Moms Wearing Multiple Hats

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FREE Teleconference: How to Manage Work and Family

March 23, 2012 Regina Lewis No comments

I love actually speaking to my online friends and making that connection! It is difficult to convey everything you want to say in a status update or 140 characters or less. So when LaTersa, the founder of Moms Wearing Multiple Hats, and I spoke by the phone this week, I was charged up! Because we put our brilliant little minds together and came up with an idea…

Hold a teleconference for you, our fans.

The one question we are asked constantly about working from home is how we manage it all. Between the two of us, we have lots of kids, in her case a hubby, multiple businesses, mommy shoes to fill and we still manage to have some “me” time.

And we want to share our secrets with you!

This teleconference is going to be informative, fun and lively because we keep it real! Plus, you will have a chance to win a valuable eBook and learn about upcoming events.

Will you join us?

Here’s the link.

We look forward to seeing you then!

Regina Lewis

Regina is the CEO & Owner of the Work from Home Classroom, mother, grandmother and home schooling parent. The Work from Home Classroom was developed to empower individuals interested in becoming home workers and/or entrepreneurs through classes, resources and weekly job listings. In her spare time, she enjoys watching British sitcoms, cooking, watching sports with her boys and reading books on her Kindle.

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Don’t Be a Social Media Drainer

March 13, 2012 Regina Lewis 1 Comment

Have you ever gone to a party and had someone sabotage your time by trapping you in a corner, rambling on and on about themselves the entire time? You just wanted to get away as fast as you could, right?

You didn’t like it, did you?

So, let’s compare that to your social media presence.

Do your status updates consist solely of links, showcasing your latest articles, blog posts and achievements?

Do you belong to online networking groups, only to increase your online presence?

Do you retweet EVERY mention to all of your followers?

Is this starting to pinch a bit?

Let’s go back to the party scenario. The best social situations I have encountered have been those where there was a relatively even exchange in the conversation. The person asked about me, shared about themselves and then I did the same. We developed a rapport and showed mutual interest in each other’s lives. I love hearing about others but I also enjoy when they express a genuine desire to hear what I have to say as well.

The same goes for social media.

Instead of just constantly posting links, ask a question of your audience. I love sports so I may ask my followers about their favorite team or the big game.

Take the time to interact in those online networking groups you took the time to join. Participate in conversations and share with the other members. Your advice could very well help someone and believe me, they will remember that! By developing a rapport, you have shown yourself to be considerate and someone who is social media savvy.

Do what I tell my children: put on your listening ears. Your online followers and contacts are more than numbers and potential clients/sales. They are looking to you for advice but also to communicate with about their needs. Hear what they have to say and respond accordingly.

Be the belle of the party, not the one everyone avoids online.

Regina Lewis

Regina is the CEO & Owner of the Work from Home Classroom, mother, grandmother and home schooling parent. The Work from Home Classroom was developed to empower individuals interested in becoming home workers and/or entrepreneurs through classes, resources and weekly job listings. In her spare time, she enjoys watching British sitcoms, cooking, watching sports with her boys and reading books on her Kindle.

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Top 5 Social Media Mistakes Small Business Owner Make

December 19, 2011 Regina Lewis No comments

One of the many things I do is consult companies and small business owners on their social media presence. Some of them already have a Facebook page created but that is it. They created the page and then abandoned it. Even worse, they began a haphazard method of marketing, that yielded, not surprisingly, lukewarm results. Below are a few of the mistakes that they make when using social media:

1. Talking About You, You, You – The goal of social media is to develop a sense of community by talking with them, educating them and inspiring them. Those who only take about what they or their product can do for you miss the mark and risk alienating their fans and followers. Think of social media as a cocktail party. You would be pretty turned off by someone who corners you at a party and proceeds to just talk about themselves all night. Get my point?

2. Using Hashtags on Facebook – Please, leave the hashtags to Twitter use only! Hashtags have no place on Facebook!

3. Not Posting Enough. Events change constantly and you have to stay in the game. If you don’t have time to update your social media accounts daily or your blog on a weekly basis, maybe social media isn’t for you. Or you may want to consider hiring someone to help you establish and maintain a positive social media presence. A neglected social media profile is the equivalent of ignoring someone in the physical world. It sends the wrong message to your followers.

4. Too Many Posts Per Day. On the flip side, you don’t want to inundate your followers with too many posts or updates. If you have a fairly active community, it’s okay to post 1-3 times per day on Facebook and 2-5 times per day on Twitter. If you post too often, you run the risk of losing your fans and once they are gone, just say adios because you won’t get them back.
5. Not Using Facebook Tags. When you put a @ sign and then the name of someone you already like in your status update, you have tagged them in your post. By doing that, your post will appear on their wall. This can turn out to be an effective (and free) marketing tool.

Regina Lewis

Regina is the CEO & Owner of the Work from Home Classroom, mother, grandmother and home schooling parent. The Work from Home Classroom was developed to empower individuals interested in becoming home workers and/or entrepreneurs through classes, resources and weekly job listings. In her spare time, she enjoys watching British sitcoms, cooking, watching sports with her boys and reading books on her Kindle.

