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November 6th, 2007

Mystery Shopping Scam Alert

Laura, at Work from Home Momma, mentioned in her comment on Yvonne’s post, Mystery Shopping Scams - Consumer Affairs Caution - Video , that she’d written today about a mystery shopping scam that’s making the rounds, especially to appeal to those working at home.  So I checked out her blog and thought some of our Home Biz Notes readers might like to read Laura’s post, Mystery Shopping Scam; Work-at-home Scam Alert.

It’s interesting when we find information that reinforces something we’ve written.  Yvonne’s post must be a timely one.  She also wrote about mystery shopping itself, Mystery Shopping - Home Business Savvy.

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By Mary Emma -- 2 comments

October 20th, 2007

More on Using E-mail for Your Home Business Communication

My previous post about e-mails for your home business and personal communication, Keep Your E-mails Professional, has drawn a number of comments,  here and sent to me personally.  Readers have shared with me and given additional information about e-mails.  

In general, they have agreed we often don’t spend enough time on our e-mails, a factor that could have an adverse reaction both personally and professionally.

*Yvonne Russell, my Home Biz Notes co-blogger, mentioned that e-mails, in some cases are legal documents. 

*Laura Spencer, at Work From Home Momma , reminded us, that people often tend to “adopt a too casual attitude” regarding their e-mails.”

*Yvonne also coincidentally wrote a post at Small Biz Mentor  about e-mail etiquette, especially as it applies to online groups.  Her post, Sending & Responding to Group Emails, will give you something to think about…such as “stop and think before you write or respond.”  At least count to 10!

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By Mary Emma -- 1 comment

September 20th, 2007

Plan for Home Business Theme Days in Advance

Laura, at Work From Home Momma, mentioned in her comment to the previous post, Basing Your Home Business Promotions Around Themes, that business owners can begin planning for next year. 

“It’s not too late to put it [pilot theme day…or any other] on your calendar for next year, either.  Especially if you are going to purchase or make items based on the theme, you will need some lead time.”

So begin planning ahead for theme days.  Then the date isn’t suddenly upon you without your having made any products, prepared a promotion, or developed a strategy.

* Put the various dates on your calendar. 

*Look at the dates periodically.

*Jot down as ideas occur on your calendar.

*Make items for various promotions, sales or themes ahead of time.

*Perhaps you can get others to join your for a theme day…either within an Internet group or your community.

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By Mary Emma -- 1 comment

September 14th, 2007

The Home Business Juggling Game

 When I learned Laura Spencer, of Writing Thoughts, had juggled  a home business with caring for her father, as well as her family, I thought some of her tips would be helpful for other home business owners who are in the midst of this, too.  They’re part of the “sandwich generation” with responsibilities in numerous directions.  Even if your business doesn’t involve writing, Laura’s tips should help you.

Juggling Caring for a Loved One With Your Home Business

 By Laura Spencer

When Mary Emma asked me to write this guest post I was hesitant for two reasons. First of all, it’s been less than a year since Dad died and the memory is still somewhat painful. Secondly, I don’t feel that I was able to do what I did for my father on my own, I really feel that it was primarily the grace of God saw me through the past few years.

To Summarize My Situation: I left my corporate job in 2002 to spend more time with my (then) elementary school aged children. A home business seemed the perfect solution and I began to explore my alternatives. Just as I was starting to get a few clients for my business I found myself overseeing the care of both  my parents who were elderly and had become ill. Sadly, my mother died after a short time, but my father (who suffered from the advanced stages of Alzheimer’s disease) remained my responsibility until his death early this year.

Until my father died this year, my schedule nearly every day was to get up early and work on writing projects for clients until noon. About one thirty each day, I would leave the house and go to the nursing facility where my father was staying to check on him and to visit. If the kids were home from school, I would try to include them on those visits. Sometimes I would stop at a nearby gym to work out after visiting my father.

