Teaming up with other WAHMs on Joint Ventures

You have probably heard the old saying: “two heads are better than one”. Have you ever thought of applying that to your business? Teaming up with another WAHM is a great way to expand your business while learning new skills.

You can form a “joint venture” with another WAHM and create a way for you to promote your services together. You will both share in the work and the profits. For instance, maybe you are an expert in affiliate marketing and you have a WAHM friend who loves to write. You two can team up on an e-book about affiliate marketing! Or perhaps you have a friend who is awesome at creating podcasts, have her interview you about affiliate marketing and the two of you can sell the mp3. The choices are limitless!

If you have an idea about something you would like to create but do not know anyone to team up with, start researching people that have the skills you need. Send them an email and let them know you like their work and might like to team up. You can also ask for recommendations from WAHMs you already know or put up a post on a message board about what you would like to accomplish.

Whatever method you choose to find potential co-workers, interview several people before you make any decisions; you want the project to be a success. Look at samples of the work each person has done in the past. You will also want to make sure your personalities do not clash, as you will be spending a lot of time working together.

When you find someone you are interested in working with, make sure you both understand how the work will be divided, when the deadlines will be for each step of the project, how you are going to sell your product and how the profits will be divided.

Keep looking for other joint venture opportunities as they are win-win situations – you can offer a new product or service to your current customers and the new product can also bring you a whole slew of new customers!

Organization Tips for WAHMs

Do you have piles of papers on your desk? Is there a stack of receipts shoved in your drawer? Do you ever find yourself looking for a phone number that you just know you wrote down somewhere? If you are suffering from a lack of organization, here are some suggestions on how to tackle it.

It is no secret that having a disorganized work area is counter productive. By getting organized – and staying organized, you will be able to get more work done in less time.

If you are computer-friendly, you may be familiar with the program Outlook. You can use Outlook to keep track of your emails, your daily schedule, your to-do list, client phone numbers and email addresses and more. You can even synchronize your MP3 player to Outlook and keep all of your info with you wherever you go!

For those that are not as technology advanced, you can still get organized by using old-fashioned paper products. If you do not have a planner, get one! There are many kinds of planners to choose from, in all kinds of shapes and sizes. Find one that fits your needs and use it to keep track of doctor appointments, school meetings, your work schedule, etc. Set up a client database to keep track of phone numbers, emails and other information. You can do this by getting some 4” x 6” index cards and a recipe box.

April 15 is a day that many Americans dread – it is the due date for your taxes! An easy way to keep track of recipes is to get a hanging file folder and 12 manila envelopes. Have one envelope for January, one for February and so on. During the month, throw all your receipts in the corresponding envelope. When the month is over, tally up your receipts and write it on the outside of the envelope. That way, when tax time comes, most of your work will already be done.

By taking some time each day to “take care of the little things” you will stay organized, feel less stressed, and get more work done!

How To Keep Track Of Your Schedule

When it comes to keeping track of your schedule, it is very important to find one that fits your needs and personality.  If you try to adapt to someone else’s scheduling techniques, you may find yourself avoiding the schedule. 

Some people prefer paper planners and others like electronic ones, whether in the form of a PDA or through their email program, such as Outlook or Google Calendar.  A third option would be large dry-erase boards or bulletin boards that you can hang up in your home.

Paper planners come in a variety of sizes and can be found in “one page per day” formats as well as “weekly” formats, where the entire week is spread out between two sheets of the planner. When you open the planner, you are able to see your whole week, spread across the two pages.

When deciding what type of paper planner to choose from, make sure the size will fit your lifestyle.  If you are going to carry the planner with you a lot, find one that will fit inside your purse or bag comfortably.  If it doesn’t fit well, or is very heavy, it is going to be more of a hassle to tote it around.
On the other hand, if you are going to keep the planner on your desk, you may want to opt for a large 8 ½” by 11” size.  That way, you’ll have lots of room to write down any notes.  Plus, this size is often divided into 15 minute increments, which can also be a very helpful tool.

An advantage of using a paper planner is that you can use highlighters to help you get a visual image of where your time is going. For instance, you can assign the color blue to all of your personal and family obligations, such as doctor’s appointments, gymnastics meets, soccer games, family reunions, and so forth.

Keep choosing colors for the various “parts” of your life.  You can decide the categories to best suit your needs. If you have a day job or a home business that you work to earn money, such as a virtual assistant, while you are working on developing your more personal business, you may want to assign both of those different colors.  For instance, the money-earning job can be green and the personal business can be pink or orange.

Once you have decided on what your colors will be, start highlighting activities in your planner that match each colors’ category.  If you notice one color is dominating your week, you may want to step back and evaluate how you are spending your time.

As technology improves, more and more digital planners can perform similar highlighting functions.  You can even find “smart phones”, that combine a cell phone, planner, and even an Mp3 player all in one little package. 

If you like the idea of keeping track of your schedule electronically, but don’t want to spend a lot of money on a PDA or smart phone, you can use a program such as Outlook or Google Calendar.  One of the features of Google Calendar is that you can share your calendar with other users. 

This can be helpful if you plan a lot of events (such as pot-luck dinners, game nights, etc) and want to let all of your family and friends know about them easily.  You may want to keep that calendar separate from your personal calendar, though.  Not everyone needs to know when your next dentist appointment is.

The white board / bulletin board option is great for those that like to have a lot of room to write or who are very visual.  One board can be hung in the kitchen to divvy up household chores among family members or to keep track of everyone’s appointments, games, and so forth.

