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	<title>Wahm I Am</title>
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	<link>http://www.wahmiam.com</link>
	<description>Work at home Moms</description>
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		<title>10 Tax Tips for Your Online Business</title>
		<link>http://www.wahmiam.com/articles/10-tax-tips-online-business.html</link>
		<comments>http://www.wahmiam.com/articles/10-tax-tips-online-business.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 03 Feb 2012 23:54:55 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>wahm</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Business Ideas]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Small Business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[business tips]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[tax time]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[tax tips]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.wahmiam.com/?p=334</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Well, it is tax time again! For some of us, tax time is a total nightmare. I used to love tax season when we got a big refund each year but now owning my own business, it doesn’t work out that way. To keep what we pay in taxes down as low as possible, we [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img src="http://mrg.bz/yop3aM" width="262" height="162" border="0" align="left" hspace="12" vspace="4"> Well, it is tax time again!  For some of us, tax time is a total nightmare.  I used to love tax season when we got a big refund each year but now owning my own business, it doesn’t work out that way.  To keep what we pay in taxes down as low as possible, we need to know what we can deduct and what we cannot. </p>
<p>For a lot of us, it is better to go to a professional to ensure we get the most deductions possible.  But there are a lot of us who prefer to do our own taxes.  If you are one of the many that choose to do your own taxes, here are some tips to help you minimize your taxes.  All the forms mentioned can be found at the IRS website.</p>
<p><strong>1. Keep Organized</strong> – Always keep records and receipts of all your purchases, expenses, and income.  Don’t just throw everything in a shoe box.  Keep papers categorized and filed.  This will save you a lot of headaches when tax time arrives.  A lot of records can be kept and organized electronically as well.</p>
<p><strong>2. Home Office Deduction</strong> – If you have a room in your home that is used only for your business you can deduct a portion of your home’s expenses.   It also has to be the primary place of business, meaning you do not rent office space or conduct business elsewhere.  With a home office, you can deduct a portion of your mortgage, utilities and home repairs.  You can use Form 8829 to figure out your home office deduction and add it to your Form 1040 Schedule C.</p>
<p><strong>3. Donate to Charity</strong> – You can deduct cash and property donations but you must keep impeccable records on all items.  For example: if you donate over $5000.00 in a non-cash property, you must have it appraised in writing for fair market value.  If you donate over $500.00 in non-cash items, you must use Form 8283.  You also must be able to itemize each and every item donated.</p>
<p><strong>4. Mileage Log</strong> – If you use your vehicle to go see clients, or for other business purposes, be sure to keep a mileage log.   Record the date, the destination, the purpose of the trip, the mileage from your odometer at the start and end of the trip.  You cannot simply write down that you drove 50 miles.  The IRS will expect much more detailed information.</p>
<p><strong>5. Hire Your Kids</strong> – If your kids are over 6 you can hire them to help you with your home business.  This is good for the kids as well as helping with your taxes.  The wages you pay them are tax free if the kids are under 18 and they are a deductible business expense for you. </p>
<p><strong>6. Telephone Deduction</strong> – If you only have one phone in your home, you cannot deduct it as a business expense because it is not used exclusively for your business.  You may deduct long distance charges that are made for your business but you might want to consider getting a second line used only for your business.  This way the whole cost can be deducted.</p>
<p><strong>7. Training and Information</strong> – If you take classes, attend seminars or further your education to help you with your business, those expenses can be deducted.  You can also deduct business-related books, newspapers and other publications.</p>
<p><strong>8. Mailing Expenses</strong> – If you send greeting cards to your clients and prospects, they can be deducted as a business expense.  You can also deduct the postage.  If you purchased email addresses or mailing lists for your business, they can be deducted as well. </p>
<p><strong>9. Website Expenses</strong> – Don’t forget your website expenses as part of your deductible business expenses.    Web hosting, domain name, and software are all deductible expenses.  If you paid someone to design your site, don’t forget that in your business expenses. However, there are some specific rules on website design costs. </p>
<p><strong>10. Health Expenses</strong> – If you have non-reimbursed health costs, these can be used as a tax deduction.  This includes insurance premiums, co-pays, and other health related expenses.  This can be a substantial deduction if your health costs are large.</p>
<p>The information provided in this article is based on general online research so be sure to check out all new tax laws and/or consult a professional.</p>
<p>Tax time does not have to be a stressful, harried experience.   Keep all your records organized, keep abreast of the tax laws and know what you can and cannot deduct.  If needed, be sure to go with a professional to make sure you get the all the deductions you deserve!</p>
<p><em>About the Author:</em><br />
Don’t be one of the 95% of people who fail at their online business.  Terri Seymour can help you make money online.  Find out how to increase your traffic and sales with her popular “How to Build Your Online Business” ebook for FREE at:  ==> <a target="_blank" href="http://www.seymourproducts.com/" target="_blank">http://www.SeymourProducts.com</a></p>
<p>Photo credit: <a target="_blank" href="http://mrg.bz/dGgHvn" target="_blank">cohdra</a></p>
]]></content:encoded>
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		<item>
		<title>Set Yourself Up For Vacation</title>
		<link>http://www.wahmiam.com/articles/set-vacation.html</link>