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Holiday Survival Guide 101

December 13, 2011 Regina Lewis No comments

The holidays are fast approaching but does that mean your business goes on hold? With the increased activities, including parties, shopping and vacations, it is easy for your business to take a back seat for the holidays. However, it is important to put some measures in place to ensure you still have a business well after the holidays are over.

The key is balance: balancing your personal and professional life.

Here are a few useful tips:

Schedule your office hours and stick to them as much as possible. Inform your clients of your hours and if you find you need to close your office suddenly, inform your clients of that also. Record a message on your office telephone. Set up an auto responder for your email messages, letting clients know of any office absences.

It can be easy to over commit this time of year. Prioritize each event and schedule accordingly. If you know your children will be in a holiday play, consider the amount of time needed for play rehearsals, transporting them back and forth and the actual play itself. If an activity interferes with your set office hours, you may want to re-evaluate it or bring in some help.

Ask your children to help out around the house. Even little ones can put items away and older children are great for running errands and doing bigger jobs around the house. My boys all know how to prepare meals, vacuum and wash dishes. It frees me up to do focus on income-producing tasks. If you have too many tasks and no one to help, consider hiring a personal assistant. Do you need help with your office filing? Purchasing gifts for your clients? Addressing holiday cards? All of these tasks can be done by a personal assistant. Outline all of the tasks and put it in writing. College students are excellent sources for this type of work. Ask around in your networking group for referrals. Someone is always looking to make a little extra money, especially for the holidays!

While you are running away buying gifts for friends and family, do not forget to buy for your clients. Remember, your clients are the reason you are able to buy all of those gifts!

A bit of planning on your part will truly make this a happy holiday season for you and your clients. Happy holidays!

Regina Lewis

Regina is the CEO & Owner of the Work from Home Classroom, mother, grandmother and home schooling parent. The Work from Home Classroom was developed to empower individuals interested in becoming home workers and/or entrepreneurs through classes, resources and weekly job listings. In her spare time, she enjoys watching British sitcoms, cooking, watching sports with her boys and reading books on her Kindle.

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OMG, I Got To Move: A Few Time-Saving Tips

November 10, 2011 Regina Lewis No comments

I recently moved from one side of town to the other, a grand total of six miles. Moving meant in addition to my household and our homeschool, I had to pack up my home office and transfer services. Careful planning was the key to a successful move.

Here are a few time-saving tips I used during the move:

1. All of my office documents and equipment was packed separately from the rest of the house and labeled “OFFICE.” I moved the office boxes myself to the new location. One lost or damaged box could spell huge trouble. My laptop went right along with me, along with Ethernet cords, flash drives and important files.

2. I coordinated the transfer of Internet and phone services so as to not lose valuable productivity. My Internet was disconnected early in the morning on the day of the move and I had new service in the afternoon on the same day. Rather than set up a wireless network on my own, I had the new provider to do that for me, saving lots of time and aggravation.

3. I created a document with the new account numbers and contact information for the utility companies. This came in handy while I waited on the movers with the bulk of my household items. I was able to confirm installation times and get updates from technicians. I also kept a notebook with my client telephone numbers and email addresses so I could keep in contact with them.

4. Speaking of clients, they appreciated my notifying them of my move with ample notice. I coordinated coverage with a trusted co-worker, ensuring my clients work continued as usual.

I am still settling into my new home and a few boxes still need unpacking. However, my office is completely set up and running normally. It felt good to get back to work after packing and planning for so long. My new office has a bay window, two large pine trees out front and much more storage. I am ready to be productive!

Regina Lewis

Regina is the CEO & Owner of the Work from Home Classroom, mother, grandmother and home schooling parent. The Work from Home Classroom was developed to empower individuals interested in becoming home workers and/or entrepreneurs through classes, resources and weekly job listings. In her spare time, she enjoys watching British sitcoms, cooking, watching sports with her boys and reading books on her Kindle.

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Are You curious About What Your Mompreneurs Are Doing On Facebook

August 17, 2011 Regina Lewis No comments

How many times per day do you find yourself logging onto Facebook or Twitter? “I’m only going to log in for a quick second, that’s it!” Before you know it, you’ve commented on your friend’s status updates, fertilized your virtual farm and sent a 140 character message to your sister. Is that time well spent when you should be working?

Whether you work from home, own your own business or work for someone else, social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter command our attention and can be extremely distracting. Using social media can be compared to eating too many sweets – too much of a good thing can be harmful.

Okay, so we can make the argument that social media can be a big time sucker. How do we curb our social media activity and increase our workplace productivity?

