Finding A Balance By Debra Cohen Eight years ago I left a career as Vice President of Sales for an international publishing firm in Manhattan for a slightly less glamorous pursuit--motherhood. From an economic point of view, my decision to give up my career was a difficult one considering that my husband and I had just purchased our first home only months before. However, after many long discussions, we both agreed to tighten our belts because the sacrifice would ultimately be worth it. After a few months of full-time motherhood had passed, I realized that while I still wanted to be at home, I missed the stimulation of a career not to mention the income. I felt that my life had gone from one extreme (full time career) to another (full time motherhood) and I needed a more equitable balance in my life. I also wasn't completely comfortable with the notion of not contributing to the family funds when I knew that I was a capable and productive individual. I started to do some soul searching and created a mental checklist of what I enjoyed, what my abilities were, and what I was willing to invest both personally and financially in a career. At the same time as I was evaluating my career options, I was facing a challenge all too familiar to homeowners across the country: How to find reliable home improvement contractors? I spent many afternoons waiting for plumbers who never showed and listening to pest control experts trying to sell me services that I clearly didn't need. When I finally did stumble upon a talented professional who I felt I could trust, I kept his/her name close at hand for future reference. That's when my idea for a home-based business came to me and I decided to launch Home RemediesTM. Home Remedies of NYTM, Inc. is a comprehensive Homeowner Referral Network (HRN) which fills two important needs in the home improvement marketplace: 1) An HRN is a reliable resource for homeowners seeking dependable home improvement contractors such as painters, plumbers, carpenters, etc., and 2) It is an "outsourced" sales and marketing force for the contractors represented in the network. On a personal level, I knew that I could make this type of business work because it would capitalize upon my sales, marketing and organizational ability as well as satisfy my desire to feel as if I was helping others in some small way. The business could be operated out of my home, would require a minimal capital investment and would provide me with the stimulation and the income I needed. Just a few months later, after consulting with lawyers, insurance agents, accountants, family and friends, I put together a business plan and set up an office in our basement adjacent to my daughter's playroom. While the surroundings were far less glamorous than my former office in a posh midtown Manhattan duplex, they were functional and served my purposes to say the least. I scheduled my workday around my daughter's daily routine--morning TV hours and naptimes--and made the most of after dinner hours and weekends when my husband was around to help out. I found that with limited hours in the day to devote to my business, I was using my time more efficiently and was stimulated by the feeling of being productive again. It wasn't long after I had my network of contractors in place and started promoting my services that my phone was ringing with calls from homeowners! Now, eight later, Home RemediesTM has served more than 1000 homeowners in Nassau County, New York with jobs ranging from bathroom renovations, pest control and nursery design to floor refinishing, party entertainment and chauffeur services. I've become a resource in my community for reliable independent contractors who can handle virtually any household task. The contractors represented in my network and my clients have come to value my services and best of all, my days are productive and stimulating. When I look back at where I was just a few years ago, I realize how fortunate I am that I was able to find a balance between career and family that worked for me. Although I acknowledge that my accomplishments thus far were largely due to hard work, dedication and persistence, I also think that being able to listen to my instincts about what felt right to me and what didn't has played a large part in my success thus far. As far as the day-to-day balancing act of running a home based business and full-time motherhood, I simply try to get as much accomplished as I can each day without compromising my reason for staying at home in the first place--namely my family. Debra Cohen is President and founder of Home Remedies of NYTM, Inc. For more information about the HRN business, visit her web site at www.homereferralbiz.com or contact Ms. Cohen via e-mail at HomRemdies@aol.com or by telephone at (516) 374-8504. Permission granted for use on DrLaura.com. More >>

