Christian Work at Home Moms - another option

Are you looking for a work-at-home option?

Here's one you may not have considered before: publish a book series of your own.

For this post, I'm not talking about fiction (although that is something I'll discuss in another post). 

Today I want to talk about something most women never think about: sharing your life experiences to inspire, enlighten, and encourage others.

Someone, somewhere needs to hear your story.

"But I haven't done anything special!" you may say. 

Not true. To someone, you can be an inspiration.

• Have you raised children?
• Have you made the choice to stay home with the kids instead of work outside the home?
• Do you homeschool?
• Is your faith a source of strength?
• Did you find a way to send your kids to college with creative financing?
• Have you lost a loved one and survived?
• Have you made a career choice because of your faith?
• Did you go back to college later in life?
• Do/Did you raise a family on one income?
• Do you have an unusual life path?
• Did you overcome a difficult past or event?
• Do you have good insights on business or life?

There are many stories that may not be flashy or flamboyant, but they need to be told.

You can take one book and turn it into workbooks, day planners, journals, devotionals, and much more.

You can contact me through my site at Rockhold Publishing for more info! I'd love to hear your story!

www.RockholdPublishing.com

Now is the time for a home business

In these economic times, there are many women who are looking for a way to make extra money from home. Some women are facing the loss of their spouse's job. Even some women who are not sure whether or not their spouse is going to lose his job still feel like it is a possibility. For those women, they are looking for a way to "make hay while the sun shines" and start making some money from home in case their husband loses his job.

I know that my opinion may not be the popular one, but I truly feel that one spouse should be at home for the kids. If one parent is the breadwinner and works full time, then I truly believe the best situation for the kids would be that the other parent stays home with them. I don't think that anything is wrong with the second parent working part time outside of the home, but having to parents working full time outside of the home is very stressful and counterproductive.

I look at Proverbs 31 to be a good example of a mom that not only stays at home, but she also helps to provide an income for her family.

I have seen far too many moms who have worked full-time jobs and then had to come home and do all of the things that moms normally do in the house. It simply makes things very difficult. It is almost like having two full-time jobs.

Starting a business from home can be an excellent way for a parent to contribute to the family budget without having the stress of being away for 40 hours or more per week. Many party plan businesses average anywhere from $35-$100 per hour. There are other businesses that can be worked strictly from home and can bring in a substantial amount to the family budget.

Whenever you start a business or are thinking about starting a business, the first thing that you need to do is start with prayer. You need to pray for wisdom. You need to pray for direction. You need to pray that God will show you the type of business that you need to start. You also need to pray for the support of your spouse.

Once you've done that, then you need to start doing your research. Prayerfully consider different businesses and narrow it down to see which one you would like to do.

Party plan businesses can have an excellent hourly income, but they do normally require that you spend some time away from home. Most successful party plan business women work only two or three evenings per week outside of the home. For a mom with small children, this can actually be a welcome break. It allows for you to set your own schedule and only be outside of the house 10 or 15 hours a week, while still being at home with the kids most of the time.

A network marketing business can usually be worked entirely from home without needing to go outside of the house for appointments. Special care needs to be given to make sure that the network marketing business is legitimate and will also provide a reliable income.

Once you believe you have decided on a business that you want to do, then you need to still pray for guidance.

Working a business from home can help Christian moms work from home while they also help provide an income for their families.

Sharing your faith through your business

One thing that is so great about working from home is that having my own biz allows me to share my faith as I please.

Working in a corporate office can really hinder witnessing opportunities. People have lost jobs because of what they said or did in this regard. :(

With my business, I can choose to share my faith in the way I choose. Not only that, but my biz allows me to meet people - both in person and online - that I would never have met otherwise.

I can pass out Gospel of John books, tracts, etc. I can invite people to church and church events. I can share my personal testimony.

Every biz can be as Christian as you are. :)

"But I don't have the money to start a home business"

I have talked to many wonderful ladies over the years who have said that they want to start a business to work from home, but they simply do not have the funds to do so.

I can understand that totally. After all, if you had tons of money lying around, you would not be looking to start a business, right?

If you really want to work from home, there are many ways you can do it.

