 |
|
|
Place Your Ad Here
JUNE 2008
WAHMZONE.COM
Where Business and Motherhood Meet
June 2008
Well, another school year bites the dust! Summers are great but sometimes prove to be challenging for those of us who work from home. Not only is the warm weather and sunshine luring us away from being cooped up inside our home office, but having the kids around all days tends to make getting anything done next to impossible.
I’m here to encourage you, if you can afford it, to take the time to enjoy these upcoming summer days with your kids, even if it means slacking off a bit on your business. The last thing you want, come September, is regrets.
Be sure to read this month’s article, which deals with how to create balance during the laid-back, yet chaotic, summer months.
WAHMZONE FEATURE OF THE MONTH
Let everyone know how proud you are to be a work-at-home-mom by signing up for WahmZone.com’s FREE web-based email service! Choose between an email address that says, You@MommyMail.com or You@Im-a-Wahm.com. What a wonderful way to advertise your business!
Send and receive email from anywhere in the world! Features include:
25 MB of storage
Spell Check
Save Drafts
Rich Text Editor
Address Book
Contact Manager
Folders
Message Mail Search
Automatic Signatures
Familiar Microsoft Word Functionality.
And the best part is this email service is totally FREE for WahmZone.com members! Click here to sign up today: http://www.wahmzone.com/email.php
WAHMZONE FORUMS
Welcome to all of you newbies on the WahmZone message boards! It’s been great getting to know you. But there’s still plenty of room for the rest of you! Come and meet your fellow Wahms. Get advice, share your challenges and successes or just take some time away from work to unwind and have fun. Whether for business or pleasure, the forums provide relief from the stress as well as offer a wonderful opportunity to make new friends. We’d love to see you there! www.wahmzoneforums.com
JUNE FEATURED WAHMS
Kira Sandoval and Rosalee Decker are this month’s Featured Wahms. Each gives a glimpse into their business and why they love it! If you’re looking to start up a new business, perhaps one of these will appeal to you. Be sure to click on their links for more information.
FEATURED WAHM #1
NAME: Kira Sandoval
COMPANY: Noah's Ark Animal Workshop
HOW LONG WITH COMPANY: 1 year!!
APPROXIMATE HOURS WORKED PER WEEK ON AVERAGE, INCLUDING ALL ASPECTS OF THE JOB – HOME SHOWS, MARKETING, ORDERING, PACKAGING, ETC.: I haven't yet kept track of my hours, but I can guestimate no less than 15-20 hours a week. I'm constantly online, posting to various groups, trying to build my contact list, as well as making off-line phone calls and mailing out flyers.
AVERAGE WEEKLY INCOME: I cannot give a weekly average, since my workshops come in spurts, but an average workshop for me is about $100+ for about an hour of work. I've been averaging 1.5 workshops a month right now, with more being booked every day!
WHAT YOU LOVE MOST ABOUT THE PRODUCT(S): These products are adorable!! Each animal is extremely soft, and the clothes are too cute for words. Every year a new animal is introduced, which is exciting! Each fall we have a Design your Own Teddy Bear Contest, and the winner gets their bear put into our catalog and mass produced. The winner also gets a $500 US savings bond!!
WHAT THE JOB CONSISTS OF: Having FUN!! I order the products that are requested, do all the party set up, and nearly all the clean up. But, most importantly, I bring a party to life! The children love to make a wish on their Wishing Star and give life to their new best friend!
THE BEST PART OF YOUR JOB: The hugs from the kids along with their beaming smiles, and the "Thank You's" from the parents! The parents appreciate having a stress free party and the kids have something to keep them occupied for a long time afterwards! I've seen kids show up to school the next day with their new animal, showing them off, and then pointing to me!
BIGGEST CHALLENGE: I think the most challenging part of this job is making sure I don't double-book by scheduling two workshops for the same day and time. It's also difficult right now because there are no other Crew Members that are close enough to help out, although they are willing to travel a bit. Having a local team would make it easier to book multiple events as well as start participating in craft fairs and other fairs.
WHY SHOULD OTHER MOMS CONSIDER LOOKING INTO WORKING FOR THIS COMPANY? This company offers so much for moms. I have yet to do a workshop where my kids were not helping me! Many Crew Members even have their older children wear the Mojo Mascot costume at the workshops. If you pay your children a small amount for helping you, you are also teaching them business concepts and what it's like to work (hey it's also a tax deduction). Your children will get excited as well, and that enthusiasm will infuse the other kids at the workshop - you will be surprised at how many workshop requests you will receive afterwards! You get personal satisfaction from hosting a workshop, the benefits of not only smiles and hugs from the kids, but also knowing that you helped a fellow parent have a stress-free party. You set your own hours, and do as many or as little workshops as you please. You can do this just for personal reasons, or you can team build and rise in the ranks from Crew Member all the way to Sr. Captain! You can
earn from your own workshops or commission from your team's workshops as well. The opportunities are endless with Noah's Ark and I'm still discovering more each day!!
WEBSITE OR OTHER LINK: You can view a slide show on my website and get more information about the company and the opportunity- there is also a short video of a real workshop!
www.noahsarkworkshop.com/
kirasandoval_s3129
FEATURED WAHM #2
NAME: Rosalee Decker
COMPANY: Home & Garden Party
HOW LONG WITH COMPANY: Over 5 yrs.
