9 Tools to Help Your Virtual Team Succeed

In our last article, we gave you 10 Key Questions to Ask during the Interview and prior to that we shared 4 Tips on Writing a Great Job Post.

Now that you’ve hopefully found your virtual professional, we wanted to share some tools to that can help you and your team be more efficient, effective and organized. Below you’ll find a variety of tools from time tracking to management to organization to help your team soar to success!

Harvest makes it easy for users to keep track of the time users spend on tasks and projects. It also allows you to spot trends and compares someone’s work hours vs their capacity week over week. Here are four other time tracking options to consider.

Slack– a platform to connect teams with apps, services and resources. From Slack’s website, “When your team needs to kick off a project, hire a new employee, deploy some code, review a sales contract, finalize next year’s budget, measure an A/B test, plan your next office opening, and more, Slack has you covered.”

Loom allows you to connect with your team via videos. You can record yourself, your screen or both. Save time by videoing notes, how-tos, directions, and more without spending valuable time emailing back and forth.

Asana  is a free team management tool that allows you to delegate and organize tasks into projects. You can track the progress of group projects while also displaying individual to-do lists.

Trello is a task management tool that gives you a visual overview of what is being worked on, who is working on it and what’s next to do.

Zoom is a great tool if you are looking for face-to-face meetings, a way to share your screen or conduct online meetings.

DropBox and Google Docs let you share and access files remotely. No more emailing files back and forth, now you can easily edit and share files instantly.

idonethis makes it easy for your team to provide quick daily status updates and helps you run your team more efficiently.

And don’t forget we offer, our personal “Small Business Concierge Service” which includes:

    • consultation to learn about the position,
    • writing a professional, descriptive and thorough job post,
    • posting the job on our website (once approved by client),
    • reviewing all applicant resumes and cover letters, including a check of LinkedIn to reality check the resume.
    • Scheduling interviews – Reach out to selected candidates, coordinate interview scheduling,
    • Interviews -prep & conduct interviews, record interview notes, save interview recordings, etc. ,
    • Select top candidate(s) to pass along to client, write candidate summaries, upload interview video file(s) to Dropbox, email client with resume, summary and link to video file.
    • Follow up with client, answer questions about candidates, etc.
    • Wrap-up – Send turndown email to candidates interviewed but not selected, etc. along with final notes.

Contact us for details!

 

 

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10 Action Steps To Go From Corporate Job To Working From Home

So you’ve made the decision to transition out of that corporate job into working from home. Let us be the first to congratulate and celebrate with you! As a mom who made that same decision for her life and family and as a business woman working with mom professionals for over 20 years, I know full well what a huge stepping stone this is for you.

 

While this is an exciting time of change and looking forward to a bright future of following your passions and doing things your way, it can also be a scary time full of uncertainty and unique challenges that you did not face with a corporate career.

 

Here are 10 actions steps based on my own personal experiences, advice from mentors and networking with other moms who have successfully transitioned from a corporate job to working from home to help you navigate this new territory.

 

1.  Fire Your Fears

You fired your boss and now you will have to learn how to fire your fears. Fear of the unknown, fear of failure, fear of not having all the answers, fear of doubt, fear of comparison and yes even the fear of success and the responsibility that comes with it. While a corporate job is not perfect there is a certain level of assurances like knowing where your next paycheck will come from.

 

Doubt will creep in at times so embracing that as a new normal, one that everyone goes through, will help you work through those moments a lot easier. You know yourself best and what works so make a plan of how you will feel the fear and push forward any way (prayer, meditation, exercise, etc.)

 

2. Create A Schedule

There is something to be said for having a routine. Most humans thrive with one and for us moms, a schedule is a necessity. With a corporate job you surely had a time you needed to be up and a time the kids needed to be dressed in order to make it out the door on time or your day most likely got thrown out of whack.

 

While having an at home business has the advantages of flexibility to work when you want, how you want and where you want at the same time without a schedule your day will feel like a free for all and your productivity will be minimal. It will probably take some tweaking to figure out what works but having a daily schedule will be crucial to your success.

 

Some tips of the trade include batching your work on certain days like for phone calls, computer work and for running errands. Sure, there will be hiccups along the way but a schedule ensures you can quickly get back on track. Communicate with your family so they know what to expect; time you have set aside for work and time for family.

 

3. Develop A Network

Working from home can be a huge blessing, without a doubt, but it can also feel isolating. Relationships you had through your corporate job may even fade away as others don’t understand or unfortunately feel jealousy about your new path. Having a network of like minded moms who understand the struggles of mompreneurship can be a priceless asset for you to tap into.

