Starting A Copywriting Business As A Work-at-home-mother

By Author: Raymond Sanders
Total Articles: 33
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So You Want to be a WAHM Making the decision to be a work-at-home-mother (WAHM) can be a difficult process. Before you jump in, weigh the possible costs and benefits. The obvious benefit is that you'll be able to spend more time raising your own child. With high-cost, low-quality daycare, this may easily outweigh any negative factors.
But working at home with your children is not that easy. You'll have constant interruptions, and you may wind up spending a lot of time working, rather than raising your children. T.V. may wind up being the 'babysitter,' something you and your children won't be happy with for long. Young children in particular need a lot of attention, and may get particularly upset when mommy isn't 'there' for them.
Childcare First things first. Plan for some type of daycare arrangement. Sure, your plan is to be at home with your child while you work. But unless you're Super Mom, you will need some help. Having help for just a few hours 2 or 3 times a week will make a world of difference. Here are a few options:
· Hire a mother's helper
· Enroll your child in part-time daycare a few days ...
... a week.
· Enlist the help of family and friends.
· Join or start a babysitting group of mothers
Ready to get Started--Writing Samples Okay. You're ready to begin your new career. You need to have writing samples to sell your service. How do you get them?
· Find items you've written for past jobs
· Make them up! Write copy for a fictional company's brochure (perhaps your own), write a press release, or rewrite an ad.
Be creative. Just have about 5-6 samples ready for your site.
Building a Webpage Why do you need a website? Websites add credibility to your business. They also make it a breeze to deliver your portfolio. You just mention your website in your email, or tell prospects you'll email them a link to your website.
· Come up with an easy domain name (like "yourname.com")
· If you're not savvy with web design, find a hosting company that makes it easy to setup a quality website (I recommend Homestead: www.GetHomestead.com [http://www.gethomestead.com]).
· If you really want to showcase your writing, make your website both a blog and static website in one. You'll need a blogging platform like WordPress, and you'll need a hosting company that supports blogs (I use AN Hosting: www.getANHosting.com [http://www.getanhosting.com]). Blogging is a great way to show your writing abilities.
Cold Contact Methods Now that you have your website and samples raring to go, it's time to start making contact with your future clients. Using both cold calls and cold emails works well for WAHMs. You can make cold calls when your children aren't home, and you can still reach out to prospects via email even when they're running around screaming.
Before you pick up the phone or press 'send,' you have to plan what you'll say. Write out a script, and keep it in front of you when you make phone calls. Even if you have to deviate, it's helpful to have something in front of you to keep you calm and steady. Also use a script for email messages. Again, feel free to customize it for each prospect. But having a basic email makes things go more smoothly.
I always phrase my emails with a question. "Can you direct me to the person I need to contact?" "How can I be informed about freelance writing opportunities with your firm?" Things like that. Ask genuine questions, rather than making a sales pitch. If they're interested, and you put your website in the email, they'll contact you.
3-2-1 Contact! Now it's time to reach out. Choose a business or niche that appeals to you. Use the yellow pages, a Book of Lists, or your library's online database.
As a WAHM, your time is limited. Set a goal to spend a certain amount of time making calls or emailing. Don't worry about the results. Focus on the time spent.
Phone calls are easy. Just find a number and dial!
For cold emailing, use your library's database to get web addresses. Go to the website and search around for the contact person's email. If you don't find a name, email the general information address to find out where you should direct your inquiry.
Follow-up!
This is probably the most important step. When a prospect says, "I'll keep your information on file," make sure you follow-up in a few months. If they say, "Contact me in a couple of weeks. I may have something," be sure to call them right away! Here are a few hints:
· If you get no response from a cold email, it's okay to follow-up with a call.
· If they say they're not interested, send a quick note thanking them for their reply, adding that you hope they'll keep you in mind should their needs ever change.
Final Thoughts
Get a timer. This tool will help you keep track of how long you're actually spending on projects. Get one that you can stop and start--this is essential when you have constant interruptions. Knowing how long you spend on tasks will help you make better estimates for future projects. It also keeps you focused on your task.
With kids underfoot, running a home-based copywriting business is just plain hard. But the rewards are many. Good luck! You can do it!

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