Archive for Work at Home

How To Use Online Platforms To Turn Your Blogging Hobby Into A Money Making Business

November 20, 2012 at 6:00 am · Filed under Work at Home ·Tagged , , , , , ,

I see that a lot of people have turned Blogging into a great hobby that they love.  The question is are you making money at it?  While you may never become a millionaire off of blogging, you can certainly make a great supplemental income and depending on your expertise, a very comfortable living.

There are many legitimate websites that offer paying projects both long and short-term looking for bloggers just like you.  Let’s face it, not all of us were created with a lot of creativity and great writing skills. That is why these projects are posted.  Business owners are looking to gain visibility through blog posts and article writing and they need to find a cost effective solution to get their topics written and out there.

I personally have a top 5 favorite list of sites that offer home-based work on a consistent basis and offer great pay.  You can literally start turning your hobby into a money-making business this week if you know where to look and how to respond to the project offers.

Since 2006, I have built a successful business around using just these websites.  Many sites are free to use and others have a very minimal fee. I have learned the secrets to standing out amongst the crowd and I now teach others how to create a Business around the Lifestyle they want.  You can work from home and get paid to do something that you love.  It is a win-win scenario.

Imagine being able to tell your friends and family that you work from home and make a successful living.  How jealous would they be?  That is the ultimate dream for many.  You can turn this dream into a reality if you know the best places to look.  Turn 2013 into your best year ever and start turning your hobby into a money-making business.

Dawn

Business Lifestyle Architect

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How To Create A Winning Freelance Proposal

November 15, 2012 at 10:55 am · Filed under Virtual Assistant Tips, Work at Home ·Tagged , , , , , ,

Responding to RFP’s or request’s for proposals are a regular part of a Freelancer’s day.  Bidding on new projects quickly and regularly is essential to your success.  In fact, it’s a critical ingredient that will determine your success.

When you work from home and bid on online projects, it is much different than applying to a brick and mortar business.  Applying to a brick and mortar business means that you will likely be competing against fewer than 100 other applicants in your local area and the pay is already pre-determined.

When bidding online you might be competing against hundreds of thousands of other qualified applicants from all over the world and people will be bidding anywhere from $2 per hour to upwards of $75 per hour.  It is imperative that you find strategies to stand out no matter what project you are bidding on.

While the competition may be fierce, it is not impossible.  I have 3 tips to create a winning proposal that I have used over the years and have helped me stand out among the competition.

Tip #1 – Make your first sentence count.

Make sure the very first thing that you say is something that is catchy and automatically grabs the attention of the reader.  The reason you do this is because often times, only the first sentence shows up in your bid.  Unless the reader feels urged to open up the rest of your bid, they will not get to know more about you than the first sentence.

My suggestion is to start off with “10 years experience in Customer Service and Executive Assistance” or “Proven track record of winning web designs” and so on.  This is an attention grabbing statement that will make the reader want to continue reading. They will then open the entire proposal.

Tip #2 – Leave your personal life out of the proposal

I have hired several Virtual Assistants to help me in areas of my business and I cannot tell you the countless number of proposals I get that start off with “Hi, I’m Jane.  I’m a married stay at home mom that has 3 children.  I decided that I wanted to try the work at home thing etc.” or “My names Joe, I’m recently divorced and need some extra money, so I decided to start doing freelance work…”

Proposals that start off like that, I skip every time.  Just because you work from home, does not mean you should not exercise a certain level of professionalism.  While people might think it’s great that your married or divorced that has nothing to do with the business side of things.  Keep it straight, to the point and professional.

Tip #3 – Provide examples

Saying that you can do something and showing it, are two different things.  If the project you are bidding on is for an Excel Spreadsheet, show 3 examples of Excel Spreadsheets that you have completed.

If the project is for web design, provide examples of websites you have previously designed.  There is nothing worse than reading someone ramble on about how they think they would be a good fit for the project because they have 5 years of experience, but they do not have anything to back it up with.

Abiding by these 3 tips will dramatically increase your chances of winning your next project.  Always maintain a professional demeanor.  Your first impression is everything.

Dawn

Business Lifestyle Architect

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5 Tips To Stand Out In Your Online Business

November 13, 2012 at 9:31 am · Filed under Work at Home ·Tagged , , , , , , ,

It seems as if everything is conducted online anymore.  What that means for you is that every single day, your competition grows.  What worked for you 2 years ago might not be working now and you need to reevaluate regularly to change your plan of attack.

