Blogs- What are they? by @CleverStreak

By Anne Maybus – Hire My Mum Web & Writing Specialist

Blog is short for 'weblog' which is a kind of diary or journal kept on the World Wide Web.

Problogger, quoting Wikipedia, says ‘A blog is a website in which items are posted on a regular basis and displayed in reverse chronological order. The term blog is a shortened form of weblog or web log. Authoring a blog, maintaining a blog or adding an article to an existing blog is called “blogging”. Individual articles on a blog are called “blog posts,” “posts” or “entries”. A person who posts these entries is called a “blogger”. '

Blogs are useful tools for people in business.  They are part of the social media revolution which has changed the way we relate to our clients.  Today it is important to encourage conversation with your clients and potential clients so that you can build up a relationship with them.  That makes sense, doesn't it?  After all, who would you rather buy from - someone you know or someone you don't?

Blogs are also very appealing to search engines which trawl the web looking for fresh content to list.  The more fresh content your website has the more the search engines will be drawn to it and the more often you will show in the listings.  That means that your business has a greater chance to be found online when potential clients come searching.

Do you have a blog on your site?  You might like to think about adding one.  Next week we will look at how to keep the content fresh and interesting to readers and search engines.

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Marketing and Branding your VA Business by @DawsonDocuments

By Erin Dawson – Hire My Mum VA Specialist

Marketing and Branding is all about getting you and your business known to the World. It is your Business’ image and what customers & clients will see and think about when they see your Business around. Will they be thinking “oh I need that for my businesses” or will they be screwing up their lip at the thought of your Business?

So how important is it?

Branding increases public awareness. A Business needs to create a brand that people trust and are familiar with. It is about the reputation behind your Business name and logo.  When you see the Big Gold M, what do you think of? When you see a Letter “F” that is surrounded by Blue, what do you think of? (Facebook). This is exactly what successful Branding is. How do these people market to you and others? You already know the answer to that. So how exactly do you start Marketing and Branding YOUR Business?

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Less Multi-Tasking, Better Productivity, More Love? by @Justine_Simard

By Hire My Mum Personal Development Specialist, Justine Simard

Women are renowned to be great multi-taskers. Work at home mums are undeniably one of the groups of mums who need this skill the most. I've written quite a few times about schedules and separating 'work time' and 'mum time'. However, it is at times impossible to separate those roles, and while multi-tasting a lot I've recently realised that I hardly give myself fully to one task at any given time. If my body, behaviours and thoughts are busy doing something, my mind is often active about a few other things at the same time. With this realisation, I have come to the conclusion that the key revolved around one easy conscious effort I could make to have better focus and productivity to any task at hand: Awareness.

As a work at home mum and full-time mum, my most important task is looking after my kids. However, with a growing home business requiring more thinking and planning, I found that I would often be sharing my focus between my kids and my work, at the same time. So I started this new exercise when starting an activity with my kids. I said to myself: 'I will devote my whole self to this activity and my kids'. No allowance for work thoughts, checking emails, of even putting a load of washing on. From the very first time I tried this simple commitment statement, I realised how much more aware and fulfilled I was while spending quality time with my kids. It meant I fully took in the moment, noticed the little things that make a mum's heart fill with joy and pride, gave more love and positive interaction to my kids, and fully indulged in the primary reason why I work from home - raising my kids. It also meant that I became more aware of all the mental disruptions coming through, so that I would purposefully shut them down and re-focus.

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Home Office Organisation by Alex Barwick

Content Writing Competition entry by Alex Barwick

Home office organisation does not mean turning your laundry into an office space. If you're a work from home mum who wants to do a work from home job it's crucial you spend time determining how best to be your own boss.

Finding the right space to be a work from home mum means finding a location you enjoy spending time in. If you don't you'll end up just wanting to return to work instead of being your own boss.

Home office organisation is made easier by realising you don't need a huge space. Knowing how to outsource and what the advantages and disadvantages of outsourcing are will also make home office organisation easier.

Speak to someone you trust, someone who has been their own boss or been a work from home mum before. They'll be able to give you good advice with regard to any concerns you have about outsourcing as well as tips on how to outsource locally. If outsourcing is for your business this will impact on how much room and how you go about home office organisation.

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Are You Looking For A Well Established Business To Run or To Compliment Your Existing Niche?

Are You Looking For A Well Established Business To Run or To Compliment Your Existing Niche?

Hire My Mum is Australia's largest online boutique job board, specialising in work from home jobs for work from home mums.

This auction is for an established business; it is not an autopilot website, it is a real business. If you are looking for a reputable, established business in the work from home niche, then this is for you. You will be buying everything I have associated with the business; I will not be starting a new one, or using the name or anything remotely like that.

The business was established in March 2008 as a means of helping myself find work I could do from home, and it quickly grew by helping friends and family to do the same. Just two years later we have over 3100 members, growing by approximately 100 new members per week - without doing any advertising for over 6 months.

