NetMommies - Musings From The Original Net Mom

"Alright, I'm ready for my close up Mr. De Mille..."

2009-06-24T16:55:00.000-07:00

Nearly every entrepreneur shares the same dream, to have their 15-minutes of fame when the media comes calling for their expert advice, while the world hangs on their every word. The question is whether that dream leaves you with the warm and fuzzies or drenched in a cold sweat.

The thought of being contacted by the media is at the very least intimidating. My version of a nightmare is having a Cindy Brady moment with me "stuck on stupid" on national television or the fodder of a You Tube clip looking like said fool, that clocks 1.2 Million hits in 48 hours and provides plenty of material for the late night talk shows. I refuse to be "that girl" so I know when to get some help.

I have some amazing friends that are actually experts in helping people like us tap into our inner talking head. Kim Lichtenstein of k101 Agency is a PR maven with offices in Chicago, Atlanta and Los Angeles whose grass-roots approach to serving her clients has them smiling all the way to the bank when her efforts have media and customers beating a path to their door. Needless to say, Kim really knows her stuff. Among the gems she tells her clients are:

"Learn about both the media outlet AND the interviewer." - Do your homework on the types of stories they cover. Acquaint yourself with the style of the interviewer as well as the publication. Read the various feedback they receive on their stories and the tone of their interviews and their audience. All of that will help you to be ready for them when your actual interview comes.
"Give them a one-sheet." - A one-sheet is a page with your pertinent information on it which will give them, in your words, the highlights of what you do, talking points, your experience as well as the correct spelling of your vitals.
"Be relevant" - Remember this is NOT a commercial about how fabulous you are (they already know that, which is why they called you). This is a call for an expert to weigh in on a story or topic. By providing timely, accurate information that pertains to the topic at hand you will show yourself to be credible, thorough and brilliant.
"Speak from the heart" - If you don't convey that you care about what you are an expert in, why should they? People look for cues that you believe what you are saying so they can too.
"Be aware of what you say" - An interview has the shelf life of Spam so you can't undo what you say. When media quotes you, the do just that...QUOTE you! So you must be accurate in what you say. If you aren't SURE of what you are saying, don't say it. I would rather not be quoted at all than to be quoted giving mis-information.
"Don't be afraid to get help" - According to Kim, there are scores of media readiness experts around that specialize in preparing small business owners for barking with the big dogs when it comes to attracting media. Look for Public Relations agencies or consultants that specialize in your industry. They have the relationships that keep you from re-inventing the wheel when finding the right media fit for you. Sure, it may cost a few bucks but it is money well spent if you become the resident expert in your field, getting you more returns than you could imagine in free publicity.

By doing your homework and knowing your stuff you can avoid channeling your inner Cindy Brady and become the uber-quotable, "go-to" media darling you are inside.

Breakin' up is hard to do...

2009-06-22T17:41:00.000-07:00

Being self-employed doesn't always mean working alone. Sometime the entree into entrepreneurship comes in the form of a partnership.

There are some legendary partnerships: Lewis and Clark, Abbot and Costello, Lucy and Ethel, peanut butter and jelly or ham and swiss. Then there are the partnerships that never make the light of day. But when things go bad, we are reminded that divorce is NOT just for marriages. And break-ups are no less painful when they are with your business partner instead of a spouse. But like many marriages, business partnerships can simply run their course. The key to making the ending as painless as possible is to prepare for it when you are dating and falling in love!

Here are some thoughts (from experience) that can help ease the pain BEFORE the relationship goes south...

