WAHMs: You Need a Website, and here’s why…

Posted by NessWorld on Jan 11, 2010 in Tech, WAHM | 3 comments

If you are planning on starting a business, then chances are you will need a website, and the sooner the better.

What is the difference between a website and a blog? Nothing really. A blog is simply a particular type of website, and here are a couple of great reasons why you should have one.

1. Blogs are relatively easy to set up.
2. Blogs can be maintained by the owner (that’s you!), removing the need for going to a technical person to babysit it for you, or everytime you need to change something.
3. Blogs that are updated regularly (it’s basically a series of chronological entries, kind of like an online diary) with good quality content, get better search engine traffic (more feet in the door) than websites which are made once, and then left there to languish for all eternity.
4. Using WordPress as your content management system (you will hear people talking about CMS) is the easiest way to have complete control over your websites content, and changing things on your website is about as difficult as composing and typing an email. (i.e. not difficult at all!)
5. Using the blog format, allows customers/clients/people to interact with you and leave comments/contact you for more information, and it encourages conversation and community, these are all things you want in a successful business.
6. Word of mouth is still one of the best promotional tools there is, and a blog can be set up so that your users/visitors/clients can easily promote or send your information to their family, friends and network of contacts.

I started this website with one thing in mind. Helping people. I know that people often feel afraid to ask for help, particularly with things of a technical nature, and that’s okay.  I understand how technology scares people who are afraid of messing things up.

You need not worry that you can’t do this, can’t have your own website, because I am going to help you along every single step of the way. If you need a website (if you’re starting a business or have a business, then this means you), then I am going to help you get one, set it up for you, and teach you how to use it.

I am a Work at Home Mom too, so I understand your concerns, the pressures you face (believe me, just typing out this post I had to deal with about 1.7 billion interruptions, including making about twenty pieces of toast “No, don’t cut it like that momy, I want triangles!!”) but aside from all that, I also understand what it is like to be a woman facing a technical challenge, and if I can share with you, the knowledge I have learned, and help you achieve your goals then I am going to do just that.

So What’s Next?

There are two essential ingredients in setting up your web presence.

1.  You Need a Domain Name (your very own .com, .net  etc).

2.  You Need a Hosting Package (a place to put your website up).

So Here’s the Deal

I use StartLogic for most of my webhosting. I have been with them for over 3 years, and have had only compliments for their service.

If you decide that today is the day that you take yourself and your business seriously and you sign up for a StartLogic Pro-Logic Package, then I will install and set up WordPress for you for free.

Here is Why StartLogic Pro-Logic is my host of choice:

• Disk Space: Unlimited (you can store as much information/photos/videos/text as you need to)
• Your Domain Name: Free* (free if you sign up for a year or two in advance, otherwise there is an $8.95 domain name registration charge).
• Email Accounts: Unlimited (everyone in your family can get a you@yourbusiness.com email address)
• Control Panel: Vdeck v 3.0
• Bandwidth: Unlimited (this means that they do not limit the amount of visitors to your site (very important for when you hit the big time!!)
• Money Back Guarantee: 30 Days (excl the domain reg fee, once registered it is yours for a year regardless of whether you use it or not)
• Domains you can host: Unlimited. This means that you can purchase additional domains and add them to your one hosting package – so you can have as many websites as you want all on the same hosting package.

What does it cost?

• 2 Year Plan: US$5.95/month + Free Setup + Free Domain Name (Total Upfront cost = $142.80 – roughly ZAR1035.89 for two years worth of hosting that’s just R43.16 a month!)
• 1 Year Plan: US$6.95/month + Free Setup + Free Domain Name (Total Upfront cost = $ 83.40 – roughly ZAR605.48 for one whole years hosting, that’s just R50.45 a month!)
• Monthly Plan: US $6.95/month + $30 Setup Fee + $8.95 Domain Name (Total Upfront cost $45.90/ZAR 328.28 then $6.95/ZAR 43.77 a month thereafter)

These are great options, because if you have the start up capital to pay upfront then it reduces your costs over the long run. When I started 3 years ago, I chose the third option, because I did not have the extra cash to ‘go big’ at the start. It just goes to show that having a business online does NOT have to cost an arm and a leg to get going. In fact the costs of starting a business online is far far less than if you were to physical premises and stock shelves.

So What Will I do For You, For Free?