Another board can be kept in your home office to keep track of your work, household bills, and other things.  If you work on multiple projects, you may want to have several boards, so you can easily see what needs to be done for each project.

Keeping Track of Your Schedule

The first thing to remember when deciding on a scheduling technique is that you need to find one that will fit not only your needs but also your personality.  Trying to adapt to someone else’ techniques may just make you avoid the schedule all together and that’s not the goal.

Some people prefer electronic planners such as a PDA or via their email program such as Outlook or Google Calendar while others may be more comfortable with paper planners, which are available in daily, weekly or monthly formats and in a variety of sizes.  Another option though not portable, is a large dry-erase board or bulletin board hung in your home or office.

Make sure the size of your planner will fit your lifestyle.  If you are going to carry the planner with you a lot, find one that will fit inside your purse or bag comfortably or briefcase.  If it doesn’t fit well, or is very heavy, it is going to be more of a hassle to carry it with you.

On the other hand, if you are going to keep the planner on your desk, consider opting for a large 8 ½” by 11” size.  This will provide you with plenty of room to write notes on.  An additional plus, it that this size is often divided into fifteen minute increments, which can serve as a very helpful tool.

If you decide on a paper planner,you can give yourself a visual image by color coding your tasks with highlighters.  For instance, assign the color blue to all of your personal and family obligations, such as doctor’s appointments, soccer games, family reunions, etc. and your business activities another color.  This way you’ll be able to see what you should be doing at a quick glance.

Choose various color for various activities or part of your life.  Choose categories that suit your needs best. If you have a day job and a home business, you may want to assign a specific color to each.

Once you’ve decided on your color and corresponding categories begin highlighting activities in your planner.  If one particular color seems to be dominating your week, you may want to consider re-evaluating how your time is being spent.

With the improvement in technology, digital planners can perform similar highlighting functions.  Smartphones combine a cell phone, planner, and even an Mp3 player all in one little package.

If you like the idea of keeping track of your schedule electronically, but don’t want to spend a lot of money on a PDA or smartphone, use a program such as Outlook or Google Calendar.  One of the features of Google Calendar is that you can share your calendar with other users.  This can be helpful if you plan a lot of events (such as pot-luck dinners, game nights, etc) and want to let all of your family and friends know about them easily.

The dry-erase board/bulletin board option is great for those that are very visual or those who like to have a lot of space to make notes.  One board can be hung in the kitchen as a reminder to all to keep track of everyone’s appointments, games, and so forth.

Another board can be kept in your home office to keep track of your work, bill payment schedules, and the like.  If you work on multiple projects, you may want to have several boards, so you can easily see what needs to be done for each project.

How To Keep Track Of Your Schedule

When it comes to keeping track of your schedule, it is very important to find one that fits your needs and personality. If you try to adapt to someone else’s scheduling techniques, you may find yourself avoiding the schedule.

Some people prefer paper planners and others like electronic ones, whether in the form of a PDA or through their email program, such as Outlook or Google Calendar. A third option would be large dry-erase boards or bulletin boards that you can hang up in your home.

Paper planners come in a variety of sizes and can be found in “one page per day” formats as well as “weekly” formats, where the entire week is spread out between two sheets of the planner. When you open the planner, you are able to see your whole week, spread across the two pages.

When deciding what type of paper planner to choose from, make sure the size will fit your lifestyle. If you are going to carry the planner with you a lot, find one that will fit inside your purse or bag comfortably. If it doesn’t fit well, or is very heavy, it is going to be more of a hassle to tote it around.
On the other hand, if you are going to keep the planner on your desk, you may want to opt for a large 8 ½” by 11” size. That way, you’ll have lots of room to write down any notes. Plus, this size is often divided into 15 minute increments, which can also be a very helpful tool.

An advantage of using a paper planner is that you can use highlighters to help you get a visual image of where your time is going. For instance, you can assign the color blue to all of your personal and family obligations, such as doctor’s appointments, gymnastics meets, soccer games, family reunions, and so forth.

Keep choosing colors for the various “parts” of your life. You can decide the categories to best suit your needs. If you have a day job or a home business that you work to earn money, such as a virtual assistant, while you are working on developing your more personal business, you may want to assign both of those different colors. For instance, the money-earning job can be green and the personal business can be pink or orange.

Once you have decided on what your colors will be, start highlighting activities in your planner that match each colors’ category. If you notice one color is dominating your week, you may want to step back and evaluate how you are spending your time.

As technology improves, more and more digital planners can perform similar highlighting functions. You can even find “smart phones”, that combine a cell phone, planner, and even an Mp3 player all in one little package.

If you like the idea of keeping track of your schedule electronically, but don’t want to spend a lot of money on a PDA or smart phone, you can use a program such as Outlook or Google Calendar. One of the features of Google Calendar is that you can share your calendar with other users.

This can be helpful if you plan a lot of events (such as pot-luck dinners, game nights, etc) and want to let all of your family and friends know about them easily. You may want to keep that calendar separate from your personal calendar, though. Not everyone needs to know when your next dentist appointment is.

The white board / bulletin board option is great for those that like to have a lot of room to write or who are very visual. One board can be hung in the kitchen to divvy up household chores among family members or to keep track of everyone’s appointments, games, and so forth.

Another board can be kept in your home office to keep track of your work, household bills, and other things. If you work on multiple projects, you may want to have several boards, so you can easily see what needs to be done for each project.