		<comments>http://www.wahmiam.com/articles/set-vacation.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 27 Jan 2012 03:02:36 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>wahm</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Entrepreneur]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Small Business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[wah challenges]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[self-employed]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[vacation]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.wahmiam.com/?p=332</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[When you became self-employed you might have thought personal vacations were a thing of the past. The reality is, the more successful you are, whether self-employed or higher up the employment ladder, the harder it is to carve out vacation time. It&#8217;s no use preaching to you about how time away from your business is [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img src="http://mrg.bz/TTMoPd" width="233" height="156"  align="left" hspace="12" vspace="2" border="0"> When you became self-employed you might have thought personal vacations were a thing of the past. The reality is, the more successful you are, whether self-employed or higher up the employment ladder, the harder it is to carve out vacation time.</p>
<p>It&#8217;s no use preaching to you about how time away from your business is essential to keeping you healthy, sane, and liking the work you do because that doesn&#8217;t make it any easier to find the time. The bottom line is you&#8217;re so busy there are already not enough hours in the day or week to get everything done you need to do. Taking time away is a dream that never comes to fruition.</p>
<p>But there is hope for you. Let&#8217;s take a look at a few things you can do in order to fit a vacation into your business plan. The idea is to start small by taking back your weekends. Then you can go on from there to full-fledged one week trips.</p>
<p>You may be a one man operation and you like it that way, but you do need some additional help when you&#8217;re not there.</p>
<p>Set up an online support ticket system as a central location for all incoming requests for help and questions. Do some research and find one that has the features you want. You probably want one that doesn&#8217;t make the customer sign up and enter a password. No sense irritating your customer! You probably also want a help desk system that allows you to add a section on common questions and answers. Many people simply need to look here to get their answers and don&#8217;t need to reach you personally.</p>
<p>Once you have the system, you will need to find a live body to man it. Find someone who can be trained to answer all sorts of questions and handle any problems, and redirect the support questions to them when you&#8217;re unavailable. Often times you can hire a virtual assistant who already knows how to deal with people in this manner.</p>
<p>As far as your regular &#8220;work&#8221; goes, it does take some planning ahead to take time off. If there are deadlines looming, look them over to see if you can finish them up ahead of time. If they are self-imposed deadlines, ask yourself if it&#8217;s okay if you push the deadline back a few days or weeks.</p>
<p>Next, determine what else has to be done before you go and make a list of those tasks. Now, and this is the hardest part, give yourself permission to let go of the little, inconsequential, time-consuming tasks that can either be outsourced, done away with, or can wait. This frees up your time to work on the &#8220;have to&#8217;s&#8221; before you go.</p>
<p>The last thing to mention is your attitude. By allowing yourself to take a break it means you&#8217;ve realized your business can go on even without you there, and while you&#8217;re an important part of it, you&#8217;ve set up the structure so it&#8217;s not all about you.</p>
<p>Go on and take a weekend off and see how it goes. Stepping away and recharging will have a huge impact not only on you but how you successfully do business when you return. </p>
<p>Photo credit: <a target="_blank" href="http://mrg.bz/awDv0e" target="_blank">rikahi</a></p>
]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>10 Ways to Improve Your Google Ranking</title>
		<link>http://www.wahmiam.com/articles/10-ways-improve-google-ranking.html</link>
		<comments>http://www.wahmiam.com/articles/10-ways-improve-google-ranking.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 20 Jan 2012 18:29:26 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>wahm</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Sales & Marketing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[google]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[improve ranking]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ranking]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.wahmiam.com/?p=329</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Google is the world’s most popular search engine. Shortly after its creation, Google’s popularity skyrocketed and it soon became the dominant search engine for finding information on the internet. This is why, if you own a website, you want it to be high in the Google ratings. Google is constantly changing and evolving so you [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img src="http://www.wahmiam.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/google-ranking.png" alt="Google Ranking" title="google-ranking" width="163" height="109" align="left" hspace="12" vspace="4" /> Google is the world’s most popular search engine.  Shortly after its creation, Google’s popularity skyrocketed and it soon became the dominant search engine for finding information on the internet.  This is why, if you own a website, you want it to be high in the Google ratings.</p>
<p>Google is constantly changing and evolving so you need to keep up with the changes.  Their recent changes, called the Panda Update, caused many sites’ rankings to drop significantly.  Google’s mission is to provide the highest quality information for each search done and in doing this, many sites get lost in the endless pages of search results.</p>
<p>To get your website increased ranking there are many things you can do and many things you should not do.  I have tried to list some of the more effective things you should do and a couple things you should not do for better placement in Google.</p>
<p><strong>1. Limit Your Advertising</strong> – If you have a hodgepodge or cluttering of advertising on your site, this can decrease your ranking.  Google considers excess advertising to be a sign of a low-quality spam site.  And remember, Google’s goal is to provide the highest quality sites at the top of the search results.</p>
<p><strong>2. Google Toolbar</strong> – The Google Toolbar is an important tool to have because of all the features that will help you improve your ranking.   The Google toolbar can help you monitor your page rank and help you find sites to link to and to which sites are linked to you. You can also keep tabs on how your site is doing with targeted keywords. Find out more features and get it for free at Google.com</p>
