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August 5, 2019

10 Ways A Mompreneur Can Kickstart Her Business

Before we dive in, you may wonder why momentum matters in running a home-based business. As a mompreneur, momentum increases your belief, solidifies your confidence and assures that you are taking the right action steps to fulfill the mission and vision of your business. 

Maintaining momentum in spite of your obstacles and setbacks is essential to keeping you motivated while allowing you to recover from those situations and circumstances easier and more quickly. 

Here are my top 10 ways a mompreneur can kickstart her business:

 

1.RE-EVALUATE

To give your business a good kick in the pants, spend some time thinking about what has worked in your business the last 90-120 days and what hasn’t. You can’t expect to keep doing the same things that aren’t creating results you want. Yes, this will require some self reflection and honesty. If your goal is to make $5,000 per month in your business but you are spending 10-15 hours a week on actual revenue generating activities (sorry, scrolling social media every week may feel like you are working but it’s not exactly a revenue generating activity) then it’s time to admit those goals and actions steps don’t align with one another. 

With that said, now is not the time to beat yourself up over it. It’s a fresh start to make a new plan and get moving in the right direction. 

 

  1. KNOW AND LIVE YOUR PRIORITIES

Life gets crazy especially for us moms. Add a business into the mix and things can quickly spiral out of control. You probably won’t be able to achieve perfect balance in your life and you don’t need to but you can stay grounded through it by knowing and living your priorities. 

Instead of having a mile long to-do list every day that overwhelms you from the time you wake up until the time you go to bed, set your intentions for the day by what qualifies as a priority. By knowing and living by your priorities each day, you’ll improve your focus, keep your sanity and be more present for what matters most. The results will not only increase your productivity but decrease frustration and mom guilt. 

 

  1. GET FEEDBACK

As you work to kickstart your business, ask people you know and trust for feedback. A fresh set of eyes can help point out copy on your website, for example, that makes perfect sense to you because you wrote it but it’s not coming across well for someone who is not that familiar with what you do. Constructive feedback can be a great asset to you as you work to create new products, freshen up your social media and website before you start working on those areas so you know exactly where to focus your time and energy. 

This can be a hard exercise to go through. It can feel scary to open yourself up to people’s opinions, I get that but it will also prove to be invaluable. The goal is to help you figure out what works in your business and areas that need improvement so you can reach your goals. 

Some of the feedback will be good and some of it won’t be and why it’s important to have a plan on how to sort through and how to handle it. Here are some quick tips to make this process as positive as possible: 

  • Start by thanking the person for their insight and honesty. Those who give you negative feedback probably won’t be expecting you to thank them but by doing so you will earn even more respect and appreciate their honesty even though it was probably uncomfortable for them to do so. 
  • Don’t take it to heart. Just because someone criticizes an aspect of your business doesn’t mean they hate everything. You asked for their help so take it for what it is, something that you need to look into further and look at with a fresh perspective. Nothing more. 
  • Ask questions. Is there something you could do better? Do they have suggestions for improvements?  You never know what helpful solutions someone would share if you take the time to ask some simple questions. 

 

  1. CREATE A PLAN

It may sound cliche but “if you fail to plan, you plan to fail” is a very true statement. As a mompreneur, you have to know what generates leads, results and revenue for your business (and what doesn’t). Don’t put it off, create a plan today around those activities and commit to them every day without fail. Keep your plan on your desk, in your day planner, set a calendar alert each morning to help keep you from distractions, wake up an hour early if you need to before the house is filled with chaos so you can focus and feel accomplished going into your day. The point is to find what works for you and stay committed to it. 

If you are struggling with this part of your business, check out our post 10 Strategies To Land Your First Client to help you create a plan around activities that will help kickstart your business. 

 

  1. TURN UP THE SOCIAL MEDIA

Have you been using social media the last few months to its full potential? Your ideal client is out there and they need what you have to offer but they have to be able to find you. You don’t need to master every platform either. Leverage your strengths and put them to work for you. 

Love doing live video? Use Facebook live to give tips, a how-to that can solve a problem for your client (when they realize they don’t want to do it, they can reach out and hire you!), create a blog post with a tutorial and share it on your social media pages. Whatever route you choose, the goal is to be consistent. You can’t expect to show up on your social media pages once a month and have potential clients flooding your in-box. 

Instagram is a great tool for networking, creating a community and collaborating. Be sure to check out these practical tips for leveraging Instagram. 

 

  1. CREATE A WEBSITE

If you aren’t generating enough leads in your business and don’t have a website, it’s probably time to start one. It doesn’t have to be complicated and you don’t have to spend thousands designing one. There are great platforms out there like Wix and Squarespace that are user friendly and can help get you started quickly to showcase your work, client testimonials, products and portfolio. Having a platform to market is important to your overall success. 

If you have a website, maybe it’s time to take it up a notch by freshening it up, add a new blog post, client feedback, project examples and create a freebie that can help build an email list. 

 

  1. COLLABORATIONS

To kick start a business there is nothing like forming great partnerships and collaborations to help you do that. Reach out to fellow mompreneurs in your field and ask them if there are ways you can support them and feature them in exchange for the same courtesy. I believe in being blessed to be a blessing and when we support others, it comes back ten fold. 

Make this a regular thing on social media. For example, every Monday you could do #MompreneurMonday where you feature another mompreneur to highlight in your Instagram stories or #FeatureFriday where you feature a mompreneur and a cool project she is working on. If you do logo design work, reach out to a website designer at the beginning of the week and let her know that you are working on a #FeatureFriday post and would love to highlight one of her projects. Ask if she would be willing to do the same for you and feature one of your logo designs. Be intentional and set a time for the two of you to post on Friday so you know there is a mutual commitment (morning posts seem to do better than afternoon or evening posts).  

You will find collaborations like this can be a great way to support others and get exposure for your business too. As a bonus tip, on Fridays you can also use the #FridayIntroductions hashtag. Whatever you decide, be creative and have fun with it!

 

  1. FEATURE YOUR PREVIOUS PROJECTS

Don’t be shy about showcasing your work. Once a week create a post on social media to share a project you worked on for a client. Share some fun facts about the project and give your client a shout out in the process by tagging their Facebook page and Instagram accounts. 