 If I had not met my goal for writing for the day, I would continue to write each evening for a few hours after the kids went to bed. Despite being squeezed between the demands of caring for my parents and my kids, my small business survived and even grew.  

Pointers for Caregiver/Business Owner: Here are some pointers for keeping your business running when you have the responsibility to care for a critically ill loved one:

• 1. Focus on quality. Where my work is concerned, I’m a bit of a perfectionist. I proofread each document multiple times. I believe that my focus on quality is what keeps clients returning with additional projects for me to work on.
• 2. Work ahead. I don’t believe in waiting until the last minute. Working ahead proved to be a real advantage on those days where a minor crisis came up and I missed getting my morning work done.
• 3. Take time off only when really necessary. There were several times that I had to inform a client, either that I would be unable to take a project or that I would be late finishing it. Each time I was specific about the situation. For example, “I can’t take any projects right now because my mother’s in the hospital on life support.” “My father has gone into hospice and I’m spending all my time with him right now.” To my amazement, nearly every client understood.
• 4. Stay part-time. I deliberately kept myself part-time while I was overseeing my parents. To me, this meant working 30 hours or less. There were times that I said “no” to a new project or client that I knew would tax my energy.

Additional Tips: Here are some tips if you find yourself responsible for overseeing the care of someone who is ill:

• 1. Don’t be afraid to ask for help. At first I wanted to care for my father from my own home. I quickly saw that I was physically unable to meet the needs of a 6 foot 1 man who needed to bathed, dressed, and fed every day. I couldn’t even lift him by myself! Instead, I researched and was able to find a full-time nursing facility near my home.
• 2. Get rest. There were several times I spent the entire night in the Emergency Room because my father was sick. On these occasions sometimes I just had to go home and crash. In the long run, my getting rest was the best for all concerned. Getting rest kept me from getting burnt out.
• 3. Be an advocate. Because my father didn’t communicate very well at his late stage of Alzheimer’s, it was my responsibility to see that he was comfortable and to make his needs known to the facility where he was staying. Not only did I look to see that his basic needs were being met, I also checked to make sure that he was kept comfortable.
• 4. Ask questions. There were many times that I had to ask a staff member at the facility why they were doing what they were doing with my father. Several times these questions stopped what could have become a dangerous situation for my father. I also regularly asked questions to the doctor on rotation for the facility.

If the need arises, it is possible to juggle the care of a critically ill loved one with your home business. I hope that this post has served as an encouragement to others who might be facing a similar situation.

Laura Spencer is a WAHM and has been a freelance writer for the past five years. Laura blogs at Writing Thoughts, Work From Home Momma , and OpinionMom Contents (c) Copyright 2007, Laura Spencer. All rights reserved.

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By Mary Emma -- 15 comments

September 9th, 2007

Tips on Operating a Handcrafted Jewelry Business from Home

Do you operate a jewelry making or similar business from home?  Have you been thinking of doing something like this?

Check out Laura Spencer’s interview of Barbara Giordano , owner of SunfleursJewelryDesigns.  This is the fifth in a series of interviews of women who work from home that Laura has conducted at her Work From Home Momma blog.

An adoptive parent, Barbara developed a line of jewelry reflecting this theme for her online business.  In doing so, Barbara discovered a niche that no one else appeared to be filling at the time.

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By Mary Emma -- 1 comment

August 23rd, 2007

Promoting Your Home Business Offline

Laura Spencer, at Work From Home Momma, has a helpful post about offline promotion, Five Tips for Promoting Your Home Business Offline.  So many people concentrate on online promotion (which is great).  However, they forget that offline promotion is still valid and, in most cases, necessary.

One item Laura mentions is the business card.  I had one business owner tell me she finds business cards unnecessary these days because her promotion is entirely online and her communication by e-mail.  Nevertheless, I still use business cards for my online business because I encounter many people in person who are interested in what I do and who may become customers.

