Guest Post: Home-Based Businesses – A Look Back in Time to 1985 and Beyond

by 

Diana Ennen

This month I celebrated my 32^nd year in business.  Wow!  How cool is that? Who would have thought 32 years ago that a site like LinkedIn would be available to share the news of my big anniversary? Totally awesome! 

I thought it would be fun to go back in time and share some stories from the past. To those starting a business today, you have no idea how lucky you are with all the advancements at your fingertips. Now the order of these might be off, but with that, let’s go back to 1985…and beyond.

Computers - Back in 1985 computers were just becoming popular.  Sure, some of the major corporations were all over it and had them already, but many small businesses didn’t.  What did that mean to me?  At the time, I had started a word processing business from home, so when I typed up a document for a client, and I made a mistake that couldn’t be fixed with white-out, I redid the entire document.  And unfortunately I did this a lot!  Bummer!  I especially did this when clients would be breathing down my neck waiting for me to finish something for them. They weren’t happy to hear, “Oops, need to redo that page.”  My husband and I quickly decided if I was to start a “word processing business at home,” I needed to get one of them there new computers.  So I got my first Tandy 1000 from Radio Shack.  Life improved instantly.  In fact, within months I was helping some of the attorneys and other businesses I worked for computerize their entire offices.  Life was grand!

Pick-Up and Delivery - There wasn’t any internet or sending documents to clients via email back in the 80’s; it all required the physical transfer from person to person.  With my home-based business, I did offer pick-up and delivery services, which meant time away from my actual work.  Although it was a hassle, it was nice to connect personally with clients on a regular basis.  I always tried to make the visits short and sweet, because we were all busy.  And back then I was a new mom, so oftentimes I would make my drop-off runs when I had my kids with me so I wouldn’t miss out on any actual work time.  The beauty of that was most of my clients grew up with my kids and most of the time when we dropped off work, there was candy awaiting them, along with lots of hugs. (Yes, I had awesome clients even back then.)  Now of course, with some clients, such as the attorney’s offices, that didn’t work and I couldn’t take my kids, but with many it did.  I’ve got to say, I truly enjoyed it, too.  My kids thought that’s what everyone did—drive with their mom to drop off work and get candy.  Yes, we had a good thing going.

Email - That came around in the 90’s for me. At that time I had written a book on starting a home-based business (Words From Home: How to Start a Home-Based Word Processing Business) and had found a publisher for it.  YES!!  Now, I was running a pretty successful business, but in doing so, apparently I wasn’t up on all the latest developments.  The first thing my publisher told me was that in order to work together, I needed to get email.  (My contract was faxed to me.  Boy what a fun day that was.)  I remember asking my husband what the heck email was.  Fortunately our Tandy 1000 computer quickly revealed that I needed to look into something called AOL.  Before long, I was one of the hundreds of thousands hearing, “You’ve got mail.”  Now back in the day, when AOL was new, you have no idea how crazy it was.  It would get “busy” from all the people logging in and you’d have to wait hours sometimes in order to connect.  Can you imagine today waiting more than a few seconds at most? But they fixed that promptly and I was one of the cool ones who figured out how to do email.  (Boy, am I dating myself here!)

Sending Files - With email came the ability to send files.  Oh boy, how cool was this.  No longer would I have to get dressed and deliver my work.  This saved me close to an hour a day.  Today you can’t even imagine not being able to attach a file or load it to Dropbox, but back then the ability to do so didn’t exist.  And when it did, the skies opened up and doves appeared.  Well, not really, but it was pretty cool.  I also discovered that in sending files, I could send anywhere.  Like out of my local community and even to another state.  That’s when I found my first client virtually, a publisher in Arizona.  (I’m in Florida.)  Yep, I had a hop in my step that day!

Forums/Message Boards - Back in the day, even when you had clients and friends, you pretty much had to wing it when it came to learning, sharing and networking.  There weren’t groups you could ask or experts sharing their tips on social media, podcasts, etc.  When you had challenges you figured it out the best you could.  Then came these things called “forums” or “message boards.”  Sites would be able to add forums and it allowed everyone to connect, ask questions, talk about their business, and just have fun.  These were big back then.  There are still some around, but social media pretty much replaced them.  And for those who had books (like me), it was also an opportunity to show your expertise and sell your books.  Cool beans!  I managed several forums during my day and I gotta say, I really enjoyed it.

Social media – I’ve always considered this one of my biggest fails.  I had a client who had a new site that was set up exclusively with social media in mind.  It was years ahead of its time.  When she first approached me she said, “Social media is here to stay and I want to get ahead of the game.”  Here again was another new term … social media!   Only this time, I jumped at the opportunity and learned as much as I could in order to do a great job.  Unfortunately, it never took off like it could have, not through any fault of either of us.  Just that we didn’t give it the manpower needed to make a difference.  My big lesson from that though was when I heard something new, I spent the time to understand it fully so I could master it before offering it to others.

