time to create a page that will draw in your audience and make them want to come back daily.

10. Be respectful. One of the things that most business owners value most is time. It’s important when you are on Facebook, Twitter and the other networks, that you be respectful of others’ time. A few ways you can do that:

• Don’t Expect An Instant Response. Sending an Instant Message (IM) to a colleague or respected leader is fine, but recognize that they may not be able to chat with you immediately. Often times that person has allocated a certain amount of time to be on the site. If they are constantly on an IM, they can’t get what they need done. We’re not saying you can’t IM, but be respectful when you do.
• Don’t Take Advantage. Social media is a relationship builder and gives us instant access to industry leaders. However, be careful not to take advantage of someone’s goodwill by asking a zillion questions. Most business owners enjoy helping others, however, to provide personalized coaching is a different story. Always respect the person you are communicating with and we bet you’ll find you get way more back than you ever imagined.

See how easy social media is. When done right it can bring amazing results for your business. Not only will you establish yourself as an expert, but you will be promoting your products and services regularly. Make it a commitment to master social media marketing and we promise you next year at this time, you’ll be so glad you did.

About the Authors: Jill Hart of Christian Work at Home Moms, CWAHM.com and Diana Ennen of VirtualWordPublishing.com are the co-authors of So You Want To Be a Work-at-Home Mom

The hosts of The CWAHM Network and authors of So You Want To Be A Work-At-Home Mom (Jill Hart & Diana Ennen) are taking on the big issues. We want to dialogue about what's going on in the work-at-home world and we want to answer your questions about working from home.

Submit your work-at-home questions here!

Thank you and keep 'em coming!

Q: I want to grow my Virtual Assistant Business. Any suggestions on how to best do this?

A: Diana: Here are some suggestions on how to grow a VA business (or any business):

Here are several New Years Resolutions to help you achieve greater success with your business this year:

Resolution #1 -- Make a commitment to get to know two people within your industry on a more personal level every month. Answer back an e-mail addressed to a VA group with a personal, “Hi. How are you doing? I’m Diana.” Also, become active on VA boards. If networking locally, introduce yourself at a professional organization's meeting or a conference instead of just being in the background.

Resolution #2 – Take the time to organize your business and make it easier to run on a daily basis. If you haven’t done so already, invest in a 3-ring notebook and put all the valuable forms you use on a daily basis in there including all your marketing letters, follow-up client letters, proposals, portfolios, etc. By customizing these forms now, you have them available when a client contacts you and are then able to respond to that client immediately with the right professionalism that will convince them to use your services. Bottom line – You don’t have to reinvent the wheel each time.

The authors of So You Want To Be A Work-At-Home Mom (Jill Hart & Diana Ennen) are taking on the big issues. We want to dialogue about what's going on in the work-at-home world and we want to answer your questions about working from home.

Submit your work-at-home questions here!

Thank you and keep 'em coming!

Q How do I market my business without spending loads of money?

A Great question! Here are a few ideas:

* Article & Press Release Writing and Distribution – Article marketing works. It’s a great way to get more exposure for your business and when done right, can result in front page Google rankings, more clients, & lots of sales. Get active and write a press release about your business making a holiday or New Year connection. For example, share how you are giving back during the holidays, any promotions you have, etc.

* Reconnect with ALL your clients and let them know how you appreciate them and perhaps how you can help them with other needs they may not even know you offer. Send a personalized holiday card or greeting. For local clients stop by their office and drop off presents, popcorn tins for the staff and/or their favorite coffee for their afternoon pick-me-up. For potential new clients, drop off a Holiday cup full of wrapped candy with your business card or perhaps get your business name printed on the candy bar.

* Don’t forget social networking. Even ½ hour a day can make a considerable difference, Remember to build relationships and share more than sell.

More tips next week! :)

May the Lord give you success,
and may he give you and your children success.

Psalm 115:14 (NCV)

Submit your work-at-home questions by going to the Ask Jill link on CWAHM. Or, simply click here.

Until next week ....

Jill Hart of CWAHM.com & Diana Ennen of VirtualWordPublishing.com, co-authors of So You Want to Be a Work-At-Home Mom.