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"Help! I#146;m Freaking Out!" By Chellie Campbell Author of " The Wealthy Spirit: Daily Affirmations for Financial Stress Reduction " www.chellie.com Chellie@chellie.com "The Universe is responding to you in your NOW. So whatever you're feeling right NOW means that is what you are sending out vibrationally right NOW, which means that is what you are attracting to yourself right NOW, which means your future is FULL of a bunch of stuff that is gonna feel pretty much like right NOW feels." Abraham-Hicks Jenny, a bright and energetic producer/director emailed me in panic mode: #147;Have a minute to talk? I am stalled again, and I'm freaking! Am I ever gonna figure this stuff out?#148; I#146;ve been getting a bunch of these calls lately#151;every entrepreneur faces this feeling now and then. Your biggest client cancels. The computer develops some new strain of virus and it#146;s going to cost you in money and time to fix it. You#146;ve called 25 client prospects and all of them said, #147;No, thanks.#148; Now how are you going to pay the rent? The specter of the bag lady once again looms in your future and you want to scream. So what do you do when panic strikes? I know life gets tough sometimes. It#146;s hard to keep the faith, keep doing affirmations, and keep sending out ships when storms are blowing and it seems every ship sinks just outside the harbor. But that is all there is. There is no magic answer but that one. It is only your will and determination to succeed that will keep you going. You don#146;t try things to see if they will work out#151;you determine what you want to happen and you dedicate yourself to doing whatever it takes to make that happen. To say, #147;I#146;ll give this six months and see what happens#148; is not a mind-set that works. Freaking out is a HABIT. It feels comfortable because it is a HABIT. You are a freak-out junkie because it's a HABIT. Relax. God has a plan and you're on it. Trust. Do what you're supposed to do and expect you're good. If you need better skills in your chosen profession, take classes, read books, get a mentor or partner in the business who knows more than you. If you don't have enough clients, join a networking group, chamber of commerce, or start cold calling (oops, I mean GOLD calling) from the telephone book. People are always asking me, #147;How many meetings should I go to?#148; or #147;How many calls do I have to make?#148; My answer is: #147;As many as it takes to get the number of clients you want!#148; I make 75 phone calls a week for approximately 6 weeks prior to my workshop, and have about 35-40 enrollment conversations per week. I keep a ships log of statistics on my phone calls, so I know that#146;s what it takes to get my workshop filled. Your money is out there waiting for you, but you have to go get it. Affirmations work. The hardest time to do them is when you most need to do them. And you have to act your way into feeling happy and rich while you#146;re doing them! Your subconscious mind can#146;t tell the difference between the truth and a lie. So, eventually, what you tell it actually becomes true. But you can#146;t do affirmations for 5 minutes and then FREAK OUT for the other 23 hours and 55 minutes and expect FEEL GROOVY to magically descend upon you. You have to stop feeling the panic, as cushy and fine as it might feel to be a blameless victim of circumstance. Take responsibility. Picture what you want and feel good about already having it. That#146;s faith and belief in action. What you want shows up after that, not before. So I called Jenny, and after about 2 minutes of sympathy, I asked, #147;So how many phone calls did you make last week?#148; She hemmed and hawed and talked about emails, and I said, #147;How many phone calls?#148; #147;Um, three#133;#148; she answered. #147;I#146;m going to hang up now,#148; I said gently. #147;Call me back when you#146;ve made fifty.#148; Today#146;s Affirmation: #147;I have the happy habit and all good things are mine!#148; Chellie Campbell is the author of The Wealthy Spirit: Daily Affirmations for Financial Stress Reduction , selected as one of Dr. Laura#146;s book recommendations in March, 2003. She created and teaches the Financial Stress Reductionreg; Workshops on which her book is based in the Los Angeles area and gives programs throughout the country. Her free e-newsletter is available at www.chellie.com . Permission granted for use on Dr.Laura.com. More >>

Working at Home By Jonni McCoy www.miserlymoms.com Some people who work at home say it's a great way to supplement family income and be with their kids at the same time. Others have found it difficult to balance work and home responsibilities. Which category do you fit in? In order to answer that question, read on. Before starting a home business, there are a few things you need to consider. For example, make sure you know how many hours you could devote to a job within your home. With some types of home businesses, it#146;s hard to be specific about how much time you'll need. These businesses are "job specific," which means that the employer wants a specific job to be done by a specific time. He or she can't tell you how much time will be required. This is often the case with word processing, transcriptions, manual editing, and so forth. If you're considering this type of job, be honest with yourself. Carefully evaluate the work and make an honest assessment of your work speed. Make sure you allow for the last-minute changes that come with this type of work. When assessing your ability to work at home, make sure the attention you can give to your job is undivided attention. Often, people who are home with small children are bored. As a result, they believe they have time available for productive work. In reality, they usually have just a few minutes here and there. Are you part of this group? The key is to determine the "concentration