 

  1. SPECIAL PRICING

To give your business a kickstart, put together some quick products and services you can offer for a special price. The key is to create urgency by giving the special pricing an end date. “Now through the end of August, I am helping eCommerce clients get started or rebrand with a custom logo for $_____ but this special pricing is only good through _________ {end date}.”

You are probably not the only business owner out there who needs to give their business a jump start and special pricing with a limited time offer could be exactly what your potential client needs to take action. 

 

  1. HIREMYMOM

Did you know for the past 12 years HireMyMom has been helping freelancing women and moms just like you find quality, legitimate work from home jobs and clients? By joining our community, you can confidently share your skills and look for high quality positions and clients as well as have access to more training and resources to help you build your business. Click HERE to learn more about what we have to offer and become a member today.  

 

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July 25, 2019

10 Strategies To Land Your First Client As A Freelancer

Let me be one of the first ones to congratulate you on your decision to pursue your passions and share your God-given gifts with the world as a freelancer. While it’s not an easy journey, I can speak from over 20 years of experience that it’s a very rewarding one. 

One of the biggest hurdles to get over in this industry isn’t how to create a website, brand yourself or master social media but in landing your first paying client in what feels like a very crowded and competitive marketplace. However, with a well planned strategy, an attitude of determination and believing in what God has called you to do, I think you will find landing your first client can be easier than you think. 

Here are 10 strategies to help you land your first client as a freelancer. 

 

  1. REACH OUT TO FRIENDS AND FAMILY

While this strategy will not work for the long term because let’s be honest, while most of your friends and family will whole-heartedly support your business and cheer you on, the majority of them are not going to be your target market or ideal client but that doesn’t mean you can’t share with them what you are doing. 

Maybe you just launched a graphic design business, for example. Let your friends and family know what you are doing and what kind of client you are looking to work with. You can shoot them a quick message on Facebook or an email. 

Here is a sample script you can use to get you started:

“Hi Sally! Hope you and the kids are doing well. I have loved seeing your vacation photos on Facebook recently looks like a really fun time! I wanted to send you a quick message to let you know I just started my own graphic design business. I create logos for small women business owners (attached is an example design). I know you may not be in the immediate need for a graphic designer but if you hear of anyone looking for one I would greatly appreciate you referring them my way. I would also be grateful your prayers and support as I embark on this new journey as a freelancer and of course let me know if there is anything I can do to support you too!”

When reaching out to people, it’s important not to be pushy or demanding. Make your messages personable, don’t send out copy and paste messages as they can feel cold and pretty easy to spot. The goal is to help spread the word about what you do in a non-salesy way and through these messages you may find 1-2 people through your warm market who are actually in need of the services you provide or can quickly refer you to someone who does. 

 

  1. ETSY/CREATIVE MARKET

As a freelancer you can create an account, online shop and list your products and services on sites like Etsy and Creative Market. Staying with the same example as a graphic designer, you could list logo examples available for purchase. Ensure your listings are optimized by thinking about how your ideal client would be looking for your service or product. It’s important to research the fees associated with these websites as while they can help you land a new client quickly they do take a percentage of the sale. 

 

  1. CREATE A WEBSITE

As a freelancer, it’s important to start branding yourself as a professional and a website is crucial to that strategy. A website allows your first client to find you easier online through Google searches and showcase your experience, skills and expertise. 

As you reach out to people to share your services you will find most will ask “What is your website?” because in the information driven age we live in, people want to see it and read it for themselves. It’s also not a good use of your time to keep explaining to people over and over what you do when you can direct them to a website where you have shared everything they need to know all in one place and can check out examples of your work through a portfolio.

Through blog posts you can give free value and solve problems to help you gain the trust of your next client who desperately needs what you have to offer. Create a blog board on Pinterest to showcase your blog posts in one place. 

 

  1. NETWORK LIKE CRAZY

There is no sugar coating that landing your first client will take some old fashioned hustle. Go to local networking meetings where you can build relationships faster face to face. Go prepared with a warm smile and a stack of well designed business cards and don’t make the business killing mistake of handing your business card to someone and not asking for theirs in return. Not only does this come across as self-serving but you need to go home with a stack of contacts that you can connect with on social media to keep building the relationship with. 

You can find local networking groups through Meet Up, Facebook and by searching your local Chamber of Commerce for events such as luncheons and mixers happening in your area. 

 

  1. CREATE A FACEBOOK BUSINESS PAGE

You will find that social media will play a huge role in your business and landing your first client. There are many advantages to having a Facebook Business Page like having the content indexed by Google and having the ability to run Facebook ads to target your ideal client. 

You can use your page to go live and give valuable tips to your audience that will help you stand out as an expert and build relationships with your audience while sharing calls to actions that direct your audience to what you offer.  

 

  1. UPDATE YOUR LINKEDIN PROFILE

Just like a Facebook business page, LinkedIn is indexed by Google and can help your ideal client find you. Maybe your profile is old and outdated? Now is the perfect time to update your profile photo, cover photo, title, skills sets, work history, etc. You can even publish some of your blog posts to your profile to give value and showcase your expertise. 

If you don’t have a LinkedIn profile, definitely create one and start putting it to work for you as a freelancer. 

 

  1. DON’T WORK FOR FREE

As a new freelancer, you need experience and testimonials to keep new clients coming in. And while it may be tempting to offer your services for free in order to build a portfolio and client feedback, I can assure you this is not a route you want to take. 

Doing free work can chip away at your confidence and self worth and believe me, not even the people closest to you will respect your time or talents if you offer to do them for free and by doing so you are just opening up a can of worms. Let’s say you create a free logo for your dear Aunt Sally who then tells another member of your family that you created a beautiful logo for her for free and “probably wouldn’t mind” doing it for them too. 

Hear me on this, value what you do and don’t discount your worth. If you want to have a goal of getting 5 testimonials for your website or Etsy shop as quickly as possible because you know it will help you get even more clients, great but do not work for free. 

You will find especially if you are a service-based business that people, usually under no ill intentions, will come to you and say “I just need you to do this one thing, take a look at this one website, I just need 15 minutes of your time” so it’s best if you learn early on how to deal with this. None of us get to the privilege to walk into a doctor’s office and say “I just need 15 minutes of the doctor’s time to look at this spot on my arm” so don’t allow anyone to steal time from you either.  

