Continuing on with the DRIVE acronym, guest blogger Angela Wills is going to talk about letter V and values today. Be sure to read about the other traits of DRIVE -  determination, resilience and initiative before going any further!

We all carry our own values through life. They’re developed early and they help us make the decisions that make us who we are. In business, your values will be what attracts ideal clients to you. Today we’re going to talk about how to truly love what you do by presenting your values!

Ever pretend to be someone your not?

I’ll admit it – I have and it’s darn hard work! There was a business I got into that involved my signing up new parents for an education savings plan for their children’s college or university education. I really believed in the product but something was very wrong with the way I marketed it. I had a ‘mentor’ who was showing me ‘her’ way – what had worked to build her a six figure plus income. The problem was I was behaving like her, not me. And because I did that my values really became compromised.

What do I mean by VALUES? Well it’s the next trait we’re discussing from the DRIVE acronym being covered this week.

DRIVE stands for:
Determination (Monday’s post)
Resilience (Tuesday)
Initiative (Wednesday)
Values (Today!)
Energy (Friday)

VALUES

We all have a core set of values. They are a set of character traits we hold near and dear to us. They are something that rules our way of living. If we break our own values then we start behaving inauthetically – which in turn causes us to attract inauthentic people into our business and our lives.

I’m no psychologist. I’m just sharing what I’ve learned based on my own experiences. I know that the more I show of ‘me’ and my true values the more authentic and rewarding my business becomes. As much as money is good I believe that we are all searching to get the most meaning out of our lives. That comes from knowing and working with our own core values.

So what are some common core values? You know them:

• honesty


• integrity


• compassion


• understanding


• hard work


• continuous improvement

Kelly is a great example of someone who runs their business with core values. Over and over again I’ve heard her say that she’d “never recommend something to you that I wouldn’t recommend to my sister – and I LOVE my sister!”. That builds trust and it attracts an audience that has the same values – I know it certainly attracted me as a listener and a customer.

As for my own values, I learned my lesson very well in that business I mentioned earlier. I was a young mom who was afraid that being myself would mean I wouldn’t succeed. Now I realize quite the opposite is true. Being me and holding my VALUES close means I can build a business that fits  absolutely perfectly, that attracts amazing customers and that no one else can replicate!

So what can you do next?

How can you run your business based on VALUES?

I recommend you do this:

1. Take inventory of your business right now.


2. Take inventory of your core values.

Do they match up? Are you running a business that matches your values? If not start now – do one thing in your business that shows your core values to your customers. Then do another, and another. Pretty soon you’ll have a business that is a true representation of who you are as a person!

Before you go, I’d like to invite you to download my free report called Market From the HEART. It’s all about building a business you love using what you know. It’s about growing a business that truly fits you and your needs. No opt-in required, it’s here: http://www.marketersmojo.com/report/MarketFromTheHeart.pdf

Tomorrow I’ve got one more DRIVE trait for you – Energy!

Continuing on with the DRIVE acronym, guest blogger Angela Wills is going to talk about letter I and initiative today. Be sure to read about the other traits of DRIVE -  determination and resilience before going any further!

I once had a client ask me if they could get me to build their website and start their business – then they’d pay me when they made money. UH – Bet your butt I said no way Jose!

This potential client was showing none of the next DRIVE trait I consider very, very essential: INITIATIVE

DRIVE stands for:

Determination (Monday’s post)
Resilience (Tuesday)
Initiative (Today!)
Values (Thursday)
Energy (Friday)

If you missed the first two DRIVE traits, check out yesterday and Monday’s posts to read about Determination and Resilience.

INITIATIVE

There are many places in your online business where you’ll need to take initiative. Nobody can run your business for you. Nobody can create a business that fits you perfectly the way you can.

Taking initiative in your own business means:

• Doing Market Research: reading forums, googling websites, checking out the competition, etc.


• Managing Your Finances.


• Learning Your Products Inside Out.


• Tracking Your Statistics: subscribers, visitors, sales, etc.


• Managing Your Website.