• Install and configure WordPress software on your hosting package (i.e. set up the initial website/blog for you)

• Upload 5 themes for you to choose from to start off with (a ‘theme’ is your blogs ‘look and feel’) there are many out there to choose from.

• Install plugins that will give you better visibility with search engines, set up your rss feeds allowing people to subscribe, and another to prevent spam.

• Tell you how and where to login to your wordpress panel,  and get you started creating your online presence.

Why am I doing this for free?

• Firstly, if you sign up with StartLogic for a Prologic Package, they pay me a commission. This enables me to offer you my initial help to you for free. (If you already have a domain and hosting and want help then see my services page for how I can help you)
• I believe in empowering woman to achieve their dreams, this is just a small way that I can help you get started. Being a work at home mom is very close to my heart and by helping other women, and particularly moms, I get to help whole families ! Or at least that would be my beauty pageant speech!

What technical services do I offer that are not free?

Please check out my services page (will open in new window) for more information, so that we can be clear as to what is free, and what is not.

My services include things like importing other blogs into a wordpress installation, personal tutoring via Skype on how to edit your websites content, create posts and make it look awesome, change the themes etc.

As well as graphic design services for designing all the bells and whistles that will make your blog look and feel amazing, and more importantly promote your business brand and identity.

These services are available as individual items, as and when required, but there is also an option for a monthly membership in the works, where I will also perform any upgrades necessary on the wordpress installation (they’re always improving it!) and on the plug-ins that we mentioned earlier as well as sending you monthly graphics to use on your site, tips on improving your blogs SEO (search engine optimization), and ideas for Social Media Marketing so that you can get more visitors and improve your business in every way possible, members also get my monthly newsletter which includes a lot of information about making money online using your website.

More details on this coming soon!

Do you have any reason NOT to take up this offer?

Get your business online host your web site with StartLogic! and start getting customers!

WAHMs: Pop Quiz Hotshot, What do You Do?

Posted by NessWorld on Jan 7, 2010 in WAHM | 2 comments

Oh holy smokes! Your business has started, it’s going rather well. Going SO WELL in fact, that you need to dedicate more time to it.

What if that little bit of extra, uninterrupted time, could mean a BIG difference to your income?  (I can hear WAHMs around the world laughing at my use of the word uninterrupted)

What if just having a few extra hours a week of uninterrupted time was all you needed to really break into the next gear, finish that awesome well paying project?

The fact is, that at some point you may need to consider a hiring someone for a few hours of help so that you can complete your major project or assignment.

Some of us are blessed with extended families that are only to happy to take the children for a morning a week, or an afternoon here or there, but there will be that one situation where you absolutely HAVE to get things done, and murphy’s law, that will be the one day, that all your family are busy, or out of town, or ill.

It *will* happen.

So what do you do?

What about those of you who don’t have extended family nearby, or even in the same country?

What do *you* do?

Sooner or later you may need the help of a friendly nanny, baby-sitter, or if you’re really lucky an au-pair.

Moms are notorious stalwarts, and many are taken aback, or even offended at the idea of having to hire someone.

Hello? We are all HUMAN. (Ok, as women we know we’re really super human, but still, we’re not perfect). Why not hire someone, who’s job it is to care for and entertain your kids for a few hours?

I learned a valuable lesson from my youngest son, when I made the difficult, heart wrenching decision to let him go to a playgroup for a few hours for the first time.

I was torn apart.

Completely, feeling like I was a failure simply because I could not do it all, all the time, twenty-four hours a day. Until I realized just how ridiculous that sounded.

At what point did I feel like I HAD to be this perfect person, who did everything?

It really dawned on me how silly it was, when I was packing his little back-pack to go to the playgroup again and he saw what I was doing, and he started clapping his little hands together and shouting, “Yay, Yay, Yay!!” I realised that the person who ran the playgroup, chose this as a career.

She chose it because she loves children.

She chooses to spend her time with 5 little youngsters and making their day as fun, as entertaining, as educational, and as routine as possible. Her absolute mission was to make sure that the kids were looked after as well as if she were their real mother, ha ha, their well rested, imaginative, that never-runs-out-of-patience mother.

Being a mother is something I chose, but reality insists that I also earn an income. My chosen form of income bringing activity is graphic design and photography. It is not child care. Though some aspects of childcare come naturally to mothers, I must admit, that I am absolutely terrible at thinking up fun and games all the time, and certainly not when I’m trying to finish that huge project that demands so much of my attention.