<p><strong>3. Relevant and Quality Content</strong> – One of the most important things to do for better SEO is to provide quality content with relevant keywords.  Quality is always more effective than quantity so don’t plaster a ton of low-quality articles on your sit just to have content.  Make sure the articles you choose are relevant to your site and provide helpful information.  If you have some of the same articles as another site, the most relevant quality site will be higher in the rankings so the duplicate content itself, will not lower your rankings.  Also, be sure to add fresh new content on a regular basis.</p>
<p><strong>4. Google+1 Button</strong> – By joining Google Plus and adding a Google+1 button to your site, you can help uplift your site’s rankings.  One of the things Google looks at the most is your site’s level of importance and relevancy.  The more plus ones you can get, the more importance it will give your site, thus causing Google to increase your ranking in the search results page.  This will also get your site more exposure resulting in more visits as well.</p>
<p><strong>5. Become a Blogger</strong> – If you haven’t already done so, you need to add a blog to your business website.  Blogging is a highly efficient way to raise your ranking in Google because a blog does two things.  First, it can add many pages of keyword-rich relevant quality content to your site which will be noticed by Google.  The more quality pages indexed, the more chances you have to be on page one.  And secondly, a blog can increase the amount of quality inbound links to your site. </p>
<p><strong>6. Relevant Inbound Links</strong> – Quality inbound links are a great way to add relevance and importance to your site.  Guest posting on high quality blogs is one of the best ways to accomplish this task.  Commenting on existing blog comments works well also.  Always use keyword rich posts with appropriate sites and use relevant keywords for your links.  Google does not value links from article banks as much as they used to so choosing a few quality blogs is better than submitting to countless article sites.</p>
<p><strong>7.  Social Media</strong> – As with many facets of internet marketing, social media plays a big part in SEO.  Be active on your social sites.  Do not let them go stale.  Engage in conversations, post new info regularly and involve your visitors.<br />
<strong><br />
8.  Keyword Researc</strong>h &#8211; Keywords play an important part in SEO but using the wrong keywords can do more harm than good.  Be sure to research keywords to find what search phrases people are using to find your site’s info.  Google offers a keyword tool called Google Keyword Tool.  This free tool will give you a list of keywords and tell you how often they are used and their competition. </p>
<p><strong>9.  Hidden Text</strong> – Hidden text is text displayed on your site but invisible to your visitors.  A common way of doing this is to set the font color the same as the background color.  The reason for doing this is to add a large amount of keywords for the search engines but not make your content seem redundant to your visitors.  Do not do this.  Google considers this manipulation and it could get your site penalized.</p>
<p><strong>10.  Bad Linking</strong> – Reciprocal linking, inbound links and outgoing links can all be good if you follow the proper procedure.  Do not link with any and all sites.  Be very selective and only link with sites that are relevant to your site and contain quality content.  Stay away from FFA (Free For All) or link farm sites.  Check your links regularly to make sure they are not broken links.  Broken links will catch the attention of Google and other search engines.  Linking to poor quality sites or spam sites is also something you do not want to do.  Years ago quantity might have gotten you a boost but now it is all about quality links to relevant sites, NOT quantity!</p>
<p>Obtaining a high Google ranking is the goal of every webmaster.  It can be done but you need to be consistent, persistent and keep abreast of Google’s ever evolving search methods.</p>
<p><em>About the Author:</em><br />
Don’t be one of the 95% of people who fail at their online business.  Terri Seymour can help you make money online.  Find out how to increase your traffic and sales with her popular “How to Build Your Online Business” ebook for FREE at:  ==> <a target="_blank" href="http://www.seymourproducts.com/" target="_blank">http://www.SeymourProducts.com</a></p>
]]></content:encoded>
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		<item>
		<title>Develop Your Writing Style</title>
		<link>http://www.wahmiam.com/articles/develop-writing-style.html</link>
		<comments>http://www.wahmiam.com/articles/develop-writing-style.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 20 Jan 2012 18:19:46 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>wahm</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Content & Copywriting]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[copywriting]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[readers]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[writers]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Writing]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.wahmiam.com/?p=326</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Some people are natural-born writers. They hold a pen up to paper and words start flowing. On the other hand, there are people who struggle to write a few paragraphs.]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img src="http://mrg.bz/CaaU7M" width="172" height="196" align="left" hspace="12" vspace="4" border="0"> Some people are natural-born writers. They hold a pen up to paper and words start flowing. On the other hand, there are people who struggle to write a few paragraphs. Having a unique writing style will help set your writing apart from others, even if you fall into the group of people that finds writing difficult. Here are some ways to develop your writing style.</p>
<p>The best writers have a love of words, and they are avid readers. Believe it or not, reading is a great way to develop your writing style. The types of things you enjoy reading are probably things you would enjoy writing.</p>
<p>Reading other peoples’ writing will also give you insights on your own writing. As you read, some authors’ styles will seem to pop out at you as very good or very bad. You probably have a writing style similar to the authors you enjoy reading.</p>
<p>What are your writing strengths? Some people are great at writing news-oriented stories, while some people prefer to write reviews and opinion pieces. If you like to teach people things, your writing strength could be how-to articles. If you enjoy coming up with slogans and catchy headlines, you might be a natural when it comes to copywriting. There are many types of writing to explore.</p>
