The Write Spot, LLC

Sparkplug U helps you make money from home

If you’re a fan of Wendy Wendy Piersall, founder of the popular Sparkplugging *:) Blog Network (formerly eMoms at Home) check out her latest project, SparkplugU. She launched SparkplugU in response to the need in the Sparkplugging community for solid, practical, trusted advice in a more structured format on how to start and run a business from home.

Wendy’s dream has been to offer affordable training for anyone who wants to learn how to be their own boss and control their own career. This is great for not only for freelancers like me, but for stay at home caregivers who are looking to make some money on the side.

Wendy doesn’t promise instant riches. Instead, she delivers quality lessons in an understandable format taught by expert faculty members. Bottom line: the classes at SparkplugU will help you make money from home and start or market your business.

Each class provides:

• A Course Outline - What you can expect to learn by the end of the class.
• Prerequisites - What you need to know before you take a particular class
• Course Materials - Some classes will include course materials in the registration cost. But there are no surprise additional expenses. If there are additional books required, you will know exactly what you need up front.
• Refund Policy - You can cancel after the first session of any live class they offer. Self-paced downloadable classes are non-refundable.

I was so impressed that I signed up for the “Diversify Your Income Workshop” with Wendy Piersall and Marla Tabaka. It’s for bloggers and solo business owners who are looking for income diversification.

So what are you waiting for? Browse their current classes now and get started on building your dream career today!

Getting Organized with File Storage Boxes

It's not often that I blog about home decorating at The Write Spot, but a contest from Crazy Hip Blog Mamas and Better Today to win a $100 Container Store gift card gives me an excuse.

I saw this terrific idea for using inexpensive file storage boxes - the kind that are on sale this time of year - to organize your home office from Martha Stewart. I know you're thinking that storage boxes are so darn ugly, that's why we keep them in the closet! Well, Martha being into Good Things that are Not So Square, gives us this idea to make them attractive:

Add a splash of color to basic storage boxes!

1. Cut a plus-sign shape out of book cloth, measuring fabric so each side panel covers box with an extra 1/2 inch on both sides and 2 inches on end. (Click here to get the template on Martha's site.)
2. Spread paste on center cloth panel; set box on top.
3. Spread paste on side panels, and cover box, folding excess cloth over top edge, around corners, or under itself to hide seams.
4. Hold in place with clothespins; let dry overnight.
5. Cover lids if desired.

Since book cloth from Talas is about $9.50/yard plus shipping, a cheaper method is to use oil cloth. There are several online vendors that charge $5-7 per yard, but local stores like Wal-Mart, Michael's, Hobby Lobby, Hancock Fabrics and JoAnn also carry oil cloth. Not only is it less expensive, but it's water resistant so you can wipe off spills and messes easily with a damp cloth.

If you're looking for a real bargain basement way to liven up your file storage boxes, try contact paper. It's not just for shelf and drawer lining anymore! (Does anyone really do that nowadays?) You should be able to find some attractive patterns at your local hardware or discount retailer.

I don't know if decorating your file boxes will make tax time any more pleasant. But they'll surely liven up your office and are an inexpensive way to get organized!

(Photo courtesy of MarthaStewart.com.)

Setting the Stage for 2008

Each year I write a holiday family newsletter, and start by looking over the previous year's version. It's usually fun to reminisce, but this year it was depressing. I realized that many of the things I had thought were going to happen to me professionally in 2007 never materialized.

2007 Wasn't What I Expected

First, there was the client who promised a marketing director job in his start up food business. Then he went through some health issues and went back to cooking and event planning for his former clients. I couldn't blame him. Why go through the headache of starting a new company when you don't need the work or the money?

Then there were the website content overhauls that were brought in house or that never materialized even after numerous meetings. The gigs I did get were small or involved too much work for the pay. Then there were the assignments that radically changed from a lot of work to a little, or that were canceled altogether. Less work meant less pay.

I also spent a lot of time in 2007 looking for freelance writing assignments. I contacted old clients. I approached firms that were recommended to me by other writers. I applied to freelance jobs that I found online. Mostly, my inquiries went into the great resume black hole in the sky. No wonder I was suffering from burnout last spring.

2007 Was Pretty Good After All

Looking over 2007, it really wasn't as bad as I thought. I was this close to meeting my financial goal of $1000 per month from writing. (Keep in mind that I do this part-time.)

Update: a few late checks came in putting me just a little over my goal!

I fulfilled many of the minor goals I set out for myself such as getting a backup drive for my computer, entering writing contests, and going to two blogging conventions and two writer's conferences. I finally created a testimonial page, got my business affairs more organized, and planned out my blogging posts and writing assignments.

