Business Tips For the Work At Home Professional

Published on June 30, 2009 by brandyellen in Featured, Work At Home Support

I have my own business, Brandy Ellen’s Business Solutions, that was registered as a DBA in March 2009. Although I have been providing most of the services I list on my website as a sub-contractor or independent contractor for well near three years, I wanted to take my services up a notch by creating a real business name. When I registered my business and started providing services I found I was charging different rates for different services and I was really quite honestly unorganized in the way of contracts, forms and fee schedules. This doesn’t mean I was unorganized with my clients, because I had everything I needed for them filed neatly in my binder and my home business sever, however, I was not organized in that I didn’t have a “rhythm” about how I was providing services, proposals and contracts to prospects and clients.

Since I had to learn the hard way on how to get organized and what should be done prior to supplying services I wanted to share some tips with you so that maybe you can start your business right!

Getting Started

So you have your own business, congratulations! Now this is what you should do first:

Sign up for a forum in your specialty. Use Google to search for a business forum that specializes in networking with other professionals in whatever service you provide.
Create all forms necessary for your business such as Contracts, Fee Schedules, late payment terms, acceptable payments, maybe even a press release.
Create a business folder on your computer or server so that you have a place to file all contracts and necessary forms listed above. This allows you to quickly find any form or contract you may need.

Get The Word Out

Start telling everyone you know about your business. Family, friends, co-workers, Internet friends and anyone else you may talk to on a day to day basis. Those are the people who will help you on a more personal level that may be able to vouch for your outgoing personality and professional nature. Add your business URL to everything – address labels, business cards, envelopes, letters to your child’s school, etc etc!

Marketing

Now this is where I am currently at – Marketing. Although I have put the word out about my business in my current social groups such as Twitter, Facebook and Ning groups, you need to market to a wider audience. One piece of advice would be to use @jessicaknows 15 Days of Marketing. It’s fast, and it is FREE. I am currently reading this e-book and will post an update when I done reading it, but welcome your feedback as well.

Wishing you much success and luck in your business ventures. I will continue these tips at a later date so be sure to come back often!

Tags: facebook, Google, marketing, News release, ning, Social network, twitter, Uniform Resource Locator

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Giveaway Blast Day # 14 Bye Bye Boobie Party E-Book

Published on June 30, 2009 by brandyellen in Featured, giveaways, Product Reviews

Today is day # 14 of the 30 Day Countdown from TX to NH Giveaway Blast! That means in 16 days MommaDJane is coming from TX to NH via plane to stay with my family and I for 3 full nights, wow is she in for a shocker! Not only will we be meeting for the first time in real life EVER I plan on taking this city girl to my family farm … she has lived in the country before, but never has she experienced my father’s side of the family … They are fun, adventurous, they kick loose and yeah they are big time farmin’ people! Don’t worry Dwan I will make sure Dad doesnt’ cook any squirrels for ya!

So today I get to talk about a fantastic e-book, It’s A Bye Bye Boobie Party! This is one Mom’s weaning story, compiled into a “how to” guide or advice e-book that will help you learn a fun way to wean your toddler who is breastfeeding. In no way is this an e-book telling you that toddler nursing is bad, good or in between. This is one Moms story of how she weaned two children successfully and how you can find hope in another method other than just allowing your child to “cry it out”.

After successfully pulling off the Bye Bye Boobie Party with her first born, she attempted it with her second born and voila – it worked! She was so amazed that her technique worked for two children that she knew something had to be written to help other moms wean their child without too many tears!

I am a HUGE supporter of breastfeeding! I nursed my first born for 9 months when she simply no longer wished to take to the breast, my second born for 8 weeks when I decided I couldn’t keep up with constant feedings, and my last born is now 10 months and refused to nurse about a month or less ago. I found a lot of support through my mom friends online when nursing, because I don’t have any friends locally who nursed, and so I am very happy to help promote this e-book written by Stacey Larcque.

Now the exciting news is I will be giving this e-book to ONE lucky person who follows the rules laid out below.

Giveaway starts today and ends at 12am on July 15th

FIRST ENTRY: Visit It’s a Bye, Bye Boobie Party web page and tell me something you learned from reading the page. Leave a comment below.

