April Tara » Coaching

A planner for freelancers

April — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 03:42:22 +0000

I have come across some great time management and productivity resources, some of which I’ve been able to implement and some that just don’t work well for me. So what I’ve ended up doing is combining some of my favorites.

Here’s what I do:

Yearly Business Planning

At the end of 2008, I had written a blog post about setting goals for the new year. In that post, I mentioned Alice Seba’s Planning Calendar that breaks down your plans for the year into monthly, weekly, even daily chunks to make it easier to lay out your goals and then the actions you need to take to achieve those. I’ve been using it since 2009 started (although not as diligently as I should be) and its making a big difference. It helps me look ahead and schedule projects and ideas a few months from now instead of feeling like I have to do everything now.

Blog Planning

This is one that I still struggle with. Thanks to the Blog Planner I downloaded from Blog Energizer, I can plan my topics ahead of time and even set up a posting schedule for multiple blogs (last count: 4 active and 3 badly neglected blogs). Its a great little tool and I keep it in my binder so I can jot down topics that come to mind. Then at the beginning of each month, I come up with topics to fill in the blank spaces and voila! A month’s worth of blog topics.

But I’ve come to the realization that planning is not my problem. My problem is action. I can plan stuff out but when it comes down to budgeting my time and plugging those plans into a schedule, I can’t find a balance between adherence and flexibility.

Planners for Freelancers

Well today I was reading through all of my RSS feeds and saw that Charlie at Productive Flourishing published a freelancer’s version of his popular planner pages. I’m so excited to try it out! He’s been putting a lot of work into this and I know it wasn’t easy because “freelancer” can mean so many things and we all have very different ways of working. So finding something that will work for everyone is difficult. (I even donated a few bucks to encourage him and let him know his efforts were appreciated.)

So if you’re a freelancer, definitely head over to Productive Flourishing and download Charlier’s planner for freelancers. And even if you’re not a freelancer, Charlie’s original planners are an excellent resource too!

50+ Ways to Improve Your Productivity as a Freelancer (freelanceswitch.com)
Time Management For Anarchists (lifehack.org)
Four Forgotten Productivity Enhancers (kevineikenberry.com)

The only thing we have to fear

April — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 16:19:01 +0000

You all know how the rest of that quote goes. A wise man, he was. So much truth to that!

During the last week of 2008, Kelly McCausey and Aurelia Williams held what they called “Breakthrough Week” as a gift to Mom Masterminds members. (You can download the recordings of these sessions when you sign up at Mom Masterminds.) The reason they called it “Breakthrough Week” was because each session was about breaking through the various obstacles that are holding you back from the success you deserve. Take a guess at what the common denominator was to these obstacles. You got it! Fear.

Fear of failure. Fear of success.

You would think that with success and failure being antonyms, those two fears would be completely different, right? But surprisingly, they’re not. The fact is they both hold us back!

So how do you deal with paralyzing fear? Read this article by Jennifer Louden, personal growth advisor and author of several books including Woman’s Comfort Book: A Self-Nurturing Guide for Restoring Balance in Your Life.

Jennifer is hosting a virtual retreat January 16th-19th and registrations are open now. You can find more info about the retreat and sign up for updates at the end of her article.

Make 2009 the Year You Make Money Online

April — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 16:43:27 +0000

Becoming a mom – it’s the most life-changing event we go through. Our children become the center of our lives, and we must make adjustments to in our schedules and priorities make sure they’re cared for. Instead of hiring nannies or using day care services, more and more moms are choosing to start their own online businesses so they can be there for their kids and still contribute to the family income.

This is especially true right now during the tough economic times we’re living in. Even if you’re comfortably existing on one income, you may find yourself on no income soon enough if your husband gets laid off, downsized, rightsized, outsourced or whatever they’re calling it these days. Do you have the recommended 6 months’ living expenses tucked away in savings in preparation for this event?

Statistics show many of us do not. This is all the more reason for mom to look for ways to make money online before the disaster strikes.

Starting an online business has a number of advantages for moms.

