Mumpreneurs Online | Work From Home Ideas | Fiona Lewis

Hello and welcome to a new Word of the Week podcast episode.

In today’s show you will gain access to something that you probably have never been part of before: a platform made of passions (and a free Google Hangout with the creators!).

Enjoy the audition!

 

In the podcast we discuss:

01:21 - Meet the brains and hear the story: Tom & Seb

05:44 - The birth of a new concept

10:00 - ShurDoo: create your perfect webpage... and more

12:05 - The 3 big pain points that Shurdoo relieves

13:28 - What can you do on Shurdoo?

17:10 - When & How will you be able to use Shurdoo?

21:33 - A platform created with passions

22:34 - What’s with the name?

23:55 - Getting in touch with Shurdoo

25:24 - Have Qs? Get your A’s directly from Shurdoo’s creators

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Here is the podcast’s transcription:

Fiona: Hi, it’s Fiona Lewis here from Super Savvy Business with the latest podcast interview! Now, as you all know, one of my projects that I have a big space in, is Mumpreneurs Online and that business is all about helping mothers work from home and primarily use the internet as a way to get their business out there to others - so I always have a look out to ways to be able to help mums and to find people that I can bring into the community that are going to be beneficial for them.

Only a couple of weeks ago I was put in contact by a fellow entrepreneur with two other entrepreneurs who were on to something really exciting. They are in the middle of a project which, I believe, is going to be transformational for many mothers who are wanting to work from home, but are trying to find the best way to get it out there, and a really good vehicle to show  other people what they are doing.

01:21 - Meet the brains and hear the story: Tom & Seb

I will introduce these two people to you...

The first person I would like to introduce is Tom Bass. Tom is in Project Sales Marketing in real estate by day, but he is also a budding entrepreneur by night. He has majored in spatial design at the College of Fine Arts, but he wanted something more engaging than staring at a computer screen all day and working on somebody else’s ideas, so he went into sales instead.

However, the urge to dream and create something of his own was simply too great so, with his 30th birthday looming less than a year away, he made a promise to himself that it was “now or never” and he dived in with his new project, which we are going to be revealing in just a moment.

The other person who is partnering with Tom on this new project is Sebastian (or Seb) Hulst. Sebastian is from the Netherlands and he has a background as an industrial designer. He has worked for small-size companies and at the moment he is working as a Senior Software Developer for a Sydney startup.

Like Tom, he has always wanted to work on his own ideas, so enrolled in a course to help him get started - and that’s where he and Tom met and they started working on this wonderful project.

So, guys, I am not going to reveal what this project is yet, because I would actually like you two to do that. But first of all, I would just like to welcome you both to the call today …

...and, yeah, this is the Super Savvy Business show and bringing you live to the Mumpreneurs Online podcast as well!

So guys, you know, I have met with the both of you and, as I said in the introduction, I am always on the lookout for ways to be able to help mothers, to support mothers who are wanting to find a leveraged way to be able to work from home in and around their families... and when I heard about your project I was really super excited.

First of all, before we go into what this project is, I have given you both a bit of an intro, but do you want to maybe tell our listeners a little bit more about yourselves?

In today’s podcast we have one of my friends and business associates, Ken Burgin. He has been actively involved in a hospitality industry for more than 25 years. He was first the owner of Caffe Troppo in Sydney and then he worked with restaurants, hotels and cafes in an advisory role.

He now has a membership website called Profitable Hospitality and it’s used by business owners and managers all around the world.

One of the things Ken and I often talk about is how he uses Social Media as an important part of his marketing tool kit, which is exactly why I’ve invited him along today to talk to us about how he is using Social Media and in particular how he’s using Twitter as a very important part of what he does with his business.

In the podcast we cover aspects such as:

why it is important to use Tiwtter in order to stay up to date

how you can use Twitter to establish yourself as the market leader in your niche

who to follow and what to do in order to get new followers

what to do to have people interacting (answering, commenting, clicking)

how to use twitterfeed.com in order to program your tweets' release

how often to tweet and re-tweet news and whether or not you should use the same text for re-tweets.