<p>In order to develop your writing style, you need to write. Try to write something everyday. The more you write, the easier it will get. Experiment with different styles and techniques. You will see that some types of writing come easier to you. Blogs and journals are a great way to get writing practice.</p>
<p>These “practice writings” don’t need to be masterpieces, and you can delete what you write if you want. The point is to keep your writing muscles flexed by exercising them a little each day. Your natural strengths will come out as you try different forms of writing.</p>
<p>Embrace your personality and voice as you write. Use words that you would use when you speak. If your writing sounds unnatural and awkward, your reader will be turned off. Let your personality come out in your writing. Have a conversation with your readers as you would with someone you were speaking to face to face. If you like talking about certain subjects, write about them.</p>
<p>Free writing can also help you develop your unique style. Sit down in a quiet place and set a timer for five to ten minutes. Clear your head and start writing what comes to your mind, and keep writing until time runs out. Don’t worry about grammar or spelling. Just write whatever you think of.</p>
<p>When the timer goes off, read over what you have written. It may not make sense, but it can give you ideas for other things to write about.</p>
<p>Photo credit: <a target="_blank" href="http://mrg.bz/McLIgB" target="_blank">cohdra</a></p>
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		<item>
		<title>10 Ways to Maximize the Power of Your “About Us” Page</title>
		<link>http://www.wahmiam.com/articles/10-ways-maximize-power-page.html</link>
		<comments>http://www.wahmiam.com/articles/10-ways-maximize-power-page.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 06 Jan 2012 21:56:57 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>wahm</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Blogging]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[about us]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[blog]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[website]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.wahmiam.com/?p=322</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[If you own an online business, you need to provide an About Us page. Unfortunately, many sites neglect to give this page the attention it needs and deserves. Many people do not realize the importance of an effective About Us page. Your About Us page has the distinct purpose of letting people get to know [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img src="http://mrg.bz/LaQq7k" width="260" align="right" hspace="12" vspace="2" border="0"> If you own an online business, you need to provide an About Us page.  Unfortunately, many sites neglect to give this page the attention it needs and deserves.  Many people do not realize the importance of an effective About Us page.</p>
<p>Your About Us page has the distinct purpose of letting people get to know your company, which will help build the foundation of trust and respect that is needed for a successful online business.   For certain businesses, the About Us page can also be used for recruiting new employees, sales reps, etc.</p>
<p>So, take some time, look over your About Us page and see if it utilizes any or all of the ten features listed below. </p>
<p><strong>1. Company History</strong> – Give a brief history of your company and how you got started.  Explain how long you’ve been in business, the purpose of your business and your experience.  This is also a good place to add your mission statement.</p>
<p><strong>2. Focus on Benefits</strong> – Be sure to focus on the benefits your company will provide the customer.  Your potential customers want to know what you can do for them, not how you do it.</p>
<p><strong>3. Introduce Yourself and Crew</strong> – Be sure to give your name and the names of those who work with and/or for you.  You would be surprised at how many About Us pages I have read that contain no names whatsoever!  Give a very brief background on yourself and your workers so your visitors can get to know them. </p>
<p><strong>4.  Special Skills and Accomplishments</strong> – Highlighting any special skills you have or accomplishments can help to build your credibility and separate you from your competitors. If your company is a green company be sure to highlight that as well.  Let people know what your company stands for and against.</p>
<p><strong>5.  Toot Your Horn</strong> – Provide testimonials, awards and names of notable clients.  Don’t be afraid to let people know exactly how accomplished you and your company are.  This will also help build credibility and trust.</p>
<p><strong>6.  Use Photos</strong> – Be sure to add some photos of yourself and your workers (if any) so people can feel get more human contact.  Actually seeing the person or people behind the website will make it more believable.</p>
<p><strong>7.  Personality and Passion</strong> – Give your company some personality.  Accentuate the passion and commitment your company possesses.  Let your readers see the human side of your company.   </p>
<p><strong>8.  Social Media</strong> – Be sure to add your social media site links.  This will give your readers another avenue to keep in touch with your company.<br />
<strong><br />
9.  Coffee Clutch</strong> – Write all of this information as if you were sitting over coffee and chatting with your visitors.  Don’t make it sound like a dull cookie cutter page.  Add life, vigor and sparkle to your writing.</p>
<p><strong>10.  Contact Info</strong> – ALWAYS thank your visitor for coming to your site and offer your contact information.  Let them know you are available to answer any questions or concerns.  Adding your physical address is shown to raise the level of confidence in your company as well.</p>
<p>Although the About Us page is often overlooked by the site owner, it can be a very powerful way to attract customers and increase your conversion rate.   Do the research and take the time to write a compelling and powerful About Us page that will boost your credibility and gain the trust and respect your business needs to survive!</p>
<p>About the Author:</p>
<p>Don’t be one of the 95% of people who fail at their online business.  Terri Seymour can help you make money online.  Find out how to increase your traffic and sales with her popular “How to Build Your Online Business” ebook for FREE at:  ==> <a target="_blank" href="http://www.SeymourProducts.com" target="_blank">http://www.SeymourProducts.com</a></p>
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		<title>How to Outsource Parts of Your Internet Business</title>