* Start-up costs can be kept low. So even if you are not currently working outside the home, starting an online business is usually within reach with small adjustments to the budget. Setting up a website means acquiring a domain name and hosting space – and with tools like WordPress available at no cost, you can literally be up and running for around $20. You will also want to invest in some education. Learning the basics of how to market your website online are not difficult, but be careful where you get your information.

The Natural Mom Business Guide is one solid source of info. It includes an ebook with detailed information about researching your target market, the various ways to make money with a website, and how to get the traffic you need to earn income. It even has video and audio tutorials as well as printable “cheat sheets” you can keep by your computer to remind you of the essential steps you need to take in your business to build traffic and make more income.

* Doing business online doesn’t require one to keep regular hours. You can work early in the morning before the kids get up, during the baby’s nap, or late at night when everyone is in bed. And with the automation that the Internet has to offer, orders can be processed and virtual products delivered while you are sleeping or taking care of the kids.

* You can get some work done with the kids right by your side. Older children may even be able to help you with simple tasks. Did you know that the IRS allows you to deduct wages (up to a certain amount) paid to a child who is age seven or older to work in your home business from your taxes? I have even trained my oldest son to add articles to my websites. He earns a nice wage for doing so, far more than an allowance, and is providing a valuable service to me.

There are all sorts of online businesses that are great for moms. You could sell your crafts or start a recipe website, or you could start a podcast. You might offer services such as writing, transcription, web design or virtual assistance to customers around the world. Or you could create and sell information products. Even blogging offers impressive money-making potential. The possibilities are many, and there’s sure to be something out there that’s just right for any mom.

Moms make up a large portion of the people who are making money online. This allows them to take a hands-on approach to raising their children while still making money to support the household. They don’t have to count on a sitter to take care of their children’s needs, and they don’t have to make a commute part of their daily routine. It’s no wonder that the number of moms starting online businesses is growing in leaps and bounds.

If you need some assistance choosing a niche, get some coaching from an experienced online marketer. Take the leap – you’ll be glad you did!

Carrie Lauth is an internet marketing mom who loves to help other moms launch profitable websites. She created the Natural Mom Business Guide for women who want to market to the “natural family” niche. To learn about how she can give you one-on-one coaching, visit her website today.

‘Tis the Season for lots of great deals

April — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 23:09:33 +0000

: Image via Wikipedia

I am just overwhelmed with deals to share with you! Some of my friends and colleagues have some specials going on that I have to tell you about.

First, I have to say “Happy Birthday!” to Lynette Chandler and tell you about her birthday wish. She recently launched the Blog Energizer program and, of course, I immediately signed up for all of the blogging tools and opportunities. But Lynette has a specific goal in mind. She made a little birthday wish and with your help, it’s going feed a lot of families this holiday season. Lynette has promised that if Blog Energizer reaches 2,000 members by December 31st, she’ll donate 8000 bowls of food to the food banks through “Feeding America & Kraft Foods” program. Un-be-lieveable!! Way to go, Lynette! Now all you have to do is visit Blog Energizer, sign up, and start downloading this month’s resources, browse through topic ideas, even find some guest blogging opportunities.

Oh, speaking of Lynette, I have two more offers from her:

One free month of BlogEnergizer and pay just $10/month after
50% off BloggingStarterPack using coupon code BSP0812

I’ve also got another good deal for you from my friend Carrie Lauth, the Natural Mom. Carrie is one of those successful (single!) WAHMs who enjoys helping other WAHMs grow their businesses. Right now she’s adding a little bonus to her coaching program. If you purchase one hour of coaching with Carrie, you’ll receive a FREE copy of her “Mini Course Money” program. This offer expires on December 16th so sign up for your coaching session soon!

Another WAHM and Mom Masterminds member, Wendy Wood, has put together two special offers. First, she is offering a 35% discount on any PLR Food Content PLR packs. Just enter coupon code A7E16 when you check out. She also has an awesome collection of Christmas and holiday graphics you can use in your blog designs, posts or even your holiday family newsletter and craft projects. Just visit her website, go to the Products page and on the right sidebar you’ll see the ad for her Christmas graphics…click it! Be patient, it may take a while for the page to load because there are SOOOO many graphics. When you get to her checkout page, enter coupon code XMAS30 for 30% off.Both of Wendy’s offers expire on December 15th.

