The Laptop Mom

You told me what you want. I listened.

June 7th, 2011

First – thank you to all of you who answered my quick survey last week. It was a real eye-opener for me!

Here is what I learned from you:

You want the freedom, flexibility, and financial rewards that information products can bring, but you don’t know how to get started.
You aren’t sure how you can take YOUR specific knowledge and create something that will make you money online.
You don’t want to join a big group, where you get lost and overwhelmed, and you aren’t taken care of.
You want to talk to a REAL person who helps YOU get exactly what you need to grow your community and make money with your specific knowledge and talents.
You want to feel confident in your business. You want to be taken seriously. You want to be known as an expert.
You want SPECIFIC help, customized for YOU. Not general fluff, or big philosophies. You want to know exactly what todo to move your business forward and make more money…

…and you don’t want to pay those enormous, private coaching fees that many “gurus” are charging.

I think I’ve got the perfect answer for you.

I invite you to join me in a 4-week, private coaching program, done completely through email.

You get all of your questions answered. You get all the help you need. You get all of my personal attention.

And you don’t pay for my private one-on-one time, because we are doing it through email.

- If you are desperate for specific guidance and direction…

- If you want fast results…

- If you want customized attention (without the private coaching costs)…

…this email coaching program is for you!

The full 4 weeks is just $450 (paid in 2 payments of $225)

You get to send me one question each day – Monday through Thursday – and I will email you back with specific information and answers. Send me any question related to:

Creating Information Products
Building your online community
Social Media
Developing an Irresistible Free “Capture” Offer
Growing your list
Marketing and selling your products
Getting more online visibility
Writing your sales page
Working with your shopping cart
Creating and recording audio products
Fulfilling your orders
Putting together joint ventures
Affiliate programs

The questions are up to you! How cool is that? You get exactly what you need.

Of course, I need to limit the program so I can spend time answering your questions and helping you grow quickly. So I am taking just 10 people. If you want my personal help and attention at a very reasonable price, now is the time.

You can register now here, or if you have any specific questions,  email them to me and my team here:  customerservice@nikastewart.com

The formal daily email coaching begins on June 20, but you can start  as soon as you register. (That’s right – if you sign up now, you get  an extra week of my time!)

Begin here

Just imagine where your business will be – and how much your  new revenue stream will bring you – in one month.

To your success,

No Comments | Category: business

25 Motivation Tips for Working from Home

June 2nd, 2011

Working from home is the best! I just love the convenience. I love that I can make my own schedule. I love that I am my own boss. I love being alone –

No, wait. I don’t love being alone all the time. Occasionally it feels lonely. Sometimes I sit around wondering what to do next. Every so often, I feel totally unmotivated.

How about you? Wouldn’t you love to have a special “Motivation” button you can push any time you need a little kick in the pants? I’ve got it for you.

In my latest power-packed blog post, 25 successful work-from-home women share their favorite tips for getting their morning groove on, so they get things done.

One tip comes from Liz Lange, of Liz Lange Maternity. She says that she doesn’t allow herself to do ANYTHING until she completes the to-do list she’s written the night before. And turning on the television during the day is an absolute no-no.

Meredith Liepelt, of Rich Life Marketing, says that she gets ready for her business day as if she is going out of the house. She works better when she isn’t in her jammies. This great tip definitely helps work-from-home women get more done.

I found it interesting that one thing that gets many women motivated in the morning is having prepared the night before. A common tip appeared many times: Create a to-do list at the end of each day. It helps you sleep better, and in the morning, you know exactly what to focus on.

Another popular strategy is spending a little quiet time alone in the morning – meditating, walking in nature, drinking coffee. It centers you and gets you inspired to create brilliance for the day.

My own contribution suggests you eat a frog in the morning. You’ll have to read all about that – along with the many other motivational tips.

No Comments | Category: business, mindset, motivation

A Typical Day in the Life of a Laptop Mom

May 30th, 2011

I’m often asked what a typical Laptop Mom day is like, so here goes…

Average wake-up time: 7:30

7:30 – 8:45: Get my Princess ready for school: get dressed, do hair, eat breakfast, play games or watch tv. Make sure to get lots of snuggles and kisses.

8:45: Drive Princess to school.

9:15: Arrive at place of work chosen for the day (Panera Bread, Wegmans, Starbucks, home office)

Get breakfast and coffee, and open laptop.

9:30 – 3:00: Work.

