WAHM Blog

Do You Work Well In The Heat?

Well, it’s summer and the temperatures are high.  After sweltering in my apartment for a couple of days I couldn’t run fast enough to buy a new room air conditioner.  I just don’t work well in the heat.

Eighteen  years ago I was doing Home Interiors. I remember the first time I arrived to a party and discovered that the hostess didn’t have an air conditioner or central air.   She lived in an upstairs apartment and owned one single fan - which of course we aimed at her guests.  I had to lug my case and bags up the stairs and get set up - all the while wearing pantyhose.

I was determined to maintain a good attitude and not make my hostess feel bad, but on the inside, I was miserable!  I was never so glad to leave a party.

How do hot summer temps affect you and your business?

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What to Say When You Switch Direct Sales Companies

One issue facing women who change direct sales companies is what to tell family, friends or previous customers about why they are switching companies.  One of our members, Chefshe, recently asked the question:

“I was just wondering if any of you have switched companies more than once, how do you approach people and say yes I’m doing “such and such” now, and I’m not a flake?”

WAHM.com members offered many great responses and EstherL offered the perfect solution:

“When people ask you about your changes, you can simply ask them, ‘Have you ever changed from one job to another?’  Chances are, yes, they have!

For some reason, when people change home business companies, it can be perceived as ‘betrayal’ or ‘flakiness,’ but when people change jobs, no one bats an eye.  We all have to make choices based on what works best for us and our families, and we can’t let others’ opinions of us influence our decisions.”

EstherL is right - if you need or want to change companies for whatever reason, don’t put so much pressure on yourself about what others will think.  You have to make the best decisions for yourself and your family.

Have you changed direct sales companies?  What did you tell your family, friends and customers about why you switched?

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WAHM.com Weekly Blog Roundup — Take Time for Yourself

When working from home, it’s common for moms to be unable to separate themselves from their business and shut the office door at the end of the day.  When you work at a 9-to-5 job outside of the home, you leave the building at 5:00 and the workday is done.  Not so when you’re a work-at-home mom, and not knowing when to take a time-out makes for one stressed out mom.

Today’s blog roundup lists work-at-home blogs that offer some great advice about how to take time for yourself and/or your loved ones.

Home-Based Working Mom:   Every work-at-home mom I know at one point struggles with trying to do it all and the guilt that comes when they find that they can’t be Supermom.  Angie Peters shows us how to fight the Supermom Syndrome.

The Bizy Mom:  Lisa Paige at BizyMom.com offers advice on taking time out of your busy schedule for a little romance.  What better way to relax than spending some one-on-one time with your husband or significant other?

Working at Home on the Internet:  Brook Long nailed it when she posts, “Do what makes you feel good and relaxed and you’ll be a better mom and provider.”  Be sure to check out the rest of her awesome tips on taking time for yourself!

Do you take time out for yourself?  What do you like to do in your “time off”?

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School’s Out — Now What? Working at Home with Kids

Summer is finally here and the kids are out of school.  While we all love having our kids at home and getting the chance to spend more time with them, this can totally wreck any work-at-home mom’s schedule if you don’t have a plan for the younger kids.  Here are a few tips on what to do with your kids this summer.

Change your work schedule.  This is a tough one if you’re used to working the day, but if your kids are younger and need constant attention and your schedule is flexible, it’s best to work while they’re napping or after they’ve went to bed for the night.  If you’re too pooped at night to even think about working, you can always get up earlier and work for a few hours before the kids get up.

Take a time-out.  If your schedule isn’t flexible and your child will play on their own for a while, take breaks to spend some one-on-one time with your child, even if it’s just for ten minutes.  As you’re winding down your time with them, start them on a project of their own that will keep them busy.

Arrange for childcare.  While most moms want to work at home to be there for their kids, there are going to be times that you just have to stick to your schedule without interruption.  It’s time to enlist childcare.  Your children do not necessarily need to leave the house, though.  A neighborhood teenager who’s looking to make a little extra cash can come to your home to take care of the kids while you work.

How do you handle working at home when the kids are out of school?  Leave us a comment and let us know!

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‘Should I Join a Party Plan?’

Recently one of our members asked the question:  should I join a party plan?  She explained that she’s not a ’salesperson’ and that she’s a little on the shy side.  Her question of whether she should even try a party plan business was met with a lot of great responses.  One response from another member really stuck out because it focused on one of the most important components of any party plan business.  Bianca5454 wrote:

“. . . when searching for a home business, ask yourself if this is something that you yourself would use today, tomorrow and for years to come.  This alone will be the key to keeping momentum in your business and developing long term success.”

Whether you are shy or not, if you do not like the products and do not use those products yourself, this will come shining through to potential customers and will only make it that much harder to even approach anyone to share the products.

If you are shy and unsure if you could ever be involved in a direct sales, member Tereuts shares how even shy people can build a business:

“I’m a shy person too, but I enjoy home business.  I do not like doing big in home presentations, but I don’t mind small groups and talking to hostesses and recruits.  I have a website, do online parties, and do basket parties (a revised catalog show), and still make some money.  I might not build as quickly, but I can still build a business.”

Were you shy when you started your party plan business? Leave us a comment and let us know how you’ve been successful in your business despite your shyness!

