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Does the Thought of Blogging Scare You?

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You have to be committed……

That’s right, starting a blog is signing up for a commitment. You have to pay attention to it, add to it frequently, and interact with the people who read it. I know that is enough to scare some people, and I won’t lie to you, taking the time weekly to keep your blog up to date sometimes reminds me of the starter used for “friendship bread”. It does require effort.

So why do people start blogs? Well, there are lots of reasons. Some people start a blog simply to do an online personal journal that they want to share. In that case, adding to it only has to be whenever you feel like it.

When you are using a blog to build your business, frequency is key. You are going to use your business blog to build a reputation. To actually do that, you have to be committed to adding valuable content.

People are interested in what is in it for them, and content that will solve a problem they have or teach them something they want to learn, will keep them coming back for more. Look at it this way, why are you reading my blog.

I hope it is because you find some value here. I have a lot of experience in running my own business, and have more experience baking. In addition to that, I am a stay at home mom of twelve kids and have run a home based business for ten years.

My purpose here is to communicate some of that experience to moms who want to stay at home with their kids, but have a need to generate income too. I know that my fund raising business is a great fit for some moms, and will give them the extra income they are seeking.

For other moms, they love to bake, but want to strictly work online. From my experience, that will take longer to turn a profit, but can certainly be done, is being done every day. There are lots of opportunities out there.

You can choose to do a podcast, and talk about food, recipes, tools, kitchen design, appliances, etc. You can do a video and demonstrate how to do something. I have samples of video on my website. Judy and I have a great time when we make videos.

The cameras are inexpensive and easy to use. I use the Flip. It is super easy to use, you shoot the video, plug the built in plug to a USB port and you are all set. My only criticism with that camera is that for best results, you need an additional lapel mic for better sound quality.

Yes, all the above can be a blog. Really, there is no reason to be scared. Once you get into, it is fun. You can meet new people, and it will help you build your business, have fun doing it.

Creative Commons License photo credit: roland

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We Started a Home Bakery

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I have a licensed commercial kitchen that we added to our home. I can’t tell you what an absolute blessing it has been. I am often asked just how we did that. For ten years I ran my home based catering company from home, and did it legally.

I wanted to stay at home with my kids, and investigated all sorts of ways to help generate income. One of the things I was pretty good at, was baking, and many friends suggested I start a business selling some of the great homemade baked goods I made regularly. After investigating the possibilities, I decided to give it a try.

I started my business working out of our churches kitchen. It was a true gift, however, proved to be a lot of work since I had to work in the middle of the night, clean the kitchen and be out by 7:00am in order to get the deliveries made for the corporate breakfast meetings that I baked for. I used that kitchen for about nine months, and then decided I needed my own space.

Okay, this is a long story!

Let’s face it, the story spans ten years, so it will take awhile to tell the whole story. I have decided to break it into bite size pieces, I will include a “To Do” list for you if this sounds like something that fits your dream. Rome was not built in a day, and neither are most successful businesses.

I am an impatient person, you may be too. I can’t stress enough that a fatal mistake too many small business owners make, is lack of complete planning.

I know you may need to start making money now, most of us do. You might not like what I am going to tell you, but realistically, if you are at the very beginning, you could be 2-3 years away from running a profitable business. Please don’t get discouraged right off the bat, if I can do it, chances are really good you can too!

Well, I don’t want to overwhelm you here, so I will end on this note. If you have not read a book in awhile, today is the first day of the rest of you life. The library, bookstores, Amazon, the internet, podcasts, online classes, audio books are about to become a BIG part of your life from now on.

The first thing on my suggested “TO DO” list is to go to the library and checkout “How to Win Friends and Influence People” by Dale Carnegie. It is available on audio, you can listen while you work, drive, walk etc. If you would like to add this book to your personal library, below is a link to Amazon. I must tell you that using this link is a blessing to my family because it is an affiliate link, however there is no additional charge for you. If you prefer, you can simply go to Amazon and search for it by name.

I know that you probably are thinking, what does that have to do with baking.You are right, I don’t think he was known for his baking skills. He does however, provide a critical foundational piece to the success of any business, it is his recipe for success, in business and in life. Enjoy, I’ll talk to you soon.

Please leave a comment or question, I would love to get some great dialog going here as you embark on the path to your specialty baking , and hopefully starting your home bakery business. We can all help each other.

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I Decided to Fight Work at Home Scams Aimed at SAHM’s

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Scammers Make Me Mad.

By reading the title, you probably have figured out that I have gone around or two (or ten) with work at home scams. I am the mom of twelve, and staying home with my children is my top priority, but contributing to the family finances was also important.

I searched far and wide for a legitimate way to generate money from home, and fell victim to more than my share of scams. You know, after awhile, you get pretty darn sick of that game. I finally wised up, and took a look at what I was good at and decided to do my own thing. I could bake well, so I started my own business doing just that.