Twitter - I can clearly remember when I first heard about Twitter.  As an already successful work-at-home mom, I was eager to jump aboard and I’ve got to admit, it felt kind of cool being ahead of the curve on so many new things.  I loved being among the first to try things, at least in my industry.  I can remember one of my friends saying, “That was so cool, you followed me around all day.”  WHAT?  I followed you around?  I didn’t get it.  And if most were honest, they would admit that in the beginning they didn’t get it, either.  So I sat back and watched.  That was one thing I learned.  Usually if you step back a bit and follow what is happening, it won’t take long to figure it out and you won’t look like an idiot doing it all wrong. 

Virtual Assistants - This was ongoing since the late 1990s, but in early 2000s, it was full steam ahead.  I can remember being quoted in USA Today in 1997 on becoming a virtual assistant.  That one quote landed me numerous clients.  I do believe that was when my true love for marketing began.  I saw that you get quoted, people read it and see you as the expert, and then want to work with you.  BAMM, what a concept. That rocked!  The VA industry has grown in leaps and bounds, and today and I’m still proud to have been a part of its success along with my co-author, Kelly Poelker.

Women’s World - Of all the publicity I’ve gotten, one of my favorite stories is when I was quoted in Women’s World way back in the day.  I was four months pregnant at the time and they asked me to wear a certain color/style for the article.  They were sending a film crew.  Well, I shopped and shopped and couldn’t find anything.  They wanted fall colors and I live in Florida.  I finally found something, but it was way out of my price range for something that I would only wear once because of being pregnant.  So I did what every business owner will do (well maybe not) I bought it and kept the tags on to so I could return immediately.  I looked AWESOME!!  So, as we’re filming away and I’m getting really into it, the photographer said, “Oh, would you mind pushing your tags in a bit.”  Yikes! Funny how over 20 years later, I still cringe at the thought.  Bottom line, I’ll never do that again or if I do, I’ll hide my tags better. 

I could go on and on about all the fun things that have happened throughout these 32 years, but most know already.  One thing has not changed over the years.  I love what I do and I’m honored to get to continue doing it on a regular basis.  The future for working at home has never been better.

Here’s to the next 30! 

Diana Ennen, President of Virtual Word Publishing, www.virtualwordpublishing.com offers PR and Marketing services, book marketing services, and PR and Virtual Assistant Coaching. She’s the co-author of Virtual Assistant - The Series: Become a Highly Successful, Sought After VA. Follow her on social media at https://www.facebook.com/VirtualWordPublishing/ andhttps://twitter.com/DianaEnnen

GUEST POST: Entrepreneur tips - Overcoming business challenges: 5 Ways to Get Back Your Business

by

Diana Ennen

Running your business definitely has its challenges.  It’s how you deal with them that makes the difference.

Here are a few tips to overcome your business challenges:

·         Letting others know your value.  So many business owners just don’t understand fully what all you do because they aren’t doing the work.  You need to let them know.  It’s not bragging, it’s good business sense.  For example, with PR and marketing, it’s important to be able to explain to clients exactly what they are getting.  Let’s say you land them in major media.  Not only should you let them know that it happened, but also provide the stats on that site so they see how great it is and what they can expect.  Also, to get more out of each media mention, provide additional information on how they can utilize their social media (people they already know them) to showcase this media attention.  So whatever your business, find ways to do the follow-up showing all you accomplish for your clients and why it benefits them.

·         Keeping consistent income.  Here again, many business owners suffer from this and the feast or famine of their business.  One month you are rock’n and can barely keep up, and then the next month crickets.  You often crave the stability of a regular paycheck.  Well, you can make that happen. One way is to offer retainer services whereby every month clients will retain your services.  Even though it’s at a slight lower rate, depending on how many hours they secure, it’s beneficial as it provides regular income.  Another method might be to offer programs that are set up on a monthly basis.  This differs for so many businesses and how they can set it up, but the bottom line remains the same – keep income coming in regularly.

·         Overcoming a Bad Experience.  Have you ever had something happen in your business that well didn’t go according to plan?  Say you spoke and no one ended up buying your book or becoming clients.  Your new program that you spent months on, didn’t fly. Perhaps a client wasn’t 100% satisfied with your services.  Believe it or not, this happens to most of us at one time or another.  Yes, you could sit back and never speak again, or mope and settle for less income by not going after new clients, or you can reboot and start fresh.  That’s the one to go with.  We know that loss of confidence can really hurt.  However, the real pros know to move on.  First, take a few minutes and examine your role.  Could you have done something different?  If so, next time do it.  (That was easy!).  Next build your confidence back.  Read your client testimonials or talk with associates. Do anything and everything to rebuild your confidence because honestly even saying it doesn’t bother you, more than likely it does.  Then get back on the horse again only this time with renewed confidence and perhaps a few changes in how you do things.  Will you fall again?  Of course you will at some time.  But will you always grow learning from your experiences, absolutely!