...and many other useful information that will get your Twitter account up and running in no time!

Must have tools of the week:

Hootsuite.com – the automation, the way you can track how many people click on different tweets is very valuable for time-saving.

Nutshellmail.com – free service. You can link to the FB & Linkedin pages, etc. Every morning you get an e-mail with anyone who’s mentioned your name, made a comment, etc – a good summary so you can monitor what people say so you can reply quickly.

We also have the question of the week, as usually, and the answer to this one will appeal to any Twitter fan: listen and find out ways to turn Twitter into your personal playfield!

Today we have a very, very special guest - a man I met only recently, about 4 weeks ago. His name is Dale Elliot and we met at a business event where we were asked to sit down and write down our goals of where we wanted to take our business.  Dale was at this event as one of the guest speakers and he came up to the table where I was and asked anybody wanted help.

We had a little bit of a conversation and within the space of ten minutes, Dale gave me something that had the most powerful and incredible impact on the way that I was viewing my world and my life.

What he’s going to share with you today is a little bit about what he shared with me that day.

The Art of Being Present

Dale shared the extremely valuable concept of being present. But he explained it to me in a different way to what I have heard before. Dale works closely with Eckhart Tolle and has a deep insight into his work.

Since that day, I’ve applied what Dales shared with me -  not only to my business life but  it has also had an incredible impact on how I am as a mother.

A Bit More About Dale...

Dale Elliot was a commercial pilot who had his career and life entirely planned out. Then about ten years ago, he had a motorbike accident which left him paralysed from the bellybutton down.

But that accident was a mind-shattering moment and it awoke in him the desire to learn how to manage the situation without being constantly frustrated and angry with the world. He succeeded in this mission and he now speaks to others about finding your passion and following your dreams.

His techniques help people become better partners and better friends, because they help them get away from the constant ‘mind noise’ most of use live with on a daily basis.

What is the ‘mind noise’?

It is a constant cycle of thoughts that go through our minds; the thoughts with which we wake up in the morning and those which don’t allow us to fall asleep in the evening. By listening to these thoughts we are wasting a lot of precious time of our lives because we are paying too much attention to unimportant things.

So during this week’s podcast, Dale shared with us three very important techniques which will help busy mothers shut down that constant flux of thoughts:

Identify your problems. Write your thoughts down. Are they really important? This will not only help you calm down, but it will also help you to take action rather than just postpone a thought for later.

Use post-it notes. Draw a small sign on them or write a short sentence which will remind you to be present. Stick them around the house: on the TV, on the microwaves, in the bedroom, etc. Be present.

Become the watcher of your thoughts. Divide thoughts into important and unimportant. Get rid of the latter and find solutions for the first. Never forget to live in the present, because the future does not exist!

Dale has already taken part of an Ultimate Web Blueprint Workshop in Sydney and he will be part of the workshop in Melbourne. So if you want to meet him, now is the time to make a subscription!

Must Have Tool of The Week:

Dale's sticky notes - they are so efficient and really work so well that I cannot think of another tool which would be better suited for this section. Use post-its whenever you feel like things are getting out of control. Put a question mark on them or write a short message to help you get your feet back on earth. The notes will remind you to ask yourself:

Do these thoughts really matter?

Are you present?

Where is your mind right now?

Come back!

Focus!

And focusing is one of the most important things when running a business. The sticky notes will help you focus, stay focused and reach your goals much faster!

You can contact Dale from his website.

Hi, it's Fiona here from the Ultimate Web Blueprint. We're here in Melbourne and we've got lots of wonderful people in the room. We're going to be talking today about how you can take one piece of content and syndicate that around the net in multiple different formats.

Everyone say, "hi!"...

So lookout, we're going to be spreading this around the net in multiple forms ... we're going to turn this video into an MP3, into a blog post, into an article, a press release and many other forms.