APPROXIMATE HOURS WORKED PER WEEK ON AVERAGE, INCLUDING ALL ASPECTS OF THE JOB – HOME SHOWS, MARKETING, ORDERING, PACKAGING, ETC.: On average, I spend quite a lot of time marketing Home & Garden Party Products and Hosting parties. Parties, on average, last about 2.5-3 hours. Orders are entered online and that takes about 20 minutes. So my average work week hours total pretty close to 40 hours. There is no packaging, as all items are packed & ready to ship when ordered and customers and hostesses usually receive their orders in about 2 weeks or less, depending on location.
AVERAGE WEEKLY INCOME: Around $350 per party, so I’m averaging $315-$350 per week in commission and probably more with online orders through Home & Garden Party Direct and personal orders.
WHAT YOU LOVE MOST ABOUT THE PRODUCT(S): I would have to say it's the stoneware, the floral arrangements, the art prints and the candles and the food mixes- I guess I like them all, really. I love to cook and bake in the stoneware pottery- food tastes different, clean up is easy and all stoneware is microwave, oven, dishwasher, freezer and refrigerator safe- and we carry a one-year guarantee on all stoneware, with the exception of our bake-ware which carries a 3-year guarantee.
I love the Home & Garden Party's art prints- all framed art is made and manufactured at our warehouse in Marshall, Texas and gallery wrapped and ready for hanging when shipped to you. The frames are real wood frames with real glass and I love color and I love art. The candles are phenomenal and smell wonderful and scents are pretty true to their names on the candles. Our wicks are lead free and are cotton. Burn time varies per candle- depending on the size of the candle purchased. The food mixes are wonderful and taste great- one of my favorites is the Chipotle Mix and of course the Monkey Bread- which is a cross between cake and a cinnamon roll. Tastes great!
WHAT YOUR JOB CONSISTS OF: As a Home & Garden Party Designer, it's my job to book as many parties as my week allows, to coach hostesses to ensure that they have a fantastic time at their party and to make sure that they receive as many items on their gift lists as possible. Then I follow up with the hostess after her party is held to ensure that all customers are satisfied with the products and to answer any questions that she may have. Part 2 involves taking care of my team - to ensure that all goes right for them and that they receive updated information in a timely manner and also to keep that positive attitude going.
THE BEST PART OF YOUR JOB: The best part of the job for me is meeting new hostesses and party guests and watching them have so much fun at parties. Guests want to learn about the products and have fun at the same time and this helps to assure for a successful party.
THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE: Not getting discouraged and keeping that positive attitude.
WHY SHOULD OTHER MOMS CONSIDER LOOKING INTO WORKING FOR THIS COMPANY? I believe ANYONE should consider Joining Home & Garden Party- they are one of the most versatile companies to work for and are always striving for the BEST for their Designers. There are always new techniques, new products, new programs, and training is tops. It's a wonderful company to work for and with.
WEBSITE OR OTHER LINK: My website link is: http://www.homeandgardenparty.com/
HOme?webid=Rosie
JUNE FEATURED ARTICLE
This month’s big concern is how to balance your business with summer break. This article offers a few tips. Hopefully you can find a couple that work for you!
Mom’s Summer Home Office Hours
By Rosanne Rust
It’s full swing into summer, and you may be finding yourself a little less productive. As a parent, you are happy to see the kids home, relaxing and enjoying summer vacation. After all, you were a kid once, and you remember how much fun summer was.
But now, you have to fit work into the day too. This can be a real challenge, especially if you manage a home office. How are you going to get your work done with the kids running around all day?
Well, it can be done, but it may take some flexibility and focus. Here are some tips to help you get through your to-do list and stay productive through the summer:
Be sure your kids understand your expectations. Have a family meeting and discuss everyone’s needs and how important it is that each family member does his or her part.
Assign chores to your children. Not only will this help them stay busy in the morning when you are trying to get some work done, but it will instill a good work ethic in them. It helps them understand “work” versus “play”.
Be flexible. If you have a home office, you already know that flexibility can be a pro and a con. During the summer months, you may re-think your projects and set up your schedule accordingly. For me, I’ll save bigger projects for the fall, and maybe only do the research and work out the plan during the summertime.
Write up a new office-hours schedule. Post it on your door and let your children know what the rules are. For me, morning hours are most productive. Figure out what works for you.
Hire some help. If you have young children, your best bet may be to hire a mother’s helper a few days a week. This way, your children can play all day, get plenty of fresh air outside, and you won’t feel guilty about ignoring them or keeping them cooped up indoors.
Think of this as your summer vacation too! If you don’t have a laptop, now is the time to seriously consider purchasing one. Go for a wireless network too. This offers you so much more flexibility in your home office. Take your work to the porch, the beach, or the backyard hammock this summer! Make the most of some family time, but don’t forget to “unplug” at least 2 days a week too.
Don’t rule out weekends. While you do want to enjoy some weekends to yourself, you may want to consider working a few Saturdays or Sundays through the summer, and taking one or two weekdays off instead.
Working at home can be the best of both worlds, but it still has its challenges. Enjoy your children, use your office hour time to be as productive as possible, and you can have a productive yet relaxing summer!
Article printed with permission from www.WorkitMom.com
About the Author: Rosanne Rust is a registered dietitian who provides online weight loss counseling as a licensed provider for Real Living Nutrition Services®. Go to www.rosannerust.com for more information.
Whatever you do, relish the time you have with your kids this summer. Before long, school will be back in session and so will a normal work routine.
------
Thanks for choosing WahmZone.com!
BACK TO NEWSLETTER ARCHIVES
|
|
|
|
|