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WAHM.com Weekly Blog Roundup — Money Saving Tips

Are you looking for ways to save money?  In today’s economy, I think just about everyone is, including work-at-home moms.  Learning how to save money can be overwhelming when you don’t know where to start.  Here are a few WAHM blogs that provide lots of tips and tricks for saving money:

Slickmom.com:  Finding deals and steals is what Slickmom is all about.  From appliances to facial peels to buying your child a bed, Natalie (aka Slick Mom) shows you how to save money.

Lauren’s Work-at-Home Moms Blog:  Lauren Miles Brunelli, About.com’s Guide to Work-at-Home Moms, this week shares her latest money saving tip:  5 ways to find free childcare.  Take a look at her other blog posts to find out how to save money at the gym, slash your grocery bill, and check out her frugal-friendly recipes and cheap date tips.

Money Saving WAHM:  Michelle Wallace is a work-at-home mom who knows what it takes to save money and shares it all with you.  Learn how to save money on everything from household cleaning products to shampoo.

Frugal Mom:  Created by two work-at-home moms, Candace and Sara, Frugal Mom is the ultimate resource for creative ways to save money.  Check out Frugal Mom’s 101 Ways to Save Today list for some creative money saving tips.

Have a money saving tip to share?  Leave us a comment and tell us about it!

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Time Saving Tips for Work-at-Home Moms

Ever wish there were more hours in the day?  From working to taking care of the kids and household duties, it seems like there’s never enough time during the day to get everything done.  Here are a few time-saving tips for the work-at-home mom.

Make a To-Do List

Every morning before you get the kids up for school, take a few minutes to write down what you want to accomplish during the day.  It can be one thing or many depending on the amount of time you have, but I have found this helps me stay on track and actually feel like I’ve accomplished something as I check off every item on my to-do list.

Use a Crockpot

My Crockpot is a life saver!  It not only saves me time, but also saves me from spending an hour (or longer) in the kitchen every evening preparing dinner. Throw something in after you get the kids off to school and go about your day while dinner is cooking.

Shop Online

Since I am from a rural area, the nearest store is miles and miles away.  To take a “short trip” to the grocery is at least a 1.5-hour trip.  To save travel time, I do a lot of shopping online for non-perishable items.

Don’t Be Super Mom

Contrary to popular belief, moms are not superwomen.  If you can’t get all of the tasks on your list done in one day, don’t be too hard on yourself.  Everything will still be there tomorrow.

Have a time saving tip for work-at-home moms?  Leave a comment and share it with us!

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WAHM.com Weekly Blog Roundup — Losing Weight, Eating Healthy and Getting in Shape

Many moms struggle with weight issues, want to find a new workout routine or are just on the lookout for ways to clean up their diet and their health.  Here are a few blogs from some WAHM.com members who share how they have lost weight and gotten in shape and provide their readers tips on everything from dieting and working out to gaining better overall health:

Losing It and Loving It:  Angie Newton has personally lost over 80 pounds and shares her personal weight journey while offering tips you can use to experience your own weight loss success.  From weekly weigh-ins to her own personal goals to fitness product reviews, Angie shares all.

Banish the Baby Belly Fat:  Whether she’s eating a clean diet or maybe switching to low-carb diet, trying out body wraps or sweating it out with different workout programs, FVMom blogs about it all and let’s you know what works and what doesn’t with lots of videos and pics.

Happy, Healthy, Vibrant You!:   Angie Hurst blogs about healthy living from a total body health perspective and offers all kinds of advice on how to be healthy, physically and emotionally.  From recipes to weight loss tips, Angie provides solid advice about how to lose those unwanted pounds and live a healthier life.

Clean Eating Club:  A blog started by myself and another WAHM.com member, happymommy, CEC is all about living a clean lifestyle, including tons of clean recipes, weight loss tips, book and product reviews and more.

Do you have some weight loss or health tips to share or want to lose weight and get fit?  Join us in our Fitness/Weight Loss support forum!

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Great List of WAHM Blogs

There’s a great list of WAHM Blogs that was just posted over on Sparkplugging.

I really enjoy reading other Work at Home Mom Blogs.  I find lots of new resources, learn about new work at home businesses and get the chance to meet new moms I might not have otherwise.  I’m always looking for new blogs and thought you might enjoy find some new bloggers yourself.

What can you do with this list?

• Visit and read
• Subscribe to their RSS feeds
• Leave comments
• Offer to write a guest blog post
• Invite them to guest post on your blog
• Find and follow the owner on Twitter

That’s what I plan to do anyways

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Applying for Work at Home Jobs — What’s Your Email Address Saying About You?

In my line of business, I meet and talk with many professionals who, in the course of their business, deal with hundreds of applicants for work-at-home jobs.  A few months ago I had the opportunity to speak with another business owner in-depth about the application process and what he perceives as just one problem with those who apply for one of his open positions:  email addresses.  I won’t quote him directly, but one of the things he said was some folks use the most unprofessional email addresses when applying and when he sees an unprofessional email address such as “hotmama@emailaddress.com,” he immediately hits the delete button and doesn’t even bother reading the cover letter or looking at the applicant’s résumé.

So what’s your email address saying about you?  Hey, it’s great if you’re a “hot mama,” but really, does it matter that you’re a hot mom when you’re trying to land a work-at-home job?  No.  What matters is what you bring to the table; which is one of the great things about work-at-home jobs — no cares what you look like!

In my opinion, the best email address to use when applying for work-at-home jobs is either your name, first and last, or a variation of your real name.  I have seen some applicants use an email address that sums up what they do, for instance “virtualassistant@emailaddress.com.”  That’s probably okay as well, and it’s certainly more professional than the “hot mama” example above.

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