 

4. Consult An Accountant

Being your own boss comes with it’s perks like business expenses and tax write offs but it’s important to know up front how to run your business legally and professionally so there are no surprises down the road. Depending on your state, you could be required to create an LLC or DBA and file for a federal tax ID number in order to do business. Find out these requirements up front and put a system into place for tracking your business expenses. Tools like FreshBooks and QuickBooks are great resources to help keep you organized.

 

5. Create A Vision Of What You Want

Setting goals is a measurable way of tracking your home business ambitions. Take some time to create a clear vision of:

  • How much income you want/need on a monthly basis

  • The number of clients you need each month to reach that goal

  • What a life of having a full time business doing what you love looks like

  • How you want to feel as your own boss

  • How you will use your business to serve and give back to others

 

6. Stand Confidently In Who You Are

You will soon find the world of business ownership to be a very noisy one. There is no shortage of “experts” out there trying to tell others the best way to run a business. While mentoring and coaching can be beneficial it’s also important that you stay out of the advice rabbit hole and stand firmly in who you are and what you want for your life and business. This will require putting on a filter and using discernment to sort through the make $10K your first month sales pitches, fear of missing out marketing tactics and gurus selling programs.

 

7. Get Up And Running

While it’s okay to plan out your business and approach it in an organized fashion, you will also have to let go of things like perfectionism and having all the answers before taking action. This journey will require taking leaps of faith and being okay with building your wings on the way down. You will make mistakes but you will also learn from them in order to do it better next time. If you sit around trying to create the perfect website, perfect business cards, perfect marketing strategy before taking action you will be sitting stagnant and definitely not making progress to reach your goals.

Focus on the most important pieces of your business that you need to get up and running and go find your first client.

 

8. Hire A Coach

Running a home based business will come with it’s unique challenges and require you to tap into yourself in a way that you may never have before. Hiring a business coach can be a great asset in helping you navigate this transition more smoothly so you aren’t figuring it all out on your own (saving you time and money). This may or may not be in the budget. If it is, do your due diligence and find a coach that specializes in the areas you need most.

If hiring a coach is not in the budget right now, seek out business coaches and learn as much as you can from them through their free tools like blog posts, email newsletters, etc. until you can afford more one on one coaching.

 

9. Have A Creative Outlet

While there is a lot of marketing out there referring a home based business to things like “the dream lifestyle you can do from your laptop while sitting at the beach” it’s far from being that glamorous especially for someone just starting out. It’s not a path free from stress, actually quite the contrary so while you need to have a plan for how you will run your business it’s equally important to have a plan of how you will decompress.

 

Having a home based business means you can make more time for the things you love to do so do them. Read more books, go for more walks, do more painting, play your piano more. As you make plans for how you will work, don’t forget to also make plans for how you will play and enjoy life.

 

10. Get Frugal

Transitioning from corporate job and stable income into a home based business with fluctuating revenue means you will have to rethink your spending habits. Adopt a budget and get more frugal to guard yourself from financial stresses. Running a business and navigating these new waters will be hard enough without adding money problems to it.

Shop more thrift stores, clip more coupons, go through your expenses and see where you can trim some fat. There is no shame in being frugal, it’s a smart savvy way to live especially while starting up a new business.

 

I hope these action steps have inspired you as you transition from corporate woman to CEO Mom Professional! I believe in you and I pray you know God does too.

 

If you found these tips helpful be sure to pin it to a Pinterest board so you can easily find it later. Are you looking for more support as a mom professional transitioning out of the corporate arena to running a full time business from home? Join our community of mom professionals and check out our latest job postings.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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3 Mistakes to Avoid When Hiring a Virtual Professional

Hiring someone to work for you off-site means you don’t have the luxury of meeting them or training them in person. And because of that, there are some things you should know to help make the working relationship more successful from the start.

Don’t hire by the resume alone

Hiring someone is more than just their experience on a piece of paper. You’ll want to interview over Zoom, Skype or similar tool that allows you to meet them face to face.

Ask how they manage working independently? What other jobs have they had working virtually for someone? What mistakes did they make? What did they learn?  Ask them about their organization skills and how they organize their day? What motivates them? What distracts them? Also be sure to talk to their references to get a feel for how they viewed the quality of their work.