factor" of your time at home. How much time can you give to your job without interruptions. I remember taking on work at home when my children were small. I ended up starting the work after everyone was in bed and continuing into the night. That was the only time I could concentrate on my work without interruptions. Of course, you could start a home business and tell your children to leave you alone. But wouldn't that defeat your purpose for being a stay-at-home parent? If you find that you can give a job undivided attention, the next step is to determine the expenses it involves. Is there any equipment necessary to do the work? If the job is editing or word processing, do you have the same type of computer and software that your prospective employer uses? Are there weekly meetings that this employer wants you to attend? Do you have reliable child care for those meetings? Will you need any special training in order to do the job? Who will pay for the training and your child care during that time? Will you need office supplies? In addition, will the profit (after taxes) justify these expenses? Understanding the tax requirements that working will bring is essential. Will it increase your tax bracket when your income is combined with your spouses? Most likely you will be an independent contractor rather than an employee. Self-employment brings an extra tax that you will have to pay when you file taxes. Allow for this expense. You may also need to file estimated taxes throughout the year for the extra income not included in your W2s. If working at home still sounds good to you, choosing a career is all that's left. Some ideas for jobs include word processing, cake decorating, calligraphy, sales of home products, answering service, aerobics instructor, accountant/bookkeeper, mystery shopper, catering, antique repair, baby gift baskets, balloon delivery, and hair stylist. Places to find these jobs vary. Start by checking employment in local newspapers or looking for job notices posted in stores. Create a flyer for yourself and your business and deliver it to the companies that could use your services. One last thing to consider is support. Getting support while working at home is helpful, since you may feel lonely. Support groups exist for work-at-home moms (WAHM). They provide tips for making home businesses work, and they also offer a forum for your questions. Jonni McCoy and her family live in Colorado Springs, Colorado. She is the author of Miserly Moms, Frugal Families - Making the Most of Your Hard-Earned Money, and Miserly Meals. You can visit her website at www.miserlymoms.com . Permission granted for use on DrLaura.com More >>

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Meet Your New Partner: Your Partner's Ex-Spouse's Boyfriend Cliff Ennico www.creators.com #147;A partner and I have been running a small service business for the past five years. I have known for some time that my partner#146;s marriage was in trouble, but apparently he just discovered his wife has had a boyfriend for a long, long time. Divorce proceedings have begun. While my partner and I get along very well, I#146;m really concerned that my partner#146;s wife will get a piece of our business, and that we#146;ll have to deal not only with her but the boyfriend as well. Is there anything we can do to prevent them from getting a piece of our business, short of buying my partner out entirely?#148; Most business owners know that if you have partners, it#146;s a good idea to have your attorney prepare a #147;Buy-Sell Agreement#148; that will protect you, and the business, in the event one of you dies, becomes disabled, or makes an #147;involuntary transfer#148; of their ownership interest in the business (such as a bankruptcy filing). The trouble is that many Buy-Sell Agreement forms attorneys use are out of date, and don#146;t provide for a solution in the event a partner becomes divorced and his ex-spouse is awarded a piece of the business as part of the divorce settlement. Under modern divorce law, where judges have tremendous power to divide assets any way they wish to achieve a fair and equitable settlement, there#146;s a good chance your partner#146;s wife could be awarded a piece of your business if you and your partner don#146;t take action now. Dodie Theune, a Senior Vice President of the Bryn Mawr Trust Company in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania ( dtheune@bmtc.com ), says there#146;s a ray of hope in this situation. #147;When there#146;s a divorce, the lawyers go through a laundry list of every asset the couple has, and a lot of horse-trading goes on,#148; Theune explains, adding #147;the one asset nobody wants to get in the divorce is one-half, or in this case one-quarter, of a business they don#146;t know anything about.