• Pray - this is the first thing to do. God will open up opportunities!
• Be honest - If you want to start a home biz - but you cannot due to the funds needed - be honest. I have done a lot for people over the years who needed to get started but couldn't buy a kit or purchase a guide. I have worked out payment plans and sent free copies of things. I have even paid for kits. I have loaned/given money to friends so they could start a biz.
• Be creative - if you need a few hundred dollars to start a business, look around your house and see if you can sell something. You would be surprised! I have had people hold a garage sale so they could raise a few hundred bucks! Use your head and pray - God will speak to you about it.
• Be persistent - if you need money and cannot get it any other way, put a little bit aside each week until you have enough. Be consistent and persistent - and you will be fine.
• Start small - I have known people who started a free biz so they could earn enough to invest in a more expensive biz. It won't happen overnight, but it will happen!

If you are considering working from home but do not think you can afford it, please contact me at shay (dot) rockhold (at) gmail (dot) com - I will help you all I can.

Starting a profitable info product business

If you are looking for a way to make money from home, I can highly recommend anything from Kevin Riley. Click here for his site.

I have purchased several of his e-books, and I have also participated in his workshop. His products are laid out in a clear, step-by-step fashion and his ideas are simple but effective.

Here are some reasons why you would like to start a business using Kevin's methods:

1. Info products sell for nearly 100% profit.
2. They ship immediately.
3. No storage or shipping.
4. You can help people while earning a living.
5. There is no limit to what you can do!
6. No layoffs or pay cuts.
7. You earn what you are worth!

Visit Kevin's site today and check out what he has to offer. I especially like the e-book How to Turn Lazy Summer Days into a Lifetime of Easy Cash - and it is on sale right now!

Working together with local WAHMs

Here is an easy way to network with other WAHMs in your area.

Go to www.meetup.com and start a local WAHM group. (This will cost around $12-19 a month, but the members can chip in and help cover the costs.)

Or you can start a blog. We use this one for our local group: www.lhbmamas.blogspot.com.

Go to www.vistaprint.com and get business cards made up for the group. Make them generic with just the group site on them and some generic group info.

Now, each group member promotes the group blog or website. They can write their own phone number on the back if they want to have someone call them.

Why would group members do this?

Instead of each member promoting their own site, there are 25 people promoting the group's site. Instead of 20 people seeing your website, you have 500 people seeing your link on the group website. See the difference?

Chances are, you know other local WAHMs. Start a small group with people you know.

Then you can advertise it and watch it grow!

Finding legitimate work at home opportunities

This country is having economic trouble, and many people are out of work or are having their hours or pay cut.Because of this, there are many people (moms included) who are looking for ways to make more money.

Many of them want to work from home because they simply do not want to take on a "regular" job.

A "regular" job has many drawbacks:

• Commute time
• Gas costs
• Child care costs
• Inflexible schedule
• Limited vacation or family time
• Limited hours during the day when you can work
• Not paid what you are worth
• Possible layoffs

There are numerous advantages to working with a home-based business or job:

• Little or no commute
• Flexible schedule
• Work the hours you want (morning, evening, night, etc.)
• Get paid what you are worth
• No one can fire you or give you a layoff
• No child care costs
  

Did you know that many home-based business people make hourly rates as high as $25 - 50 an hour (or more)? That is the industry norm for most party plan moms who sell via a party plan business model (like Tupperware, Pampered Chef, etc.)

Did you know that many freelance writers who make $50-100 an hour or more?

Did you know that you can set up a blogging business that bring in money while you sleep?

Did you know that there are hundreds of ways you can make money with a home-based business?

The problem is that there are also scammers out there.

You have to be careful!!

Follow me on Twitter!

I would love to have you follow me on Twitter!

Click here for my profile!

Networking with other WAHMs

If you have been searching online for work at home opportunities, you have probably come across several websites, message boards and forums. These message boards and forums will allow you to meet and network with WAHMs across the world.

Networking online with other moms on message boards is very easy! Find a forum that you like, register an account and post an introduction message right away. Let the other moms know where you are from and what you want to accomplish with working at home. The women you meet there will provide you with advice on how to start a business, information on a wide variety of subjects, employment opportunities, and they will be more than happy to lend an ear when you need to complain about a bad day.