I ran my business for ten years,
but there was something missing.

You get to a stage where you try and figure out what you want to be when you grow up. I started the search, and let me tell you, it was pretty hard. That really is an understatement, it involved a lot of soul searching, prayers, and finding the right people to mentor me.  I took all the skills and personality tests to discover my strengths and talents, I read lots of books, listened to a ton of podcasts, took classes, and finally the results are in.

I am passionate about helping moms.

Many moms want the privilege of staying at home with their children, but I know that many times finances make that hard to do. I have facilitated Dave Ramsey’s “Financial Peace University” classes many times, and know that extra income is important in lots of households. Therein lies the dilemma, how to generate the income needed AND stay at home.

I discovered that one of my gifts is teaching, paired with the fact that I love communicating with people. In my search for the answer to what I wanted to be when I grew up, I decided to see if I could teach baking skills to other people who did not have experience baking. Then I got a scathingly brilliant idea. My friend Judy cringed at the thought of baking, but she is a great sport, and agreed to let me teach her how to bake, and even let me video the lessons. Check out the videos in our recipe section. We have a great time, and Judy is becoming famous for her baking. All her friends and neighbors are lining up to get on her good side (she is spreading great food and good cheer to those near and dear to her.)

I wanted more proof, so I decided to teach a class how to bake, and had great reviews, so now I am going to open my doors and finally start helping stay at home moms learn to generate income for their families, and be able to stay at home with their kids. I have been greatly blessed and I am excited that I can help some moms do what I have done.

I will be posting more information in the coming weeks, and so watch for more information about how I can help some other stay at home moms generate money for their families.

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What is Most Important to the Stay at Home Mom?

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Family time.

What is your answer to that question? If you are anything like me, the answer is obvious. Stay at Home Moms have made the hard decision to sacrifice dollars for time. Your priority is to spend your hours dedicated to the care of your family.

That is a great choice, and in my opinion, is one you will never regret.  I decided to do that & now I have my older kids to use as a measure of the value of that decision.

I now have the information to verify that what I had felt all along was  best  for my family. That said, the truth of the matter is that finances do take a tole on all families. Money shortages can cause stress in any marriage, and therefore negatively affect your marriage.

I know for sure, it affected ours. Every time the car broke down, it either put us in debt, or was the cause for a seriously crabby mommy. This is not an ad for Dave Ramsey’s “Financial Peace University”, but I have to tell you, that program is a true gift.

Even Dave Ramsey tells everyone that there are two sides of the equation, the income and the outgo.  We moms all know that there are just times when the income side of that equation is a problem we all face.

To fix the problem, so many of us start the search for  home jobs. We are all hoping to find that perfect way to earn from home.

That is where so many of us take on that challenge and become the victim of con artists. You know from many of my previous posts that I fell for more than my share of scams. What each of us wants is legitimate work from home.

I am going to  give you some sound advice when you are searching for a way to make money from home.

  1. If it sounds to good to be true, it probably is.
  2. You probably can’t really make six figures while you sleep.
  3. Trust your gut, it is amazingly intuitive.
  4. If the sales presentation takes place at a hotel ballroom, run.

Let’s share some stories about things to avoid or scams we have run into.

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Stepping Into Making Money at Home

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Throughout our lives, we are constantly learning the steps of how to do a new task, be it a hobby, a job, a class, etc. Depending on what you are wanting to accomplish, there can be tons of steps, or just a few.

The goal of being a stay at home mom is one that involves many steps, and spans lots of years. To be sure it is a marathon, not just a stroll around the block. We all know that to be able to complete a marathon takes training, and there are many who train for years before ever attempting to run one. (I wonder if anyone has ever counted the steps required.)

One of the steps that I neglected as a stay at home mom, was realizing that I had to be actively working on ME to prepare myself to realize my goal of being a work at home mom. I was totally into my family, but the reality of the situation was that I was living in a blissful ignorance of not adequately preparing for the future. As a family, we could live within our means, stretch the budget, be frugal, I was great at that.

As a young mom, I was totally naive about the expenses we would encounter as our children grew. I figured out the part about the fact that they would eat more sure, but all the rest was more of a surprise. In my mind, I just assumed that as our family grew, so would my husbands income. To be sure, it did, but not in the same proportions as our expenses.

As those expenses became reality, I began to feel a very real pressure to do something to contribute financially.  So I began the search of a viable way to make money. I still desperately wanted to be a stay at home mom. Lets be real here, it was more than a want, it was a NEED. Childcare for my brood would have consumed all that I made.

The search began, and as time rolled on, I became more desperate. That is when I began to fall victim to scams. I have already covered all that in past blog posts, but my point here for you is that things would have been different if I only  had a plan from the beginning.