So in the same way that I take my child to the doctor when they are sick, I also choose to take them to a childcare expert when I need time to do what I am good at, and that which allows my children the lifestyle that they enjoy.

So if you find yourself in the position where you are needing childcare, I implore you, do not feel like a failure, think of your strengths and the many advantages that YOU and your strengths bring your family, then make your decision.

If you choose as I did, then this resource below may be of use to you.

Extreme Career Makeover: Become an Interior Designer

Posted by NessWorld on Jan 7, 2010 in WAHM | 0 comments

Are you a mom who is returning to the workforce? Or are you wanting to leave your day job and pursue something that is more meaningful to you?

Would you like to start your own business, and work your own hours?  Start by ignoring all the sales pitches for get rich quick schemes and focus on getting a real education, while working from home at the same time.

The internet has brought education to the masses more than any other medium in history, and thankfully these days it is a perfectly acceptable form of learning.

There are hundreds of options to choose from, when it comes to your chosen career. In fact, there are so many, that sometimes doing a simple Google search can turn up so many options, that you have no idea where to even begin looking.

Today I’m going to talk about learning to become an Interior Decorator.

Do you have a flair for furnishings, colour and layout? Do people comment positively on your own home decor? Then this may be the perfect career for you, and it is completely flexible allowing you to work from home.

Everybody, at some time or another has decorated their homes, offices or apartments. That means that everybody is a potential client!

Someone with a little creative flair and skill can make this a career choice, and become successful as they increase their skills. The good news is that learning the skills to successful interior design and decorating is possible for everyone.

Is this something that you would like to see yourself doing?

Do you browse the paint section at your local hardware, and immediately start to imagine all the possibilities as you stand in front of the sample palettes?

Do you wish you could take the sample swatches from fabric and upholstery manufacturers home with you, to touch, feel, and accessorize with?

Do furniture stores send you into raptures of fantastical delight as you plan your ultimate perfect room?

If this describes you, then you could definitely make a career out of being an interior decorator!

You will need to learn about colour, space, layout, theme, mood, how to select measurements, where to source and select furnishings and how to sketch an internal design.

So where can you take a course, that you can complete in your own time, that will not cost a fortune, but will teach you more than enough to feel confident about starting your own interior design business?

Australian College QED is an accredited Australian Educational Institution, and registered with the Australian Council for Private Education and Training (with other numerous other affiliations and registrations).

They offer two options that can be completed via distance learning so you can be anywhere in the world and take this course!

Training materials are mailed out to you, and you can submit your assignments via mail, and in some cases (check for each course) online. They also offer supplemental online training for you. The banner at the end of this article, is clickable and will take you to Australian College QED online for more information.

1. Interior Design and Decorating
2. Advanced Interior Design & Decorating for Professionals

(Certificate INTD05; Diploma INTA16 plus SoA)

Each ACQ course has a tutor overseeing it, so in the case of the interior design course, a professional interior designer/decorator with years of experience is the one marking your assignments and offering very helpful advice and feedback with each assignment that you submit.

The economy is picking up again, and people are more comfortable with spending money, it follows naturally that many people who did not spend money on decorating their homes last year, will be in the market this year, making this the perfect time for you to begin your career as an Interior Designer or to start your own Interior Decorator business.

The banner below will take you to the ACQ website where you can learn about many more courses on offer. They have a wonderful variety, and it is a great idea to do a Small Business Course alongside your interior design course, or perhaps extend your range of services by doing an event management course.

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WAHM: A Great Way to Promote your Business

Posted by NessWorld on Jan 4, 2010 in Tech, WAHM | 0 comments

Being a Work at Home Mom can be one of the most rewarding things that you do.

But we also know how hard it can be all by yourself.

For example, where on earth would you even begin to find investors for your idea? A partner? A service provider?

You’re just starting out and you need to find every possible avenue to market yourself, your product and your idea.  Current Social Networks focus more on YOU the person, as opposed to YOU the business. It can be a veritable zoo of information, and you rarely know which service to use and when to promote yourself.

However, we have found one, thanks to Darren Rowse at Problogger, called You Noodle, which focuses on both. Did we mention it’s free?

YouNoodle harnesses the power of social networking, and showcases start-ups, websites, new businesses and existing ventures.