Always ask for references and check them! You’ll want to know what type of employee (or contractor) they were. Were they reliable? Did they do a good job? What areas did they not do so good in? Are they trustworthy? Would they hire them again?

Request a background check through SafetyPin (Digital Trust Badge) especially if they will be dealing with private or sensitive information or have access to any private information.

 

Don’t assume they’ll know how you want it done

Before you hire virtual help, be clear about what you want done, how and when you want it done. The more clear you can be and the more meticulous your instructions, the better opportunity your new hire has of understanding and succeeding at this new role.

Create a Google Doc and add procedures and instructions that can be modified and added to the role develops.  The more implicit your instructions, the better chance you have of someone doing things how you want them done.

 

Don’t neglect to check in

For the first month or two, plan to check in regularly about progress and questions. You should be able to tell pretty quickly if the work is being done correctly. If not, determine what changes need to be made. Set parameters, guidelines and/or deadlines that need to be met.

Set up ways to monitor their progress going forward. You may want them to copy you on emails if they are responding on behalf of your business or send weekly reports of tasks completed so that you can check them initially to make sure the job is being done correctly and has been understood. If applicable, use collaboration tools such as Slack, BasecampAsana or Trello so that you can monitor, collaborate and train as needed.

Progress checks and regular communication are the main keys to success once you’ve hired your virtual professional. Follow these tips and your chances of success will skyrocket!

If you are looking for a virtual professional, be sure to check out the awesome talent on HireMyMom.com.

And don’t forget we offer, our personal “Small Business Concierge Service” which includes:

    • consultation to learn about the position,
    • writing a professional, descriptive and thorough job post,
    • posting the job on our website (once approved by client),
    • reviewing all applicant resumes and cover letters, including a check of LinkedIn to reality check the resume.
    • Scheduling interviews – Reach out to selected candidates, coordinate interview scheduling,
    • Interviews -prep & conduct interviews, record interview notes, save interview recordings, etc. ,
    • Select top candidate(s) to pass along to client, write candidate summaries, upload interview video file(s) to Dropbox, email client with resume, summary and link to video file.
    • Follow up with client, answer questions about candidates, etc.
    • Wrap-up – Send turndown email to candidates interviewed but not selected, etc. along with final notes.

Contact us for details!

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Top 7 Virtual Jobs for Moms

Work at Home Jobs for Moms

Becoming a mom has a way of changing a woman’s outlook on her career path. I know it did for me. I had just finished my Master’s degree and started my first job when I got pregnant with our daughter. I had zero intentions of being a stay-at-home mom at the time. However, motherhood had a tremendous impact on me. I soon discovered, I wanted nothing to do with leaving my baby every day.

That’s when I began my work-at-home journey. Working from home provides a wonderful opportunity to create a more flexible schedule that many modern moms are looking for.

If that’s what you’ve been looking for, we’ve put together the top seven work at home jobs as well as common tasks associated with them. We’ve also included online training programs to help you enhance your skills in whichever category you are most interested in.

 

Virtual Assistant

The role of a Virtual Assistant (VA) varies quite a bit depending on the needs of each business. Some typical tasks VAs may perform include:

  • Respond to clients and customers by email, phone and online chat,
  • Perform routine administrative duties,
  • Book appointments or schedule travel,
  • Manage projects,
  • Research various topics or industries related to the business,
  • Create and maintain spreadsheets, databases or other documents,
  • Make simple edits or updates to website,
  • Monitor social media and respond to comments and questions,
  • Give feedback from customers and make suggestions for improvement.

The hourly rate for a Virtual Assistant typically ranges from $15-35 per hour. However this can vary depending on difficulty of duties, expertise of the VA and other factors. If you are looking for online training to become a VA, check out the Virtual Savvy’s Training Program or the Free Mama’s Training Program. Both of them have free options.  Find other training options here. 

 

Social Media Manager

A Social Media Manager works with the business to create engaging content that offers value to its audience and ultimately results in growth in followers as well as increased sales for the company. Some typical duties may include:

  • Create engaging content for social media channels,
  • Create images using Canva, WordSwag, Typorama or similar services,
  • Create ad campaigns for various social media channels,
  • Respond and interact with followers on social media,
  • Build relationships with influencers,
  • Create a content calendar and schedule content to be posted,
  • Share blog posts on social media platforms,
  • Cultivate leads and sales from social media posts.

The average hourly rate for a Social Media Manager ranges from $15-25 per hour. However this can vary depending on level of experience, job duties and other factors. A great training program to help you become more of an expert on social media and stand out to businesses seeking social media help is: The Complete Digital Marketing Course.