While you may have a great customer base, it’s important to maintain close relationships with your customers.  The latest and greatest competitor could be lurking right around the corner.  While face to face business is easier to maintain a relationship, you should conduct yourself online in a way that puts you in front of your customer regularly.

There are 5 tips that will help you stay in front of your customer and stand out even in an online setting.

Tip #1 – Send regular newsletters

Emailing your customer regularly will increase your chances that they will not forget about you.  Incorporate new things you are offering in your business and let them know what is going on.  Keeping them well informed will make them feel more like part of a community rather than just another number.

 Tip #2 – Start a customer loyalty or reward program

Car Dealerships do it and guess what?  Customers go back to take advantage of their discount time and time again.  So why shouldn’t you have one of these programs.

You might want to segment your list to people who have been buying from you for over a year and send them a discount coupon code a couple times a year for being a loyal customer.  If you have a new product, wait to release it to the public and give them first dibs on buying your product at a slightly reduced rate. This will make them feel like they are getting something no one else has.

Making your customer feel like they truly matter and get perks for doing business with you will make you look good and provide some great referrals.

 Tip #3 – Offer to feature your best customers in your newsletter

Having a great customer section in your newsletter where you spotlight some of your customers will give them that feeling of being famous and recognized as being a loyal customer.  Plus, that person will most likely forward your newsletter to everyone they know which in turn will grow your list.

Tip #4 – Support a charity

Nothing is more important than giving back and people love to do business with people who give back.  It means that customers money is contributing to a great cause.  Showcase on your website that a percentage of all profit goes to a specific charity.  Let them know several times per year how much money you have contributed to that charity and thank your customers.

Tip #5 – Handle discrepancies immediately

Nothing is worse than calling or emailing a company and not getting a response for days.  When customers are unhappy, they file claims with their payment facilities and that gives your business a bad rap.

Rectify the problem immediately.  Offer some type of consolation like an extra product of low cost for the inconvenience.  If they are adamant about just receiving their money after all efforts have been exhausted, then make sure to refund their money that day.

Following these 5 tips will help you stand out in the marketplace, increase referrals and keep your customers satisfied.  A satisfied customer is more likely to stay with a company they like even when prices increase because they know they will get great service and feel appreciated.

Dawn Chuma

Business Lifestyle Architect

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Create The Lifestyle You Have Always Wanted

November 12, 2012 at 12:36 pm · Filed under Work at Home ·Tagged , , , , , ,

Do you have what it takes to work from home?  Are you tech-savvy?  Do you love Customer Service?  Are you a great writer or graphic designer?  Do you love to blog and write articles?  Then why not get paid for doing what you love?

If you have any skill or skills that can be completed online, then you too can work from home and start building a business that works around the lifestyle you want.

Believe me, I have been working from home since 2006 and through trial and error have learned the secrets, techniques and strategies that will win you project after project and even secure long-term work.  Many of my clients I have been working with for well over a year.

Whether you are looking to supplement your income, increase your current WAH income or begin joining the work at home revolution,  I can help you turn your dream into a reality.  Working from home is not hard at all if you know the right places to look and know how to stand out from the crowd.

Lucky for you, I take the guesswork out of the equation.  I have already done the legwork and over the last 6 years, I have learned priceless information that I want to share with you.

If you are determined to build a successful business from home, then I invite you to attend one of my classes and workshops.  Soon you will be on your way to creating a comfortable lifestyle from the convenience of your home office.  Do you already have a service based Home-based business?  Let me help you take it to that next level of success.

Dawn
Business Lifestyle Architect

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A Home-Based Business That Actually Works

November 10, 2012 at 10:43 am · Filed under Work at Home ·Tagged , , , ,

Finding legitimate ways to work from home can be somewhat challenging.  Between, MLM, Copy and Paste, Pyramids, and a plethora of other scams, finding something that truly brings in money can be discouraging.

 While there are thousands of ridiculous get rich quick schemes, there are legitimate ways to earn a substantial living, working from home and doing something that you love.  Many websites specifically looking for home-based workers post projects both long and short term that require a specific skill set.

Some of these skills might include Customer Service, Data Entry, Web Design, Administrative Assistance, Accounting and so on.  You are able to bid on these projects and potentially land the job.

I, just like you, wasted a lot of money trying to find something that worked.  Then one day, I accidentally stumbled upon one of these websites and the rest is history.  I did not have a website when I started out, but I have been working like this for 6 years and I now do this full-time from home.

I learned the secret to placing a winning proposal, I learned the keys to an easily found profile and I used a bidding strategy that worked when I first got started that enabled me to bid higher and higher with each project I won.  I now pick the clients I want to work with and get paid what I am worth. 