		<link>http://www.wahmiam.com/articles/outsource-parts-internet-business.html</link>
		<comments>http://www.wahmiam.com/articles/outsource-parts-internet-business.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 17 Nov 2011 01:49:40 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>wahm</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Business Ideas]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Virtual Assistant]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Work at Home]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[outsource]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[outsourcing]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.wahmiam.com/?p=317</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Guest blog post from Nicole Dean One of my favorite topics to discuss is outsourcing. You’d be amazed how thinking about outsourcing and where to begin outsourcing flummoxes everyone from the newest newbies to the seasoned gurus and everyone in between. Buy why? Why is it so very confusing? Most of us manage to outsource [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><em>Guest blog post from Nicole Dean</em></p>
<p>One of my favorite topics to discuss is outsourcing.</p>
<p><a target="_blank" href="http://www.mostlysanemarketing.com/ezGaffurl.php?offer=4peaceful1&#038;pid=4" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.outsourceweekly.com/images/468x60-freedom.gif" width="468" height="60"></a> </p>
<p>You’d be amazed how thinking about outsourcing and where to begin outsourcing flummoxes everyone from the newest newbies to the seasoned gurus and everyone in between.<br />
Buy why? Why is it so very confusing? Most of us manage to outsource quite nicely in our day to day lives.</p>
<p>I oftentimes pose these questions to my coaching clients -</p>
<p>When you go to a restaurant, do you head back into the kitchen and cook your own food? (That’s just silly.)</p>
<p>And, if your appendix burst right now, would you go online to find out how to remove it yourself? (Please say “no”.)</p>
<p>Of course not!</p>
<p>But, why do we think it’s ok to do everything ourselves in our businesses?</p>
<p>I can’t figure out what it is, but I think I’m starting to narrow it down.</p>
<p>* Fear of losing control.<br />
* Not knowing who to outsource work to. (Needing a recommendation.)<br />
* Not wanting to take the time to outsource. (You think: “It’s quicker to do it myself.”)<br />
* Costs. (Oftentimes, though, you can get help for a lot less than you think it’ll cost.)<br />
* Lack of confidence in ourselves.<br />
* Lack of confidence in the potential of our business.<br />
No matter which of those it is, there comes a point with all of us, where you HAVE to outsource — at least if you ever want to be able to go on a real vacation where you leave the internet behind and relax with your loved ones.</p>
<p>I know. I know. If you’ve been following me for any amount of time – you’ve heard this song and dance before. BUT! While outsourcing isn’t perfect, it’s a heck of a lot better than putting the chains on your wrists from a job that you’ve created for yourself – one where you can’t escape.</p>
<h4>So, my #1 tip for outsourcing is to try it.</h4>
<p><strong>Choose something small and work from there.</strong></p>
<ul>
<li>Submitting some articles that you’ve written to the article directories.</li>
<li>Finding blogs to guest post on and contacting the owners.</li>
<li>Answering some emails regarding customer issues.</li>
<li>Graphics to promote your products.</li>
</ul>
<p>It really doesn’t matter where you start. The big thing is taking that first step so that you can enjoy the FREEDOM that comes with the online lifestyle.</p>
<p><strong>Start small. Don’t go crazy. </strong>But, when you find someone who you work well with – build on that relationship so you have access to great people who know your style and who you’re comfortable working with. When I need a project done, I have my own personal rolodex of fabulously skilled people who I turn to on a regular basis. Not only does it save me time – but it also helps me to get great prices because they already know what I like, they know that I’m easy to work with and that I pay on time.</p>
<p><strong>I hope this inspires you to start outsourcing in your business.</strong></p>
<p>Nicole Dean can help you to get more done in your business without going crazy in the process. Yes, you can have a business AND a Life! Check out <a target="_blank" href="http://www.mostlysanemarketing.com/ezGaffurl.php?offer=4peaceful1&amp;pid=4" target="_blank">Outsource Weekly</a> and sign up for her free “Outsourcing Mistakes” lessons on the top of the page to get started.</p>
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		<title>10 Real Ways to Make Money with Your Blog</title>
		<link>http://www.wahmiam.com/articles/10-real-ways-money-blog.html</link>
		<comments>http://www.wahmiam.com/articles/10-real-ways-money-blog.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 02 Nov 2011 17:04:54 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>wahm</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Blogging]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Wah Opportunities]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[blog]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[blogging]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[making money]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[money]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[money blog]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.wahmiam.com/?p=310</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[These days we can all use a bigger income but it is definitely easier said than done. But the internet has given us all opportunities that were never possible before to create our own success. There are many people who make a good living online and many who claim to have gotten rich but there [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img title="money-blog" src="http://www.wahmiam.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/money-blog-300x261.jpg" alt="" width="228" height="198" align="left" hspace="12" vspace="2" />These days we can all use a bigger income but it is definitely easier said than done. But the internet has given us all opportunities that were never possible before to create our own success. There are many people who make a good living online and many who claim to have gotten rich but there are also many people who are trying and trying but nothing is happening. I tried for several years before I started making a good living online so I would like to share some of the things that helped me increase my income. Although I have not tried every method listed below, I have tried several of them and they have worked for me.</p>