There’s no special order that you must do everything in and you don’t even have to do it all yourself. But the worst thing you can do in business is to think you can hire someone to have DRIVE for your business. Put your passion into your own business. If you don’t feel the DRIVE for your business, then it’s likely you’ve picked the wrong business in the first place.

Take Initiative with Your Website

One of the places I would consider it essential for any online business owner to take Initiative with is their website. I personally believe that it’s a mistake to hire someone to build your first website. The reason is that it’s very, very difficult to hire someone to do something when you don’t understand what you are asking them to do.

If you don’t understand how a website is put together and how it works it’s nearly impossible to hire someone to get the results you’re hoping for. A good website is also a constant work in progress. Knowing how to build and update your own website allows you to move quickly, respond to your market and work your business simply more effectively.

Taking Initiative doesn’t Mean

Taking initiative doesn’t mean you have to be a lone ranger and do it all solo. It means you have to be the captain of your ship. Don’t fear that control. Trust yourself and your instincts and learn as you go. Ask for help where you need it but never be afraid to get dirty and do the work yourself.

Don’t get me wrong here. I understand you are only one person. You can only do so much and that’s ok. What exactly you do is going to depend on your own interests, the business you choose and what works for you. Just make sure you use your Determination, Resilience and Initiative to keep moving in the right direction!

As I mentioned in the post, website design is in my opinion an essential skill for any online business owner. If you don’t know where to start I highly recommend WordPress for it’s ease of use, multitude of add-ons, simple integration with social media and constant improvements. Oh and did I mention it’s totally FREE!

I’d also like to invite you to sign up for the free mini-course I offer on how to set up your own WordPress Website in a matter of hours. Check it out here:
http://www.marketersmojo.com/freebies/courses/blogging/

Continuing on with the DRIVE acronym, guest blogger Angela Wills is going to talk about letter R and resilience today. Be sure to read about the first trait of DRIVE -  determination before reading any further.

The first ‘real’ business I ever started was a bath & body business. Our main product was handmade ‘old fashioned’ soap. I was so excited and I would say very inexperienced and naive in the world of business and it’s workings.

During the first month of business I decided that we would participate in a home show. The cost to attend was about $300 and according to the brochure there would be about 10,000 people going through. 10,000 people was a lot of people who might buy soap! So we did the calculations – let’s say 10% of those people bought $10 worth of soap – that’s $10,000 worth of sales! Can you guess what happened next? We spend weeks and way too much money making piles and piles of handmade soap. Here is a pic:

Why am I sharing this with you? Well many people would have given up when they came home with about $230 worth of sales. Yep – not even enough to cover the cost of being there let alone all the time, effort and soap that went to that event!

Many people would have quit right there. They would have said business is not for me. But I didn’t. Why? Because I had the DRIVE trait we’re covering today – RESILIENCE.

DRIVE stands for:

Determination (Monday’s post)
Resilience (Today!)
Initiative (Wednesday)
Values (Thursday)
Energy (Friday)

As a business owner you must be prepared or at least willing to deal with setbacks. They might be minor or they might be major. Whatever the setback if your determination and resilience are strong enough you WILL get through and keep going towards your goals.

Back in my soapmaking business days I really didn’t know what I wanted other than I wanted to be in business. I knew I needed to be my own boss. I knew there was a way to get there and I knew if I kept trying and trying (and trying!) I’d figure it out.

Some people will tell you running a business is a piece of cake, that you can follow and color by numbers formula and the riches will follow. I know you’re here reading this blog though because you know it takes effort, focus and hard work to build a long-term business that feeds your family AND your soul.

What is Resilience?

Here’s the wikipedia definition:

Resilience in psychology is the positive capacity of people to cope with stress and catastrophe. It also includes the ability to bounce back to homeostasis after a disruption. Thirdly, it can be used to indicate having an adaptive system that uses exposure to stress to provide resistance to future negative events[1].

Are you resilient? Can you be?

Ask yourself these questions to determine if your resolve in business is clear and steady:

• Can I find a way bounce back from a MAJOR financial business setback?


• Can I find a way to bounce back from a MAJOR emotional business setback?


• Am I willing to change my business, products or services to fit my markets needs?