Giving you an easy to use platform to showcase your ideas whether they are brand new and still in the building phase, or if you are already established and simply wanting to promote your products and services to a unique market of people.

Some of you may wish to keep your ideas to yourself, naturally the fear of being copied or beaten to market is frightening for some, but ask yourself, what guarantee do you have that you keep your ideas to yourself, and someone doesn’t beat you to market anyway? Why not put yourself out there, and put your stamp and your face behind your ‘big idea’ right from the start.

It is about taking ownership of your idea and seeking out like minded entrepeneurs, and more importantly POTENTIAL INVESTORS.  As a WAHM what an amazing opportunity to be able to reach the ears of the people who may be able to help you launch your idea into the stratosphere, all while you are sitting at home.

Don’t forget to connect with NessWorld while you’re there, you can follow NessWorlds’ progress by following this link to my profile and connecting with us there.

Remember if you are going to promote yourself and your business, have your summary, most professional profile photo, and some business graphics ready. If you are in the Cape Town area and need help getting the perfect profile photograph taken, you are welcome to email me to arrange a quick low cost photoshoot (I will offer special rates to NessWorld fans), and of course I can also be of service in getting business graphics designed for you (graphic design services I can offer globally thanks to the wonder of the internet), and optimized for web use, again, please contact me via email with your requirements, naturally I will offer special rates for NessWorld followers and fans.

I started NessWorld as a way of helping other WAHMs (work at home moms) get access to these kinds of professional services at affordable rates (when you have a household to maintain, we know what kind of strain that can put on your marketing budget!) and this is my way of helping out.

WAHM: Set Your Goals for The New Year Make Them Big

Posted by NessWorld on Jan 1, 2010 in WAHM | 0 comments

A lot of people are talking about goal setting, and new years resolutions right now, and as annoying as all the talk may be, it really is a great time for a fresh start.

Here are my goals for this website for this year:

There will be a minimum of 5 posts a week, hopefully more!

There will be several guest bloggers, and I hope to grow a team of regular bloggers who are WAHMs in order to better cater to the global community. Do you want to write for us? Email us! (Find the address on the editorial page).

There will be features on WAHMs who wish to promote their busisness. If you are a WAHM and you want to get some free marketing going for your blog, then please send us your details!

The Big One:

Nessworld, will be publishing, a real, full size, glossy magazine, before the year end. If you want to be featured in it, or would like to be added to the mailing list for more information, please visit the editorial page for our contact details.

Aside from all of the above, my main aims are to increase the readership of this website to staggering heights. This is where you come in dear loyal readers.

If you read something that you like, please do all that you can to promote that article. Tweet it on Twitter. Post it on Facebook. Digg it, Stumble it, Reddit, Delicious it, Email it, you name it! The more WAHMs we can reach, the more we can help each other out and grow the network.

With all the economic hoo-hah (yes that is a highly technical term involving very important economic theories…eh hem…) that has gone down since November 2008, it is clear that the way the global workforce operates has already begun to change. There will be relatively few giant conglomerates as people become more reliant on themselves to produce a living.

Here at NessWorld we firmly believe that women who work from home, and particularly mothers who up to now have not been ‘in’ the work force officially will begin to dominate the workforce demographics. This is why we believe it is of vital importance that NessWorld is there to support and help those women starting out, and those already on their work from home journeys. Yes, WAHMs you *can* have it all.

Make your dreams spectacular, your goals achievable and before you know it, success will be yours.

WAHM: 5 Reasons Why You Should Start a Home Based Business

Posted by NessWorld on Dec 20, 2009 in Money, WAHM | 0 comments

The dream of working from home resonates with many different types of people.

Your reasons for choosing to do so, may differ from someone else, but in essence the benefits are largely the same.

So whether you choose to work from home in order to be available to fetch your kids from school, so that they can be home in the afternoons, instead of at day care, or if you’re a single person, or married with no kids, perhaps the attraction lies in being able to go to work in your pajamas and fluffy slippers, either way there are a multitude of benefits!

Whatever your particular reasons, the following 5 points are facts when you decide to work for yourself, at a home based business.

1.  Better Flexibility

Hey, all you Moms out there in the Workplace, who of us hasn’t cringed at the thought of having to tell our boss that we have to leave to fetch a sick child from school, and then wondered if perhaps *this* is why you keep being skipped over for promotion? Do your childless coworkers roll their eyeballs at you behind your back as you take your child to yet another doctors appointment, because they see this as nothing more than slacking off‘?