Tell Aunt Sally that you are willing to create a simple logo for her this one time at a discounted rate in exchange for a testimonial and give her a one time coupon code with an expiration date to create urgency to use on your website or in your shop but decide now not to work for free. 

 

  1. COLLABORATION

There are lots of business owners out there who are working with clients using their skills sets but need to hand off work that they either are not qualified to do or don’t want to do. For example, a person that designs websites very often has clients that need a logo, branding advice, copywriting services, graphic design work for other elements, photography, etc. The web designer needs to be able to refer their clients to someone who can take care of these tasks. By collaborating with other business owners you can create an endless network of referrals. 

Think about people in your field who would need to have you as a referral and reach out to them to let them know you would love to collaborate and also send client referrals their way too.

 

  1. COLD CALLING / EMAILING

Okay, I know just the sound of that may have made you cringe but hear me out. As a freelancer, especially a starting out one you will need to break out of your comfort zone a bit but that doesn’t mean you have to be sleazy or obnoxious either. 

The beauty of the online marketplace is the ability to generate leads while you sit at home in your yoga pants, coffee in hand and your laptop (I know all you introverts are saying “AMEN!” right now). There are millions of leads out there, you just have to be willing to go find them. 

If you are a virtual assistant, you can research small online business owners through social media or googling a few keywords of your ideal client like “Christian coach” and find lots of websites. This allows you to seek out who you want to work with and sending them a message either through email, LinkedIn, Facebook fan page messenger, etc. 

Yes, there will be people you never hear back from and yes there will be people who respond and say they aren’t looking for your services right now but so what. You never know when those seeds you planted in faith will come back to you. 

Here is a sample script you can use when reaching out to potential clients you find online:

“Hey Becky, my name is _________ and I am a freelance virtual assistant who came across your website. I love the passion you have for your calling and have no doubt the clients who work with you are very blessed to have your guidance. I read one of your blog posts __________ and it was so moving and inspiring.

The reason I write to you today is to introduce myself and to inquire if you are in need of a virtual assistant at the moment? My skills sets include __________ and you can visit my website to see my portfolio and testimonials www.________.com

Whether you are in need of my services at the moment or not, I am grateful for the connection and appreciate you taking the time to read this email. I have also connected with you on your Facebook page and sent a connection request via LinkedIn so I can continue to support you in the work you are doing. 

Thank you again for your time and consideration,”

The goal is to make a connection and build a relationship but can you imagine the leads you would generate if you sent just 5 emails per day to people you found online and wanted to work with!? Yes this takes work, time and a lot of consistency to keep showing up when your inbox goes empty, but I can promise you God will work to nurture these seeds if you will be brave enough to plant them in faith.  

 

  1. HIRE MY MOM COMMUNITY

Did you know for the past 12 years HireMyMom has been helping freelancing women and moms just like you find quality, legitimate work from home jobs and clients? By joining our community, you can confidently share your skills and look for high quality positions and clients as well as have access to more training and resources to help you build your business. Click HERE to learn more about what we have to offer and become a member today.  

Were these tips helpful? Connect with me on social media on LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram!  I would love to hear from you. I know with consistent action you will no doubt land your very first client very soon!

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June 27, 2019

HireMyMom Success Story: Megan Baker

 

Business: Meg K and Co 

Tell us a little about your business and why you started it.

I started as a Virtual Assistant two years ago. I was a teacher for six years and the opportunity for entrepreneurship presented itself, and I took it and ran with it. Now I offer consulting and advising services for online business owners. I essentially help visionaries and CEOs manage their magic with systems and hiring so they can have a greater impact and scale.

What is your top advice for entrepreneurs / small business owners?    

Remember that you can do hard things!                 

What is your top tip for working with a virtual team?

Be very clear about expectations and have your systems set up and communicate those through Standard Operating Procedures with your team. Your team can’t read your mind.         

What’s your favorite thing about HireMyMom.com?

HireMyMom has excellent talent!

What’s one fun or interesting fact about you?

I’m bilingual in English and French!       

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Want to be featured here as one of HireMyMom’s Success Stories?

Mom Professionals, please complete this form our Mom Professionals Success Stories.

If you are a Small Business / Employers, please use this form for Small Business Success Stories!

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June 20, 2019

Do Your Rates Reflect Your Value?

Guest Post by Loren Fogelman

Ready to Raise Your Rates?

You chose to ditch the 9 to 5. As a business owner, you have options that aren’t available to you as an employee. You can flex your hours, do things your way and set your rates. 

Over time you realize you’re undercharging. Your thoughts about pricing raise more questions than it solves. The “raising your rates” dilemma challenges businesses of all sizes. 

Like most entrepreneurs, Nancy started out wearing all the hats in her business. By the end of her second year, her team had grown to seven. As a result, she now straddles between the role of business owner and technician. 

Money isn’t her primary motivator. What drives her is the difference she makes for her clients. She loves calling the shots and the freedom to do things her way. 

Winging isn’t a Business Strategy

Leaving her steady paycheck and benefits took courage. During the past two years, she hustled to grow her business to where it is today. Sometimes she doesn’t juggle her personal and business responsibilities that well. Burnouts beginning to seep in from being overworked and underpaid. 

Nancy admits she’s not a savvy business owner. Her technical skills far exceed her business skills. Until now, she grew her business by winging it. 

Of course Nancy wants to earn more money. Her current fees barely cover operating expenses. We spoke candidly about her rates. They simply don’t reflect her expertise. 

As a new business owner, she set her rates below the industry average. This totally overlooks her years in the industry. Until this changes, the only way to earn more is to work more.  

The Courage to Raise Your Rates

Charging more raises money-specific fears. The decision feels difficult. Her self-worth and beliefs around money influence her prices. 

Her primary concerns include:

  • Nobody will pay those fees.
  • No one else charges that much.
  • I’ll lose my clients.
  • How can I justify this?
  • I don’t have enough experience or credentials.
  • What if I can’t meet their expectations?

Do you share her concerns?

Discover How to Get Paid What You’re Worth

Nancy did all the jobs during the start-up phase. Staff took some things off her plate. But, she continued to remain involved in the day-to-day operations of her business. 

This positioned her as a skilled laborer. Because of that, she rarely had time for higher level advisory services. 