Now I’ve got just one more set of offers from Melissa Ingold. She’s offering a discount on her Special Report Club so instead of the usual $19 per month, you’ll only pay $12.97 per month. Just leave me a comment or drop me an email (April@AprilTara.com) and I’ll send you the signup link that’s exclusive to this special price.

Melissa’s also offering a great price on her content marketing kit, Earn With Content, for just $12.97. That’s $83 worth of info for less than $15! That deal also includes a copy of her soon-to-be-released “Earn With Product Descriptions” pack when it becomes available.

Melissa BEST deal, by far, is her copywriting package. This package includes:

Sales letter
Opt-in page offering sample, free gift to build list
5 related articles for article marketing or to provide to affiliates
Keyword research
3 blog posts for marketing or to provide to affiliates
5 pay-per-click ads
5 forum/email signatures
5 day ecourse to capture visitors who don’t buy. Ecourse will give them tips/info, and refer to your product.
1 promotional email
1 follow-up email (sent after promo email)

Now usually she provides these services for $997…but she must be totally into the holiday spirit (or the eggnog!) because she’s offering all of that for just $500! That’s almost HALF of the usual price! Wow. Just use this link to sign up for the discounted amount, but you better make it quick because all of Melissa’s offer expire on December 16th.

And, of course, I am joining in all of this holiday discount stuff. Throughout the month of December, any purchases of a Blog Design Package or Blog Makeover Package will include a free Custom Graphics Package consisting of three matching graphics to promote your website, blog or services. You can choose from any combination of a 125 x 125 button, 468 x 60 banner, or any other specific size you may need.

So check out all of these special offers from these amazing ladies, treat yourself and your business to some holiday deals, and get 2009 off to a GREAT start!

Internet Marketing Spring Cleaning

April — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 16:49:07 +0000

If you’re feeling like your business is in a rut or you’ve hit some kind of plateau no matter how hard you’re working, it may be time for some marketing “spring cleaning”.

(Note: read all the way through to the end for a special ‘freebie’ offer!)

It happens to all of us. We build and build and build, and then suddenly we’ve got all this virtual real estate out there. Problem is, we aren’t quite sure what to do with it all or how to leverage our hard work for maximum profitability.

Thankfully, Alice Seba (one of my favorite Internet marketing teachers) has come up with the perfect solution and it’s called: “Spring Cleaning to Maximize the Profitability of Your Online Business.”

This isn’t some flimsy ebook or 10-minute video, but rather a 6-week intensive step-by-step coaching program. It’s designed to help you clean out all the extra stuff that you’ve accumulated, identify and make the most of what’s working in your business and planning for long-term success. You’ll get to work directly with Alice week-by-week and apply these strategies directly to your own unique business. We’re not just talking theory here. You’re going to roll up your sleeves and get your hands dirty, but in a very good way!

See, I’m really excited about this because Alice is the real-deal. She speaks from true experience in her own successful online business. Just the other day, a lady named Rhonda, left an impromptu comment on her blog stating:

“I simply love Alice Seba. I love the way she runs her business. I love her ideas and most of all I love her being my mentor to how I want my business to run. Thank you Alice for your hard work. Can’t wait to keep getting your emails!”

That’s exactly what you get when you work with Alice. If you could use some hands-on help with your Internet Marketing Spring Cleaning, get over to the coaching information page right away. Alice is only accepting 25 students and registration closes on September 27th – whichever comes first. And knowing Alice, it’ll be the 25 student limit. So don’t take too much time thinking about it. And you can find out more and claim your spot now by visiting the information and registration page.

Still not sure? Get the first lesson F-R-E-E! Click here: “Yes, I want my first free lesson from Alice Seba’s Internet Marketing Spring Cleaning!”

P.S. While you’re there, be sure to sign up for Alice’s Sweetie Saturday Report Club, a monthly club that features a topic-focused written report, an accompanying audio recording for each report, both of which include resell rights, and Essential Biz Notes* which is a monthly supplement from Alice that covers a variety of Internet business topics, designed to help members move ahead in their business.