 This is the only legitimate way that I have found to work from home and I am doing something that I love, using the skills that I am good at and enjoy.  It is not a get rich quick scheme but rather a great way to utilize your skills and provide a home based service to legitimate businesses.

Dawn Chuma – Business Lifestyle Architect
Helping you build a Business that works with your Lifestyle
Small Business Solutions in a BIG way!
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Working From Home – Do You Make The Cut?

November 8, 2012 at 11:59 am · Filed under Work at Home ·Tagged , , , ,

Many people view working from home as a laid back way to work, being able to meet up with friends for lunch at any time, sitting by the pool with your glass of wine and maybe your phone will ring or you will get an assignment to do something the week and money will just be falling into your bank account.

While that sounds all glitzy and glamorous, the reality is that it takes hard work, several hours a week, patience and a lot of elbow grease to start making significant money in your work from home career.  It is not as easy or simple as it may seem, but it definitely can be truly rewarding, fulfilling and challenging.  I happen to enjoy a good challenge so I get great personal and professional satisfaction from the work I do.

There are some highly necessary characteristics of successful at home workers.  These are necessary because the work does not just come to you, you have to go online and find it.  Responding to proposal after proposal takes time and there will be a lot of times you will not get picked.  Remember, when you are working from home, you are not just going up against 50 other people, you are going up against hundreds of thousands of other people from all over the world.

Learning to write a killer proposal that will get you noticed almost every time takes practice.  I can tell you that I have learned the secret to writing stand out proposals and because of that, I am able to work full time from home with the clients that I want to work for.

The characteristics you will need are:

Determination

Motivation

Multi-tasking

Highly Detail Oriented

Persistent

Organized

 

These are must haves in order to make the cut.  If this sounds like you, then you might want to start looking at your work from home options.  While there are many scams out there, I have found some of the true blue best websites to get started with your home-based career.

My newest class titled “From In Office To Home Office In 1 Year” is a 4 week Virtual Workshop that will give you step by step information on areas like creating a stand out profile, writing a winning proposal, responding to RFP’s, where to look for consistent projects and even more.

This one of a kind class will get you pointed in the right direction and if you are anything like me, you will be working full-time from home in no time.  Join me for life changing workshop where you will finally be able to take control of your life and your destiny.

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Business and That Feeling Of Alone

April 16, 2012 at 10:35 am · Filed under Business, Motivation, Work at Home ·Tagged , , , , , , , , ,

Today is one of those days when I feel completely isolated from the world.  Do you ever have one of those days?  When you feel like nobody could possibly understand the pressure you are under to perform, or you know you are giving 110% but it just doesn’t seem like it’s enough? Being an Entrepreneur is a VERY scary feeling.

That’s where I’m at today.  I have this awful cloud hanging over my head that gives me this terrible feeling in my stomach.  It’s making me question myself, wonder if I’m making the right decisions, if I’m taking all the right steps and honestly I really believe that I am.  I believe that everything happens for a reason.

About a week ago, I was listening to a free call that Ali Brown had a few weeks ago.  She was talking about the alone feeling we have as Business Owners/Entrepreneurs, especially in the beginning phases when there is no one to talk to and all the icky feelings that we tend to go through alone.  No one else can really understand what you are going through unless they are walking in your shoes.

Ali also said that it’s during these times, the icky times, especially in women that we are about to step into our greatness.  Through these difficult, trying and almost impossible seeming times, we step into a new and improved version of ourselves.

Boy do I hope that’s the case, because I have never felt quite like this before.  I’m awe of everything I’ve done so far, proud of myself, excited but in the same breath I feel like I could fail, like I haven’t pushed myself far enough, like I’m teetering on the edge of a cliff and there is no one there to catch me.  I feel like no one out there has ever been through exactly what’s going on with me right now.

I had no idea that I would ever get this feeling.  Am I great at what I do?  Absolutely!  Am I determined to move forward and do bigger and better things?  For Sure!  Is it scary and nerve-wracking?  Definitely!

I don’t know what the future holds for me, but I hope throughout this icky I step into a new and improved version of myself because I’m ready.  I’m ready to take that leap of faith, I’m ready to move into uncharted territory and I am ready to step into my greatness.

If you too have that sense of feeling alone, you are not alone.  Keep your head up, the best has yet to come.  That’s what keeps me moving forward.  What keeps you moving forward?

