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-
- EPnews -- from The Entrepreneurial
Parent
a work-family resource for home-based entrepreneurs
@ www.en-parent.com
- Volume 2, Issue 6
February 24, 1999
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Do you find EPnews useful?
Please forward to a friend, or recommend it to your favorite
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For easy reading, simply print
out this newsletter.
_______________CONTENTS_______________
The Funny Things EP Kids Say & Do!
EP Times -- An Editorial
What's It Worth?
Making Money Matters
EP Q&As
We Recommend
What's Happening at EP
_________________________________________
Note to New Subscribers: EPnews
is published and distributed on the second
and fourth Wednesday of every month. The Entrepreneurial Parent
at
http://www.en-parent.com
is updated every weekend; look for new content on
Mondays.
___________________________________
THE FUNNY THINGS EP KIDS SAY & DO!
Submitted by EPnews Subscriber,
Angela Trapp of Palisades Mortgage Company,
Atlanta, GA, (mailto: [email protected]):
=====
My 10-month-old son isn't talking yet but he sure DOES things
from time to
time that get a chuckle out of my husband and me. He's teething
now and, of
course, he loves cold things. In particular, ice. This morning
when we were
getting ready to leave the house I noticed that he was a little
fussy, more
than likely due to sore gums. I went to the refrigerator and
gave him a big
piece of ice to suck on while I finished preparing the family
to leave. Not
too much later, I noticed that he had dropped the ice on the
carpet as I
had expected he would do with the cold treat. So what did he
do? He dives
for the ice cube mouth first and starts scooting it along with
his lips!
Never a dull moment...
=====
Share with the EP Community something your child said or did
recently that
made you smirk, giggle, or LOL. Send your submission via e-mail
to:
[email protected] with the subject heading "A Funny
Thing My EP Kid
Said (or Did)". And if you need a stockpile of smiles to
get you through
your EP day, pick up your own heartwarming copy of Grace Housholder's
"The
Funny Things Kids Say" @ http://en-parent.com/familybooks.htm.
On those
stressed-out EP days, you'll be glad you did!
____________________________________
EP
TIMES -- AN EDITORIAL
"Marital Support of Your
Home Business"
© 1999 by Lisa Roberts
Recently a request came in that
said "EP Times" written all over it. When
asked on the application form what EP can offer, a new member
wrote in,
"How to encourage your spouse to support your decision to
work at home."
Now here's a subject near and
dear to my heart. So much so that I devoted a
full chapter in my book about it. I called the chapter "Seesawing
With Your
Spouse," and I procrastinated writing it until the very
end. Later I
wondered how I could zip through the chapters on how home business
impacts
on children, a household and the individual...but muddle so slowly
through
the chapter about how it impacts on a marriage. The answer is
simple: the
issue is complicated!
Yet it is a vital one that could
make or break this work option for you. It
also, truth be told, could make or break a marriage. As aspiring
and new
Entrepreneurial Parents, you should be aware that not all home
businesses
have happy endings. Personally, two of my EP mentors have struggled
through
the break-up of their marriages -- and one *after* fifteen years
of
entrepreneurship and raising four children to adulthood. While
clearly the
issues between these couples run deeper than choice of a career,
both did
express to me that the subject came up in marriage counseling
sessions, and
their spouses attributed the home business as a deep source of
pent-up
hostility. The unhappy spouses cited the following issues as
part of the
problem:
1. Competition with the home
business (and clients) for attention
2. Jealousy of all the public recognition (via promotions for
the business),
and
3. Resentment of being the one "stuck" with a 9-5,
day-in, day-out
conventional job that *paid the bills* (and financially supported
the EP
with the "fun" job).
Encouraging your spouse to support
your decision to work at home involves
much more than the viability of the home business in question.
How you
perceive yourself, how your spouse perceives him/herself, how
you perceive
each other, are all embroiled in with the decision. While some
of us are
blessed with easy-going relationships that thrive on "whatever
makes you
happy makes me happy," many more of us deal with ongoing
power struggles,
marital miscommunications, and middle-aged (yes, it's time for
some of us
to admit it!) fears and insecurities.
The bottom line is that the new
member who wrote in with her concern has
opened up a can of worms! If you've been looking to toss that
can aside
yourself, here are a few concepts to consider. To promote your
home
business as a positive force in your marital life, you should
offer your
spouse the following:
--> Communication. There is
no greater instrument in your work-family
toolbox than your words -- honest, direct, and as needed. Before
introducing your home business to your family, take the time
to convey to
your spouse the whys, the hows, and the how oftens. Why is a
home career so
important to you? (Remember to speak in terms of "I need"
not "I'm not
getting.") How are you going to find the time, make the
money, balance your
responsibilities as a parent, be there for your spouse? How often
are you
going to be working in the home office, how often will you be
fully
available to your family? Remember that "as needed"
could mean every day or
once a month...whatever it takes to fully communicate with each
other as
the big and small issues come up.