Get prenup! - When you are dating everyone is on their best behavior. You just click on all cylinders. But you have to practice "safe" business and wear your protection. By writing out a partnership agreement everyone knows where they stand. It also allows you to provide for the unfortunate demise of the partnership ahead of time. Get it notarized! And if your potential partner doesn't want to put your agreement in writing, be afraid, be very afraid. That agreement protects the BOTH of you and should be a cornerstone in your relationship.
Clearly define each partner's roles and responsibilities - When you select a partner you assume that everyone will do whatever it takes to get things done. But without clearly define roles and responsibilities you will almost certainly step on each other's toes during your "first dance".
Write out your business plan - If you are trying to get from point A to point B you have two choices you can get there using the most direct route or you can drive around aimlessly wasting precious time and $3.29 a gallon gas. A Business plan will insure that you are both on the same page for how you will grow your business.
Understand which love language each partner speaks - There is nothing more frustrating than being caught in a hold loop on the phone with recordings in a COMPLETELY foreign language. When in a partnership, it is imperative that you understand the way each of you communicates and learn to respect each other's differences.
Have the periodic "date night" - Find what you have in common outside of work. Really get to understand the person you are spending your precious time with. Besides your love of what you do in business what else do you have in common? Understanding that will be crucial to surviving not only the down times but even worse the mundane.
Learn to fight fair - Communicating with a business partner is an art. As tempting as it may be to use a particular situation as the opening to unload on everything that has been bothering you, don't do it. The longevity of the partnership could depend on your ability to have the tough conversations honestly and fairly without making it impossible to move forward when the conversation is over.
In-laws come with the territory - As much as we love to believe we only marry our partner, we actually marry their entire family! Yep that means their drunk uncle Joe is now YOUR drunk uncle Joe. so you have to be prepared for dealing with their potential outside influences on your relationship. Not a welcome fact but a fact never the less so you have to be prepared to deal with it. Both of you have to be honest and crystal clear up front about how much involvement your spouses, kids and friends will have in your business. Once that is established make that a part of your agreement and WRITE IT DOWN!
Seek help! - Respect the fact that you may need to get help when things get rocky. Consult a counselor (there are some very reputable business counselors out there) or even an arbitrator to act as a mediator to help you learn to understand each other an work through your issues better. Reaching out can mean the difference between celebrating a golden anniversary and getting an annulment.

Be determined to make the end as enchanting as the beginning by being prepared to put in the work and have the tough conversations on the front-end. You will be glad you did.

Networkin' It!

2009-06-19T07:09:00.000-07:00

I have always disagreed with the saying "it's like riding a bike...". That is what people say when they want to illustrate that something is a impossible to forget once you learn or acquire it. Not so, my friends. Have you ever gotten back on a bike once you haven't ridden in a long, long time? The learning curve to reacquaint my over 40 butt to those seats is enough to make me literally hang up riding and return my bike to its place of honor (covered with dust on the hooks in my garage). With that in mind I refuse to let my networking skills go the way of my Tour de France aspirations.

With that in mind, I make great efforts to stay connected and network. Ok, so maybe not great efforts because for me it comes easily to talk to people and get involved. My husband says I would talk to a mailbox if I thought I could get some conversation. But I try to make my conversations productive. Here are some tips I have found helpful in making certain my chatting it really networking.

Know your audience - If your business is grant writing, you should be where the not-for-profits are. If you are a personal stylist, I would expect to see you at events that pertain to fashion. Align yourself with associations that meet your interests and your niche (<--- over used word of the day). Put yourself in places where your potential contacts and ideally your customers are.
Stay in your comfort zone - You would be surprised how many of us refuse to utilize our resources in our own back yard. Truly talking to the people around you about what you are doing may yield some very surprising results. We talk to our circles about everything else, talk to them about your business and your interests.
Get out of your comfort zone - Field of Dreams is a 1989 film about an Iowa corn farmer who hears a voice telling him: "If you build it, he will come...". Creepy premise, yes but also for the rest of us a flat out lie. You cannot expect to build a career out of never talking to a stranger about your business. Get out there and tell people about how fabulous you are. Talking to that one person you didn't know before could mean the break you have been looking for to land that next big account
Volunteer - Yes I said it, the V-word! Volunteerism has such great benefits. You not only get to give back but you get the chance to expand your horizons while showing what you do best. With that in mind consider volunteering in your specialty area. Showcase your strengths so that when the paid gig comes up or a referral is needed, a contact is able to point to you based on the work they may have seen when you were volunteering.
Listen - Networking is as much about giving as it is about receiving. When you are sharing what you do, don't forget to listen (that is listen, not just hear). As you are talking with people learn to be a resource. Who do you know that can help them? What tips can you share? Dig deep and take the time to understand how you may be able to help with no strings attached.