 

Copywriter / Writer / Blogger

A Copywriter writes and edit articles, blogs or copy for a variety of purposes such as:

  • Website copy,
  • Marketing materials,
  • Email marketing,
  • Blogs articles for specific audiences or industries,
  • Ghostwriting articles for business owners.

The hourly rate for a Copywriter can range from $20-40 per hour depending on the level of expertise required, the experience of the writer as well as other factors. Here are a couple of online training program if you want to take your writing skills to the next level: Content is King: How to Write Killer Content for the Web or Content Marketing Masterclass – Create Content that Sells.

 

Accountant / Bookkeeper 

With Cloud-based accounting programs available (such as FreshBooks), a virtual bookkeeper or accountant can access the company’s records remotely to perform duties for the company. An accountant or bookkeeper may perform duties such:

  • Record transactions,
  • Balance bank accounts,
  • Prepare and send invoices,
  • Reconcile invoices and bank accounts,
  • Maintain financial records,
    • Produce balance sheets, income statements and other financial documents,
    • Prepare payroll and tax reports.

The average hourly rate for a bookkeeper ranges from $20-25 per hour. However the pay rate can vary depending on tasks asked to perform, experience required and other factors. Check out this training program if you want to learn the basics of bookkeeping: Bookkeeping Course for Stay-at-Home Parents.

 

Business Development Specialist

A Business Development Specialist is someone who identifies and pursues new leads and looks for ways to help the business continually grow. Some typical duties include:

  • Research and make a list of potential industries and specific customers to approach,
  • Prepare marketing and communication materials such as outreach emails,
  • Connect with influencers, bloggers and brands to build relationships,
  • Develop and maintain client relationships,
  • Create and maintain a database of all contacts,
  • Develop and refine growth strategies for the business.

The average hourly rate for a Business Development Specialist is $25-40 per hour. However this can vary depending on difficulty of duties, expertise of candidates and other factors. Check out this online course: Business Development Blueprint – Accelerate Business Growth.

 

Project Manager 

A project manager coordinates and oversees all aspects of a project. Some typical tasks may include:

 

  • Oversee projects and coordinate team members,
  • Manage administrative duties of the project,
  • Monitor project performance and make needed adjustments,
  • Plan and schedule team member meetings,
  • Collaborate and communicate with team members,
  • Make recommendations as necessary for project success.

 

The average hourly rate for a Project Manager is $20-40 per hour. However this can vary depending on the level of difficulty of the project, candidate’s expertise and other factors. This course will teach you the basics of project management:  Beginning Project Management: Project Management Level One

 

Client Service Specialists / Customer Service

A Client Service Specialist (or Customer Service Rep) is the main point of contact for many small businesses. This person represents the company with professionalism and a friendly demeanor. Some businesses also hire Virtual Assistants to fulfill this job role. Some duties of this job may include:

  • Respond to clients and customers via phone, email or online,
  • Learn and be familiar with company, products and services to answer questions well,
  • Follow up with customers to ensure the product or service has met their expectations,
  • Offer friendly, helpful solutions when clients have an issue or problem,
  • Provide feedback from clients to the team and suggest ideas to improve client satisfaction.

The average hourly rate for a Client Service Specialists is $13-18/hour. However this can vary depending on difficulty of duties, expertise required and other factors. You can improve your skills and make yourself more marketable by taking an online course like: Customer Success Manager 101: Foundations to your CSM Career.

Other work-at-home jobs include: WordPress Experts, Facebook Ad Specialists, Researchers, LinkedIn Specialists, Medical Billing, Instagram & Pinterest Specialists, Sales, Graphic Designers, Web Designers, Coordinators, Public Relations, Transcriptionists, Tech Support, and others. If you are looking for training in any of those categories, check out other online courses offered here.

Whether you are creative, organized, detail-oriented or a numbers person, there’s an opportunity for you. Take some time to think about where your gifts, passions and talents are and take the leap to finding the perfect work-at-home job for you!

If you’d like to search the current job postings on HireMyMom.com, click here and see if your dream job is waiting for you!

 

Have questions about working from home? Check out our FAQ or contact us!

 

This article contains affiliate links to courses and resources. We may receive a commission for purchases made through these links.

 

 

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2019 Small Business Conference Resource List

Conferences are an excellent way to learn new ways of growing and improving your small business. They also provide a great way to learn new trends, tools and resources. Another great benefit to conferences is that they are a great way to network and meet others in your same or similar industries where you can connect and learn.