<p><strong>1. Sell Resell eBooks and Software</strong> – You can easily add a digital product store script to your existing blog and sell ebooks and software with resell rights. Ebooks are very popular and the demand for them is increasing. You can also sell videos, music and other downloadable files from your digital store.</p>
<p><strong>2. Write and Sell Your Own eBook</strong> – Write an ebook about your area of expertise and put it for sale on your site. You can sell it outright, offer resell rights or recruit affiliates to sell it for you as well. I did this with my first ebook and it worked out very well.</p>
<p><strong>3. Affiliate Products</strong> – Find quality products and services that offer a commission and sell them on your site. Be sure they are relative to your site and if possible try the product out first so you can give a personal recommendation. Personal recommendations can help increase your sales. You can find affiliate products at AffiliateSeek, Clickbank, and AffiliateTips.</p>
<p><strong>4. Sell Advertising</strong> – Offer advertising space on your blog. You can offer text ads, banner ads and even video and audio ads. You can charge monthly and annual fees to give your customers a better value.</p>
<p><strong>5. Dropship Sales</strong> – Dropship means you can sell products without having to ship them or stock them. You find a company that offers dropshipping, sign up with them and start selling their products on your blog. Anytime you get an order, you send it to the main company and they ship the product out to your customer. The customer will think the product came from your store and you get a portion of the profits. You make money simply by taking orders and the dropship company does the rest. Dropship companies will usually require a membership fee, either monthly or annually.</p>
<p><strong>6. Google Adsense</strong> – This is not my favorite but it does work well for some people. What this entails is placing numerous ads on your site, chosen by Google. Anytime these ads are clicked on, you will get paid a portion of what the advertiser has paid Google. Google will choose ads that are relevant to your site’s contents. So, what this means is that if you sell jewelry Google will place ads on your site to other people who sell jewelry and related products. So, in essence you are sending people to your competitor’s sites. Although I do not agree with this, many people claim to make a good chunk of change each month using Google Adsense!</p>
<p><strong>7. Donation Button</strong> – You see this more and more often these days. People offer a lot of free resources and content on their sire and ask for donations from the people who utilize this information. You can get the buttons directly from Paypal and place them on your site. To do this, you must provide quality content and value to your visitors so they feel a donation would be appropriate.</p>
<p><strong>8. Classes and Workshops</strong> – Organize some informative classes and workshops to teach your visitors how to “whatever”. Sell space to attend these events. Offer a variety of classes such as a week-long class, month long, etc. You could also produce some effective webinars. You can also recruit affiliates for these services as well.</p>
<p><strong>9. Exclusive Access</strong> – Offer private content, forums, classes, etc. to members only. Charge a monthly or annual fee for this membership. People will pay for valuable information they can’t seem to find anywhere else.</p>
<p><strong>10. Sponsored Reviews</strong> – Companies like Blogvertiser will connect you with advertisers who will pay you to write reviews about their products and services and place them on your site. You will have the option of accepting or declining any deals the advertisers offer. Other sites that offer this service are PayPerPost, SponsoredReviews and ReviewMe.</p>
<p>The methods above might not make you rich but they can earn you a good income or add to your existing income. Selling ebooks and software has been very profitable for me and affiliate products, selling advertising space and dropshipping has also worked for me in the past. Some of these methods might not be for you but it could be worth your while to check them out. I wish you much success in whatever path you choose.</p>
<p><em>About the Author:</em></p>
<p>Don’t be one of the 95% of people who fail at their online business. Terri Seymour can help you make money online. Find out how to increase your traffic and sales with her popular “How to Build Your Online Business” ebook for FREE at: ==&gt; <a target="_blank" href="http://www.seymourproducts.com/" target="_blank">http://www.SeymourProducts.com</a></p>
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		<title>How To Get More Done</title>
		<link>http://www.wahmiam.com/articles/how-to-get-more-done.html</link>
		<comments>http://www.wahmiam.com/articles/how-to-get-more-done.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 16 Oct 2011 04:29:38 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>wahm</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Business Ideas]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Small Business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[wah challenges]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[business tips]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[get more done]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[goals]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[leverage]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[outsource]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[tips]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.wahmiam.com/?p=304</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[When you are self-employed, every minute counts. Initially, the more you can get done, the faster your business will grow. But there comes a time, rather early in your business, where you need to get even more done than it seems humanly possible. This is when you stop and take stock in order to proceed [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img src="http://www.wahmiam.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/getmoredone-300x225.png" alt="" title="getmoredone" width="260" class="alignright size-medium wp-image-305" />When you are self-employed, every minute counts. Initially, the more you can get done, the faster your business will grow. But there comes a time, rather early in your business, where you need to get even more done than it seems humanly possible. This is when you stop and take stock in order to proceed more efficiently with your time.</p>
<p>First off, look at where your time goes. Keep close track for a week in order to make some decisions based on your new awareness. You should also continue to pay attention day to day to find out what you&#8217;re doing and not doing. Decide what tasks are making you money and which are hardly more than busy work. Only then can you determine where you should be spending your hours in the future.</p>