So check out the links below to see how this video started a 'chain reaction' - hopefully you'll learn something new!

Here are the links to some of the content that was created LIVE at the Ultimate Web Blueprint workshop:

Web 2.0

Creating Content For Your Online Marketing Strategy

Online Press Release

Content and Marketing Leverage Demonstrated Live At Ultimate Web Blueprint Workshop

Video

Fiona Lewis Live Demonstration At Ultimate Web Blueprint

PDF/Document Sharing Sites

Content and Marketing Leverage Demonstrated Live At Ultimate Web Blueprint Workshop

Social Media

Pinterest: Re-Purposing Content With Fiona Lewis

Facebook: Facebook timeline post

Twitter: Check out Fiona Lewis Twitter profile page

Recently, I was at an event with Pete Godfrey, the Wizard of Words and one of Australia’s top copywriters. While I was there, I was fortunate enough to come across a man by the name of Kurt Johansen.

Now as soon as I met Kurt,  I knew that he was going to be a really great asset to bring to our community because he has a skill that many people lack: e-mail marketing. He has an MBA and also a Banking and Business Marketing background. He’s a business coach, mentor and Australia’s leading e-mail marketing coach and advisor. He’s the ‘go-to’ person all the leading e-mail marketing experts seek out for help.

In simple terms, he’s an e-mail marketing consultant. His methods include teaching business people step-by-step processes to get their marketing e-mails opened, read and acted upon (lots of businesses struggle with).

This week’s podcast is going to help you, mumpreneur, in a big way. It will give much insight into e-mail marketing and you will learn an abundance of tips, techniques and strategies for your e-mail marketing campaign. Using e-mails as a means to promote your products and services is one of the cheapest advertisement campaigns that everyone can use.

But, as Kurt wisely says in our interview, “E-mail marketing is an art, not an act. Anybody can set out an e-mail. But if you want to get an e-mail marketing correct and if you want to get it in your business and if you’re going to be in business, then learn some of these techniques”.

During the podcast we cover topics such as:

1. The main 4 killer tips to make your e-mails read from head to toes. This means that Kurt explains exactly how to write your e-mail Title, Headlines and Body using EDR, or Emotional Direct Response copy.

2. The most common mistakes people make when writing e-mails for marketing campaigns.

3. How to get ideas for headline templates and to keep track of them nice and easy.

4. How much of your project you should be spending on marketing and why e-mail marketing is the most cost effective advertising tool.

5. The three crucial elements required for e-mail marketing:

Having a list of prospects

Establishing a relationship with your list

Introducing an offer

 

MUST HAVE TOOL OF THE WEEK:

Smart E-mail – a great tool for those busy mums who are trying to win some time on their side, Smart E-mail will do the job for you. It is an e-mail marketing software that helps busy mums to create, send and track their e-mails – and it does all of this automatically!

If you’re thinking that, well, e-mail marketing may be too costly for you, then think again. It is the cheapest advertising method, and if done right, can result in hundreds of prospects and clients. Kurt is even offering a free gift to our community members, so whoever is interested will find more information in the podcast.

In the words of John Hinwood, “having a family is a miracle. The fact that you’ve given birth to a child, that’s a miracle”. Miracles are all around us and the only thing that we need to do is seize the opportunity and then work with them in order to achieve miracles.

That’s what I’ve talked about in this podcast, together with John Hinwood. He is an amazing coach, a mentor and an author – a multitasking person if you wish, because his biography tells us that he’s also:

- A teacher and health professional by training

- A businessman by effort

- An inspiration by nature

John has been handing out cards with the message “Expect a Miracle” to people all across the world and now it seems that this habit has a boomerang effect – he’s now receiving cards from other people. Along years, he’s given more than 90,000 cards all over the globe!

Our podcast focuses on how work from home mums can work in order to achieve miracles in their lives. John Hinwood tells us about:

1. The difference between Expectation and Expectancy

2. The importance of Gratitude

3. How families can achieve more by working as a team: both mums and dads have to work together, as a family and as a team.

