Helping others get started working from home means that I get my share of questions from new online entrepreneurs.  Today is different day for me as I get to ask Karri Flatla, author of Alpha WAHM Blueprint: An Empowerment Guide for Work-at-Home Moms,  the questions.  She offered to answer three burning interview questions about her recently released book and becoming the work-at-home entrepreneur you’ve always wanted to be.  Hope you enjoy her answers to my questions below….ENJOY!

1. How do I bring my spouse on board with the idea of working from home?

This is such an important yet perhaps overlooked question women should be asking! In my book, Alpha WAHM Blueprint, I actually make a confession around this very topic; that is, I did NOT try to bring my husband on board at all in the beginning. In fact, I alienated him, and it’s only been in recent years that I’ve authentically made efforts to join forces with him (instead of forcing my vision on him).

When I first started my business in 2005 I was rebelling against the loneliness—and boredom—of staying at home with a new baby. While my husband worked hard on his own business, I winced at the thought of being “just a mom.” (Believe me, there is no such thing as “just a mom!”). But I was naïve and I wanted something to call my own again.

So I marched forward with my business plan, hardly consulting with my husband at all.

Big mistake.

What I should have done was shared my curiosities about becoming an entrepreneur and discussed how that might “look” and feel in our new and growing family.

Starting a business—especially a business from home with children around—is full of unknowns. Don’t keep your partner in the dark! Your decisions as a wife, mother and soon-to-be entrepreneur impact everyone you love in more ways than you can possibly imagine at this exciting, all-encompassing, yet-oh-so-fragile time in your life as a budding entrepreneur.

It may sound trite, but communication is king when it comes to building your marital alliances! And trust me, you’re going to need all the support you can get during this (ad)venture!

2. I keep getting distracted by domestic duties (laundry, cleaning house, etc.) when I know I should be working (the kind you get paid for). How do I avoid this?

As a Type A gal who worships “clean,” I can relate. But in my home, dirty dishes and piles of unfolded laundry have simply become a part of the domestic landscape. And guess what? The world keeps on spinning …

Seriously though, here are some tips to ensure domestic duties don’t drive you to (unprofitable) distraction:

• Clean it once and clean it well. That means if the kids get crumbs on the floor at lunchtime, resist the temptation to sweep until the little mess-makers are in bed. As long as the counters and dinner table are wiped and dirty dishes are in the sink, you’re golden.

• Contain the mess. My house felt much less chaotic when I finally removed the kids’ toys from our main floor, which is where we eat and where I work! The lion’s share of toys is now in the basement rec room, and that’s where they generally stay. Just make sure your kids know that certain areas of the house are “no-toy” zones and stick to it.

• Sometimes good enough is good enough. I don’t care if you work from home or not, being able to eat off the floors does not define you as a mother; it certainly doesn’t define your success as a WAHM. Leave a bed unmade and the clean clothes unfolded for an extra day if it means you can, uh, put that important project to bed a little sooner.

• Don’t go it alone. It amazes me how many women still shoulder domestic duties that their spouse and/or children could and SHOULD be helping with. Teach your children when they’re young to be respectful of the environment in which they live and share with others. A 5-year-old can clean up her toys at the end of the day and bring her dirty dishes to the sink. A 10-year-old can learn how to wash his own clothes and yes, even fold them too. And for goodness sakes, why are you ironing your husband’s shirts? Let the man dress himself; he did it before you came along and got by just fine. (If he didn’t always match, so what?)

3. I miss the real-time social life of an office environment. How does one still find that working from home alone?

Some women tell me that this is the one reason they’re not sure about starting a work-from-home type of business. They believe that flying solo will be lonely and even de-motivating.  Here’s the thing though: you’re only as lonely as you choose to be.

As a dyed-in-the-wool introvert who works from home, I’ve had to get out of my comfort zone (that being the computer screen) and seek out opportunities to socialize, online and offline. I have friends I meet for drinks or coffee maybe once a month here in my hometown, and it’s such a refreshing change from twitter and Facebook. Even if I think I’d rather stay home and vegetate on the couch, I put on some lipstick and head out the door anyway. Once I’m there and see a smiling face or two looking back at me, I’m so glad I made the effort. (And my husband and kids always survive a night without me!)

But I also have forged some online friendships that I cherish every bit as much as my offline ones. (Hi Tawnya!). Granted, making friends online can be a little more protracted because it takes more time to get to know someone without the face-to-face communication. However, between Skype, email and yes twitter and Facebook, I can honestly say it’s a rare occasion that I can’t “reach out and touch someone” when I feel the need.

You just have to make the effort; share some of yourself; show that you care; and be the kind of friend you want in your own life. It’s really that simple.

If you’ve not picked up Karri’s book yet, Alpha WAHM Blueprint: An Empowerment Guide for Work-at-Home Moms, I highly recommend doing so.  It’s a MUST read for anyone wanting to be that ALPHA work at home entrepreneur.

More and more women are choosing to work from home as a way to blend their professional passion, their desire for wealth AND their role as a mother.