Start reading other people’s posts – you will notice that there is a section where the poster can list their business website. Visit the different websites – eventually you will find a few work at home moms that have businesses similar to the type you would like to start. Send them a message and let them know you admire their business and ask for advice on how you can get started in the same type of field.

Keep reading and replying to posts regularly; you will find that people have questions about things you are an ‘expert’ in. By building relationships and establishing credibility, people will come to you when they have a need for the product or service you provide.
Seek out the services of other home based moms when you need help with something. If you have done business with a certain mom, recommend her services to others when they need them! Your work at home friend will appreciate your help and will recommend your services to other people.

Eventually, someone new to the WAHM community will seek you out and ask for your advice on how to get started. Take them under your wing and show them a few helpful pointers. You may not be able to pay back all of the mothers who have helped you with your business, but you can definitely pay it forward by helping others!

Time Management for WAHMs

Many people assume that work at home moms have it easy; however, if any of those people have ever lived a day as a WAHM they would know it isn’t so simple. There are children to take care of, a house to clean, a dog to walk, groceries to buy, dinner to cook and dishes to wash. Oh, and then there’s that business to work!

It may not be easy, but it isn’t impossible, either. By using some simple time management tricks, a WAHM can find time to “get it all done!” One thing every WAHM should have is a planner. Schedule your family time first! Then schedule in the time you are going to work your business. Once you have your “work time” scheduled, make it a priority to stay focused on your business during those hours. It is very easy to procrastinate when you are a WAHM.


If your work requires you to do lots of different tasks, try to group similar tasks together. For instance, if you are in a direct sales business and you have a team under you, designate one day to be your “training day”. Instead of helping various team members throughout the week, schedule all of your mentoring sessions for one day. Set aside an hour in the morning and an hour in the late afternoon to respond to email and/or return phone calls. By scheduling that time in, you will find that you are able to get more work done and feel less scattered.


You might also consider outsourcing some of your activities. If you find that you are spending too much time on responding to email, returning phone calls, or updating your website, hire a virtual assistant to do those tasks for you. This will free your time up to work on your business, and by spending more time on the parts of your business that actually bring in money, you will be able to increase your profits.


You can also save time by setting aside a block of time each week to do your “regular” errands, such as grocery shopping. If you plan your meals for the week and go to the grocery store once, you will save lots of time during the week by not taking those daily “quick trips to the market”.

And while you are planning your meals, try to schedule a few “cook once, eat twice” days. For instance, you can plan on having spaghetti on Monday and tacos on Tuesday. So, on Monday, brown the hamburger you will need for both days. On Tuesday, half of your work will already be done. And if you are making a meatloaf or lasagna, make two and freeze one for later.


Most importantly, do not feel as if you have to do it all by yourself. You are not a super hero. If you have a spouse or significant other, ask them to chip in on household chores. Children love to help out, and depending on their ages, there are multiple things they can do. And when it is all said and done, don’t forget to take out some time for yourself. Everyone needs a break– WAHMs included!

You can earn a full-time income at home!

Yes – you can earn money from home

Are you a mother looking for a way to make extra money from home? There are actually many different ways to work from home, and if you are just starting with your search, you can get ready to dive in! There are both opportunities to work locally off-line and online globally!

One very popular way to make money from home is by selling items you don't need on eBay. You can sell any items you have around the house that you no longer need, clothes your children have outgrown, or you can sell things you have made.

But you don’t need to stop there. There are many people who are not as computer literate as you or maybe they just don’t have time to list their own auctions. You can offer your services as an “auction specialist.” For a small fee and a percentage of each sale, you can take pictures of items others want to sell on eBay, then post the auctions and also take care of shipping the item to the buyer.

If you come from an administrative background, you can find work online as a virtual assistant. The job duties can be varied, including answering emails, making phone calls, maintaining websites, and more. If you are very adept at designing websites, there is certainly a huge market for that as well as graphic design. A copywriter (also known as ghostwriter) can make money by writing articles, sales letters, advertising copy and more for Internet Marketers.