Networking is imperative to starting, growing and sustaining your business. Be that "go-to" person in your circles and step out of your routine from time to time. You will see the dividends almost immediately in growth and good feelings. Happy Networking!

Telecom 101: Ignore the man behind the curtain.

2009-06-11T06:02:00.000-07:00

I am a huge fan of the Wizard of Oz. It showed me that there is a huge benefit to making yourself out to be the "great and powerful Oz". The problem usually starts when the yappy little dog pulls back the curtain.

When I started, there were fewer option to give that big office feel to my spare bedroom. Thankfully, things have changed. My biggest hurdle has always been finding the right telecom solution for my needs. I knew there were a few absolutes...

Transparency - I needed something that made me sound BIG! And for me that meant call screening. Ok, so we all know bigger isn't always better but depending on the client there can be a certain stigma attached to working from home. And nothing screams "I am working out of the corner of my living room" like a first ring pick up from the CEO herself with a whining daughter in the background having a meltdown because her video is stuck in the player. That call forward had to be transparent to the caller and I needed the ability to make a split second decision on whether I was taking that call.
Flexibility - Being the one (wo)man show that I am, I had to figure out how to divide myself in two. There is no way I want to miss a call, my calls mean money. So I knew I needed a system that could allow me to capitalize on every minute whether at "the office" or out and about.
Affordability - I still have to write that check every month. I need that as painless as possible. The means my solutions had to allow me to make and receive the calls I needed to without nickle and diming me to death. I have clients nationwide and need to be able to call long distance inexpensively.
Simplicity - I got the best gift for my 40th birthday...I gave myself permission to state in my outside voice that I have limitations. A recurring theme in this blog will probably be "I just don't want to do that...". Why? Because I have learned that my mere survival (and that of the children that depend on me to eat their three square meals a day) requires me to let some things go. On the top of the "let it go list" is technology. I can do anything I set me mind to. I just choose not to set my mind to programming, uplinks, code, yadda, yadda, yadda. The phone has to be idiot-proof or I will gladly pay more for the idiot-proof version.

With these top four greatest hits in mind, I knew I needed to have a virtual PBX solution. There are a ton of them out there and I had to decide which one works best for me. Here are some that I have used to meet these needs. Please bear in mind this is from my personal experience and YMMV (your mileage may vary).

Ring Central - They are my all-time favorites! I love the fact that they are very simple to use. Their pricing is straight forward and you get lots of extras like a dedicated fax line (depending upon the plan you choose), hold music (not too cheesy I must say) and the ability to interrupt the hold music with your brief commercials. It also grows with you and let's you make extensions for your other remoties that can allow transfers seamlessly. You can get a local number which let's you bypass the local phone company which is always a nice touch. Major drawback for me...no 411 listing availability which is a BIG deal when you are just starting out.
Call Nation - Like Ring Central, Call Nation gives you loads of flexibility. It even has a few features that Ring Central can stand to steal. I am currently testing it out so my personal knowledge is limited but I like what I have seen so far and my friend Tamara swears by it. Biggest plus...they DO have the ability to get listed in the directories for $30 which is practically free compared to the benefits of having that listing. Kudos to Call Nation.
Vumber - By far the least flexible to me but if your needs are limited to a local number that will ring where you tell it to Vumber is a great place to start. Not much personal experience but I know people that love them when they need the ability to have a variety of local numbers fast and affordably.

Check out these few or tell me about your favorite virtual telecom solution choice.

Jackie of all trades, master of some.

2009-06-01T02:53:00.000-07:00

In case you hadn't heard, the economy is swirling the bowl. To combat that, entrepreneurs are recognizing that you have to be flexible to make things work. For me, the writing has been on the wall for a long time. My epiphany came in the form of a health insurance plan.