I am starting a series here for my blog, and my purpose is to help others avoid some of the mistakes I have made. I will try and  share a few of the things I learned along the way. We will begin with some baby steps, but you need to know that this is just the beginning of training for your stay at home mom marathon.

I am not suggesting that I have all the answers, that would be laughable. What I am saying is that simply by the time I have spent on this planet, I have run into a number of experts that have provided me with answers to my questions, and hopefully, I can refer to them, or at the very least recall my experiences.

I will close with a step that sounds very simple, but don’t be deceived, it is harder than it will appear. Decide today that you will carve out a half hour every day that you will dedicate to working on the plan that will be the foundation to your goal of being a work at home mom. This is really important, it will start training you to make time in your day to work on yourself and your business.

I would love your thoughts and comments. Please feel free to share your ideas and questions throughout this series.

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School Expenses Are Here!

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Ph.D. Reading

It’s almost here, that dreaded time of year!


The lazy days of summer are fast drawing to an end. The prospect of making lunches for school are staring us in the face again, and the added expense of new clothes, school supplies, fees, and possibly tuition are looming like an unwelcome shadow in the corner of the room.

Do you feel your stomach tightening with the thought of all those expenses having to again be worked into your budget? Even worse, will all those expenses end up on your ever growing credit card balance? As a stay at home mom, those mounting bills equal stress.

For a lot of us stay at home moms, we revisit the ever constant challenge of returning to work vs staying home with our kids. I have lived this life for a lot of years now, and I want to share some of the budget stretching tricks I have learned.

  • Do YOUR homework. Get your list of needed supplies, clothes, shoes etc. Then sit down with a cup of coffee and read all the ads. List the store with the best price after the item.
  • Map out the shortest and most efficient route to the stores with the best prices.
  • Please use common sense, don’t drive half an hour to save $1.00, think smart, time and gas are valuable.
  • Forget the higher priced school supplies with the latest movie or tv characters, pick a plain color and be done with it. Many times that will save you 1/3 – 1/2 of the price.
  • Make sure you have checked all the sale flyers. All the stores are competing fiercely for your business, and many of those sales are loss leaders. Buy the things that are on sale and move on to the next store for the items they are featuring at the best price.
  • Don’t go overboard on the clothes, you have a washing machine, so you can limit the amount you spend on clothes by simply doing laundry.
  • Buy several pairs (three is a good number) of dark pants. I love the double knee pants for the boys. Five different tops will get you through the week. If your budget dictates, buy less and wash more.
  • Consignment shops and garage sales can save you TONS.

I will give you more cost saving tips tomorrow. My best advice is to set your budget,  and then just stick to it.

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Be a Work at Home Mom And Help Others

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Don’t forget to fill out the survey after watching the video if this may be a good fit for you.

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Is Green the New Color of Love?

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Could green really mean love!


I am not trying to imply that money can buy love, but when you pair love with money, it can do wonders. I never realized before a few weeks ago that I had the power to use my talents to make a real impact on the lives of others that I don’t even know and will probably never meet. I took a few simple ingredients, put them together, spent time and labor, and with the help of my children and their friends, we were able to raise money to help others in ways that we will never realize.

It was a realization that stopped me in my tracks and made me re-evaluate how I will build this business. Sure, it will give my clients the ability to make some money to help their families, but the ability raise money for others is truly a bigger deal. The money that is raised to benefit others can have a ripple effect that we can only imagine.

I see the big picture now, and when we partner our love of family with the desire to help others, moms (and dads) of the world can take a giant step toward changing the lives of others as well as truly making a difference in the world. Moms (and Dads) working together with a common goal can really make a difference. All we have to do is our own one thing, but when added together, we have tremendous power to help others in an unstoppable way. It sounds like a lofty goal, I agree, but who else has more influence on their families than mothers. If we unite, we can lead the world to a better place by doing our one thing that we are uniquely gifted to do.

Put away your humbleness, it is time for action. Believe it or not, there are people in your own town that need your help, as well as people all over the globe just praying that someone somewhere will care. Moms, we all have that caring gene, but most of us just don’t know what we can do to help

.

I have prayed long and hard on this, and now I know that the answer is simple, and if you are reading this, you can be part of the movement to make positive changes in our world. You have that one talent, probably many talents, and you have some spare time, we all do. Turn off the tv, that will free up all the time needed to do your one thing. It really does not matter what gift you bring to the table, it is needed, and when paired with all the gifts of others, the power of love can be unleashed.

If you would like to know more about how our Dough Raising Mom program can help your family as well as the families across the globe, we would love you to join our website so we can keep you informed about when we will begin taking applications to be trained by us to help groups with their fund raising needs. A benefit to you is that you raise money for your family

    AND

be able to stay at home with your kids.
[Read more…]

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