5 ways to market an at home career

Much of your success in your work from home job can be attained through online marketing. The best part about this is that it’s either free or very inexpensive.

• Create a Twitter account and get a lot of followers.
o Look for people that you may want to target for your business.
o If it’s a typing job target people that have “clerical” or “office job” in their profile.
o Follow these people in hopes that they will follow you back.
o Tweet a few times a day to stay in touch with everyone.
o Comment on other’s posts to get relationships going.
o People may want to learn more about your business the stronger your relationship becomes with them.
o Don’t advertise a lot on Twitter. It’s more about relationship building. Throw your link in there occasionally but don’t be there ONLY to show everyone what you do.

• Create a Facebook account
o If you want, you can add a fan page for your business.
o Post about your business occasionally but don’t let that become the only reason you’re there.
o You can invite people in certain groups to be your friend on Facebook. People don’t often question who you are. They just accept your friendship.
o At the moment my avatar is my business logo. You may or may not want to go this route. At this point I’m doing it to see if people get curious and contact me. One person did because they were curious about my business and the other person contacted me because she is also a work from home individual and contacted me because of our common ground. The other option is to place your own picture on there so people comfortably connect with you without feeling like you’re going to try selling something to them. The down side to this is the people don’t know what you do unless they click on your profile or if you mention it in a post.

• Free Classified Ads
o Are you looking for people to join your team? There are countless free classified websites that will help you promote your business opportunity.
o Need someone to do billing work for you? There is a category for that as well. Simply enter “Free Classified” in Google and even be specific to the job you are filling or the type of person you’d be looking for. Perhaps “Medical Billing Free Classified.” There are classifieds for numerous niches out there.

• Start a Blog
o This is very important. I don’t want you to do it because everyone is doing it but do it because it works.
o It’s going to add a new link to your site out there on the worldwide web making it easier for people to find you.
o People learn more about you or your business and may be more inclined to go to your website.
o Use your blog to communicate to members of your team and potential members of your team.
o There is evidence throughout the internet proving that blogs are essential to any business.

• Post your website on related websites.
o Find blogs that relate to your business. Is there a blog that talks about medical billing or working from home? If you can contribute to these blogs in a meaningful way, post a comment. Don’t post a comment just to get your link on there. MANY blogs are no-follow which means Googles’ spiders aren’t going to follow your link. It’s the down side to some blogs but not all blogs are like this. Even no-follow blogs are beneficial:

•  Other people that visit the blog could click on your link if they find your comment to be interesting enough.
• Your comment MUST be beneficial. Don’t say “good points” just to get your link on there. I am very unlikely to click on your link if that’s all you say. You couldn’t be more obviously trying to sell, sell, sell.

Remember these 5 marketing strategies and you will be well on your way to a successful career.  Now, get out there and get marketing!!!

Creating a Working Atmosphere

When we start to work from home, work at home moms often begin with a space that may include a couch, or dirty dishes, toys scattered, paperwork from the kids and yourself and who knows what else.  All of these things are taking up space that should be reserved for work.  I know I want to work my business in a stress-free environment; that starts with a clean and well equipped work area.  How is this accomplished?

• It is optimal that you have a desk set aside from the everyday chaos of your life.  No need for added distractions as you're trying to juggle your kids and a lucrative business.  The kitchen table worked for a while, but the ideal would be to have an area to call your own for your business.  Less risk for sticky papers and other things that collect on a kitchen table.
• If your desk is full of clutter, clear it off and only add back what you need.  Remember to make it known throughout the house that your desk is off limits to any unauthorized personnel. 

What other organizational products might you need for your at home desk?  This may include things you'll need or someone else may need for their business.  You'll get a good feel for it.

• Computer
• Pens
• Pencils
• Notebook
• A few catalogs if you distribute catalogs in your business.
• Files to hold company news, information, history
• Phone (with mute, 3 way calling, and unlimited long distance)
• headset for phone
• Calendar
• Calculator*
• Shelving for file cabinet for paperwork, bills and other important papers.**
• Files
• Stapler
• Paperclips
• Tape
• hole punch
• scissors
• staple remover
• mail supplies (stamps, envelopes, labels,shipping labels,boxes,packing tape, bubble wrap)
• printer ink
• business cards
• flyers
• sticky notes
• Bulletin board - Nice for reminders, appointments, inspirational quotes, family photos, or something from training you don't want to forget. 
• stick pins for the bulletin board

*Your computer can help you reduce clutter even more:

• Use Excel as your calculator.
• Use Notepad or Word to write notes.  This will allow for a smaller notepad and less space taken up by the pad.  Use the notebook as a temporary holder for your notes when the computer isn't on or near by.  Then transfer the notes to Word or Notebook if you'd still like to keep the notes.  This also gives you the chance to organize your notes.  Organize by date, topic, or whatever is most convenient for you.  What a relief that would be to be able to rely on your notes being in all one place
• Use the calendar on your computer rather than a hard copy.  Google has a calendar system where you can share your calendar with business associates so they can check to see if you're busy before they try to schedule a meeting with that person.

**In regards to the shelving, I would get only a couple of trays at a time.  You'll have a better perception of how many trays you need once you learn the business you're in.  If you end up needing quite a few you might want to upgrade to a filing cabinet.

Did I miss anything?  What ideas do you to organize my space to work my business?

Work at Home Mom Jobs

What do you do to bring in income for your family?  There are so many possibilities with technology facilitating the success of so many work at home mom jobs. Computers, the internet, and technology are fundamental in home based businesses these days.
• Bring crafts to the market place that in the past would only have the opportunity to be seen in local craft shows. Now there are countless websites where people can display and sell their wares Nationally or Internationally.
• There are keyword tools, social networking sites, online classifieds, and so many other resources technology brings to the modern entrepreneur.  When I was looking at work at home mom jobs I found one that allows me to bring the same opportunity to thousands of mothers that would otherwise not be introduced to my company as an option to facilitate working at home.
• Technology allows people to submit and find work that companies need. In the past, it was the local newspaper and the work was on paper so there was little opportunity for working at home. You are no longer limited to your immediate geographic location.
• Technology allows you to manage work at home mom jobs in a way like never before. My team of moms uses business management programs to help keep track of business contacts, give tutorials, provide marketing tools, assist with team connections, and so much more. You aren’t working alone anymore.

More and more women (and men) are moving their offices into their homes. Have you?