It was not fun to write a big fat check every month to pay for our family's health insurance. As a self employed person I was paying through the nose for a policy that made sense for our family, but that policy was far from cheap. I swear I was tempted to make an appointment with our doctors and dentist daily just to sit in the exam room and talk about the weather or eat my lunch just so I would feel like I was actually getting my money's worth from that ugly premium. It wasn't until my friend (who happens to be my dentist) hipped me to the game. He started working part-time... for an airline! When he told me I said "Oh, that's great! Can you hand me that phone book? Because the last thing I want fishing around in my mouth is a less than full-time dentist!". He quickly schooled me on the real deal. He was able to work early mornings so it didn't interfere with his practice, he and his family got free travel and he had FULL BENEFITS!!! I heard the sweet sound of wind chimes, harps playing and birds singing when he got to that last part. Sign me up...

I have been working for that same airline for several years now. It was no small feat to remain seamless to my clients while rushing out of the door to punch in on a time clock. Sidebar: Did I mention prior to this I hadn't worked an hourly job since that fateful summer as a teen, 25+ years ago at The Great Hotdog Experience when my best friend and I got fired for leaving all of the condiments out all night?...sorry I digress. I would be less than honest if I didn't tell you there are days I am just plain tired. But it is well worth it. I have incredible flexibility to work my business, travel at will and it is a complete departure from my day to day. All of this while not only making a few dollars but saving a ton on what I used to have to pay for out-of-pocket. Oh and on top of the obvious benefits I anticipated, there was an unexpected benefit as well...I really, really LIKE my jobs!

What is your side hustle?

No Rest for the Weary...

2009-05-30T02:55:00.000-07:00

I would kill for a sick day. Sure, I know people say all my days are sick days if I want them to be. Not so. When I am sick I get up and trudge over to the computer and make it happen. When you work from home you have to eat what you kill. No Work = No Pay. There is no boss to complain about or a union to fight for me, I am it...

So I certainly have to admit there is a tinge of admiration (ok, let's call it what it is, jealousy) for the folks that get a day off when they are sick. Let's be clear...I am talking PAID day off when they are sick. Or for that matter a vacation day, or a personal day or a long dead President's day or any other day that let's you reap the benefits of taking care of yourself while someone else foots the bill for a change. Often times I only know it is a holiday because the bank is closed when I get there. That is why my panties are in a proverbial bunch when I hear people trudging to work sick when they just don't have to. Did the Swine Flu (oops I mean post panic PR overhaul to H1N1) not teach you anything? Not only are you not appreciated as a hero, people like me loath you for infecting your co-workers, who infect their kid, who infects my kid, who in turn infects me. You have sick days use them. No, that does not mean play hooky and leave your co-workers in a lurch. But they call them benefits for a reason. So go benefit from having them already. I go to work sick enough for the both of us. So on behalf of all of us have-nots, please...TAKE THE DAY OFF!

"Where did you go?" Resurecting the community for the work at home professional

2009-05-29T06:19:00.000-07:00

When I launched NetMommies in 1999 it was for purely selfish reasons. I had always prided myself on being "foot loose and fancy free" because I worked from home. It was nirvana! No clocks, no office politics, no "who stole my lunch" from the community fridge. But then the unthinkable...I got pregnant!

It wasn't unplanned. Nope, not at all. My husband and I wanted to start a family. We admired our friends with their children and walked around with a constant cartoon thought bubble above our heads where our perfect family lived. But I forgot one detail. The birth of a child meant I was inviting a permanent office mate that I was 100% responsible for. How would I maintain my professionalism with a screaming, wiggly in the background? Would I be able to juggle feedings and deadlines? Would I be considered a bad mother for putting my child in daycare when my commute is a total of eight feet?

I scoured the net for help. I not only needed a 12-step program to wean me from my carefree ways, but I needed to know that I wasn't alone. There had to be others. But finding them proved more illusive than the Loch Ness Monster or determining who left that little corner of milk in the carton and put it back in the fridge. So I made it myself and NetMommies was born.

Fast forward to today. Two children and nearly a decade later I have decided to come back to the scene of the crime relaunching NetMommies as a blog. Here I will share some of what I learned along the way and ask what I need to know. I will also share some great finds that can help finding that next opportunity easier or help you to stretch things just a little further. I will also talk about what I have learned along the way about my search for the holy grail...balancing work and family when they all live under the same roof.