Yet the self-help industry advises women to compartmentalize—to strive for “work-life balance” in order to achieve a sense of meaning and order in their lives. This advice leaves the modern work at home mom feeling frustrated, lonely, and confused. Why? And what can you, the work-at-home mom do about it?

Finally the guesswork’s been taken out of becoming a successful empowered Alpha WAHM (work at home mom).

Karri Flatla, author of Alpha WAHM Blueprint: An Empowerment Guide for Work-at-Home Moms, has agreed to answer three burning interview questions about her recently released book and becoming the work-at-home entrepreneur you’ve always wanted to be.

Check back here on Tuesday, February 16th for her interview at and leave a comment to enter Karri’s Comment Contest Giveaway.

The winner will receive a free copy of Karri’s eBook: 99 Web Marketing Tips and Aha! Moments to Grow Your Online Business (Rocket Science Not Included).

I recently spoke at the Niche Affiliate Marketing System Workshop (NAMS) and I was asked to write down my secrets to success to share with the attendees.

NAMS is fast becoming the premiere event in the U.S. where expert instructors actually teach students to build businesses in just three days. I highly recommend you attend the next NAMS workshop if you can.

And if you can’t attend? Then at the very least, invest in your business by getting the NAMS4U 2gb Flash Drive containing all the recordings, text material and more.  It retails for a ridiculous bargain of $297. But until the 51 Custom Flash Drives are sold out, you can still order these for just $97 which is a real steal.

The Secret To My Success

The secret to my success came to me from a cereal box of all places. Some people claim high power people like Donald Trump or Oprah have given them the secrets to success. To me it came from three little Elf Chefs named Snap, Crackle and POP.

It’s quite simple, you don’t need to work out long complicated plans and flow sheets.  It all comes from inside, and you just need the tools to get started, after that the wheels of momentum and the knowledge of experience (whether gleaned from self experience) take over.

So let’s get back to my three little friends from the Kellogg’s Rice Krispies box…

SNAP! This is easy to understand, you have the dream, you have the skills, and you have the desire to change your life. So … SNAP TO IT!  It won’t happen until you start, and has been said by someone wiser than I, “All journeys start with a single step”.

CRACKLE! Ok, I changed the word a little, but you need to CRACK the whip every day. Rome wasn’t built in a day, but seeing as you’re most likely starting your empire alone, you need to crack the whip on yourself every day, especially when it seems that the building process will never stop.  Little secret here, it won’t. Because as with Rome, you’ll always need another street or another shop, or most likely, in your case a another website!

POP! He’s a little different as he is the anchor in your marathon to the top and he has several jobs for the long haul. So let’s break POP down to its core.

P is for Perseverance.  You have the passion, now believe in yourself enough to persist through the tough days, there will be many, but the rewards will come.

O is for Outsource. You know what you’re good at so outsource the rest, there is no point you spending time on something you don’t like or know how to do. Do what you know how to do and love doing best, and get others to do what they’re good at.

P is for Populous. Surround yourself with people that think the way you do (This does not mean find “Yes Men” either). This means find people with similar skills, to learn from, with similar dreams to aspire with and similar goals to work towards. And don’t forget to hang with the people you wish to be like one day too!

So go pour yourself a bowl of success, add a little milk, and just a touch of sugar to sweeten it up, and go get em’ Tiger… Oh that’s another box of cereal and other story, but that will come later.

Here’s one of my best kept secrets from 2009 that I’m going to share with you this New Year…

I’ve often been asked, “Tawnya, how do you keep up with fresh content on all of your websites you have?”

It’s not as hard as you may think. I have over 75 websites that all require regular new content to help entice loyal visitors to come back for a visit. Content is still KING online and users want information. These returning visitors to my blogs and websites produce passive income sales for me through my affiliate links so that when I wake up in the morning, money is in my email box!

Now, there’s no way I could keep up with writing all fresh content on my own for all my websites, blogs, autoresponders, newsletters, etc. AND that is where PLR comes in handy for me!

What is PLR?

PLR is short for “Private Label Rights” articles. PLR Articles are a fantastic way to add new content to your website or blog and fill up your newsletter or autoresponder easily and quickly without much effort on your part.

Example: I have a blog for our new bichon frise puppy dog which serves two purposes:

One it keeps my family and friends up to date on our puppy’s goings on.

Second, it makes passive money selling ebooks through Clickbank to help pay for our family pet. It’s amazing how much a pet can cost your family budget and this blog helps pay for all the expenses our family incurs from having a dog (including a $1800 operation awhile back when Roscoe broke his leg).

You can find PLR on just about any topic too from dog training to Internet
marketing training. It also comes in many formats from articles to videos for
you to use almost any way you wish.

One of my favourite places to buy PLR is through a dear friend and business partner Nicole Dean.

Nicole Dean’s EasyPLR is 100% original content that is professionally written and edited.

One reason I love Nicole’s PLR is because it is sold in very limited quantities with no commitments required. Basically what that means is the content will only be sold to a limited amount of people (you can be confident that a only a few other website owners are using the content too). Plus you can use or edit the articles however you wish to make money from them.