And let’s face it, if you work from a home office or a small office, just getting outside those four walls can inspire and motivate you in new ways! So here are some Small Business Conferences we have gathered for you.

 

Small Business Expo

12/10/19

Houston, TX

Free

https://www.thesmallbusinessexpo.com

Social Media Marketing, Search Engine Optimization, Sales Strategies, Website Best Practices, Legal Tips & Pitfalls to Avoid, Business Budgeting & Planning, Marketing on a Budget, New Technology Demos, And many, many more!

 

Small Business Expo

12/17/19

Austin, TX

Free

https://www.thesmallbusinessexpo.com

Social Media Marketing, Search Engine Optimization, Sales Strategies, Website Best Practices, Legal Tips & Pitfalls to Avoid, Business Budgeting & Planning, Marketing on a Budget, New Technology Demos, And many, many more!

 

Know of any other small business conferences not listed?

Please send them to us!

 

 

Past Events:

 

Tony Robbins: Business Mastery

1/26/19

Palm Beach, FL

Price not listed

https://www.tonyrobbins.com/events

Learn from industry leaders, gain an edge on your competition, realize the #1 chokehold to growth, increase your profitability, grow your business 30-120%

 

10X Growth Conference

2/1- 2/3/2019

Miami, FL

$147-$347

https://10xgrowthcon.com/

Learn strategies from the most successful entrepreneurs that will guarantee you to 10X Your Business, 10X Your Income and 10X Your Life

 

Small Business Expo

2/6/19

Dallas, TX

Free

https://www.thesmallbusinessexpo.com

Social Media Marketing, Search Engine Optimization, Sales Strategies, Website Best Practices, Legal Tips & Pitfalls to Avoid, Business Budgeting & Planning, Marketing on a Budget, New Technology Demos, And many, many more!

 

Startup Grind

2/12- 2/13/2019

Redwood City, CA

Full Access price:  $795 ( early bird until Jan 16- $355)

https://www.startupgrind.com/conference/

Roster of world-class speakers, thousands of entrepreneurs and innovators looking to build relationships, hours of impactful networking and partner opportunities

 

Small Business Expo

2/13/19

Miami, FL

Free

https://www.thesmallbusinessexpo.com

Social Media Marketing, Search Engine Optimization, Sales Strategies, Website Best Practices, Legal Tips & Pitfalls to Avoid, Business Budgeting & Planning, Marketing on a Budget, New Technology Demos, And many, many more!

 

EntreLeadership 1-Day

2/19/19

Grand Rapids, MI

Price TBD upon completion of submitted form

https://www.entreleadership.com/all-events

Businesses or leaders at any level.Knowledge and tactics to give you and your business the edge in a market that’s constantly changing

 

PubCon

3/5-3/7/2019

Fort Lauderdale, FL

Platinum Pricing All Access Pass: $799
Gold Badge:  $699
Networking Badge: $499

https://www.pubcon.com/

Insights and techniques in SEO, PPC, social media, content marketing, paid social, local search, Google Analytics and more that will help them revamp and improve their online marketing strategies.

SXSW Entrepreneurship & Startups

3/8- 3/17/2019

Austin, TX

Prices: Badges range in price from $495- $1450

https://www.sxsw.com/conference/entrepreneurship-and-startups/

The Entrepreneurship & Startups Track brings together founders and funders of all stages to talk about current best practices as well as the most exciting new companies and services across industries.

Tony Robbins: Unleash the Power Within Conference 

3/14/19

Los Angeles, CA

price not listed

https://www.tonyrobbins.com/events/

Learn secrets to peak performance, discover the 3 steps to change, master the skills of rapport, decide what you want most in life, dramatically increase your energy.

Social Media Marketing World

3/20-3/22/2019

San Diego, CA

Price Rangs from $297- $1337

https://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/smmworld

Social Media Marketing Tips from World’s Top Experts

Small Business Expo

3/28/19

Charlotte, NC

Free

https://www.thesmallbusinessexpo.com

Social Media Marketing, Search Engine Optimization, Sales Strategies, Website Best Practices, Legal Tips & Pitfalls to Avoid, Business Budgeting & Planning, Marketing on a Budget, New Technology Demos, And many, many more!