I can see that one may use fewer business cards that they once did, now that so much business and communication occurs online.  However, that “good ole” business card does come in handy when someone needs your phone number or e-mail.  Also, I often use them for writing the other person’s name/address on the back side.

My daughter and her quilting friends usually have pictures of their art on the business cards…so these are eye-catching and may be regarded as a “freebie” piece of art for the recipient.

Anyway…check over Laura’s post for some ideas you should find helpful.

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By Mary Emma -- 1 comment

August 7th, 2007

Do Home Business Owners Need Resumes?

I saw this question asked somewhere, “Does a business owner need a resume?” 

Immediately I thought, “No, only someone applying for a job needs a resume.”

Then I began thinking about it and it’s application to home business owners. Customers/clients will want to know what you do and often ask for referrals.  This information may not be in the strict sense a resume, but will provide information that helps them make a knowledgeable decision, just as an employer refers to the traditional resume.

1. If you have a service type home business….carpentry, carpet cleaning, dressmaking, consulting if various types, writing, arts, computer repair, etc….your customers usually will want a description of what you offer, a summary of your experience, and often referrals.    They may have been referred to you in the first place and want this information to expand upon what they were told or to confirm it. 

2. If you make products, either to sell outright in a shop or over the Internet, customers often will want to know your background and the quality of the product.  (For instance, you may see these designated by stars or customer ratings on web sites.)

What type of “resumes” are we talking about where customers/clients can find this information?

*Brochures, bookmarks, flyers of various types

*Web sites or blogs

*Press releases, either in print media or online

*Interviews

(For instance, the interview at Work From Home Momma, gives the reader a glimpse of my background from which they could seek additional information.  This wasn’t done with the purpose of promoting me.  But as I was thinking about interviews, I realized that any interview likely gives background, informal resume type of information and could be used a referral.)

*Referrals - word of mouth from customers/clients

*Ratings - for instance, authors often find their books rated or reviewed on book store and book sites

These are a few of the methods home business owners can use to let customers/clients (current and potential) know about their products and services.  Even though they’re not what we think of as the traditional resume, they are necessary for home business owners in developing a loyal customer base. 

Can you think of more?  Can you share experiences about how these “resumes” helped you?

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By Mary Emma -- 4 comments

August 6th, 2007

Blogger Mary Emma Interviewed on Work From Home Momma

The blog, Work From Home Momma, features an interview about my experiences in home businesses over the past 40 years.  This interview, by Laura Spencer,  is the first in her Work at Home Interview Series about women, particularly moms.

As Laura says, “Today’s interview is with Mary Emma Allen, who began as a dressmaker and eventually transitioned to the writing and blogging business.”

This was an enjoyable experience, and I feel honored that Laura selected me to begin her series.

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By Mary Emma -- 6 comments

July 18th, 2007

Customers Are Your Home Business Lifeline Other Bloggers Agree

If you’re in business, you need customers or clients…those are your lifeline to existence.  In several posts, I’ve discussed getting and keeping customers.  The comments I’ve received often expand upon the information and give additional hints.

For instance, in response to my post, Taking Care of Your Home Business Customers, Yvonne Russell of Grow Your Writing Business, related an anecdote about a hairdresser she knows.  The woman told Yvonne that her “trade skyrocketed  just by sending out a personalized note every five weeks that the next haircut was due.”  She found her customers appreciated the reminder.  She had asked if they would like to be included [so they didn’t feel they were being bombarded with mail].   

The personalized note the hairdresser used, or personal e-mail, in some cases, can be adapted to most any type of home business…or business outside the home. 

Laura Spencer, from Work from Home Momma, mentioned, in a comment on that same post, “This is exactly what I was explaining to someone today.”  She said she explained that the self-employed person, in a way, worked for the customer.  This implies that you best keep your customer satisfied…if you want repeat business.

Does anyone else have incidents where sending notes, doing something special, taking time to chat with a customer/client helped strengthen that customer relationship? I’d enjoy having you share them.

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By Mary Emma -- 4 comments