• Am I prepared to handle an unreasonable and destructive customer who’s out to hurt my good name?


• Am I prepared emotionally to handle the ups and downs of a business?

Not many people talk about emotions and business, like we’re supposed to be robots with nothing in our heads but business sense. BALONEY! We are emotional beings. How we feel and how we handle those feelings has everything to do with how we run our businesses. I once heard a quote that said something like “our business is a true reflection of ourselves”. If you want a business that stands the test of time and is RESILIENT so must you be.

I don’t want you to leave this article thinking business is too tough and you can’t handle it. Quite the opposite! I’m delivering this article to you in the hopes that you will go in strong, you’ll be resilient to no end and you’ll keep building the strongest business your niche has ever seen. I believe you can do it!

In my own business I’ve been resilient in many different ways. If you want to follow my story and learn more about how this single mom makes an living on the internet then visit me at http://www.MarketersMojo.com

Pop by tomorrow as we talk about INITIATIVE.

This week I’m pleased to announce our guest blogger Angela Wills. I’ve known Angela for several years and have even had the chance to hang out with her in person a few different times over the last couple years. I’ve enjoyed watching Angela grow in her business over the last several years.

Hey there! I’m so excited to be spending the week blogging here at WAHM Talk Radio. It feels a little like coming full circle.

You see when I started out working from home Kelly was (and still is) a mentor of mine. I remember my first podcast interview ever was right here on WAHMTalkRadio back in January 2007. Three years later it feels like ages ago and I’ve grown so much in that time.

This week I aim to share with you some of the things I’ve learned that have helped me succeed as a work at home mom. I’m going to tell you why DRIVE is so important. My hope is to inspire you. My goal is to get you to take action.

If you’re anything like me then there’s nothing in the world you’d rather be than your own boss, and failure is not an option.

So with all that said – let’s talk about DRIVE and how to keep it up:

DRIVE stands for:

Determination (Today’s Post!)
Resilience (Tuesday)
Initiative (Wednesday)
Values (Thursday)
Energy (Friday)

Every day this week I’ll cover a different letter of DRIVE.

Today let’s talk Determination.

Boy oh boy you better be determined. People will tell you the internet is just for games and email, not for making money. People will tell you you’re not cut out to be in business. People will tell you you need the stability (?) of a ‘real’ job. People will tell you anything they can think of to try to sway you from going against the norm and pounding down your own path.

Don’t believe them!

Kelly right here is proof how far a single mom who’s struggling to heat her home can go with pure and solid determination. I’ve done pretty good for myself as well. And there are countless others who are making a real living online.

Where does determination come from?

My idea of determination comes from a combination of knowing what you really want and believing you can achieve it.

Determination can be tricky. If you’re determined to succeed but keep repeating the same pattern over and over and over again that’s no good at all. In fact, it’s insanity as per the Albert Einstein quote:

“Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.”

So how do you stay determined without actually appearing (or becoming) insane?

Good, good question! I’m not saying I have all the answers here but what I know is this:

If you are determined and you pay attention to your business eventually you will figure it out.

Maybe it will help you to hear what I do to stay determined and confident in my own business – I hope it will inspire you to find little ways to be determined to never give up on your own dreams:

• Learn about those who are successful and how they got there.


• Celebrate your successes!


• Feel what it will be like to achieve your goals, see it in your mind.


• Remember WHY you’re determined.


• Evaluate what’s working and what’s not.


• Constantly remove distractions.

Let me leave you with this thought:

Determination means you know where you are headed and every day you take another step to get there. Baby steps, big steps, side-steps and even back-steps – they’re all allowed. Be determined to get there no matter the path and you’ll enjoy all the rewards of working from home.

Before you go, I’d like to invite you to download my free report called Market From the HEART. It’s all about building a business you love using what you know. It’s about growing a business that truly fits you and your needs. No opt-in required, it’s here: http://www.marketersmojo.com/report/MarketFromTheHeart.pdf

Stop back in tomorrow and let’s talk about Resilience helps the work at home mom.

This is our last guest post from Crissy Herron and she’s going to share with you why you should be submitting press releases for your business.