Freelance writing for newspapers and magazines is also an option for those who enjoy writing.
If you are someone who prefers to work off-line, there are still lots of possibilities. For starters, you can start a home-based daycare. If you love to organize and clean, you can set up a home business as professional organizer and get paid to clean out other people’s closets, attics, garages, etc. Another option for those who love to organize, would be to organize events. These can be events for people, such as parties and weddings; or you can organize events for businesses such as meetings, luncheons, and even business expos.

Many people have turned to direct-sales, also known as “party-plan”, to work from home. It is no longer a choice between kitchenware or make-up companies – today you can choose to sell candles, clothes, craft supplies, toys, books, jewelry and more. Some of the companies allow you to sell these items online as well as in the traditional “party” setting.

The possibilities for working at home are endless. Keep researching different options, ask lots of questions, and you will find a way to make money from home!

Hubby is retiring in 2009 - at 41 years old

Hubby and I are excited to let everyone know that he is going to retire at 41 years old.

I have grown my income to the point where I can pay the bills, but we are taking a year to pay off all of our debt and make some other preparations.

I look forward to sharing our progress!

His retirement date is set for Dec. 31, 2009.

Multiple streams of income from one business

No matter what your business, you can create many streams of income from it.

Take, for example, a party plan or MLM business.

Did you realize that you can create several different ways to make money from this? This means you can make money whether or not you are having parties or recruiting.

You can make money by:

• Blogging - sell ad space or use it to get leads.
• Newsletters - offer info and you can even have a paid subscription to it.
• Workshops - teach others to benefit from your products or services.
• Info products - sell valuable information to your customers.

These are just a few ideas - you can get more, I am sure.

Don't limit yourself - maximize the amount of income you earn from your home business!

Recession-proof businesses

Recessions are simply a normal part of the economic cycle. Think about it - you cannot have growth that is permanent and unlimited. There comes a point where the economy makes an "adjustment," for lack of a better word. That is simply the nature of economics.

However, there are numerous recession-proof businesses. If fact, there are businesses that thrive during recessions:

Any business that helps collect on bad debts is a business that thrives in a recession. Bill collectors, car repossessors, etc. - they all have a booming business when the economy takes a nose dive.

Debt consolidation companies are also really big during a recession - people are trying to find a way to pay their bills and not declare bankruptcy, so they are more than willing to try anything to keep that from happening.

Bankruptcy lawyers also make out well during hard economic times.

But what about the average person? How can someone have a recession-proof business without creating a huge corporation or investing a lot in startup costs?

Simple: start a business from home.

If you start a home-based business, you can profit more quickly because you have less overhead. You can work your own hours. You can create multiple streams of income.

And that is truly a recession-proof business.

Make money in a recession

Are we in a recession? Many financial "experts" say we are not, but taking a look at what is going on around around us - the stock market plunging, layoffs, etc. - it is hard to agree with them. The key is to not be afraid, but to be smart. There are plenty of ways to make money in a recession.

The first thing to do is to get your finances in order. Follow these guidelines:

• Don't spend more than you make.
• Pay off debt.
• Put money into savings.
• Prepare for the worst, but hope for the best.

The second thing to do is to realize that recessions are simply an economic reality. There is no avoiding them - they will come eventually. In the past 25 years, we have had 2 recessions (in 1990-1991 and again in 2001). In the 35 years prior to that, we had 8 recessions. Recessions can and do happen. They do not usually last very long (usually a matter of months, not years). You have to be prepared to ride it out.

The third thing to do is to remember this: there are always people who make money in a recession (or a depression, for that matter). The key is that you have to be ready to act when a recession occurs. For example, if you have money to spend and real estate prices drop, you can snap up some super deals and make a nice profit in a reasonably short period of time.

Finally, you need to be able to make money in a recession, and you cannot rely on a job to provide that income. Jobs are notoriously unstable in a recession. For true financial stability, you need to work on building multiple streams of income before you lose your job. You need to have multiple streams of income that you can do from anywhere - anywhere you have a computer, that is. :D

I can help you develop those multiple streams of income, if you would like. Simply click on my link to the right (in the sidebar).

"What if I want to do something other than MLM, party plans or network marketing?"

This is not meant to be a slam against party plans, etc. I think that they can be a great way to make money.