The One Degree Solution

Her business didn’t need a complete overhaul. A couple small, yet strategic changes, immediately brought relief. 

First, Nancy discovered the truth about value. When approached from a service-oriented mindset, it removes the worries about greed or scarcity. Instead of thinking she’s taking money from her clients, she formed a new, positive perspective. She deeply connected with what her clients gain from her services.  Her solution liberates them up from their problems. 

Get Paid What You’re Worth

These 5 steps empower you to get paid what you’re worth:

  1. Start with your strengths.  We started with a strengths list. Nancy discovered how she differed from others in her industry. It’s easier to get paid what she’s worth when clients realize the value they receive is greater than the price they’re paying for her service.  Here’s what I mean: Nancy helps her clients increase their profitability. What they earn from working with her is three to four times greater than what she charges for her services.   
  2. Separate fees from time. Nobody wants a client who watches the clock. Tying her fees to time categorizes her as an expense in her client’s mind. Partnering with her clients for a result, instead of time, positions her service as an investment.
  3. Success is messy. The thought of doubling or tripling her rates brings up fears. “Who will pay for this? How will I justify this? Can I meet their expectations?” Yes, mistakes occurred along the way. Each time Nancy signed on a client at her new rates, her confidence grew. 
  4. Stand out as the go-to expert. Rather than compete for all clients, she now selects to only work with ideal clients. Nancy’s clear about the process she developed for getting consistent results. Everything she talks about focuses on how her clients benefit from going through her system. Nancy is now known as the “go-to” expert. 
  5. Solve a need. This is the #1 action which separates her from the competition. Her consultation highlights the client, and their needs. Nancy’s updated business model solves a specific need. Her clients invest in the solution. 

Success occurs from the inside out. Once Nancy owned her value, all the resistance melted away. 

Her new clients value solutions. Over the course of our work together she doubled, and then tripled, her prices. Each change directly improves the client experience and separates her fees from time. Ditching her hourly rate offers the solution she craves – she simply didn’t realize that when we first met. 

Nancy now focuses on supporting her clients growth. The trust she gains from her clients, in turn, supports her business growth. 

The Possibilities are Limitless

Your rates are a reflection of your self-worth. Claiming your value is uncomfortable at first. Doing something new, rather than sticking with something familiar, challenges long-held beliefs. 

Your hourly rate positions you as a commodity rather than an investment. When you lead with what you do, it’s difficult for a potential client to determine why they ought to hire you. It minimizes your expertise. 

Your clients hire you for what you know; not what you do. 

Like Nancy, start to transition from technician to problem solver.  Along the way, you’ll realize where you give your knowledge away for free because you don’t know how to charge for it. 

Leading with value, rather than competing on price, uplevels your business. You deeply connect to the benefits your clients receive from your service. That’s when you no longer need to compete.  What are you ready to let go of to get paid what you’re worth? 

Join the LIVE conversation with Hire My Mom and Loren Fogelman, pricing and profit coach, for an exclusive FREE webinar on How to Raise Your Rates without Losing Clients on Wed., June 26@ 3pm ET / 12pm PT. Register NOW. 

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June 10, 2019

HireMyMom Success Story: Monique Muro

Business: Proof Mango / Los Angeles, CA

Tell us a little about your business and why you started it.

I help online course creators edit their online course-related content (from lesson copy to marketing material), and make sure their online course works (I take care of the tech headaches). I originally started out copy editing and proofreading everything under the sun for online business owners. Then one day, a client gave me his online course to proofread, and I LOVED it. I decided then and there that editing online course content would be a niche service I could provide to the millions of online course creators out there profiting from their knowledge and passion.

What is your top advice for entrepreneurs / small business owners?

Never, ever, ever give up. You’ll go weeks without anything good happening in your business, despite working yourself to the bone – and then one day, something magical will happen. Someone will book a call or DM you about your service. The hard work starts paying off in little wood chips and flakes – meaning, it feels like you’re hammering away at something for so long and FINALLY you make a dent and stuff starts flying everywhere. But only because you didn’t give up. That’s my best advice for anyone growing a business – keep chipping away!

What is your top tip for working with a virtual team?

Take your time hiring. I got a ton of wonderful, qualified virtual assistants in my inbox after putting out a job post on Hire My Mom, but I took my time hiring and put them all through a vetting process that worked out wonderfully. First, I starred the candidates that seemed the most qualified. Next, I reached out to the ones I starred and asked them to complete a personalities test + a short survey. From there, I interviewed the ones I liked the most, and I found a great virtual assistant who is perfect for what Proof Mango needs at the moment. 

What’s your favorite thing about HireMyMom.com?

Oh my goodness, what’s not to love? I started out on Hire My Mom in early 2017 to pick up some contract proofreading/copy editing gigs. I ended up working with extraordinary online business owners who taught me to so much and gave me such great work experience. I’d say my favorite thing at the moment is that when you apply for these gigs, you’re not lumped in with hundreds of other applicants – the applicant pool is just small enough for you to stand out. As a business owner, my favorite thing about Hire My Mom is being able to hire such talented people working remotely from all over the country. The service really attracts great people!

What’s one fun or interesting fact about you?

I am a total online course junkie. I am obsessed with buying online courses on editing and digital marketing – those are probably my two favorite subjects. I can’t get enough, and I am guilty of buying new courses before I’ve finished (or started!) the ones I’ve got! I just love having a ton of information in my arsenal as a business owner. 

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Want to be featured here as one of HireMyMom’s Success Stories?

Mom Professionals, please complete this form our Mom Professionals Success Stories.

If you are a Small Business / Employers, please use this form for Small Business Success Stories!

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May 28, 2019

5 Practical Tips To Leverage Instagram As A Freelancing Mompreneur

I don’t know about you but Instagram has been one of the most challenging social media platforms to navigate as a mompreneur and like most platforms, it’s constantly evolving and changing. I find that just about the time I find a good rhythm and create a strategy that works for the HireMyMom Instagram account, it all changes.  

Well, you know what they say, you either have to beat them or join them, right?

As a freelancing mompreneur Instagram can be a great tool in reaching potential clients but it requires consistency and having a strategic social media marketing plan.