 

Global Entrepreneurship and Business Management Summit

 

4/10- 4/11/2019

Toronto, ON

Business Speaker Price: $599
Entreprenuer Price: $599
Exhibition/Vendor: $2039

https://entrepreneurship.global-summit.com/

Innovation and Latest Trends of Entrepreneurship

 

Small Business Expo

4/12/19

Philadelphia, PA

Free

https://www.thesmallbusinessexpo.com

Social Media Marketing, Search Engine Optimization, Sales Strategies, Website Best Practices, Legal Tips & Pitfalls to Avoid, Business Budgeting & Planning, Marketing on a Budget, New Technology Demos, And many, many more!

 

Small Business Expo

4/17/19

Orlando, FL

Free

https://www.thesmallbusinessexpo.com

Social Media Marketing, Search Engine Optimization, Sales Strategies, Website Best Practices, Legal Tips & Pitfalls to Avoid, Business Budgeting & Planning, Marketing on a Budget, New Technology Demos, And many, many more!

 

Summit 2019

4/28/19- 5/1/19

San Diego, CA

Price TBD upon completion of submitted form

https://www.entreleadership.com/all-events

Business owners, senior/mid-level leaders, leaders looking to grow. Business and leadership strategies that you can immediately implement in your organization.

 

Small Business Expo

5/1/19

Boston, MA

Free

https://www.thesmallbusinessexpo.com

Social Media Marketing, Search Engine Optimization, Sales Strategies, Website Best Practices, Legal Tips & Pitfalls to Avoid, Business Budgeting & Planning, Marketing on a Budget, New Technology Demos, And many, many more!

 

99u

5/8-5/10/2019

NYC

Price: Badge- $999

https://conference.99u.com/

Hands-on workshops give you a chance to dive into new disciplines, trends, and technologies. 99U provides you with endless opportunities to meet fellow attendees and get exposed to new ideas

 

Small Business Expo

5/9/19

Washington, DC

Free

https://www.thesmallbusinessexpo.com

Social Media Marketing, Search Engine Optimization, Sales Strategies, Website Best Practices, Legal Tips & Pitfalls to Avoid, Business Budgeting & Planning, Marketing on a Budget, New Technology Demos, And many, many more!

 

Small Business Expo

6/5/19

New York City, NY

Free

https://www.thesmallbusinessexpo.com

Social Media Marketing, Search Engine Optimization, Sales Strategies, Website Best Practices, Legal Tips & Pitfalls to Avoid, Business Budgeting & Planning, Marketing on a Budget, New Technology Demos, And many, many more!

 

Small Business Expo

6/20/19

Chicago, IL

Free

https://www.thesmallbusinessexpo.com

Social Media Marketing, Search Engine Optimization, Sales Strategies, Website Best Practices, Legal Tips & Pitfalls to Avoid, Business Budgeting & Planning, Marketing on a Budget, New Technology Demos, And many, many more!

 

Entrepreneurs Cruise

7/7-7/14/2019

Orlando, FL

Cruise Event Pass: All Access Pass $697 ( family members are free)
Booking Cabin for Cruise ( price ranges from $1500- $2000

https://entrepreneurscruise.com

Content Strategy, Web Experience Management, Usability/Design, Mobile Marketing, Customer Engagement, Social Media, Targeting & Optimization, Branded Search, Marketing Automation, Analytics & Data

 

Tech Cruise

7/7-7/14/2019

Orlando, FL

Cruise Event Pass: All Access Pass $697 ( family members are free)
Booking Cabin for Cruise ( price ranges from $1500- $2000

https://techcruise.co/

Content Strategy, Web Experience Management, Usability/Design, Mobile Marketing, Customer Engagement, Social Media, Targeting & Optimization, Branded Search, Marketing Automation, Analytics & Data

Small Business Expo

8/22/19

San Francisco, CA

Free

https://www.thesmallbusinessexpo.com

Social Media Marketing, Search Engine Optimization, Sales Strategies, Website Best Practices, Legal Tips & Pitfalls to Avoid, Business Budgeting & Planning, Marketing on a Budget, New Technology Demos, And many, many more!

 

Small Business Expo

9/27/19

San Diego, CA

Free

https://www.thesmallbusinessexpo.com

Social Media Marketing, Search Engine Optimization, Sales Strategies, Website Best Practices, Legal Tips & Pitfalls to Avoid, Business Budgeting & Planning, Marketing on a Budget, New Technology Demos, And many, many more!