Press releases can be beneficial to your business in many ways. Your first thought about press releases may be that they can help you get media attention. And they can! But did you know that submitting press releases can also help you get free traffic from search engines?

Submitting your press release to online press release directories is your main tool in getting this extra boost from the search engines. The search engines will index your press release once it is submitted and posted to the pages of the press release directory.

Search Engine Rankings

The search engines will notice how many links you have coming in to your site from other  web pages. Assuming that you included a link to your website on your press releases (I hope you did!), you just created an incoming link to your site. The more incoming links you have, the more important your website seems to the search engines. This will push you up higher in the search engine’s rankings.

Now, I’m not saying that you will be listed as the #1 website on Google just because you submitted some press releases. The search engines have secret formulas, called algorithms, that determine a websites’s rank and importance. But incoming links do you give you a boost, so it’s definitely worth submitting them.

As I mentioned before, the search engines will index your press release. If you used keywords or phrases in your press release that people are likely to use when searching for the type of product or service you offer, your press release will come up in the search results.

These people could click on your press release, read it,  and decide to visit your site. These people may never have found your site if you hadn’t submitted that press release!

Submission Directories

You can find many places to submit to, simply by doing a Google search on the term “press release directory.” Some of these directories allow you to submit your press release for free, while others charge you to do so. I recommend simply using the free services. One that I have had a lot of luck with is 1888PressRelease.com.

Format

Be sure to write your press release in the correct format. If you are not sure how to do that, find some tutorials online, or use my pre-written press releases. You simply put in some content about your business and they are ready to submit.

Crissy Herron is the founder of Indie Biz Chicks, where she provides business, marketing, and publicity information for women “who’d rather work for themselves, than work for the man.” She was involved in a car accident last week and is raising funds for a new car by offering The September Blogging Special for only $10. Participants will receive daily blogging tips and prompts, as well as other bonuses. Click Here to learn more.

Today guest blogger Crissy Herron is going to provide some helpful information on how to get people to read your blog.

There is no doubt about it, blogging is a  cultural phenomenon. In today’s society, you can find people who make their sole living by blogging, designing blogs, or teaching people how to blog. If you walk into a bookstore, you’ll find all sorts of books on blogging, not to mention books and movies that were based on a blog. Simply put, blogging is everywhere.

So, we know that people are reading blogs (in mass quantity). Now the question is how to get them to read your blog! But to answer that question, we need to figure out why people would want to read your blog in the first place? Or any blog for that matter!

Information

We all know that the internet can be a time sucker. We all get caught up browsing Facebook and Twitter, or  playing games like Farmville. But people are still using the internet to learn new things.

Whether it’s going to a site like this to learn about working from home or to a foodie blog to browse recipes or to a home improvement blog to learn how to install a kitchen backsplash, we all use the internet for information.

Entertainment

I personally read a “mixed bag” of blogs. I read several “work at home” blogs because I am naturally interested in that type of information. I read other blogs that teach me things – such as crafty or foodie blogs. And then I also read blogs that simply provide an escape. I am there purely for entertainment.

These are blogs where the blogger simply writes and posts pictures about their life and what they are doing. Why is that so darned interesting? Well, I don’t know. But it is!  Many “mommy bloggers” fall into this category. You would also find gossip bloggers (like Perez Hilton), celebrity bloggers, and so forth in this category.

Freebies / Giveaways

There are also some blogs that gain readership based on their freebies and giveaways. People love to get free stuff. And they will visit a blog everyday if the blog is offering something good!

How To Put This To Use On Your Blog

Now that  you know the main reasons people read blogs, it’s time to start incorporating these things on your own blog. The best part is that you don’t have to limit yourself to one category. You can use all three!

Think about your target market. What do they want to know about? If you’re not sure, start asking on Twitter. Find out what they need help with, and create informational posts that will help them.

Next, go ahead and add in some entertainment posts. Post about what you did over the weekend or post some photos from your vacation. Let them see a glimpse of your life. You don’t have to go overboard and tell them every little detail, but a few posts a month wouldn’t hurt.