In this post we are going to break down 5 practical tips you can implement today to help you get more out of your Instagram marketing. Before we dive in, I want to offer you some encouragement: any social media platform takes time to grow and that is especially true for Instagram.

You aren’t going to post to Instagram for a week and have thousands of new followers. It will take showing up daily even when you don’t feel like it. It will require consistency even when you don’t feel like you have a clue about what you are doing and you will have to keep showing up even when it feels like no one cares or is even listening.

Give yourself some grace while you are learning, everyone starts out a beginner. Even the accounts you drool over with 30K+ followers at one time started with that first post and only 5 followers. Try to focus on having fun with the journey while letting go of the outcome or you will drive yourself straight to the bottom of the pit of comparison.

So take a deep breath and focus on taking this one day at a time remembering that Martha Stewart did not build an empire in one day.

 

1. YOUR BIO

When potential clients land on your Instagram account, what are they going to see first? Your bio, right. It’s that first impression when someone steps into your online space. Take the time to create a bio that really showcases your personality.

Instagram bios have a 150 character limit so make your words clear, powerful and compelling to convey what you do and the problem you solve. Be creative and use emojis if that fits your personality but stick to the few that best represent your brand. Too many emojis can look messy and be more distracting than helpful.

Ensure you have a good profile photo. If you are leading with your personal brand use a clear crisp fun photo of yourself or if you are leading with a business brand, a good clean logo or graphic is crucial.

You can have one clickable link in your profile so it’s important to leverage it wisely. If you have multiple places you want to drive your Instagram traffic to you can use Linktree to do that. It’s a pretty awesome tool.

2. IMAGERY IS KEY

Instagram is a platform driven by photography and imagery so it’s important to use photos that are creative, high quality, cohesive and aligned with your brand and personality style. If you are more extroverted and don’t mind being in front of the camera, you can use that to your advantage just ensure you stay on message visually.

If you are more introverted, don’t fret. It doesn’t mean Instagram is not for you, it just means you have to think outside the box and find a strategy that works for your business. You can curate photos from free accounts like Unplash or from other Instagram accounts BUT I want to stress the importance of always giving photo credit to the sources you are using. Don’t be the person who tries to pass off someone else’s work as your own. It’s icky and won’t earn the trust of your followers.  

Here is an example of how you can properly credit photos you curate from another account. We gave credit to @lemons.for.days for this cute photo and you will find that when you market properly, the accounts you credit will often comment on your post thanking you and even follow your account as a result.

If you love photography and can take your own photos, that’s awesome. Ensure that your Instagram feed has a theme to keep it consistent and cohesive. Think of your Instagram feed like a magazine. The photos should all work together and compliment one another.

The HireMyMom brand has an orange and turquoise color scheme so therefore I look for photos that compliment this theme to create a visually interesting feed.

This may take you some practice to get a theme down for your account and that’s okay. Practice makes perfect when you strive for progress over perfection. You can use apps like Snapseed to help you edit your photos and brighten them up so each photo has the same look and feel to it.

 

3. TELL A STORY AND GIVE VALUE

Instagram is no different than any other platform in how you use it will determine the kind of results you get. If you are going to throw something up just to post with little thought or you use every post to try to sell something you won’t attract many followers so you have to not only think about the image you are posting (will it work with the image you posted before it?) but you have to take the time to think about how you will use the image to give or share something of value.

There is nothing worse than an Instagram post that has nothing but hashtags in the caption. Your followers are on your account for them, not you so it’s important to choose quality over quantity and give your reader a reason to keep following along.

Pair a how-to tip with your image, share a story that will lead to a conversation with your followers and give your followers an insight into what you believe. Instagram has quickly become a very conversational platform so take the time to think about what and how you will share. Marketing requires intentionality.

 

4. #FRIDAYINTRODUCTIONS

Are you participating in Friday Introductions? It’s a great way to connect with others and build community. Every Friday the #FridayIntroductions hashtag is trending and here are some tips to make the most of it:

  1. Post a picture of yourself. I know if you are introverted this is hard to do, I get it. I cringe at the thought of taking a selfie much less posting one.
  2. Use #FridayIntroductions in your post so you will pull up in that hashtag feed.
  3. Share a story about yourself, a fun fact, the why behind what you to do, etc. Focus on sharing something personal so your followers can learn more about you. The more they feel like they know you the more they will want to stick around.
  4. Share, Don’t Sell. This is an opportunity to share and connect with others without an agenda so if you want to make the most out of this let go of the need to try to sell anything or drive traffic to your website when participating in #FridayIntroductions.
  5. Follow the #FridayIntroductions feed and connect with others. Take the time to follow accounts that really speak to you. Like and spend time leaving genuine comments on their posts.
  6. Make this a part of your weekly social media plan, I promise the consistency will pay off.

5. LEVERAGE STORIES

Instagram stories are seen 10x more than regular posts so they are pretty important to your marketing strategy. They are perfect for those less than polished photos and behind the scenes type of content that aren’t appropriate for your regular feed.

You can let your followers know about a new post you have and why they should care, a new blog post that you have up on your website, a product sneak peek you are working on to build excitement and share a word of encouragement.

And here is an awesome bonus tip: use popular hashtag that is relevant to your business when you share to give them a boost. For example, you can use #mompreneur, #graphicdesign, #ontheblog, #fashionblogger, etc.

Spend some time researching popular hashtags that your target audience would be following for stories and test them out. Stick to 1-2 hashtags for stories and try to minimize them so they don’t overpower the other info you are trying to share. You can make the text small and place them in the upper corners or cover them with a sticker.

Here is an example of how to let your followers know through an Instagram story to check out a recent post. You can see the #mompreneur hashtag at the top. By using hashtags in stories, people following the hashtags you use have a good chance of seeing your content even if they aren’t following you because they are following that hashtag.

I hope you found these tips and examples helpful in getting started with Instagram as a freelancing mompreneur. There will be a learning curve with it like anything new. Give yourself permission to be okay with being a beginner knowing you will have it mastered in no time with patience and consistency.

Looking for more social media tips, training and support? Why not check out more of what HireMyMom has to offer! We have been supporting mompreneurs like you since 2007. Click HERE to learn more.

 

 

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May 14, 2019

HireMyMom Success Story: Andrea Corpening

Tell us a little about you and your experience finding work on HireMyMom.