EXTRA ENTRIES:

Blog about this giveaway linking to It’s a Bye Bye Boobie Party web page {www.byebyeboobieparty.com} and Happily Blended {www.happilyblended.com}
Subscribe to Happily Blended via RSS or Email {right hand side bar}
Add my button or link to your blog roll {right hand side bar}
Follow @brandyellen and Tweet about this giveaway using hashtags #contest and #giveaway – do not spam your followers please
Add Happily Blended to your technorati favorites, stumble, kirtsy, share on facebook, etc etc .. leave one comment for each you completed

Tags: Babies, Breast Feed, Bye Boobie Party, family, home, mother, parenting, Weaning

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Sponsorship Request Please Read

Published on June 29, 2009 by brandyellen in Brandy's Life, Headline

As I surf the web and chat with my friends, I find that so many are seeking sponsorships for various conferences and bloggy get togethers, I thought I would get in on the requests … no I am not looking to go to any conferences at least not at this moment in time … I am seeking personal sponsorship, two sponsorships to be exact, that will better my home living and better my family. Warning: If you don’t have an open sense of humor you may not find this funny. Although I am not always a joking type of writer, I am going to give it a whirrl cuz it’s that kinda day!

Who I Am:

My name is Brandy and I am a work at home mother of three children married to my soul mate who works six days a week in a job that he will never advance in and he is quite frankly worked near exhaustion daily. I spend my days raising the children, working my virtual assistant business, blogging and networking. After all the hard work both my husband and myself put in trying to make it in this high priced world, we find our fridge is empty and our house is falling apart. Although we could have things by far worse, it’s frustrating to work all these hours and see the money go down the drain – literally.

What I seek:

I am seeking a home and food sponsorship. Here is exactly what I seek:

Permission to demolish my current 1945 home to make room for bullet number 2…
Find a contractor to build a no less than 3 bedroom/1 bath home with my own private home office to work from
Landscaping and clearing of my 5.7 acres so that we still have trees & woods but a more presentable look
A new fridge that is energy star rated
A new dryer and washer that is energy star rated
Last but certainly not least, food to fill my new cabinets and new fridge

What I Will Give in Return:

If you would be so generous as to sponsor my above requests at any level, I would in turn place your company logo on my HUGE suburban that my husband drives to work daily and we take family trips in. I would also be willing to place your business logo on the right hand side of my blog for a six month period of time, and review the services or products you have provided me in an honest but respectable way. If you are a contractor who is supplying their time, I will allow you to brand my new home with your company logo on the front of my house and if the house includes a rec room I will open it up for a community event type place for local children to help keep them off our streets. Children are our future and they need a safe place to hang out and have safe fun. I will also donate any of my household appliances and any items that may be best suited for re-use through my local Freecycle that I am the Owner/Lead Moderator of.

How To Reach Me:

In between raising my three kids and running my business the best way to reach me is through email contact, so please if you are interested in sponsoring any or all of my requested items above, please do not hesitate to drop me a line.

P.S. My husband added that I should quite possibly ask for a new car while I am at it .. so hey if you have one of those my oldest requests that it be room enough for three children so that her brothers don’t pull her hair while we are driving down the road.

In all seriousness I would love all of the above, but really I am not seeking sponsorship {nor I am picking on the TRUE concept of sponsorship as I think it’s a wonderful advantage to bloggers – that they are able to retain sponsorship to attend such wonderfully educational conferences} I am simply trying to be cute & funny on a Monday to help you start your week off with a smile

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Giveaway Blast Day # 12: Feature Classy Nail Files

Published on June 28, 2009 by brandyellen in giveaways, Product Reviews

Today I am excited because I am “spilling the beans”, I will not have a giveaway today as there are plenty of them running between Happily Blended and MommaDJane. I am spilling the beans with more details on our final grand giveaway package …. this grand giveaway package will be given to one random person who entered our other contests through out this 30 day Giveaway Bash and will include a variety of items that represent who Dwan and I are as mothers, women and friends.

Today I am featuring Classy Nail Files and yes I have had these in my hands, and been able to look them over, review them and in turn I am able to not only feature them but RECOMMEND Classy Nail Files.