4. Tips to push past thoughts such as “I can’t”

5. The importance of Action

6. The importance of Adaptation to new things

7. How goals can be pursued and achieved once they are written down.

What is more, mumpreneurs are encouraged to access John’s private members’ club which can help them grow exponentially. John has manifested a great desire in helping work-from-home mums achieve their goals; therefore, every mumpreneur who wants to attend to John’s private club will receive $100 off the initial price– mums will have to personally e-mail him in order to get the discount.

John also offers mums a free gift in the form of a 3 min. video which goes through the formula of creating miracles in your life; there’s also a free e-book and a template to produce your own “Expect a Miracle” cards with the special Expect a Miracle font.

So, mums, now that you’ve been given the miracle of the internet, what are you going to do with it?

One of the best things about being an entrepreneur is hanging out with OTHER entrepreneurs and today's guest is one of those people. Carl Taylor is one of those extremely talented serial entrepreneurs from the Gen Y generation.

Now 26 and a #1 author, Carl started his first business at age 15. After 11 years in business he has built and sold 3 businesses and generated 7 figure revenues. An avid speaker, business advisor and consultant in the areas of Marketing, Systemisation and Business Sale he now focuses predominately on teaching others how to buy, build and sell businesses for maximum profit

Over the past 12 months that I have known Carl, I have not only been impressed by his achievements, but most importantly, his depth of knowledge when it comes to business.

He published a fantastic book called Red Means Go! which is for most individuals who are a little lost when it comes to focus. His book teaches an essential hierarchy of goals and to how to envision mid-term and long term goals.

Throughout this podcast, Carl shares email management tips, including how you can maximise your productivity and effectivity in business by using an effective inbox management system. We cover points such as:

3 A's for managing your inbox - Action, Archive and Annihilate

Biggest mistakes people make when managing their email and solutions

Discovering Google Apps for Business and how it can help your team work faster and smarter

Recommended e-mail clients

 

Must Have Tool for the Week

Rapportive - an awesome FREE tool that shows everything about your contacts right inside your email inbox. You can get to know your contacts social network's profile such as LinkedI., Twitter, etc.

Xobni - the smarter way for your contacts, that is also integrated with Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn, so you're always up to date! This works also on Microsoft Outlook.

If you are among of these entrepreneurs who are suffering from stress, angst and frustration on managing your email inbox, why not check out Carl's training - Inbox Domination where he will take you through step-by-step action in how to reduce your daily emails and properly strategise everything!

In today's podcast episode we are joined by a professional Business Coach, Vin Govindan.

The moment I met Vin, I knew she would be a great asset to the Mumpreneur’s Online community and our newest faculty member into Mentoring Mums Online membership site. Vin has various talents and skills that are way out of my league of expertise [more about that in a sec!].

Vin started her career 15 years ago as a self-employed holistic care therapist while also managing her father’s medical practice. She had a keen eye and passion for business. At the age of 25 she started her well-being center and bookstore. A few years later, she sold her business and pursued further education in business and began consulting to small and medium size businesses. In 2010, she was awarded an MBA. Some of her clients then include Hoyts, Be Learning, Southern Oncology Specialist and St. George Vascular Laboraty.

Currently, Vin offers consulting and advisory services on business planning and coaching. She is a super intelligent person who loves figuring out numbers and number crunching.

Now, I don't know about you, but when it comes to figuring out the numbers in my business and doing a written business plan, my mind wants to turn off. It is not something that excites or interests me.

BUT

At the end of the day, it is something we simply cannot ignore. Having a structured business plan not only help to give you focus and clear direction on your business, it can also help you if you plan to get funding. It is also VITAL that we have a clear understanding of the ways the numbers work in our business!