After I had my first child in 2016, my husband and I agreed that I could stay home at least for the first year. During that time, I completed a Talent Development Certification, while balancing the challenges of being a new mom.

I often studied for the exam during my daughter’s naptime.  In January 2018, I started my own training and consulting business and was hired for several contract jobs through HireMyMom.  It was a great way to generate income and build my confidence as a new entrepreneur.  As of April 2019, my business has grown to the point where I needed to hire my first part-time Virtual Assistant. I found great Virtual Assistants to help me in my business through HireMymom.

What did you do previously?

I was a corporate bank trainer for many years.  Then I worked as a training manager before I was promoted to a bank Director – all before I became a wife and a mom.

What is your top tip for landing a gig on HireMyMom.com?

I recommend applicants have a resume that is tailored for each job before applying. You only have a few seconds to capture the employer’s attention and market your skills. It is very important to personalize your cover letter because it is your first impression and your opportunity to explain why you’re the best person for the job. Also, I also recommend having samples of your work that you can submit as needed.

What’s your favorite thing about HireMyMom.com?

Since at one time I was a job seeker and now I’m an employer, my favorite thing about Hiremymom is they always have legit opportunities.  I have never experienced any scams.  As a job seeker, I always experienced quality gigs.  Now, as a business owner looking to hire, I have found several great candidates that are qualified and passionate about what they do.

What’s a fun or interesting fact about you?

I am a certified DISC Behavioral Styles Practitioner, which is a globally recognized behavior/personality assessment, similar to Myers Briggs but easier to use and implement.  DISC helps you to understand yourself, why other people do the things they do and how to communicate effectively with different types of people.  I help my clients use the benefits of DISC in their personal and professional life.

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May 8, 2019

Top 10 Productivity Hacks Every Mompreneur Needs For Her At Home Business

Figuring out how to get “all the things” done might just be the biggest achilles’ heel as a mompreneur.

It’s easy to look at our never ending list of to-dos and feel anxious and overwhelmed at the thought of how we will ever get it all done. Along the way, as a mompreneur, I have learned a few tricks and hacks to getting more done so I can be more productive and move my business forward.

Let me share with you a little secret about doing “all the things” right up front before we even dive into these productivity hacks.

You will never get it all done.

I know, I know. Not what you wanted to hear.

The truth is, your list will never be completely wiped clean and you will never feel all the way done for the day. It’s just the reality of being a mompreneur and business owner.

But what I will tell you is that even though you won’t ever really get it all done, you can implement these 10 productivity strategies that will help you not only get more accomplished during your work day but also focus on the most important tasks that will help to make your business profitable and successful.

 

1. BRAIN DUMP

Most of the time, overwhelm simply means that your brain is a jumbled mess of thoughts, ideas and tasks. The best strategy that I have learned to calm the chaos is to dump it all out on paper (or Evernote or OneNote if you are more of an electronic app kind of person).

There’s no right or wrong way to do this. Just dump every task, to-do, strategy and creative thought that is bouncing around in your head.

I always end my work day with a brain dump of what I want to get done the next day (or even for the upcoming week on a Sunday night). I immediately feel better once my cluttered thoughts are down on paper. I can see things more clearly and can make an informed decision about what gets my attention and what has to wait for a later time.

 

2. EAT THAT FROG

Now that you have dumped everything that feels like a chaotic, unorganized thought onto paper, it’s time to decide what to tackle and in what order.

This “eat that frog” process is based on Brian Tracy’s wildly popular book Eat That Frog. This strategy will help you take all those things off your brain dump and put them into an ordered list that makes sense for your business.

The key to “eat that frog” is to focus on tackling the hardest, most important tasks first. These are the tasks that are the easiest to procrastinate about because they are usually the ones that push us outside our comfort zone. But they are almost always the tasks that will move us forward in our business and are the most important.

From your brain dump, place an A, B, C, D, or E next to each item on your list.

  • An “A” item is something that is very important, something you must do to move your business ahead
  • A “B” item is a task that you should do, but it only has mild consequences either way. Reviewing email would probably be considered a B task, depending on your business.
  • A “C” item is something that would be nice to do but there are no consequences to your business success if they they get done or not. Calling or meeting a friend for coffee would fall under the C category.
  • A “D” task is something you can delegate to someone else. The rule here is to delegate everything that someone else can do so that you can free up more time for the A tasks that only you can do.
  • An “E” task is defined as something you can eliminate all together and it won’t make any real difference. These may be tasks that you should have gotten rid of a long time ago but because of habit haven’t done so yet.

Now that you have labeled every task on your brain dump, it’s time to get to work immediately.

The key to making this method work is for you to discipline yourself to start immediately on your A tasks and then stay on each task until it is complete, not moving on to another task before hand. And…most definitely, not moving on to a B task until all of your A tasks are complete.

In essence, you have “eaten that frog”. You have done the hardest, yet most important tasks first. Look at how productive you are!

 

3. BATCH YOUR WORK

Batching your work simply means that you are clumping together all of the similar tasks and tackling them at the same time. Here are a few examples of business related items that can be batched together.

  • Blog writing
  • Writing email newsletters and sales funnels
  • Social media posts
  • Sending out invoices
  • Checking email
  • Creating products that you sell

Look at your list of tasks and decide what items can be batched together.

For example, instead of checking email each time a notification pops up, set aside a chunk of time in your day twice a day, like morning and late afternoon for example, to focus on reading, responding and organizing your emails. This is key! Otherwise, so much time can be wasted switching your brain back and forth between tasks!

 

4. PLAN YOUR WORK DAY AROUND YOUR ENERGY LEVELS

Knowing when you are the most creative and have the most energy is crucial to hacking into your productivity as a mompreneur. Plan your day around your highest energy levels. When are you the most creative? When are you the most focused and less distracted? When does your energy start to lag?

Knock out your “A” tasks during your highest energy times and leave your “B” level tasks (checking email and returning phone calls) for those times when your energy starts to lag.

 

5. HAVE SET WORK HOURS

Now that you have identified your highest energy times of the day, make it a point to work during those hours. My most productive work time is from 9-12 each morning so those times are blocked out on my calendar as “focused work time”.