The fact is that you immediately have a much greater flexibility over your life when you choose to work for yourself, and particularly so, if that business is run from home.

Do you remember that scene in The Devil Wears Prada where “Nigel” (played by Stanley Tucci) tells “Andrea” (played by Anne Hathaway) that, “For the first time in 18 years, I’m finally going to be able to call the shots in my own life! I’m going to be able to come to Paris, and actually SEE Paris!”

That could be you!

Though realistically, unless you have ridiculous amounts of start up capital, or you actually already live in Paris, chances are you won’t be jetting off immediately.

So, let’s keep it real.

But don’t stop dreaming, because when the going gets tough, if seeing Paris is on your bucket list, it will certainly keep you motivated!

2.  Lower Overheads

If you are able to start up your business from home, naturally, you will save on business premises rental costs. Since most homes these days already have an internet connection and telephones etc, then you may not need to splurge on any large items to start off with, although it may be best to evaluate your existing plans, and factor in the fact that you will now be using more bandwidth etc, so perhaps you may need to upgrade your internet deal.

Even if you are starting out as a photographer, with the really affordable prices of DSLR cameras currently on the market, your startup costs could be relatively small and won’t break the bank either. There is no need to go and buy an entire studio set up, until you have sourced a few clients first. You may even find that you have a knack for shooting without expensive studio equipment, and may decide to focus on outdoor, natural light photography. You never know.

The one expense that you should always remember however, is the designing of a decent business identity, by a reputable graphic designer. This is vitally important that your business immediately has an brand that your future customers can begin to identify with. Also make sure that you factor in marketing costs, as you will need to get the word out in order to begin to source clients.

We’ll cover things like choosing a business name, where to find a good graphic designer in upcoming posts.

3.  Choose Your Clients (You get to call the shots in your own life!)

If you’ve come from a full time position where you’ve been employed by someone else, and you have decided to become a freelancer, then there is a good chance that you have already built up a relationship with some of your clients and they may decide to follow you.

This is the ideal situation for a freelancer, if the client has been a regular, and a prompt payer!

However you are now in a position (if you can afford it) to pick and choose the types of clients that you want to deal with. Do not be tempted to just accept anything (unless you have a family to feed!) in order to make money.

My point really is this: You may have a great interest in cars (for example) and yet the only design work you did at your previous job was on footwear or pharmaceutical campaigns. You are now in an ideal position to target the car related market, in order to begin to do the work you love.

4.  Tax Benefits

Depending on where in the world you live, and whether or not you begin to run your business as a sole proprietor, or register a corporation there may be significant tax benefits associated with running your business from home.

Please note, that it is very wise in this situation to seek advice from a registered accountant or tax advisor in this regard in order to obtain the correct information for your locale and situation.

In some cases, you may be able to claim a portion of your home mortgage payment  as ‘business premises rental’ (in some countries), and you may be able to write off the purchase of items such as computers, faxes, telephone systems against your expenses, providing of course that these items are predominantly used for your home business, which they will be given that you’re going to be working from home!

Again, please seek professional advice on what you can, and cannot do, pertinent to your country’s laws.

5.  Your Achievements are All Yours

No snarky co-worker to steal your thunder!

No one claiming credit for your brilliance!

The joy you will feel at starting your own business, running it successfully and building it into a viable entity will be one of the best achievements in your life. If you’re a WAHM, then even more so, because you did it, with kids on your lap!

I will never forget hearing (on the Ellen Show) how Stephenie Meyer (author of the Twilight series of books), when she wrote the first book, she did so, with her one year old on her lap and TWO other kids at home!  She had never written a book before! She wrote five books in four years, with three kids!  She got 27 rejection letters! She did not give up!  There are great examples of powerful successful women role models all around you. Be inspired by them!

You don’t have to become the next Steve Jobs or Bill Gates in order to consider yourself a success (although their income would be nice right?). Perhaps you’ve built yourself a great little team of Avon sellers, or you set yourself a target of reaching certain measurable goals and you achieved them ahead of schedule. (We will be covering various programmes like Avon, and other home based enterprises aimed at women in greater detail over the coming month).

It doesn’t matter what you decide to do from home, because provided you have the will to succeed, the desire to work hard and the motivation to never give up, then you have at least half the battle already won.

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