Set Limits

You know eating four packs of Reese’s Peanut Butter cups in a single sitting is not a good thing, right? (Believe me, it is NOT a good thing!) But eating one peanut butter cup is okay and will not do you too much harm. Develop a schedule and allow yourself some social media time. What time of the day is best for you to check in on friends and family? Let your family and friends know of your schedule and ask them to respect your time. Maybe curbing your activity to 15 minute increments is a solution. Develop a schedule, set limits and stick to it. Make sure to set realistic expectations. Like dieting, weaning yourself from social media sites may take baby steps.

Consider blocking social media sites temporarily

I have dieted over the years but one thing I know about myself – if there is vanilla ice cream in the house, I will eat it. The ice cream is there and the temptation is just too great. If Facebook is your forbidden ice cream, take it out of your house. In the computer sense, block it. There are several browser add-ons that do just that: you set the times you can log onto the sites. If you try to access the site outside of your set time, the site will be blocked. If you are a Mozilla Firefox user, you can add-on Leech Block (you just have to love that name!) Other blocking methods can be found by searching the term “blocking social media sites temporarily.”

Whether you like it or not, social media is here to stay. The key to a healthy relationship between you and the social sites is moderation; not too much, but just right.

Regina Lewis

Regina is the CEO & Owner of the Work from Home Classroom, mother, grandmother and home schooling parent. The Work from Home Classroom was developed to empower individuals interested in becoming home workers and/or entrepreneurs through classes, resources and weekly job listings. In her spare time, she enjoys watching British sitcoms, cooking, watching sports with her boys and reading books on her Kindle.

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5 Tips to Landing a Work from Home Job

July 23, 2011 LaTersa Blakely 1 Comment

“How did you begin working from home?” I am asked that question constantly and for me, the story began in 2007. I was working as a real estate assistant when I began having serious babysitting issues (situations that were extremely harmful to my children). I had to sit down and really pray on this dilemma. How could I balance the need for me to be with my boys and produce an income? Well, I approached by supervisor and explained my situation. I was prepared to offer my resignation when she kindly said, “Why don’t you work from home?” That threw me for a loop! That was in 2007 and I have not stepped in an office since. Although I do not work with the real estate agent any more, that simple conversion of an office position into a work-from-home job launched my virtual assistant business and I have worked with numerous clients over the years, all the while supporting my family. So, how can you successfully land a work-from-home job?

Network

Place yourself where you need to be; meaning, if you are seeking work as a virtual assistant, find an online forum and actively participate by asking questions of other members. Connect with local support groups. Utilize social media sites to access freelance groups. Word of mouth works wonderfully! Get comfortable marketing yourself and let everyone know you are looking for a position. Reach out to businesses in your area. Real estate agents, insurance brokers and property management companies are excellent starting points.

Volunteer

Consider volunteering. Many non-profit agencies welcome volunteers to create newsletters, perform secretarial work, raise much-needed funds and write grant proposals, just to name a few. You will make professional connections as well as provide a valuable service to a good cause.

Apply to Freelance sites

There are a number of online freelance sites and they all have different criteria. Make sure to complete your profile as this is what employers will see first. Develop a portfolio of your work and upload to the freelance site. Showing samples of your work will set you apart. Many of these sites are free so definitely try them.

Make sure you have the skills.

Today’s job market is highly competitive and employers have their pick of applicants. When I brought on a virtual assistant, I received well over 100 resumes for one part-time position. Unfortunately, the majority of the applicants did not possess the skill set described in the vacancy posting. Virtual assistants, for example, should be well conversed in social media and know how to set up blogs in several blogging platforms. Read the job description carefully and only apply if you meet all of the requirements.

Be patient

As I mentioned above, employers are inundated with applications for a single position and it is possible you may not get a response as quickly as you would like. Do not be discouraged by the lack of a response. Continue to market your skills by networking. Finding a work-from-position can be tedious but well worth the effort. Stay focused on your goal – you can do it!

Regina has been a home-based entrepreneur since 2007, after the birth of her youngest child. Her virtual assistant business has provided administrative services to clients worldwide, primarily real estate investors. Her top-notch organizational skills have helped real estate professionals close on numerous properties across the United States. As a freelance writer, she has written articles regarding home-based businesses and an E-book for aspiring virtual assistants. Blog: Diary of A Home-Schooler.

LaTersa Blakely

LaTersa Blakely is the Owner of LaTersa Blakely Enterprises & founder of Moms Wearing Multiple Hats, offering custom baby shower diaper cakes, baby shower favors, gift baskets and towel cakes and help moms balance motherhood and mom entrepreneurship. LaTersa earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Agriculture Economics from The University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff and a Master’s Degree in Agribusiness Management from Alabama A&M University. Her passion is making gifts and inspiring and coaching women to go from brokenness to greatness. She is also the author of From Brokenness to Greatness. LaTersa enjoys attending church and reading. She also likes spending time with her husband, Eric and her two beautiful children in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

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FREE Teleconference: How to Manage Work and Family

Regina Lewis

Holiday Survival Guide 101

Regina Lewis

OMG, I Got To Move: A Few Time-Saving Tips

Regina Lewis

5 Tips to Landing a Work from Home Job

LaTersa Blakely

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