Andy Wibbels's "30 Hours, 30 Days: Get More Done by Focusing on Less"

Just as the kids both go back to school, Andy Wibbels comes up with 30 Hours, 30 Days: Get More Done by Focusing on Less. Now that I actually have decent sized blocks of time to blog (we're talking about 2.5 hours without interruptions from the school-age set) I may consider doing his plan.

Here's a taste:

Step 2: List possible 1-hour tasks
Step 4: Choose only 30
Step 6: Print and post your master list
Step 8: 30 Days Later (Evaluate)

It's nothing new, but there's nothing like an outside source to get you motivated. (Click here to download the complete PDF guide and worksheet.)

In a way, I've already started this. I finally broke down and got myself (don't laugh) a Palm Pilot. Between the kid's schedules, my to-do lists, and always needing phone numbers and addresses while I'm away from the office and home, I finally had to visit the dark side and join the 1990s. Talk about your late adopters.

So how do you get motivated and organized to take advantage of the time you have to write, blog, or do special projects?

The Long Tail, Niche Marketing, and Mommy Inc.

In The Long Tail, Chris Anderson writes that blockbuster sellers are no longer relevant and niche markets are the wave of the future. Well, Shannon Cherry of Mommy, Inc. is a terrific example of this. A former TV and newspaper journalist, she works with women-led businesses and entrepreneurs who are struggling to get more customers by making them the recognized expert in their field.

Women-led business is a great niche market since it's one of the fastest growing small business sectors in the U.S. But it's the "recognized expert" that really intrigues me, since Shannon practices what she preaches by blogging at Mommy, Inc.

She gives value-added customer service by offering advice on everything from Success Secrets to Make Ahead Meals - all tailored to fit the specific needs of women entrenpreneurs, especially those with families. Plus her blog is fun, entertaining, and provides a much needed mental health break from her clients' busy days of growing their businesses - and growing up their kids.

But if you're still wondering if blogging is worth the time investment, look at what happened to Shannon in her post, Blogging your way to fame:

I was wondering if having this blog, Mommy, Inc. was really a good investment of my time. I've been busy - extremely busy with client work, and from what I could surmise, none of my new clients came to me from this blog.

So I thought that maybe I should ramp Mommy, Inc. down by March. I'd have more time to focus on other tools with a bigger (or any, in this case) return on investment (ROI).

But then the phone rang. It was Entrepreneur Magazine. They saw my blog, loved it and many in the office were reading it. Could they do a story on me and how to network as a work-at-home mom?

Wow. All from a little blog called Mommy, Inc. 

And lesson learned. Sometimes your ROI is different than you think it is.

I've gotten some very lucrative contacts and contracts from my blogs. Isn't it time you started a blog for your business? Let me show you how!

Snow Fatigue Syndrome - Part III

It's snowing once again in Colorado - the third storm in the last two-and-a-half weeks. Recently, the Denver Post wrote that Coloradans are suffering from a rare condition:

"Snow fatique syndrome" is what therapist Libby Bortz of Littleton calls it. It's breaking out all over the metro area.

"People are depressed, angry, irritable," Bortz said. "They've had to change plans. Commutes are hard, so they feel displaced. There is disappointment, sadness and even rage."

Jim Turner of One by One Media and I were talking about how hard it was to work from home during winter break. Between the snow shoveling, the holiday, and having kids are your elbow every time you sat down at the computer, we barely got anything done.

Well, Jim and I had a short three day respite before today's snow day occured. (We live in the same town.) As he says on his personal blog, Genuine, "This means that Dad will be herding cats and nailing Jell-O to the tree all day."

So what do working parents do on snow days? According to How Working Parents Weather the Snow Days by Sue Shellenbarger of the Wall St. Journal online, some parents drop their kids off unsupervised at libraries, malls and movie theaters. Others bring in their kids to work. And some work from home even if they have to lock themselves in the bathroom to make a phone call.

But what about us work-at-home parents? Some of Sue's advice was good, like hiring a neighborhood teenager as a mother's helper, or getting a neighbor to babysit. Loading up the older kids with snacks and videos helps, too.

Unless you can get an adult to supervise or have very independent kids, your work day will suffer. It may be the day you concentrate on filing, running virus and spyware software, and backing up your hard drive. Or you can play the Denver Post's Mayor Hick's Snowplow Adventure game in between answering emails.

If you have to make important phone calls or must work on assignments, be honest with your clients. Tell them it's a snow day and the kids are home. Apologize for the noise or offer to reschedule. Let them know if an assignment will be delayed.

Communication is the key. Most clients will understand, especially if you use humor like a link to the local weathercast, a picture of the view from your office, or offering to FedEx them some snow.

Finally, if you have a tight deadline you may need to pull an all nighter so you can work while the kids are asleep. If this is the case, take the day off and try to get a nap in. Good luck!