 

Tony Robbins: Leadership Academy

9/30/19

San Diego, CA

price not listed

https://www.tonyrobbins.com/events/

Master 3 mandates of leadership, learn 7 steps of lasting change, hone your unique leadership style, persuade and captivate an audience, tools to coach and empower others

 

Small Business Expo

10/24/19

Phoenix, AZ

Free

https://www.thesmallbusinessexpo.com

Social Media Marketing, Search Engine Optimization, Sales Strategies, Website Best Practices, Legal Tips & Pitfalls to Avoid, Business Budgeting & Planning, Marketing on a Budget, New Technology Demos, And many, many more!

 

Small Business Expo

10/30/19

Los Angeles, CA

Free

https://www.thesmallbusinessexpo.com

Social Media Marketing, Search Engine Optimization, Sales Strategies, Website Best Practices, Legal Tips & Pitfalls to Avoid, Business Budgeting & Planning, Marketing on a Budget, New Technology Demos, And many, many more!

 

Master Series

11/3-11/7/2019

Nashville, TN

Price TBD upon completion of submitted form

https://www.entreleadership.com/all-events

Business owners and leaders who make ownership decisions at their company. A definitive operational plan for scaling your business

 

Small Business Expo

11/14/19

Atlanta, GA

Free

https://www.thesmallbusinessexpo.com

Social Media Marketing, Search Engine Optimization, Sales Strategies, Website Best Practices, Legal Tips & Pitfalls to Avoid, Business Budgeting & Planning, Marketing on a Budget, New Technology Demos, And many, many more!

 

Small Business Expo

11/20/19

Brooklyn, NY

Free

https://www.thesmallbusinessexpo.com

Social Media Marketing, Search Engine Optimization, Sales Strategies, Website Best Practices, Legal Tips & Pitfalls to Avoid, Business Budgeting & Planning, Marketing on a Budget, New Technology Demos, And many, many more!

 

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3 Steps to an Amazing New Year

The beginning of a new year is always a great time to reflect on where we are and where we want to be. Focusing on where we can improve and making a plan to get there is imperative. Here are 3 steps to getting your year off to a great start. 

 

First Things First: Get Organized

The new year is a great time to get organized. Start with your desk. If your desk is messy, it will keep you from being productive. Keep only what’s necessary on your desk such as a to-do list and the current project you are working on. Create a filing system for everything else so that you can work without the distractions of everything else. 

Once your desk is organized it will help you focus better on your tasks at hand and motivate you to organize other areas.

 

Second: Set Small Goals 

Once you’ve gotten organized, set some small goals. Goal setting can be intimidating. Who wants to set some monumental goals only to never achieve them? You may have a big goal but you may find it easier to break it down into small daily goals. Once you have those set, you can add weekly goals and monthly goals.

Take some time and think about the different areas of your life (self-care, marriage, kids, health, fitness, career, spiritual, social, etc.) Now set aside a few minutes to set some small, achievable goals. Next turn those into a daily to-do list.

By setting monthly goals, you won’t be overwhelmed. And you won’t feel like quitting if you have a small set back. It’s all about making progress not expecting perfection.

 

Third: Accomplishing More with Time Blocking 

If you aren’t familiar with time blocking, it is a way to schedule your time for maximum productivity. You take your to-do list and create blocks of time on your calendar to complete those tasks. It reduces interruptions and allows you to focus on that one task until its done. You can start by setting up one day for time blocking which may consist of a 30 minute block for email, one hour for social media, and a two-to-four hour block for writing or a project that you want to complete.  The idea is to focus exclusively on the task at hand so you are not starting and stopping and wasting time. If you’d like more insight on time blocking, watch this video.

So there are your 3 steps to an amazing new year in 2019!

 

 

 

 

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4 Tips for Meal Planning on a Budget

We hear a lot about meal planning, but how can you do it in a way that keeps to your budget? Food can be expensive, and it helps to have a few money-saving tips before going shopping.

Read along for some of our tips for meal planning on a budget.

Plan ahead

The best thing you can do to save money is to plan. Map out each night with what you plan to make, and this will keep you on track.  Purchase a wall or refrigerator calendar and simply note each meal at the beginning of the week. A bonus to this is that it can also keep you on a healthy eating schedule! When your food is planned, purchased and ready to go, you’re less likely to veer off of your plan.

Eat seasonally

Fruit and vegetables that are in season are typically less expensive, as they’re easier for the stores to get.  Grocery stores have to pay more to import items that aren’t local.

To top it all off, seasonal fruits and veggies simply taste better!

Click here for a guide to eating seasonally.