#148; So the first thing your partner should do is offer to give his spouse the beach house or the stock portfolio in exchange for whatever piece of your business the divorce court would otherwise give her. If the assets are worth roughly the same as your partner#146;s interest in the business, and the spouse clearly wants them more than the business, there#146;s an excellent chance the divorce court will bless the #147;swap#148; and you can go on with business as usual. But what if there is no beach house or stock portfolio, and your partner#146;s interest in the business is the biggest asset worth going after? In that case, Theune believes, you have to step in and work the situation out with your partner. #147;Perhaps the two partners can look to the business for some assets that can be offered to the spouse instead of an interest in the business,#148; suggests Theune. The business would loan these assets to the divorcing partner, who would then pay back the loan with interest (make sure the divorcing partner signs a legal #147;promissory note#148; or IOU promising to pay the loan back). If the business is cash-poor, you and your partner could take out a loan in order to free up some funds to pay off the spouse. In that case, Theune advises that the two of you sign a #147;side agreement#148; that the divorcing partner will be responsible for paying off the loan out of his share of the business profits. Obviously, the best time to deal with this situation is well before a partner begins divorce proceedings. In any partnership, all partners need to be candid with each other about how strong (or weak) their marriages are, and whether or not they have enough assets of their own to deal with a divorce, separation or any marital nastiness. If they don#146;t, then maybe they shouldn#146;t be a partner in the business. Don#146;t wait for the divorce to happen #150; buy your partner out now for fair market value, and make him or her an employee going forward. A divorcing employee#146;s spouse can attach his or her wages (maybe), but they can#146;t claim an ownership interest the employee doesn#146;t have. You could have a financially weak partner sign an agreement allowing the other partners to buy his stake out in the event of divorce, but divorce courts in many states will look at these agreements with a magnifying glass to make sure they don#146;t cheat the partner#146;s spouse out of a fair settlement. As Theune points out, #147;when you deal with partners, you want to know that they have enough money so that no matter what happens in their personal lives, the business will not go on the chopping block.#148; If they don#146;t, then they shouldn#146;t be partners. Period. Cliff Ennico ( cennico@legalcareer.com ) is a syndicated columnist, author and host of the PBS television series 'Money Hunt'. This column is no substitute for legal, tax or financial advice, which can be furnished only by a qualified professional licensed in your state. To find out more about Cliff Ennico and other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit our Web page at www.creators.com . COPYRIGHT 2005 CLIFFORD R. ENNICO. DISTRIBUTED BY CREATORS SYNDICATE, INC. More >>

Why Blog? It seems everyone these days is talking about blogging. Everywhere I go, I find articles and forums devoted to this craze. I also have heard from many moms who are trying to figure out what a blog is and how they can use one to their benefit. The term #147;blog#148; is short for #147;weblog#148;, which just means an online journal or #147;log#148;. You can jot down personal thoughts and notes, post articles you#146;ve written or keep track of interesting websites you find. The sky is the limit, it seems, when it comes to blogging. A blog is something entirely of your own creation and you can use it to share your thoughts with the world, well#133;.with anyone you can get to read it anyway. One of the main debates going on about blogs is whether blogging can be done to improve Search Engine rankings for businesses or to create a buzz about business websites. Both of these can be true if the blog is used correctly. Many resources show that once a blog is created, many times it is listed in Search Engines within 48 hours. This was true of the blog I created for Christian Work at Home Moms. These are many ways to create a blog. The easiest by far is to use one of the free tools available online, such as Google#146;s Blogger. You can create your blog for free using their online tools and templates(nothing to download). After you have created the blog, you can then publish your blog through them and #147;Wa-La#148; #150; your blog is posted online for the world to see. Once you#146;ve created your blog, you will need to decide how you will use it. Will it be a personal blog, full of thoughts and comments for yourself alone or maybe your family? Or will it be a business blog, with articles and tips for potential customers? If you want your blog to be found by others, blogging experts recommend that you begin by setting the title and descriptions for your blog. These are similar to the the title and descriptions you set for your website. Try to make them meaningful because they are what people will see when your blog is returned in a Search Engine. If your description is simply #147;my blog#148;, you may not draw the attention you#146;d like. If you are blogging in the hopes of attracting customers, make sure to use wise use of words and links in your blogs. Try to avoid the #147;click here#148; link. Instead, opt for links within descriptive sentences. Add the HTML link within the sentence and attach it to the words that are closely related to the page or site you are linking to. For example, to link to my website I would not use #147;click here#148; as my link. I would say, #147;Please visit Christian Work at Home Moms for home-based work resources.