During these high energy hours I am focused on knocking out my “A” level tasks. I also know that after lunch, I am less focused and my energy starts to lessen. That’s when I focus on responding to email and other tasks that don’t require as much focus.

My best hack for sticking with your designated work hours is to put them on your calendar as a non-negotiable. Because you run your own small business, it can be easy to schedule doctor’s appointments or lunch dates during your most effective work times. Consider blocking out Monday-Thursday for work and saving Friday afternoons for errands and appointments.

The key to this strategy is to schedule work time and schedule it during your most energetic and creative times of the day and week.

 

6. HAVE ONE MEETING FREE DAY EACH WEEK

Interruptions and a lack of focus can be the biggest downfalls of controlling our time spent working on our business. What would it mean for your productivity if you have one day a week that you keep free of meetings and appointments?

My designated day of the week is Monday. I try my very best to protect Monday and keep it free of meetings and appointments. It is my day to crank out a ton of work projects and set myself up for success for the rest of the week. I know that if I am able to crush it on Monday and mark a ton of tasks off my list on this first day of the week, I feel more accomplished and energized to tackle the rest of the week.

 

7. CREATE WHITE SPACE ON YOUR CALENDAR

Because you run your own business and are your own boss, it can be easy to let obligations and commitments sneak into your work time. If we aren’t careful, we can say yes to too many things and find ourselves bogged down with commitments and our available focused work time is cut in half (or more).

White space is the available space on your calendar or schedule where you don’t have other obligations. If you feel overwhelmed just by looking at your calendar, take some time to reflect on how you are spending your time, what you have said yes to that is adding overwhelm and stress to your life, and how much focused time you have saved to work on your business.

It might be time to say no to some things so you can say yes to your business more often.

 

8. ELIMINATE DISTRACTIONS

One of the biggest challenges for mompreneurs is distractions. There is a misconception that as moms who run a business, we should be great at multitasking.

Think about the last time you sat down to tackle an important task for your business. Usually, like I talked about earlier, the hardest tasks are often the most important and the ones that we can want to put off until later.

Did you find yourself checking Facebook, email and watching a stream of Instagram stories while you were “working” on that important business task?

In order to be the most productive and tackle the most important tasks in your business, it is important to head off the temptation to procrastinate by eliminating distractions.

Shut down Facebook, turn off email and put your cell phone in “do not disturb” mode. Whatever is distracting you the most and allowing you to procrastinate, shut it off for the duration of the project you are working on.

A popular method to getting disciplined and focused work time is the Pomodoro Technique. This method allows for some break time and helps you stay focused on the task at hand, with a little bit of down (reward) time throughout.

 

9. CREATE AN INVITING WORKSPACE

Where you work is as important to your productivity as all the other hacks I have shared so far. Your workspace should be designed to help you get work done. It should be a place that you are drawn to, a place you find inspiration and enjoy being in.

The environment in which you work is as important as the space itself. Choose colors, furniture, and decor that speak to your soul. I actually painted my home office to match my fun branding colors, and I love it! You may also want to consider adding a house plant or two to bring life to your office. Your productivity will thank you!

 

10. MAKE YOUR HEALTH A PRIORITY

As a Mompreneur, your health is usually the last thing on your to-do list. But the right foods and exercise are key to your productivity. You might think otherwise, that you don’t have time for a run or taking your favorite Zumba class at the gym, but even going for a brisk walk can make a huge difference in your mindset, energy level and overall productivity.

The key to this hack is to actually value the time you spend with your own self care.

What helps you recharge, gives you energy and keeps you healthy?
Exercise, eating your fruits and veggies, reading a good book, etc.?

Whatever it is for you, make it a priority.

 

What are some productivity hacks that you use to up your game and get more done as a mompreneur? Will you implement some of these productivity strategies to help you better tackle your to-do list?

Contact us and let us know. Would love to hear from you!

 

Are you a Mompreneur looking for more freelancing opportunities and client work to build your home based business? Check out more of what HireMyMom.com has to offer!

 

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April 8, 2019 0 Comments

Behind the Scenes with HireMyMom Founder Lesley Pyle

Why did you become an entrepreneur?

I sometimes call myself an accidental entrepreneur because it was not in my original plans. However after having my first child, I desperately wanted to be at home with her. I had just finished my Master’s degree and had always dreamed of climbing the corporate ladder. But after having her, I wanted nothing more than to work from home and be able to be an integral part of her life. The most appealing part to me at the time was having freedom and flexibility in my day and that’s still a huge benefit all these years later!

 

What changes did you have to make start your entrepreneurial path?

When I first started out, I made the difficult decision to quit my full-time job which meant we needed to cut our living expenses significantly until I could get my freelance business going. We sold one car, got rid of cable TV and cut out every other bill we could. We ate more ramen noodles (hello cheap!) than I care to remember. It was rough getting started, but it gave me such drive to make sure I was successful. I knew if I wasn’t, then I would be forced to look for a job.

 

What has been the toughest aspect of being an Entrepreneur?

Going at it alone has been difficult at times. When you work for yourself, there’s no team members to turn to or bosses to teach you things you don’t know how to do. You are responsible for learning new skills, staying on top of new technologies, hiring the right people, and knowing when you may need to hire a coach to help you through some of the areas you are lacking in.

 

What advice would you give to someone who was thinking about transitioning into the entrepreneur life?

I would recommend really taking the time to discover what you are passionate about and what you are good at. Don’t just do something because you think you will make money. The honeymoon will be over on that before you know it. I believe you’ll have much more success doing what you love. Because then, it doesn’t feel like work, right?  I love what I do and I look forward to sitting down at my desk every day. Instead of looking at the clock 20 times a day wondering if its 5:00 yet, I look at it and think “oh no, I only have x more hours to work today”. That’s when you know you love what you do!

 

What do you enjoy most about being an entrepreneur?

I love being creative and being in charge of my time and my future. I love setting new goals for myself and growing by learning new things. And let’s face it, who doesn’t love being able to pack a bag anytime you want and take your work on the road for as long as you want! Last year, my husband and I were able to take off for 10 days to Hawaii where one of our daughters was playing her last collegiate volleyball games of her career and we got to be there for those and to celebrate her on Senior Night! Priceless memories, and I probably would not have been able to do that if I worked a traditional job.

 

What book are you currently reading?