Find the right recipe

By doing a simple Google search, you can find recipes that are inexpensive to make.  Certain blogs are even dedicated to budget eating, so it’s not difficult to find those options.  Many times, these recipes will give you a price per recipe or price per serving, which really allows you to budget accurately.

These days, inexpensive doesn’t mean unhealthy either.  There are plenty of options that incorporate fruits and veggies in a budget-friendly way, such as using frozen options.  They still pack a nutritional punch while being less expensive than the fresh varieties.

Factor in everything

Even though you might schedule out your perfect week of recipes and meal planning, don’t forget about other types of eating!

You might have dinner plans with a friend, a late meeting that will provide food, or simply the desire to have takeout once in a while.  To save money, factor this in! You can eliminate a few grocery store dollars when you remember that you’ll have food elsewhere.

Additionally, determine what’s reasonable for you and/or your family. If you eat larger portions, make sure to include that. If you’re often throwing food away or simply eating for one, reduce the recipe.

It’s important to really take the time to lay out your week, meal plan around this, and choose foods that are friendly to your budget.  If you stick to a routine like this, you should see a major difference in your food spending!

 

At HireMyMom we want to help our Mom Professionals thrive in business AND at home. We often provide free online training as well as have some super work at home jobs posted by small businesses around the country. Learn more about our memberships and how you can join a supportive faith-based community of Mom Professionals!

YES! Tell me more!

 

 

 

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5 Tips to Improve Your Writing

Writing is an important part of marketing and advertising these days. Even if you aren’t doing either of these things, you might still have a personal (or business) blog, or simply want to improve your writing skills. Whatever your reason for writing, we can always improve!

If you’ve ever wanted to expand upon your writing skills for personal or professional reasons, read along for some of our top tips.

Practice

If you want to improve your writing, you have to practice! This can begin with reading others’ writing – blogs, newspapers, books and magazines, to name a few, and going from there.

It might be helpful to start your own personal blog, or a blog based on your current industry.  If you don’t feel ready to publish for the world to see, write on your own time. You can create your own daily journal, or write a short story that’s updated on a weekly basis.

The more you write, the more comfortable you become. Once you’re comfortable writing, you can work to improve sentence structure, grammatical errors, and flow.

Gather feedback

When we write our own pieces, it’s hard to disconnect.  Ask a friend or family member to review your writing for errors, flow, and any other suggestions.

They can also let you know if you need to be more concise!  Sometimes we get on a roll with writing, and we tend to get a bit too wordy.

Develop your own style

To find your own style, begin by writing in a variety of ways.  From standard AP style to casual blogs, it all requires some different perspectives.  If you really want to improve in general, try to incorporate them all.

From here, you can discover what you like best! Discover your own style. Is it more conversational in nature? Do you enjoy technical writing?  You might stumble upon a skill or career that you never knew you had!

Tell stories

The best writing and presentations includes telling stories. People want to relate to you, so it’s important that you incorporate details that allow them to do that. Stories are always more interesting and give your audience something to relate to.

Whether you’re writing a more “dry” piece or writing for an entertainment magazine, short stories are intriguing.  You can write about the subject(s), something that happened to you, or a story from history that supports your premise.

Put yourself out there

Writing doesn’t have to be scary, nor do you have to be a professional to get started! You can create a free blog on sites such as WordPress, and it takes almost nothing to get started – just some time.

If you have a message or story to share with the world, put yourself out there on a regular basis. This can only improve your writing, as well as keep you writing on a consistent basis.

When you write often and always look for improvement, you’re well on your way to developing more skill and accuracy as a writer!

Keep learning. Keep growing!

At HireMyMom we want to help our Mom Professionals continue to learn and thrive in their business. We often provide free online training. Learn more about our memberships and how you can join a supportive faith-based community of Mom Professionals!

YES! Tell me more!

 

 

 

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Hire My Mom Success Story: Katrina Martin

Name: Katrina Martin

Location: Shelton, WA

What’s your success story with HireMyMom.com?

I was only a member for 1 quarter. I found a job within the first few weeks! 

What’s your educational and experiential background?

I have over 20 years’ experience in a broad range of fields including office management, customer service, purchasing, inventory, and personnel management.

What is your top tip (or tips) for landing a gig on HireMyMom.com?

I checked every day for new posts but I also looked at older posts, which is how I found my current position.

What’s your favorite thing about HireMyMom.com?

First and foremost, the quality of the leads.  The fact that they are vetted and legit is absolutely worth the cost of the membership.

What’s one fun fact about you?

I’ve been to China for a month last year and can’t wait to go back!

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