 

Dawn Chuma

 

 

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Your Greatest Small Business Solution

April 9, 2012 at 12:00 pm · Filed under Business, Virtual Assistant Tips, Work at Home ·Tagged , , , , , , , ,

Have you ever wondered how some small businesses are thriving while you seem to barely keep your head above water?  Well there is one secret to highly successful and functional businesses and that secret is Virtual Assistance.

Did you know that there is a Virtual Provider for anything you need done in your business?  Whether you need a new website, newsletter designed, marketing assistance, administrative help or simple cold calling – there IS an industry specific VA for you.

I thoroughly enjoy coaching businesses on using a Virtual Assistant to get the leverage they need.  If you are afraid of using one,  unsure how they can REALLY help you, or maybe you just don’t know where to look – that’s okay and you are not alone.

I personally use Virtual Assistance in my own business to get everything I need done in a week.  Here are a few tips to finding the VA that’s right for you.

  • Get specific – Why hire a VA if they have no experience in your industry?  Target only VA’s that are experienced in your area of expertise
  • Create your profile – You have an ideal client profile, so why not have an Ideal Virtual Assistant profile?  Define your needs, express your wants and start looking.  There WILL be a match for you.  You just have to ask the right questions.
  • Start with a Trial Period – I recommend this to even the clients who want to use me.  Start with a simple 2 week or 1 month period to see if it is a great match on both ends.  Just because a Virtual Provider has a great track record and a vast client base, doesn’t mean they will be the right one for YOU.  So dip your feet in the water first before you jump in head first.

Once you find the VA that you know whole-heartedly is going to make a big difference in your business, you will soon find out what a worth while investment you have made.

 

Dawn Chuma

Goal Activation Catalyst

http://www.dawnchuma.com

 

 

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Planning Phase of Project Management

April 6, 2012 at 7:18 am · Filed under Business, Project Management, Work at Home ·Tagged , , , , , , , , , , ,

Planning plays a vital role in the Project Management World. It makes sure that the project is in the best quality, on time, cost effective and finally satisfies the  objective of the project.

There are 5 areas that you will want to look at when you are in the planning phase of Project Management.

Project Specification

The project manager ensures that there is a common perception between the about each and every process of the project.

There are several benefits for a written agreement with specifications to help reduce misunderstandings, conflicting assumptions and ensure clarity about tasks to be performed and delivered

Project Deliverables

Here what the project sets out to achieve is clearly quantified with timelines and cost estimates.

Project Schedule

 This defines what needs to be done and when, resources needed

Resource Plan

This lists out  the individuals and organizations which play a leading role in the project. It also describes the importance of the roles and responsibilities of each individual involved in the project.

Communications Plan

Good communication ensures that all people working on the project are on the same page

A Monthly or weekly report is a common tool for communication. It helps to identify the performance of the project, milestones or targets achieved and tasks planned for the next period.

Dawn Chuma

Goal Activation Catalyst

www.dawnchuma.com

Risk Management Plan

 

Every project faces some unforeseen problems that affect its chances of success. It is important to spend good amount of time and thought to what possibly can go wrong and make plans to preempt or at least contain it.

Some common project risks are too optimistic time and cost estimates, slow approvals and decision making, fuzzy roles and responsibilities, change in project scope and content, poor communication resulting in misunderstandings, delays, cost overruns, quality problems and rework and lack of resource commitment.

 

Testing and Quality

 

A plan is never complete without a clear provision for testing with well laid out testing procedures and parameters for each stage of the project.

Project managers who have a track record of completing projects successfully with satisfaction to all stakeholders know the importance of planning and spend a lot of time coming up with a detailed and jointly agreed plan. Good planning is half the battle won.

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What Exactly is a Project Manager?

April 2, 2012 at 8:00 am · Filed under Business, Virtual Assistant Tips, Work at Home ·Tagged , , , , , , , , , , ,

So your wondering what a Project Manager really is?  A Project Manager is an integral part of any Business and can essentially take a lot of pressure off of the Business Owner and facilitate projects with ease.

A Virtual Project Manager (like myself) is one who does this from a remote location to save you money and increase productivity.

There are 5 phases associated with Project Management and this is what a Project Manager (PM) will do for you.

1.) Plan

2.) Lead

3.) Manage

4.) Secure

5.) Execute

Over my next few blog posts I will be going a little more in depth on what each phase means.  From where I sit, anyone who has a business needs a PM.  When you have a PM it says to your customers “I know what I’m doing”.  Wouldn’t you like to send that message?

 

Dawn Chuma

Goal Activation Catalyst

http://www.dawnchuma.com

 

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