But I also know that there are some moms that don't want to do that kind of thing.

They also want to have their own business - something that they created out of nothing. Something that is unique and their own "baby."

So that is why I created my guide: Shay's Guide to Making Money from Home - No MLM, Party Plans or Network Marketing

This is a simple guide to help you start your own business from home. It explains 3 ways you can start making money from home right away - with no experience and with very little investment.

There are 3 ways discussed in the guide:

• Blogging
• Writing (or having someone write for you)
• Joint Ventures

Anyone can have a profitable home business by using these methods.

Included is also a 7-day ecourse/workshop that is designed to have you up and running in your own profitable business. There is a daily lesson and homework, plus you can ask questions.

All of this for only $7. (Yes, I said 7 dollars.)

Maybe I am crazy, but I really want everyone to be able to have a home business that is profitable and simple.

You can order by clicking below:

It is backed by a 100% money-back guarantee so you have nothing to lose.

-----Shay :o)

Having kids pay for their own college tuition

With all of the talk on the news about kids not being able to get loans for college tuition, I am very thankful for what Hubby and I have decided to do. I want to share this plan with you, because I think it can help other parents make future plans.

We have four kids - ages 15, 12, 10 and 4.

We are going to have kids in college in about 4 years. We will probably have no more than 2 in college at any one time, but that is not certain - we might have 3 in college at one point. Things happen - one might take a year off. One might not do well for a year - who knows? The point is that, realistically, we might have 3 in college at the same time.

We are paying off our debt so that we will be debt-free long before we have kids in college.

However, we are NOT planning on paying for our kids to go to college.

I have set the kids up with ways to

1. learn how to make money.
2. make money over time
3. build up their income

I have set up blogs for the kids - they update them and run them (with my supervision) and they learn how blogging works - and how money works! There are ads and affiliate programs on there. (They are not old enough to participate directly yet, but I have my account and give them their share.)

Right now, they are almost to the point where they can earn all of their spending money. (Hey, 50 bucks is a fortune for a 10 year old!)

In the future, as their needs grow, their income will grow, too. They can and will be responsible for all of their clothing and other needs (once they earn that much).

They will be putting money aside for college.

They can have regular money coming in while they are in school - no broke college students! No phoning home for money! LOL

And I will have the peace of mind that they are self-sufficient.

That is the best part of all.

Comments? Questions? Leave them!

Do your 5 closest friends determine your income?

I have heard over and over about how the people you hang out with - your 5 closest friends - will determine the amount of money you make.

In the past, this concerned me, because I do not hang out with wealthy people. :o) The vast majority of people I hang out with are worried about if they are going to pay their electric bill or buy groceries this month.

I also told myself, "How can the people you hang out with make that much of a difference? After all, if I am reading positive books and focusing on things I should be - isn't that enough?"

But then I found a new forum - the Warrior Forum - and started reading and learning from there.

In just a few short weeks, my mindset has totally changed. I fully understand why your friends make a difference, because the conversations I have with people on the Warrior Forum are completely different than the ones I have in real life and on other forums. Spending an hour on that forum makes me so much more productive and gives me so many ideas!

So I have to say that the answer to the question in the title of this post is a resounding, "YES!"

But, luckily, you can find friends all over the globe, thanks to the Internet.

Thoughts? Opinions? Post them in the comments, along with your website!

I've lost about 20 pounds!

Okay, this is totally unrelated to working from home, but I had 2 people notice today that I have lost weight!! WOO HOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I feel on top of the world today!

Strong sales in a weak economy

Hey, Mamas!

Everyone is talking about how bad the economy is. No doubt that there are issues we need to be watching and addressing.

But just because the economy is weak doesn't mean your sales have to be!

There are several things you can do to improve your sales:

• Start a blog or website and update it frequently - make sure you post all about your specials and incentives for customers.
• Get the email addresses for your customers! Keep in touch with them and offer email-only specials as an incentive for people to share their email address with you.
• Offer service that they cannot get anywhere else.

Setting up a blog costs little to nothing - and can be the easiest, quickest and least expensive way to improve your sales.

Thoughts? Comments? Questions? Share them here - with a link to your website!