---> Involvement. Enlisting
your children's involvement in your home career
is a must -- it ignites their creativity, teaches discipline,
fosters
strong ties with you, develops a team spirit, and generates many
more
positive experiences than can be listed here. But for some couples,
enlisting a spouse's involvement in a home career can be a "must
not." You
need to get a sense from your spouse how much s/he wants to be
involved in
your work, and in what way. For instance, my spouse has supported
me over
the years by painting my home office, building me bookshelves,
introducing
me to new software programs, discussing client issues, buying
me an office
chair, and just letting me be (even when he would rather be with
me). But
even though he is an MIS professional, he made it clear to me
when I
purchased my first computer that he would not assist me as a
technician.
Having to solve computer-related problems all day at work, he
encouraged me
to learn how to troubleshoot my own computer so that he could
get a break
from it all when he came home. So as a rule of thumb, extend
the invitation
to involve your spouse in your business, but don't push. Respect
his/her
limits.
---> Sharing. A home career
brings in many rewards -- for your wallet and
for your spirit! Share the rewards of your home career liberally
with your
spouse. As soon as you turn your first profit, thank your spouse
with it.
Think about how your spouse would spend that money -- by going
out for a
celebration, by taking a weekend vacation, by slipping it into
a savings
account, by investing it in some stock?? Use your home business
to spread
good will to others first, before thinking of yourself. And remember,
if
your business puts you in a good mood, share the mood -- not
the business
talk!
---> Commitment. Before you
even start your first home business, decide
where your greatest alliance is. Will your greatest commitment
be to your
career, your children, your spouse? My husband knows that I would
drop my
home career in a heartbeat if I felt our marriage was at risk.
I say this
not because I am a self-sacrificing martyr, or because I lack
a strong
sense of self, but because I am committed to putting family first,
career
second. Period. I make no apologies -- to my colleagues, to my
customers,
to the women's movement, to my working parent peers in corporate
America,
to anyone -- for that. Keeping this priority clear works for
me, it's how I
remain "true to myself." You need to decide what being
"true to yourself"
really means, and then remain committed as such.
For further exploration of this
topic, feel free to read "Teaming Up With
Your Spouse," a book excerpt at http://en-parent.com/Articles/spouse.htm,
or send a question to our EP Relationship Expert, Azriela Jaffe,
at
http://en-parent.com/Experts/exp-jaffe.htm.
=====
Lisa Roberts is the mother of four, Co-Founder of The Entrepreneurial
Parent and the author of "How to Raise A Family & A
Career Under One Roof:
A Parent's Guide to Home Business." For more info on her
book, go to
<<http://en-
parent.com/bkinfo.htm>>
_____________________________________
WHAT'S
IT WORTH?
"Keeping Healthy During
Cold and Flu Season"
by deB Sechrist
Diligent cleanliness, boosting
immunity and quick reaction to exposure are
the best ways to avoid catching all those cold and flu bugs that
are flying
around this time of year. It takes a little time but it's worth
every extra
minute to save days of illness, doctor's fees and medication
expenses.
Prevention doesn't have to be expensive, either.
To keep the spread of germs and
viruses to a minimum, we use antibacterial
soap for hands and kitchen and wash hands very frequently. After
reading
the labels, I found that the active ingredient in almost all
antibacterial
products (even deoderant!) is triclosan. I save a lot of money
by buying
the antibacterial dishwashing liquid and using that to fill my
soap
dispensers throughout the house -- compare the per-ounce prices
of the
antibacterial dish soaps versus the antibacterial hand soaps.
I also use it
in the kitchen to clean countertops and preparation surfaces
(soap area
well, leave on for 10 minutes, rinse and wipe dry) as well as
all my dishes
and pans.
In the bathrooms I use a bleach
solution (3/4 cup to one gallon of water)
to wipe all surfaces and keep mildew growth down. Since bleach
does not
disinfect, I use a concentrated disinfectant to clean at the
first sign of
infection and regularly on specific areas, like the diaper pail.
For
floors, mirrors, glass doors, and appliances, I use an ammonia
solution
(1/2 cup to one gallon of water) in a spray bottle. All of these
are just
pennies per application and work just as well as the expensive
cleaning
products.