<p><strong>Outsource.</strong><br />
Chances are, you are self-employed because you have great ideas and like to be in charge of your own destiny. That often comes at a price initially, as you take on every task yourself in order to get your business up and running at a minimal cost. As soon as possible, and perhaps even before then, you should be outsourcing the lower-value activities. This gives you time to work on your business rather than in it. You can find better and faster ways to do things, hammer out shortcuts, get rid of the unnecessary, and generally take the action that builds your business the way you envision it.</p>
<p><strong>Do less.</strong><br />
Get rid of time-consuming and inconsequential tasks; the ones that don&#8217;t matter to your bottom line. Outsource the necessary tasks, as stated above, and simply get rid of as many of the rest as you can. With each task ask yourself, &#8220;Does this really matter to my bottom line? To my customers?&#8221; and proceed (or not) accordingly.</p>
<p><strong>Stop doing what&#8217;s not working.</strong><br />
Just like everyone else, you may be working half-heartedly on some lifeless projects. All they do is eat up your money, your time, and your resources and give you no or minimal results in return. Getting out of these projects not only frees up time but has a huge mental impact on you. You&#8217;ll feel relief from getting rid of the burden. You&#8217;ll get excited at the chance for a fresh start on a new project or look forward to working on current projects that are actually already making you money.</p>
<p><strong>Leverage.</strong><br />
You don&#8217;t have to start from scratch with each project. More than likely others have gone before you and you can simply take up where they left off by using their research and ideas, copying their successful processes, and borrowing their money to grow your business.</p>
<p><strong>Have a goal.</strong><br />
One thing that can really help you get more done is to have a goal with a deadline date. Not only does this help you focus, but it helps you more easily release the little, unimportant time-sucking tasks. Set a goal for yourself, then publicly declare it for maximum accountability.</p>
<p>Being self-employed, you are always in need of finding ways to get more done. Keep track of where your time goes, then make some decisions on what to outsource, what to let go of, how to leverage, and then give yourself goals with deadlines.</p>
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		<title>12 Clever Ways to Boost Your Traffic</title>
		<link>http://www.wahmiam.com/articles/12-clever-ways-boost-traffic.html</link>
		<comments>http://www.wahmiam.com/articles/12-clever-ways-boost-traffic.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 06 Oct 2011 02:18:10 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>wahm</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Business Ideas]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ideas]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[tips]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[traffic]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[website trafic]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.wahmiam.com/?p=299</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Traffic is essential to anyone who owns a website and/or blog. Without traffic we have no customers or sales. Unfortunately traffic does not just come to us, we have to work at it and we have to be consistent and persistent. Sales conversion rates normally average less than 5%. What this means is that only [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img src="http://mrg.bz/nFmurE" width="140" align="left" hspace="12" vspace="4" border="0"> Traffic is essential to anyone who owns a website and/or blog.  Without traffic we have no customers or sales.  Unfortunately traffic does not just come to us, we have to work at it and we have to be consistent and persistent. </p>
<p>Sales conversion rates normally average less than 5%.  What this means is that only 5% of the people who visit your site will become a paid customer.  So, to increase your sales, you need to increase your traffic and/or your conversion rates.  Below are twelve things you can do right now to start increasing your traffic to get those sales. </p>
<p><strong>1.  Launch an Article Marketing Campaign</strong> – Writing articles is not as hard as you might think and it can do wonders for your traffic!  Write about something you know and just pretend you are telling a friend all about it.  There is no need to use big, fancy words because people just want basic, straightforward information.  Submit your articles to some of the more prominent article directories such as Ezine Articles. </p>
<p><strong>2.  Guest Posting and/or Commenting on Blogs</strong> – Do a search to find quality blogs in your niche and ask if they accept guest posts.  Write helpful comments on existing posts and leave your link.  Get involved and start building your reputation!  A good place to find blogs that need guest posts is BloggerLinkUp.  </p>
<p><strong>3.  Write Website Reviews</strong> – Review websites on Alexa and get more traffic and improve your Alexa rating.  Go to Alexa, register an account and start reviewing and getting that traffic.</p>
<p><strong>4.  Relevant Keywords</strong> – There are a lot of free keyword suggestion tools you can use to find the top keyword searches for your niche.  For example: if you own a pet care site, you would enter the words pet care and the tool would find the most relevant keywords for you to use on your site.</p>
<p><strong>5.  Yahoo Answers</strong> – Visit Yahoo Answers regularly and post as many answers as you can but be sure to follow their policies. You cannot try to directly lead people to your purchasing pages or leave low quality answers with your website link.</p>
<p><strong>6.  Interactive Site</strong> – Make your site interactive with forums, polls, surveys, etc.  If your visitors feel more involved with your site you will get repeat visits and longer stays.  Add a little fun as well with contests, games, etc.  Have a weekly or monthly scavenger hunt, trivia game, etc.  Running a contest for a month can increase your traffic by thousands. </p>
<p><strong>7.  Business Cards</strong> – Produce an effective business card and hand them out wherever you go.  Be sure to make it unique.  Offer a discount on a first order.  Add a personal message.  Offer a freebie.  Make your business card more than just your name and address.</p>
