Want to Network With Other Work-at-Home Moms?

If you are a resume writer who is also a work-at-home Mom (WAHM), you may find yourself longing for a little in-person human interaction with other folks in the same situation as you.

I was inspired to write today's blog post when I attended the wake for the dad of my one of my childhood best friends this week. My mom and her mom have met weekly in a Rosary group for more than 35 years. The group started because they were all stay-at-home Moms (SAHMs) in the 1970s. As someone who works from home (and has for the past seven years), I can understand the desire to participate in an activity that gets you out of the house on a regular basis.

If you're feeling the same way, you might want to start a group with other moms who work from home. These can be individuals who work in a variety of fields -- product sales, real estate, online marketing ... there are more people than ever who work from their home.

Networking is important for your resume business. The more people you know, the more contacts you have who can help you and you can be a help to. Think of it this way: each person you know knows someone else who also knows someone else. It is how word gets out about your business. Through networking you can form profitable friendships and business partnerships. Even many years down the road, an affiliation that you made could prove useful. 

Want to get together with other moms who work from home? There is a way that you can do it by using Twitter. Learn how to set up your own tweet up group.

This is where social networking comes into play. Through sites like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter you already know that you can "meet" new people who have the same interests as you do. You can form associations that are as strong as any face-to-face friendship.

But, did you know that you could use them to actually meet the people you only ever see online? That is the idea behind a tweet up. It sounds like something that birds do, but it is meant for people.

What Is a Tweet Up?

The idea behind it all is to meet people who have common interests through Twitter. You can set up a tweet up with a certain goal in mind such as business networking, social networking, or even a brainstorming session.

With the idea of WAHMs in mind, you can network with other moms who are entrepreneurs in your local area. When you set it up, here are a few tips.

You will be the host for the event if you begin the tweet up group. It doesn't have to be a presentation, but you will more than likely be responsible for getting the ball rolling at the beginning. Then, you can let the conversation take its course.

Think up a theme. Decide what you will discuss at the meeting, what the main topic will be. Post an agenda for anyone you invite to look over. You can set one specific item for each meeting to focus on -- and can take turns being the "presenter" for the group.

With children and families, it can be hard for mothers who work from home to get out and network. A tweet up is a way to plan an outing that will be beneficial both on a personal and a business level.

Invite guests. Look around Twitter for prospective people with similar interests that you want to invite. If you don't know them already, follow their tweets and participate in discussions before introducing yourself and sending them an invite.

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Decide on a place and time. Once you do, start a tweet with a hashtag related to the event (like #parkup for a meeting in the park) so anyone who accepts an invitation can follow the conversation. You can provide information here about what to bring, like business cards or ideas to talk about during the gathering. With moms, there might be an issue of childcare. Choose a meeting place with a play area for children. You can meet at a restaurant, at someone's home, or in a park.

A tweet up group can be a great way to meet your need for human interaction while also providing you with valuable networking contacts and you may even learn some new skills or marketing ideas at the same time!

Using an Email Newsletter to Promote Your Resume Writing Business

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Have you thought about using an email newsletter to market your business? Here are a few tips to use as you craft your e-newsletter.

People love to read information about their jobs and career. You can use your content as a way to market your resume writing services. Getting people to subscribe to your email newsletter is one step closer to getting them to try your resume writing services.

Here are some ways you can use an email newsletter in your resume writing business:

• Offer free subscription -- Just for signing up and giving their name and email address, you can offer free subscriptions to your email newsletter.
• Write articles about your services -- You can write articles related to the specific niche market you serve in your resume writing business or more general articles that offer timely and expert advice to your reading audience. But, don't forget to write articles that also focus on your career services. Let people know that you are an expert and then tell them about what you do.
• Create a customer section -- This is where customers (and prospective customers) can have their questions featured and answered by you. Include an email address where they can send their questions.
• Offer affiliate offers or advertising -- You can feature affiliate offers (such as reference checking or resume distribution services) or advertising. The more subscribers you have for your enewsletter, the more affiliate revenue you can generate, or the more you can charge for your ads.
• Have guest writers -- You can have other resume writers (or your affiliate service providers) write articles for your e-newsletter. For example, if you don't offer career coaching, you can partner with a career coach to write an article for your e-newsletter. In exchange, they get a byline and a link to their website at the end of the article.
• Hold contests -- Everyone loves contests! The prize could be something related to your business (like $50 off a resume package) or a career-related book, or an Amazon gift card. Second and third prizes could be discounts with purchase of a service. Feature the names of the contest winners in the next edition of your e-newsletter.
• Promote Your E-Newsletter to Your Current Clients -- In addition to looking for new subscribers, don't forget to invite your current resume clients to sign up for your e-newsletter list.
• Put The Word Out On Social Networks -- Do you have a Facebook business page? Promote your e-newsletter on there.