#148; There are many ways to get your blog noticed outside of optimizing them for Search Engines. For instance, there are entire websites devoted to listing blogs dedicated to any topic that you can think of. One of the best such websites devoted to women-created blogs, is BlogDaisy.com. You can also use free tools such a FeedBurner.com to track the traffic on your blog and to create a dynamic title box that can be used to display your blog headlines on your website or even in your email signature. Each time you update your blog, these headlines are instantly updated. There are many ways to use a blog for either personal or business use. If used correctly, a blog can be a terrific tool to inform potential customers of your business. Be sure to update your blog at least once a week so that the content remains fresh and you remain in the Search Engines. Jill is the author/editor of Christian Work at Home Moms, CWAHM.com , and can be reached by emailing jill@cwahm.com . Free to distribute if bio is kept intact. Permission granted for use on DrLaura.com More >>

Don#146;t Give Up -- Two Secrets to Success At Home Creativity Persistence Working from home can be a very rewarding decision. There are many benefits including freedom to create your own schedule, choosing the type of business that you want to represent, and being able to raise your children yourself. However, running a business can also become a very stressful situation. It takes time to build a successful home-based business and many entrepreneurs become discouraged if they don#146;t achieve immediate results. Often times they give up too soon and regret it later. This doesn#146;t have to happen to you. Let us share with you what we found to be two secrets to help you achieve success at home. One important thing that many work-at-home moms do not recognize is that it can take six months to a year at minimum for your business to be successful financially. If you are aware of this going into the business and have planned accordingly, then you are already one step ahead of the game and won#146;t become unnecessarily discouraged. Also, be aware that the time frame it takes to start a business will vary depending on the type of business that you are starting. For example, for those that are starting in direct sales, you may be able to jump in, hold some home parties, and see an income right away. In this case, then you just need to focus on maintaining this income to keep it successful. However, if you are starting an Internet business selling your own products or services, it may take much longer to see the fruits of your labor. For some, it can take a year or even two to create a #147;presence#148; online and for people to recognize and seek out your products. You will find that the benefits are well worth the time and effort in the end, but it can be discouraging waiting to see a profit. So, how does a person make it in the work-at-home world? I think the two most important aspects of running your own business from home are creativity and persistence. Creativity#151;Be creative in how you market your products and/or services. Start by thinking of ways that you can reach customers that will make you stand out from others who offer similar types of products. Design contests, free offers and other types of marketing strategies that will bring customers to your website. Then, try to determine what your customers are looking for once they reach your website and offer the most popular products on your front page. Keep in mind that it#146;s important to keep your website fresh so consider changing the items or text on your website#146;s front page often, so that you pique the interest of your customers each time they visit and they will want to come back. Persistence#151;This is key when you are running a business from home. Don#146;t start out strong marketing yourself in every way possible and then simply stop marketing because you haven#146;t seen many sales. Most profitable businesses must continually be marketing their services to keep it successful. Try to think of a successful business that does no advertising. Can they just sit back and let the sales roll in from their website? No, it just doesn#146;t work that way. EVERY business must continue to advertise in some way to stay successful. We have found at CWAHM.com that those that achieve the most success are the consistent advertisers. This does not mean that you must spend hundreds of dollars a month to advertise your home-based business. What it does mean is that you must be persistent in the advertising that you choose to do. Budget your advertising dollars in a way that you can do a small amount consistently. Get involved in groups online and ask advice from other successful moms. Whatever you do, don#146;t stop talking about your business! And most importantly, don#146;t give up! Success IS possible. Take the time to be creative in how you are marketing your business. Be persistent and don#146;t expect profits immediately. Set realistic goals for your business and be patient while your business grows into something you can be proud of. Soon you#146;ll be among the millions of work-at-home moms who are enjoying it all: being home with the kids, financial freedom, and the pride of having their own home-based business. Jill is the author/editor of Christian Work at Home Moms, CWAHM.com , and can be reached by emailing jill@cwahm.com . Free to distribute if bio is kept intact. Permission granted for use on DrLaura.com More >>