<p><strong>8.  Podcasting</strong> – A podcast is an audio or video broadcast which people can listen to and/or watch on many devices.   Make your podcast informative but interesting.  Talk about how your site can help the people listening and let them know about any contests or other interactive activities you offer.  All you need to make a podcast is a working microphone and a voice editor such as Audacity.  Once you have made your podcast, promote it in podcast forums and podcast directories such as PodcastBlaster.<br />
<strong><br />
9.  Moving Billboard</strong> – Turn your vehicle into a moving billboard to advertise your website wherever you go.  Use affordable vinyl coverings such as Car Wraps or magnetic signs from Esigns.  A day of fun can bring you a lot of traffic from your mobile billboard!</p>
<p><strong>10.  Social Media</strong> – These days social media is a must for more traffic.  Join Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and more.  Visit message boards and forums and really get involved.  Answer people’s questions, offer helpful advice and information.  Becoming an active participant in social media can do wonders for your traffic. </p>
<p><strong>11.  Offer a Freebie</strong> – Write an informative report or ebook and offer it for free.  Put in your website link and other biz info.  Let people know they can give it away on their sites as well.  Add it to your email signature.  Post it on your social media pages.  Before you know it, your report could be all over the web bringing you new traffic every day. </p>
<p><strong>12.  Sitemap</strong> – Create an XML sitemap for your site and submit it to Google.  A sitemap will allow more accessibility to your pages by the search engines, thus making your pages easier to find by people doing searches.   You can easily create up to a 500 page sitemap with XML-Sitemaps.  There are other options as well such as XSitemap.  Do a search and find alternative options to choose from.</p>
<p>There are numerous ways to get more traffic to your site.  Some will work for you and some will not.  Try the ideas in this article and add to them, or mold them to work even better for you.  Traffic does not come easily but by working hard, trying new ideas and finding out what works best for you will be very effective in boosting your traffic. </p>
<p><em>About the Author:</em><br />
Terri Seymour has over twelve years of online experience and has helped many people start their own business.  Visit her site for free articles, resources, information, resell ebooks and more.  Sign up for the RSS Feed for a free business ebook with MRR. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.seymourproducts.com/" target="_blank" target="_blank">http://www.SeymourProducts.com</a></p>
<p>Photo credit: <a target="_blank" href="http://mrg.bz/fZXgJc" target="_blank">imelenchon</a></p>
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		<title>Traffic School 101:  3 Proven Ways to Get Traffic To Your Site</title>
		<link>http://www.wahmiam.com/articles/traffic-school-101-3-proven-ways-traffic-site.html</link>
		<comments>http://www.wahmiam.com/articles/traffic-school-101-3-proven-ways-traffic-site.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 07 Sep 2011 15:25:57 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>wahm</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Blogging]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[blog traffic]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[traffic]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[website traffic]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.wahmiam.com/?p=295</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Welcome to Traffic School 101. As a website owner, your goal is to have a steady stream of targeted traffic flowing into your site. Here are three effective and proven ways to drive traffic to your site. Blogs are a great way to add traffic to your site. You can add a feed burner to [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img src="http://mrg.bz/XLHRpH" width="153" height="95" border="0" align="left" hspace="12" vspace="2"> Welcome to Traffic School 101. As a website owner, your goal is to have a steady stream of targeted traffic flowing into your site. Here are three effective and proven ways to drive traffic to your site.</p>
<p>Blogs are a great way to add traffic to your site. You can add a feed burner to your blog which will enable your readers to stay up to date with new posts that you add. The posts can be delivered right to their email or homepage. As you add posts to your blog, point out new articles and other content that you have recently added to your site. The more you talk about your site, the more interest you will generate.</p>
<p>If you choose, you can add a blog roll to your blog that lists other blogs your readers might find interesting. If you add a link of someone else’s blog to your site, ask them to add a reciprocal link to your blog. Remember to focus on your target market and what they would find interesting. If your site’s focus is on making homemade organic baby food, trading links with a blog that is focused on bulldogs won’t add targeted traffic to your site. However, trading links with blogs devoted to organic food will have a better chance at increasing your traffic.</p>
<p>You can also increase the amount of traffic that comes to your site with article marketing. It may sound complicated, but it is quite easy. You simply write articles and distribute them to article reprint directories. There are many directories out there, and you will want to distribute them to as many directories as possible. This can be done manually, or you can invest in software that can do this for you. Another option is to hire a virtual assistant to submit them for you.</p>
<p>By adding these articles to reprint directories, you are giving permission for other people to publish these articles on their sties for free. When other website owners publish the articles you have written, they will include a “bio box” at the end of the article. You choose what the bio box says and can include links to your site. The articles can be any length you choose and can be on any topic. If you don’t like writing, you can hire a ghostwriter to write the articles for you.</p>
<p>Having a newsletter is another great way to drive traffic to your site. Include a link to your opt-in page everywhere; the pages on your website, the signature line in the forums you belong to, the signature line in your email, and don’t forget to add the link to your blog. The more people that see your opt-in page, the more subscribers you will get. By sending your newsletter to your mailing list on a regular basis, you will stay in your readers’ minds. Include excerpts from new articles and other information that you have recently added and to your web pages, including links that point to the full text on your site.</p>
<p><em>Photo credit:</em> <a target="_blank" href="http://mrg.bz/uwBpHz" target="_blank">Darnok</a></p>
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