Email newsletters can be used to promote your business by providing vital information about your business to current and prospective customers.

Email Marketing for Dummies

I am a huge advocate for resume writers building and using an email list. John Arnold’s book, “E-Mail Marketing for Dummies” may be the perfect source for learning how to start e-mail marketing and excel at it.

The book, which has a cover price of $24.99 (but sells for $16.49 on Amazon.com), helps you develop a strategy for marketing with e-mail. Learn how to build an e-mail list, create messages which reach those on your list and produce results. You’ll also discover how to track those results. Along with technical advice for building a list, you’ll also have the benefit of legal guidance that will keep you from inadvertently crossing over into spamming those on your e-mail list.

This easy-to-follow guide will show you how to incorporate an e-mail list into your total online marketing plan. Find out how to create messages that say “Open and read me,” how to include social media sources such as Facebook and Twitter, target your e-mails so they are relevant to your readers and track which emails get the most clicks through to some type of action.

384 pages long, “E-Mail Marketing for Dummies” is a one-stop place to get all the advice you need to be set up a successful e-mail marketing plan, increase your business, track the effectiveness of each campaign and finally find a method of marketing that can be the difference between online business success or failure.

If you are looking for one book that gives you the information you need for developing an e-mail marketing campaign for your resume writing business, this one is a book you’ll definitely want to read.

Finding It Hard to Stay Motivated?

I read on her Facebook page today that Kathy Sweeney started her resume business, The Write Resume, 25 years ago today. (Congratulations, Kathy!!) My resume writing business was founded in 1996 (15 years last year!). Longevity in the resume writing business isn't rare -- there are hundreds of resume writers who have been in business for more than 10 years -- .... but staying motivated can be a challenge.

In the beginning you were likely gung-ho about starting your resume writing business. Maybe some of that fire is starting to flicker out. (It can ebb and flow...) So, how can you stay motivated?

When times get tough, you may decide that you want to throw in the towel. Confronted by a PIA client (think: pain in your keister!) you might think to yourself, "Wouldn't it just be easier to go get a job?" After you've spent the last 14 hours writing resumes, handling client emails, doing all the financial paperwork and recordkeeping that goes along with keeping your business running, and squeezing in some marketing activities so the phone will ring tomorrow, you might be both physically and mentally tired.

Before you give it all up, however, consider a few ways that you can help yourself to regain your zest for running the business.

First, ask yourself a few questions:

• Why did you start the business in the first place? Don't underestimate the power of your memory. Were you working for someone else but wanting to be your own boss? If you don't want to return to that way of life, then donít give up when the chips are down. Was it because you had a desire to help others? (Most resume writers have a little "social worker" in us.) Who did you help today?

• How are things looking for other resume writers? It could be that everyone is having a slow season. Evaluate your growth compared to others in the careers industry. 

There are two things that can motivate you to keep going here:

One: Other resume writers are doing better than you are. A little friendly rivalry is healthy. You can opt to step up your game and learn from whatever others in the careers industry are doing to make financial gains where you are not. (For example, LinkedIn profile development writing is a growing area. Would learning some new skills and expanding the types of services you offer rejuvenate you?)

Two: If other resume writers are in the same boat, you can rise above the mediocrity. Remember what you started your resume business for. If you are going to make a living and reach your goals, keep the big picture in mind.

• What are your goals? Every resume writer has to remain focused in order to move forward. Your goals set the path along which you will travel. But, if your goals are non-existent, or they aren't strong enough to support your business, then it is time to re-evaluate and change them to become the appropriate platform to help you gain success.

Now that you have asked yourself some questions, here are a few suggestions to help you continue to push forward.

• Get sage advice. Consult a trusted advisor. The leaders of the professional resume writing associations can give you perspective. (Frank, Laura, Wendy, Louise, Maria.) They can help you to regain your focus and also set a new course for your business should you need that.

• Partner up! Reach out to another resume writer and team up to form a support group for each other! If you're stuck while writing a particularly difficult resume, you can reach out for inspiration. You can post encouraging notes on each other's Facebook walls. (Or use Facebook's "Poke" feature to let him or her know you're there for them.)

• Gain camaraderie on forums. Visit and become a participating part of professional association e-lists and online forums. You can find out tips to help you move forward in your business. Consider attending a conference offered by one of the major associations or taking online training.

• Get access to tools to make your work easier. Don't reinvent the wheel! I use an inspiration book to help me when I get stuck in writing. And you can use tools from BeAResumeWriter.com -- like each month's unique Pass-Along Materials to help your clients (and market your business).

It's natural that you're going to have times when you struggle in your careers industry business. Taking it one day at a time (hoping and planning that tomorrow will be better than today) can keep you going through the difficult times.