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MAY 2009
WAHMZONE.COM
Where Business and Motherhood Meet
I hope those showers I mentioned last month have caused some flowers to begin budding in your neck of the woods. And not just literally. I hope your business is blooming, as well!
www.wahmzone.com offers everything you need to keep your business running smoothly and efficiently. Be sure to bookmark us for quick and easy access!
WE NEED YOUR HELP
So have you checked out, WahCheck.com (www.wahcheck.com)? WahCheck not only lists thousands of work-at-home opportunities for you to consider, but we do all the research for you to provide all the information you need in one convenient location. No more surfing and searching all over online to find the information you're looking for. WahCheck has it all!
But we need your help to make it even better. We depend on people like you to rate and comment on those jobs and opportunities you're familiar with. We use a 5-star system. With one click, you can let others know how you rate a particular company. And by leaving a comment (a brief sentence or two will do), you can provide helpful details that will enable other members to make the most informed decision possible.
Please take a moment to browse the site for companies you've either had experience with or know a little about (maybe someone you know has worked for them). Then start rating and commenting.
We truly appreciate your help!
MAY FEATURED WAHM
This month, our featured WAHM is Stephanie Walker, a mom who started her own embroidery business. If you have a love for or a skill in any type of craft like this, why not start up a business of your own? Stephanie is proof that success is possible! Read on to find out what's involved in starting up and running an embroidery (or any craft) business.
Your Business Name: Stephanie's Unlimited Creations
Type of business: embroidery & vinyl transfers
How long you've been in business: 5 years
How did you get started? Well, that is a loaded question…I've always been crafty, so when a friend of the family who is a salesman for a local promotional company needed help with an emergency embroidery order asked me to stitch up three jackets on my little Disney embroidery machine, I agreed. Well, that one order took me 2 hours to complete on my little home machine, but he was so impressed that he started bringing me more and more orders until we finally had so many that we had to purchase three industrial embroidery machines.
What, exactly, does your job involve? I handle garments two different ways. First, there are embroidery orders, which have to be placed, checked in, digitized. Approvals are needed from customers before any work is started, then the garments are hooped, stitched, threads trimmed & backing cut away. The garments are then repackaged and invoices created.
Second, there are vinyl transfer orders. Most of the vinyl orders I process are for names or numbers on garments, so these orders need to be precisely typed into the computer, sent to the vinyl cutter and prepped for application. Then I heat-apply the vinyl to the garments. The garments are repacked and invoices are created.
How many hours per week, on average, do you work? 40
How do you market your business? I've been blessed that it has been word of mouth so far.
The best part of your job: Being able to work from home. With a 1 ½ year old with special needs there isn't a better job I could ask for!
The most challenging part of your job: Working from home means I NEVER get away from it. Customers call or stop over from early morning to late at night & weekends. It NEVER fails - once we sit down to eat dinner, someone calls or the doorbell rings.
What skills would you say are required to do what you do? Basic computer, graphics software knowledge, people skills, machine repair & patience.
What advice would you give moms that are considering this type of business? Set business hours & stick to them. I started my business by letting my customers dictate my hours. But once you do that, it's REALLY hard to change to a normal schedule.
Website or other link to check out: www.stephanieunlimitedcreations.com
Also: www.melco.com, www.nnep.com, and www.stahls.com
MAY FEATURED ARTICLE
With summer just around the corner, your vacation should be, too! Reward yourself for all of that hard work by taking some time off for you. Whether it's a family vacation or just spending a few days completely work-free, you'll be better for it. Sometimes a break is what's required in order to refocus and allows us to get back to work with gusto!
Do not let your Business Become Your Life!
By Cash Miller
We often forget about ourselves because of how hectic our lives have become. So many things need to be accomplished each day and there never seems to be enough time to do it all. Eventually you find yourself working later and later. Then you start putting in time on the weekends. Eventually you are at work more than you are at home. Your business has become your life.
It doesn't need to be this way though. Not if you lay down some ground rules for yourself. If you have a family they will appreciate having you home. You can't neglect the rest of your life just because of your responsibilities as a small business owner. You have a responsibility to yourself and the other people in your life. That is something you should never forget no matter how hectic your working life become.
So what kind of ground rules do you need? Well for starters the number of hours you put in at work need to be set. Now we know a forty hour work week is not going to be a reality but you can try to limit yourself to something less than seventy or eighty hours. Try to set yourself a time that you need to be out of the office and on your way home each night. If you have a family, try to make it a point to be home in time to have dinner with them. If you need to put some time in on the weekend, make sure to limit yourself. If you have to go do it early then leave by noon. Get out and do things. Enjoy your weekend. Your business will still be there Monday morning.
So what if you are the kind of person that takes your work home with you? Well that is a decision for you to make. But you need to ask yourself whether it would be more productive for you to take it home or could it possibly wait until tomorrow. More times than not, it can wait until the next day and then you can give the task the attention it needs. Home is full of distractions, and when you are at home you need to be doing other things. Even if you don't have a family to go home to, you need to take the time to give yourself a mental break.
Everyone needs to take time out from what you do. If not, you are going to burn yourself out. And that will not be good for you or your company. Regularly taking a break is good for you both mentally and physically. Too many people work themselves into the ground. You don't want to be that type of person.
What else can you do to have a life outside of your work? Take a vacation! People that run their own businesses go years without finding the time to go on vacation. Occasionally we need to get away from it all if you ever want to be able to recharge your batteries. Yes it can be a hard thing to do. You either have to shut things down for a few days or trust someone else to hold down the fort while you are gone. Whatever it takes, everyone needs to take a few days off. Not just a few hours or a couple of days. You need a real vacation. A week in a land of paradise is preferable.
Remember that taking care of yourself is not just good for you; it can be good for your company and even the people that work for you. Not to mention your family if you have one to go home to. Everyone needs time to themselves and time to spend with others, besides those you work with. So no matter what, you do not want your business to become your life!
Article Source: http://www.thewahmshack.com/articledirectory/
Cash Miller is an experienced entrepreneur and speaker who has spent over a decade as a small business owner. His years of experience in small business cover a variety of topics. If you are looking for more small business help please check out www.smallbusinessdelivered.com.
THANKS FOR CHOOSING WAHMZONE…THE PLACE WHERE BUSINESS AND MOTHERHOOD MEET.
MAKE IT A GREAT MONTH!
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