·         Not Pricing Correctly.  If I had a nickel for every time that I did this, well I could make up for my pricing mistakes.  Seriously though, this happens.  You underbid on a project finding out it takes five times longer than you anticipated.  You price a course and then realize that you are giving away the farm.  Or you simply discover your hourly rate is way below what it should be.  Not to fear.  It’s fixable. The most important thing you can do is to learn from this and correct the situation.  You might not be able to up your rate with the current client, just you can learn from your mistake and never do it again.  Also, don’t disregard talking with your client about it.  Sometimes they understand.  However, know that if its your mistake, you shouldn’t make them pay unless they are willing to. 

·         Time Management – Pricing mistakes often are made because you didn’t realize the time involvement.  So get used to timing yourself.  Yes, get the timer out and work for a specific amount of time on that task and see how long it takes.  Simple!  Also, get a day planner and write down your day for a week or two (or forever!) or get used to using some of the many valuable time management programs available today.  Time is money and if you are not keeping track of it and utilizing your time in the best possible way, well there it goes, clunk clunk … down the drain.

Business challenges are a part of business.  So get used to dealing with them and also get used to learning methods of rising above them.  Be great at what you do, do what you are passionate about, and finally seek help when needed.  Your business thrives when you do.

Diana Ennen, President of Virtual Word Publishing, www.virtualwordpublishing.com offers PR and Marketing services and PR and Virtual Assistant Coaching. She’s the co-author of Virtual Assistant - The Series: Become a Highly Successful, Sought After VA. Follow her on social media at https://www.facebook.com/VirtualWordPublishing/ and https://twitter.com/DianaEnnen

Guest Post: Entrepreneurs - Surviving Burnout and Achieving Success Year after Year

by

Diana Ennen

Having your own business for the most part totally rocks! You’re the boss. You get to decide what goes on in the day-to-day operations, and most importantly you have a big influence in how fat that bank account looks. Life is good! But as many entrepreneurs will admit, it’s not always as easy as it sounds. And especially for those that have been in business for years, it can be challenging to keep excited about their biz. Not too worry, we are here to help.

Here are tips on Building and Maintaining a Successful Business:

·         You need to remain passionate about what you are doing. That’s the only way to keep going and face those odds, exhaustion and temptation to throw in the towel. You aren’t going to love what you do every day, but on the whole you have to believe in it and want to continue doing it.

·         Day to Day Business – You have to work your business right. And when you’ve been in business a while, let’s admit it, we can get just a tad bit lazy or bored. You don’t have the same jump and down ambition that you had in the early days, and that’s AOK. But you do need to once in a while give yourself a jumpstart. When you notice that you are getting tired and cranky of doing the same thing day in and day out and things take you three times longer because your heart just isn’t into it, that can be a sign a change is needed.

The good news is as an entrepreneur you can easily change. You don’t have to give up your business or your awesome clients. Figure out ways to get the passion and fun back. It can be as simple as adding new specialties or it can mean a complete reboot is necessary. Just be willing to evaluate it, know you need to do something, and then commit to doing it. Just do whatever it takes to get the energy and excitement back. And one more thing, don’t feel guilty at all because of this. It happens to the best of us. The smart entrepreneurs are those that recognize it and make the necessary changes.

·         Marketing can be Fun Too – We know marketing your own business almost always gets put on the back burner, especially when you aren’t as into your business as you once were. Now this can be a critical mistake. What you need to do is get back your marketing mojo. You do this by first doing something you really enjoy. The goal is to get you back into the marketing mode. When you do something fun, that can help and not feel like such a chore. Now add to it. Slowly add in more marketing that you know has been successful in the past. Before long, you’d be back at it and not even realizing you are doing it. Then the marketing magic happens.

·         Boundaries – Keep Them - We all know about boundaries. And we all know that they are hard to keep. Let clients know as a business owner and a valuable resource to them, you work best within those boundaries you have set. Reassure them that this enables you to always give 100%. Now, there might be times that a client really needs you and if it works out for you, then you can be a little flexible. Just let them know this needs to be an exception, not be the norm. If you do have to work an evening or weekend, take Friday afternoon off. Just remember to do what works best for you and your business.

·         Take Time for you -  I know everyone tells you to do this and next week when you have more time and this project is over you will. Stop it already! Take out your planner right now. Turn to next week and schedule in some “me” time. Now next week it might be a little difficult because you might already be booked, but do this for the upcoming month. Consider doing it at the same time each week so it becomes more of a habit. Now stick to it as much as you can. Consider getting an accountability partner who you love to talk with who can motivate you and inspire you to keep doing this. Just getting to talk with someone else, and truly be honest helps!

See how easy it is to keep your business going. The last thing to remember is sometimes you just need to take a break. It’s AOK to take a few days off and really think about what you want in your business. Go to the beach or get a change of scenery to get out of the office. It works. And of course, if you need help, consider hiring it. You don’t have to do your business alone and most businesses thrive because they realize this.

Diana Ennen, President of Virtual Word Publishing, www.virtualwordpublishing.com offers PR and Marketing services and PR and Virtual Assistant Coaching. She’s the co-author of Virtual Assistant - The Series: Become a Highly Successful, Sought After VA and So You Want to be a Work-at-Home Mom.