If you really want to have a few nest egg websites online producing passive money while you sleep, consider PLR for your content needs like I do.

BONUS: Here are a couple of videos, my friend Nicole has put together that answers the two main concerns most have about PLR.

Is it Ethical to use PLR Content?

How to Avoid Bad PLR Content:

I highly recommend checking out Nicole’s Private Label Rights articles.

I know you will love them as much as I do if you don’t have time to write but you have websites, membership sites, autoresponders, newsletters or blogs that need content.

ENJOY and to a success 2010 with your virtual business!

Investing in one’s business takes time, money and most importantly, effort!

It’s that time of the year when we  sit down with pen and paper and write down the many ways we could invest in our business in 2010. I firmly believe we are each responsible for our own business success.

You need to hold onto more than HOPE this 2010 to get ahead…

Hope is the target with which we humans use as a focal point to get over the hurdles life throws at us. For without hope giving us the power to dream, the power to believe, and most importantly, the power to act, life obstacles would seem insurmountable…Tawnya Sutherland

You need to take ACTION too and INVEST in YOU!

Take a moment right now and write down 5 ways you will take ACTION and invest in your business in 2010…

1. ____________________________________
2. ____________________________________
3. ____________________________________
4. ____________________________________
5. ____________________________________

Now print these out and pin to your office wall so you can visually see it every day.

And most importantly DO IT!

Beth Frank of Online Admin is an inspiration to all new Virtual Assistants taking action into their own hands. Starting out with the VBSS in September of 2008 she continually kept investing in her business to become the business success she is today. By continuing her education, taking certifications and networking with the right people, Beth has made it in the Virtual Assistant industry! Way to go Beth! …Tawnya Sutherland

Read more about the most recent ways Beth has invested in her VA practice…

I’ve been a senior administrative assistant for over 25 years. Although I still love what I do in the corporate world, I decided to see what else was out there that would offer me the same fulfillment, with more flexible hours. One day I researched “virtual assistant” and was amazed at the amount of information out there. In 2008 I decided to put my skills to use and open my own VA business.

I had no clue how to start a business. I joined VAnetworking and started to read through the forums. I had no idea starting a virtual assistant business could be so difficult. I felt I was going in all different directions. I had so many questions, ranging from what my start-up costs would be, to what types of equipment I would need to invest in. Business plan?? I had no idea where to begin.

After spinning my wheels for more than a month, I invested in the VBSS. The VBSS helped me to stay focused on a task through completion.

I joined the VAinsider Club, and really enjoy networking with established and new VA’s. I learn something new every day. One of the benefits of being a VAinsider is the seminars. I try to attend the seminars whenever my schedule allows. If I can’t attend, I try to listen to the recordings afterward. Another great feature of being a VAinsider Club member is access to the eBooks. I have read some of the eBooks, but still have much more to read and learn.

After my site was up and running, I started networking on LinkedIn and Twitter. Networking is not always easy. Due to my busy schedule and the fact that I still work full time, I can’t attend daytime networking events. I eventually found some evening networking events to attend. After networking on LinkedIn, Twitter, and attending networking events, I still didn’t have any clients. I then decided to take a course through VA Training. Taking this course assisted me in creating a business and marketing plan. It also helped me determine what my vision and goals are, as well as how to target my ideal market.

Social media has changed the way businesses communicate. I am currently taking the Social Media marketing on-line course through VAClassroom to learn new skills that I can offer to small-business marketers. Through VAClassroom I received training and became certified as an internet marketing virtual assistant. I have learned so much from these courses. I am planning on taking their new course, ‘Virtual Event Specialist’. Craig is an excellent instructor. I like that I can go back and review the videos for a refresher anytime.

Just recently I received my VA certification from VAcertified.com. I am so proud to display their logo. This certification adds credibility to our industry and it shows the world that I am who I say I am.

My web site is in WordPress. I am currently taking an on-line course “How to Build Your Own Web Site” by Tim Fahndrich. This course is providing me with a good base on how to maintain my site, and giving me confidence to add features without the fear of doing something that might crash my site.

In order to succeed in business you need to stay on top of all of the latest trends. Continuing education is a key factor in this success. So that I can continue to learn and grow my business, I will be attending my first on-line summit on November 6th. I am anxiously waiting to hear all of the great speakers lined up for the 4^th Annual IVAA On-line Summit.

Earlier this year I had my thyroid removed and diagnosed with thyroid cancer. I had to stop my medication and follow a low-iodine diet for three-weeks. I was so tired all the time that I couldn’t focus on my business, and I even gained unwanted weight. Right now I am happy to report that I am cancer free and my energy levels are back up where they should be. I am back to networking and even created my Facebook business page. I have started working out again and can now focus on my business.

Not only is education a crucial part of being successful in business; remaining healthy is also essential. Exercise, eat right, and listen to your body.

By Beth Frank - Online Admin

How are you investing in your business in 2010?

Add your comments below and let us know what you are doing this coming year to invest in your business!