I’m currently reading “The Compound Effect” by Darren Hardy because I need reminders that small choices day by day make huge differences in the future. So far, I’m loving it!

 

What does your daily routine look like?

I get up around 6am and have my coffee, prayer and Bible study time for about an hour to get myself focused in the right direction. Then I get my youngest up and ready for school. From there, I often work out for an hour, then head to my home office where I work until around 4pm when our youngest gets home from school. My work day includes writing, creating content, responding to customers, engaging with my community and working on daily goals.

 

What is something most people don’t know about you?

I am a first generation college student. I put myself through college with the help of loans, grants and the work study program. Upon graduation, I had a hard time getting my first job so I decided to look at scholarships for graduate school. I found the biggest one and figured I’d start with it. It was a full scholarship to study abroad in any country from Rotary International. To my surprise, I won the scholarship and attended the University of Stirling in Scotland where I received my Master’s in Marketing and Public Relations! That taught me that when God closes one door, there’s usually a bigger, better door waiting for you!

 

Have questions or want more information on HireMyMom? Contact us!

 

 

 

 

 

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March 18, 2019 0 Comments

7 Strategic Ways To Grow Your Mompreneur Business

If you are a mompreneur who has been working your business for a while, there comes a pivotal point when you seek to take your business to the next level. Whether it’s to increase your income goals, elevate client experience, streamline your processes or all of the above, growing your business will require some high-level strategies.

As a full-time mompreneur myself in business since 1996, it can be easy to get overwhelmed with the details but the best place to start, even when growing your business is to focus on drilling down what has worked best for you so far. And it’s important to keep in mind, that there is no substitute for keeping it simple.

So here are our 7 strategic ways to take your business to the next level right away.

 

1. Reevaluate Current Expenses

Before you dive into all the new ideas you have for your small business, it’s always a good idea to evaluate where you are right now. Make a list of your current business expenses and ensure you are not spending time and money in areas that you aren’t using. Those $15-$20 monthly subscriptions can really add up.

 

2. Juicy Offer

If you have been building an email list with an opt-in through your website great job! Building an email list is one of the best things you can do for your business. With social media platforms changing daily and algorithm’s decreasing the organic reach of content, having a clear and consistent email marketing strategy is a must. When you email your list, you don’t have to worry about how much reach it will get.

Maybe you have a freebie on your website that has been working and now it’s time to create some additional free resources so you have multiple offers to share and market. Consider creating a “Resource Library” on your website where your visitors can sort through the best offer(s) for them. Create pinnable graphics for each offer through a Pinterest Canva template and pin to a free resources board on Pinterest. This will help you capture more leads for your business where you can build a deeper relationship with through email.

Don’t have a freebie offer on your website? Now is the time to create one! Come up with a high value resource that can help your ideal client solve an immediate problem and position you as an expert.

 

3. Email Marketing 

As you build an email list, it’s important to communicate on a regular basis with that list in order to take your business to that next level. Send out a weekly newsletter to share something of value, your latest blog post, tool, video training, helpful hack or resource.

When it comes to email marketing, it’s definitely quality over quantity. The goal is to provide high-level value that can help your ideal client while positioning you as an expert. The goal is not to pitch your audience to buy something (this is a strategy that is okay every so often but 90% of your emails should be high quality value). Pitching your email list with offers constantly will only land you with lots of unsubscribes.

When crafting emails focus more on letting your personality shine through and less on perfecting polished sales copy. Tell a story through your emails and talk to your audience like you are sitting down with them for coffee.

At the end of the email include a photo of you with a bio, a subtle call to action and link to learn more about how they can work with you.

 

4. On Boarding Process

Maybe you’ve built your business doing discovery type calls and while it’s worked, you are wanting to take back control of your time so you can focus on only working with exactly the type of clients your skill sets are best suited for.

Having an on-boarding process for new clients can definitely grow your business by helping to weed out people who are not 100% your ideal client. Create a Google doc that you can direct people to through your website. You can set up this document to email you the responses once it’s filled out.

Ask important questions that can help you determine if a phone call is the next step or if responding with an email to let them know they are not the right fit for you at this time. You can direct them to paid resources or courses you offer, (we will talk about this more below)or refer them to someone who is a better fit.

Having a process to properly vet clients can save you hours of precious time each week so you can spend that time on other revenue generating activities, working with the right clients and spending more time with your family.

 

5. Passive Income Resources

Marketing a business takes a lot of hard consistent work, and you want to leverage the leads that come into your business as much as possible. While not everyone who lands on your website will be a good fit to work with, that doesn’t mean you don’t have value to offer them.

Put together digital products or courses that can generate passive income so you can focus on investing time to work with higher-paying clients. If you are a graphic designer who designs logos for example, you could put together an eBook training of how to create a simple logo for a new website and charge say $27. Those who may not be the right fit for you to work on a larger scale can take a DIY approach allowing you to still earn revenue for your expertise without doing any extra work.

Passive income resources like this are a great way to grow your business since it’s a product you’ve already created that you can sell over and over again.

 

6. Streamline Processes With Templates

Create templates for every aspect of your business for tasks such as onboarding clients, emails, proposals and invoices. Tools like Freshbooks are great for this as they not only manage invoices and expenses, but also client and project notes.

Use apps to track expenses to save you hours at tax time and create folders for client emails so you aren’t spending hours searching for them. Spending time up front to stay organized can greatly increase your productivity and take your business to the next level.

 

7. Batch Your Time

There is nothing worse than feeling like you are going in circles not being productive. In order to grow your business, you need to use your time wisely and batch your recurring tasks.

For example, instead of trying to figure out every day what to post on your Facebook business page, batch that task and work on it each Monday from 9am-10am and plan out the whole week. You may not even need a full hour as you will find that as you create content focusing on one platform, your creativity and momentum will flow more easily.

Now think of other recurring tasks and batch those. For instance, schedule an hour each Tuesday to create pinnable graphics for your blog posts and quote cards in Canva and upload them to your Pinterest boards.

Batching your time will drive up your productivity while creating a higher level of consistency.

There are your 7 strategic tips to grow your mompreneur business. Implement even half of these and your business is sure to flourish!

Looking for more training, networking, support or ideas? We’d love to have you join our HireMyMom community today!

 

 

 

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