In this interview, Vin discusses points and planning tips on starting up your own business whether you are in start-up mode or already have an established business. Throughout this podcast, we cover topics such as:

Key elements to help you succeed in business

Creating your own Vision Board

Daily planning, including ensuring you are always doing something to move towards your goals

Components and structure of a written business plan

Writing your vision, mission and company values

Start to clarify your vision and think about the fundamental objective of your business

Identifying your business model

Understand who your competitors are

Strategy and key actions to-do to develop your business

Involve into a strong network of people around you. Utilise professional services e.g. Business Mentors, Marketing Coach, Accountants, etc.

So, whether you are starting up or growing an online or local business, we can help you reach your business goals by joining into our Mentoring Mums Online program. We have got extra tips on bringing business plans to life and to a maximum level of success.

One of the things I LOVE about working in my business is that I get to meet some truly inspirational women. And in today's Mumpreneurs Online podcast, we are just delighted to be joined in by an energetic and enthusiastic Mumpreneur, Dee Havebond.

Dee is an epitome of what a superstar mumpreneur is all about. From living the highlife to becoming broke, nearly divorced, highly stressed and very overweight, BUT she managed to rise up and get back on track.

She then founded an awesome business idea - Sew Funky which is a sewing school for kids. All of which started on a strategy on how to create an Ultimate Lifestyle in building up your own business and wealth from scratch. She thought of creating Sew Funky as a perfect and fun business not only earning money from it but also the idea of teaching kids and creating community atmosphere.

With the success from her Sewing school business, she then thought of an idea of building an empire that would empower and encourage mums into developing business ideas. She started 'Mifestyle' - teaches women on how to start up their own business (with little or no money) to produce income, while still being the primary caregivers to their children.

She speaks to us about:

Secrets to creating a successful lifestyle business

How to create the 'Wow' factor

Coping with the bumps and humps in running your own business

The value of a business mentor

Leverage the Internet into growing your business

Engaging into Social Media: Facebook, Twitter & LinkedIn

Recommended Tools for Business: Screenflow and Camtasia

One of Dee's highly successful businesses that she talks about in this podcast is Sew Funky - a program designed for kids aged 5-10 to teach the lost art of sewing. Dee believes that sewing is a wonderful way for kids to be creative, use their imagination and learn a skill for life.

If you are struggling to survive or starting up your own business, head over to Mentoring Mums Online Program to learn a complete business blueprint covering a various range of e-business models - out proven strategies actually DO work and you also get to hang out with like-minded, entrepreneurial women...

Last week we chatted to Chris Ducker on the topic of using outsourcing as a way to grow and scale your business. It can certainly be a very lucrative career for those who work from home to provide services to other business owners. So I thought it fitting to switch this week to look at Virtual Assitance as a viable business model for mums who want to work from home.

More and more business owners in Australia and across the globe are now beginning to embrace internet technology, and virtual assistants are fast becoming more popular and in demand.

So in today's episode, we covered the business model on starting up your own Virtual Assistant Business. I had the pleasure to chat with Donna Tsitsis - a work from home guru; founder of The Office Buddy Pty Ltd and the VA Success Program 'The Virtual Assistant Buddy'.

With over six years in the field of office and virtual support, she has become an expert with vast experience in the field of retail and finance sector. It started over 5 years ago when she established her very own virtual assistant business.

She’s now busy dedicating much of her time mentoring VA's into building their work from dream jobs and runs many workshops / training programs to help grow this fantastic industry. We are also very fortunate to have Donna on our faculty of experts in the Mentoring Mums Online program.

Donna and I chat about top tips for people wanting to become a Virtual Assistant and we cover topics such as:

What are the right skills and qualifications you might need to become a Virtual Assistant?

What type of tasks should you expect to perform?

Must have equipment or tools you will need to get started

The best ways to find your clients

Resource of the Week for a VA Business

Dropbox - a file hosting service that offers cloud storage, file synchronization that are essential for virtual work

SMS Tech allows you to SMS from a computer to your customers and is extremely cost-effective

To get your virtual assistant business started, visit our Mentoring Mums Online Program to give you a comprehensive guide on your online business journey.