Boosting your body's immunity
helps it to ward off infectious germs and
deal with them more efficiently when exposed. Be sure to drink
plenty of
fluids every day, including some with vitamin C and several glasses
of
water. Eat plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables, and allow yourself
extra
time during the flu season for rest, relaxation, adequate sleep,
and a
daily walk or other exercise.
Quick reaction to exposure is
necessary at the first sign of cold or flu
(usually sore throat, runny nose or cough). Our family uses an
herbal blend
that contains echinachea; consult with your health professional
to see if
herbs could work for you. Increase your fluids, especially water
and orange
juice, or anything with Vitamin C. Use an antiseptic mouthwash
to gargle or
rinse -- hydrogen peroxide works just as well and is much cheaper,
but it's
hard to get used to the taste! We also give each affected person
their own
box of tissues *and* their own plastic trash bag, so they can
discard their
used tissues as needed and reduce the spread of germs.
I look at it as the "perks"of
the EP lifestyle: the ability to control our
environment, limit our exposure and allow ourselves the extra
time to
really take care of ourselves and our families when we need to.
=====
deBorah Sechrist is the mother of three, Co-Founder of The Entrepreneurial
Parent and owner of deBweB, a web design business. Find out more
about deB
at http://www.en-parent.com/webdsn.htm.
____________________________________________
MAKING MONEY MATTERS
Being available to your kids
and managing a career under one roof sounds to
many like the best of both worlds, but without pulling in some
kind of
income what's all the effort for? Making Money Matters! This
week Jeralynn
Burke of E-Scent-ials shares her marketing tips with us. You
can reach
Jeralynn at [email protected],
or at her brand new Web site,
http://www.E-Scent-ials.com,
or her brand new Profile Page at the EP
Showcase(!), http://en-parent.com/Profiles/Burke.htm
=====
1. In a 2-3 sentence statement, explain what your home business
is about,
including your target market and "mission statement."
We make and sell handcrafted
aromatherapy products such as candles,
potpourri, and bath products as well as carrying pure essential
oils. We
are still in the process of identifying our primary target market,
but
judging by the the fact that many companies are now developing
"aromatherapy" products, we feel that the market is
fairly broad. Our
mission is to educate people about true aromatherapy which utilizes
essential oils. Essential oils are extracts from various parts
of different
plants. The chemical constituents contained in the oils have
different
properties depending upon the plant. For example, lavender is
relaxing. A
product that has only a lavender scent has no real aromatherapeutic
value.
2. What are the most popular
products and/or services you sell? How much
do you sell them for (or what's your hourly rate), and how did
you find the
right price/fee schedule for them?
Our most popular and fun product
for us are our Petpourris tm, they are
aromatherapy scented stuffed animals that we make and scent ourselves.
They
are currently available in four different animals (dog, pony,
kitten and
bear) in a variety of floral patterned colors and scents. We
charge $7.50
for each animal and determined the price by adding up the cost
of materials
to make them and adding in a price for labor.
3. What are *your* favorite products
and/or services? Why do you like to
sell them?
Again, that would have to be
the Petpourris. We enjoy selling them because
we have had such a positive response from those who have purchased
them.
It's always nice to be complimented on something that you put
so much of
yourself into.
4. Tell us a bit about your marketing
campaign. When did you start
noticing your first sales (after which marketing technique),
what marketing
efforts have you noticed yield the greatest results, and how
do you make
your first contact and subsequent sales (via online, phone, fax,
mail,
face-to-face)?
Our first marketing campaign
began in November, just in time for the
holidays. After months of preparation, we were finally ready
to sell our
products. Since capital for advertising had not been raised yet,
we decided
to start out with a word of mouth campaign, sending gift baskets
to friends
and family members at their workplaces and including our catalog.
We
received quite a number of orders from this effort. We are currently
investigating other advertising options.
5. Any additional comments are
welcome.
If any EPnews Subscribers would
like a copy of our catalog or further
information, they can write or call. E-Scent-ials, P.O. Box 40,
Des Plaines
IL 60016, phone: 847-298-3474 or e-mail: [email protected],
Web site:
www.E-Scent-ials.com.
Home Business Profile Page:
http://en-parent.com/Profiles/Burke.htm
_____________________________________
EP Q&As
Have a question? It may already
be answered in 1 of the 16 EP Expert Q&A
pages now up and running! Check them out at
http://en-parent.com/experts.com
(follow the "Q&A" links). If your question
isn't answered there, then send it to: [email protected].
We'll be glad
to help you out if we can!
=====
Is your boss turning the table
regarding your telecommuting arrangement?