Background: Created to bring a vibrant line of durable and stylish hand painted and colored crystal glass nail files to consumers all over North America. Classy Nail Files are founder and style maven Lin Dryer developed a relationship with European manufacturers to bring a fresh new line of hand painted designs … read more.

Style Choices:

Hand Painted Crystal Files
Colored Crystal Files
Clear Crystal Files
Spa Accessories

There is a file size information page to help guide you in making the decision on which size is best suited to meet your filing needs as well as a huge selection of styles to fit everyone’s personality.

I was really excited to see that Classy Nail Files offers a chance for their readers to earn a “Flawless Finish Spa Kit” each session, so head on over and sign up for their newsletter because you may just win, and if you do not win at least you will be up to date with their latest specials and latest news.

Remember: I will be included TWO of these Classy Nail files in our final giveaway .. to be announced on July 18th. For the first time EVER Dwan and Brandy will record a video blog together .. side by side .. to announce the grand giveaway winner!

Current Giveaways:

MommaDJane’s Blog Giveaways

Happily Blended’s Giveaways

Tags: 'giveaway, Bean, beauty, business, classy nail files, Crafts, Glass, Nail Care, Nail file, NH, shopping, TX

3 Comments

Attention Attention!! Blog Award Time

Published on June 27, 2009 by brandyellen in blog awards

I was so happy to hear that I received not one but TWO blog awards this week, which makes this # 9 in blog Awards, how sweet. Not only are these two blog awards cool, but for the first time in a long time they are not a “repeat award”. I love awards, no matter if I get the same one more than once, however, I really love seeing “new awards” too! I wonder who creates the images, because as seen below these are beautiful.

First I want to THANK Crystal from Simply Being Mommy AND The Modern Mom for giving for giving me these awards!

Second here are the images of the awards:

Best Blog Award and A Lovely Blog Award … both will now be passed on two 15 additional people who should accept and follow the rules to keep the happiness spreading all over the blogosphere:

Extraordinary Mommy

MommaDJane

Barely Domestic Mama

Certified Business Moms

4 Baby and Mom

Go Graham Go

From Son Up to Son Down

Why Moms Matter: MomFaves Blog

I will hope you will visit the above bloggers as well as Simply Being Mommy AND The Modern Momwhen you get a chance. They are some fantastic bloggers and are just some of the many blogs I read often!

Tags: blog, blog award, Blogosphere, family, mothers, On the Web, parenting, Weblogs

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Adding a Newsletter For Blog Readers

Published on June 27, 2009 by brandyellen in Featured, Work At Home Support

If you are a blogger it means you wish to write, tell your story, or share your expertise with the world. There are so many reasons why people become bloggers, we have mommy bloggers, review bloggers, giveaway bloggers and the list goes on and on.

Having a newsletter is very different than a feed for your blog, many people enjoy reading what you have to say, but are not interested in a daily email digest or some don’t even know what an RSS feed is. Having a newsletter means that it’s one more thing to keep up with, so if you are already booked on time, maybe a newsletter is not for you, but if you are looking at the BIG picture of building up your brand, your blog, who YOU are, then a newsletter is something to think about.

I have a weekly newsletter, some create a monthly newsletter and others occasionally will send out a newsletter – for instance when they have ‘news’ to share.

After you have made the decision to include a newsletter for your blog readers, you must decide on a program to maintain your newsletter list and create your newsletter. I have only used MailChimp and can personally recommend them because FIRST they are FREE and second they are super easy to use. I have yet to use another service because I have had no reason to switch. Feel free to research for other newsletter programs, because it’s all about what program you are comfortable with.

Next, will you be creating a weekly or monthly newsletter? This is a very important part of your decision and is mostly based on how much content you feel you will have for your subscribers. Weekly newsletters work great for me, because I usually have new events, exciting news and other tidbits every week, but if you will not have enough new content for a weekly newsletter then you should choose to issue your newsletter once a month.

Now you have your newsletter and email list program, chosen weekly or monthly newsletter release dates, and so you are ready to move on in creating your very first newsletter.

If you are ready for this next step, I highly recommend you read Jessica Knows recent blog post titled, Bloggers: Use An Email Newsletter to Drive Traffic & Tell a Story.