Don’t forget to offer a giveaway or freebie once in a while. This can be based on what your readers are interested in. If you have a recipe blog, ask a book publisher to offer a cookbook giveaway. Or if you create your own information products, giveaway one of your ebooks  or classes.

The most important thing is to blog regularly. If you want people to read your blog, you have to give them something to read! And last but not least, you should be having fun with it! This is your blog that we’re talking about! Don’t treat it like a chore! Treat it like the fun, creative outlet that it is!

Crissy Herron is the founder of Indie Biz Chicks, where she provides business, marketing, and publicity information for women “who’d rather work for themselves, than work for the man.” She was involved in a car accident last week and is raising funds for a new car by offering The September Blogging Special for only $10. Participants will receive daily blogging tips and prompts, as well as other bonuses. Click Here to learn more.

Motivation is the key to your success of working at home.  What is your motivation?  Is it to spend more time with your kids?  Is it that you want to work for yourself that you are sick of working for others?  Is it the money that you plan to bring into your home?

When you start to work from home, you need to put some thought into what motivates you to do so.  There will be times that you will need to look back to those reasons and remember.  From time to time, you should update them as well.  Sometimes you will be motivated by deadlines, a new project and of course, money.

So what are some things that you can do to help keep yourself motivated?

Ask for deadlines. 

When does your assignment finish?  When is it needed by?  This will do two things:  1. it will motivate you to get the job done on time and 2. It will give you a sense of accomplishment if you do meet the deadline.

Have fun

Make your project into fun little tasks.  Maybe change up so that your boring portions are in the middle of two portions that are more fun.  This will help keep you motivated because you will be looking ahead and wanting to finish so that you can get to that fun portion.

Set mini goals

Most people will set the large goals up right away but you need to set up mini goals.  Say you need to do emails and correspondence.  Set up a goal to do the emails and a separate one for the correspondence.  When you meet both goals, you will feel like you succeeded in something.

You work for yourself – Schedule your time accordingly

Try to schedule a time for you that is best for you.  If you know that you have to get the kids off at a certain time, you know if you schedule that for work that you will not succeed.  Don’t set yourself up for failure.

Reward yourself

Take time off.  Buy that book that you wanted.  Go to the hair salon.  Now be careful about this, taking too much time away could cause you problem.

photo credit: FindYourSearch

It’s the second annual Orientation Day for New WAHMs – Tuesday, September 14th

We know how tough it is when  you’re a new WAHM.   That’s why we’re doing it again – offering you a ‘WAHM Community Orientation Day’!

We’ve corralled a great bunch of women who can help you find your footing in the crazy world of internet business and marketing and hopefully get you pointed in the perfect direction for YOU.

All of our sessions are held in a web based conference room that works great for PC and Mac users.  You’ll need working speakers or a headset to listen in.  If you want to participate and ask questions, you can do so with your keyboard via text chat or pipe up verbally if you have a working microphone.

To get your access link for all of the live sessions, subscribe to Kelly’s list – use the form to the right and you’ll also get access to last year’s session recordings and Kelly’s free Get Started Guide.

Sponsored by:

• Mom’s Talk Biz – Several Moms will win Mom’s Talk Biz Gift Certificates!


• Mom Webs Hosting – One Mom will win a Year of Free Hosting!


• Mom Masterminds – One Mom will win a Lifetime Membership!

Morning Schedule:

• 10:30am – Meet and Greet with Kelly


• 11:00am – Finding Your Why with Susan Scott


• 12:00pm – Digitally Organizing Your WAHM Life with Brandie Kajino

Afternoon Schedule:

• 1:00pm – Choosing a Domain Name with Kelly


• 1:30pm – Setting up a WordPress Website with Lynette Chandler


• 2:00pm – Using PLR with Melissa Ingold


• 2:30pm – Marketing your Direct Sales Business Online with Melody Thacker

Evening Schedule:

• 7:00pm – Transitioning from a Full Time Career to a Full Time WAHM with Sharon McMillan


• 8:00pm – Chase Your Idea of Success, Not Someone Else’s! with Wendy Piersall


• 9:30pm – Powerful Work at Home Strategies To Boost Your Income with Kelly McCausey