Not sure why? Gil Gordon, our EP Telecommuting Expert, helps
one of our EPs
figure out what might really be going on behind a request from
the boss to
return to the 9-5 grind. Read what Gil advises at
<<http://en-parent.com/Experts/exp-gordon.com>>
Are you just starting your business
and wondering how to keep track of your
records? Jan Zobel, our EP Recordkeeping/Tax Expert, gives an
overview at
<<http://en-parent.com/Experts/exp-zobel.com>>
Tired of getting interrupted
by your kids when you're on the phone or
otherwise working at home? Read the current Parent to Parent
Column by
Jodie Lynn, our EP Parenting Expert, at
<<http://en-parent.com/Experts/exp-lynn.com>>
_____________________________________
WE RECOMMEND
Contentious @ www.contentious.com
-- A Web-size for writers and editors who
create content for online media, this is a wonderful find for
established
and aspiring writers who want to break into the new field of
producing
online content.
Content-Exchange @ www.content-exchange.com
-- Affiliated with the above
Web site, this one is a job-matching service between content
producers and
online publishers.
_____________________________________
WHAT'S HAPPENING AT EP
Member Store -- Show the world
your entrepreneurial spirit, advertise your
home business, start conversations! EP T-Shirts are now available,
along
with special T-s for EP Kids and EP Tote Bags too. Come visit
our brand new
Member Store @ http://en-parent.com/mbrstore.htm
-- and stock up on your
favorite 1999 playground conversation piece today!
Publicity Happenings -- Lisa
and her family spent the afternoon of
President's Day in a photo shoot for Home Office Computing! Look
for the
whole motley crew in a photo, profile and accompanying article
on
"Childproofing Your Home Office" in an upcoming HOC's
Office Design column.
Hitting the 1,000 Mark -- Thanks
to a great review of EP in a popular
Internet newsletter from www.iDOT.com, we made it over the "1,000
mark"
with our EPnews Subscribers. On February 19, our traffic more
than tripled
and we received a surge of new subscribers (welcome iDOT.com
fans!). This
one mention resulted in more visitors than the whole week we
were on the
PBS show (80% of US households) or the ZD-TV show (10 million
homes)...which just goes to show where the bulk of an Internet
marketing
campaign should focus on...(!)
NAEP Membership Packets: The
first batch of NAEP New Member Packets have
finally gone out (whew!!). Look for new Member Profiles at the
EP Showcase
soon. And don't forget to take advantage of your EPnews Discount
Rate today
(details below) -- our offer will not be extended past May 1,
1999 under
any circumstances!!
____________________________________
NEW MEMBERSHIP OPTIONS
The National Association of Entrepreneurial
Parents (NAEP), a "real-time"
community and career resource for the 15-million strong who are
pursuing
home- based careers while raising their growing families, is
now accepting
Charter Memberships.
~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~
SPECIAL EPNEWS SUBSCRIBER DISCOUNT RATE:
Get in as an EPnews Charter Member
of NAEP and you'll receive a 25%
discount off membership dues! That's just $33.75 for the first
year, or $45
for a 2-year membership. (Orders must come in before May 1, 1999
to get the
discount, and you must already be an EPnews subscriber BEFORE
ordering your
NAEP Charter Membership. Just add the line "I am an EPnews
Subscriber"
under the question "What would you like EP to offer, both
online and off"
on the application form <<http://en-parent.com/member2.htm>>,
so we can
apply the discount when we process your order. Only those orders
that
follow the above instructions will receive the EPnews Subscriber
Discount
Rate.)
We are so sure that membership
in the National Association of
Entrepreneurial Parents will meet (and hopefully exceed!) your
needs that
we are even offering a 30-day money-back guarantee on your membership
dues.
You have nothing to lose, so join today! Go to:
<<http://en-parent.com/member2.htm>>
~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~
Meanwhile....whether you plan
to join immediately or not, voice your
opinion @ <<http://en-parent.com/NAEP-survey.htm>>
today. And to learn more
about what NAEP has to offer you, go to: <<http://en-parent.com/NAEP.htm>>
___________________________
CONTACT/SUBSCRIPTION INFO
The Entrepreneurial Parent, LLC
is not engaged in rendering legal or
financial advice. If expert assistance is required, the services
of a
licensed professional should be sought.
This newsletter may be redistributed
freely via the Internet. Re-publishing
of separate articles for your print publication needs approval
first; write
to: [email protected] for permission.
© 2000, The Entrepreneurial
Parent, LLC
Editor: Lisa M. Roberts
EP Webmaster: Deborah Sechrist
POB 320722, Fairfield, CT 06432; http://en-parent.com
Ph:/Fax: (203) 371-6212, Email: [email protected]
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