Why am I selling?

I am the owner and creator of Hire My Mum, and I have owned this business for two years. It started as a personal need to find work for myself and grew from the requests of friends and family to help find them some work from home roles. During this period I have learned a lot about online marketing and have established other businesses. Through this process I have discovered my passion for helping others to begin an online business. With many personal coaching clients I have had to make a decision between Hire My Mum and my training business.

Whilst it was a very difficult decision I have chosen to pursue my area of greatest interest. I believe Hire My Mum has developed a strong, positive reputation amongst members, employers and my competitors, and it is for this reason that I can sell Hire My Mum knowing whoever is the successful new owner, will be inheriting a reputable, ethical and well established business.

View the Flippa Auction listing

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Beginner Writers Course by @CleverStreak

By Anne Maybus – Hire My Mum Web/Writing Specialist

When I finished writing my last blog post here I began to think about all the people who might feel the way I felt about writing.  I would guess that there are a lot of us who want to test our skills but are hesitant about it.

It took me a long time to pluck up the courage to put my work out there to be seen.  I don't want you to have to wait that long.  I don't want you to have to do it by yourself, either.  That is why I have put together an online course for beginner writers.

This course isn't about grammar or punctuation.  It isn't like learning English at school.  It is more of a hand-holding while you find out what it is that you want to write about, and while you find your voice.  Some of us will want to write for our businesses, others for fun.  Some might want to write poetry and others write a statistical analysis of subatomic pressure on amoeba.  Who knows?

I wrote an article for Calm Space about my journey towards writing and it starts with what has become one of my favourite proverbs.  " A bird does not sing because it has an answer.  It sings because it has a song."  What that says to me is that if we want to write we should do it.  You don't have to bring about world peace with it.  You just need to express yourself.  You can be sure that it will strike a chord with some of your readers.

If you want to try your hand at writing then come along with us on this course.  We promise to give you constructive feedback and plenty of support and encouragement.  I would love to be standing in a bookshop one day, looking at a recently published book and saying to myself."I helped her get there."

For some more information about the course drop into my Facebook page. 

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Now What? Where are the Clients? by @dawsondocuments

By Erin Dawson – Hire My Mum VA Specialist

Ok so you are over the overwhelming feeling of starting out in your Business, but where are the clients?

It will take some time to build up a relationship with customers and clients, but start small and work your way up.

When I first started in my Business, I asked Family and Friends. Yes I said start small. You never know who they may know and knowing a friend of a friend could work in your favour.

I suggest writing a template that introduces you and your services remembering to put in WHY people should use a Virtual Assistant, but more importantly, why they should use YOU. This can be something you keep for new clients or even when replying to adverts of jobs that may be advertised.

You will need to Market yourself. This may be hard, as I still find it hard to write about myself, but it is something you will have to overcome if you want to be successful in your Business.

Continue Reading -Now What?  Where are the Clients?

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What does your resume "really" say about you? by @FCRecruitment

By Linda Enever – Hire My Mum Recruitment Specialist.

We asked Career Adviser Linda Enever of FC Recruitment about resumes and what they really say about you.  She believes this is a question not asked enough by job seekers; especially when a resume is most often the first marketing tool you use in your quest for a new career. So let’s do a review and look at what your resume “really” says about you.

1. Does My Resume Reflect My True Skills?

This is an easy question to say yes too. However look again; does each role on your resume have your duties and achievements outlined in a clear orderly fashion so employers can see at a glance why they should hire you?

1. Does My Resume Have An Objective?

When recruiters and employers talk about objectives they are looking for a career objective or summary at the top of your resume as well as a link to your skills in your past.  Make your objective clear. Link it to your past roles and make sure you stand out. This is your first bold marketing statement and will encourage the reader to read on or not.

1. Is My Resume Consistent?

Consistent in terms of reading well and looking good - check for:  

Continue reading What does your resume “really” say about you?

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Do You Write? by Anne Maybus @CleverStreak a Hire My Mum Specialist

By Anne Maybus – Hire My Mum Web/Writing Specialist

Do you write?  Do you wish you could write?

So many of us want to be able to write the novel we can feel inside us, or even write an article that we could get published in a magazine, yet we don't do it.  Does that sound like you?

What is it that holds you back? 

The biggest thing that held me back from showing what I had written was a lack of confidence.  I was afraid of what people would say or think about my work.  I was a big, fat coward.

Guess what?  I am still a big, fat coward but now I just ignore that part of me and do it anyway.

I think everyone who creates something, whether it be with words, paint or something else, is nervous when it comes time to show off their work.  In a way it is a little like exposing yourself (in the nicest possible way).   There will be times that people love what you have written and times where they just don't see the point but what does it matter?  If you think it or feel it then whatever you write is valid. 

If you would like to write I have two things to say to you.

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