Workday consists of:

Speaking with VIP clients for coaching sessions
Marketing: writing web pages, newsletters, blog posts, product descriptions; developing sales and marketing timetables
Product Creation: Developing ideas for new products, recording, writing, working with graphics team, discussing details with fulfillment house
Client Product Creation: Developing curriculum for clients’ products, editing, layout, working with graphics team, general project management
Team Meetings: Talk on phone or in person with customer service manager, project coordinator, online business manager, tech support
Social Media: Writing and posting, interacting

3:00: Leave to pick up Princess from school

3:15 – 3:30: Wait on carpool line, chat with other parents, play on iPhone

3:30 – 5:30: Spend the afternoon with Princess (get a chocolate milk, take her to a class, go to a store, hang out with my parents, have a play date with another child at the house, go to the park, etc.)

5:30 / 6:00: Home for bath and dinner

7:30: Start putting Princess to bed. Hubby usually takes care of that, so I’ll get on my computer, answer emails, do a little work.

Sneak in a big hug before daughter falls asleep.

8:00 – 11:00: Anything time

Anything time consists of:

Hanging with Hubby on the couch
Working on Laptop in the kitchen
Watching TV in bed
Delivering a teleseminar
Writing articles
Chatting on Twitter
Any work that feels urgent

11:00: ZZZZzzzzzzzz…

10 Comments | Category: balancing, business, mom

25+ Fabulous Women Share Tips on “Work-From-Home Motivation”

May 26th, 2011

or… “How to Get Your Morning Groove On”

Working from home is so convenient. But it can be lonely. The lack of structure means that many women get nothing done.

Enjoy these inspirational tips from Work-From-Home Women who get things done.

13 Comments | Category: business, mindset, motivation

A story about a very unhappy mommy…

May 19th, 2011

I’m writing to you today for some advice.
Let me start with my story…

I’ve always wanted to be an entrepreneur. I love creating products and programs and services that give value to other people. I love promoting my services. I love when clients buy my offerings.

But most of all – I love the freedom and flexibility that comes with owning my own business.

But when I had a baby, and tried to go back to working the way I always had, I realized that my business was NOT providing me with freedom and flexibility. And now I needed it more than ever.

I was miserable. Truly ‘depressed, no joy in my life, thought-I-was-going-insane‘ miserable.

I didn’t want to give up my business and be “just a mom.” I also didn’t want to put my baby in full-time daycare because I didn’t want to miss anything. Plus, even if I wanted full-time help, I couldn’t figure out how I could afford it.

Did I mention I was miserable?

I’m not saying this lightly. I was deeply sad. I thought my happy life was over. And that made me MAD! Did I really have to give up something? Did I have to choose between running a successful business, and being a hands-on mom?

I made it my mission to discover the answer to having both.

Out of my desperation, I learned a system for transitioning my traditional business into a freedom-based business, so I could work when I wanted (when my baby was napping, when I could find a sitter for a few hours, etc.).

It turns out that this new business model not only gives me complete freedom and flexibility, but I am also able to serve more people, spread my message around the world, and make MORE money.

So here’s where YOU come in…

I am thinking about launching a program where I teach a select group of entrepreneurs how to get the same results (building a 6-figure income during naptime).

I’ve already been working with private clients over the past year, helping them build an additional stream of passive income with info-products, so they can enjoy more flexibility, and more income.

But my assumption is that there are many of you who would prefer to learn this in a group setting – which would cost you a lot less, and allow for more community brainstorming and masterminding.

If this idea intrigues you in any way, would you answer a few questions for me?

Here is the link to the quick survey:
https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/GXNHP5S

I so appreciate your help. I want to make this program perfect – and I want to give you exactly what you need.

Thank you!

To your success,

1 Comment | Category: creating info products, kids, mom, passive income

This Is What Growing a Support Team Looks Like

May 16th, 2011

It’s just a simple fact. We cannot grow a successful business alone. But that doesn’t mean we won’t try!

I know you understand that it is time to get support. But what does that look like? Where do you start?

In this article, I break down the different areas of support that you require if you are serious about growing a high-level business…

Client care:

Delegating client care will save you hours of time and loads of stress – IF you really let go. Can you do it? Can you send all of your customer service emails to someone else? I don’t mean that you read them and then send them to your customer service manager to take care of it. I mean that you don’t even get the email. It goes right to the Client Care Specialist, and he or she takes care of it without bothering you.

Does that sound scary? How can someone else handle your clients’ issues? I know your fears. I was there. But I can tell you that if you want to grow your business, you MUST delegate this part. When you let go of this one area, your business has lots of room to grow. Take one step towards making that happen today.

Procedures:

Your business runs on internal operations. Without dependable operations, the business falls apart. But you should be spending your time on bringing in more clients and creating new avenues of income, not focusing all day on procedural details.

My business made a huge leap when I hired someone to design and oversee the daily, weekly, and monthly operational systems.

Marketing:

A successful business relies on consistent marketing. Most often, solo-preneurs do their own marketing – especially when they are first starting their businesses. But if you are at a place where it is time to grow, you might want to have a Marketing Expert on your team. Give them the task of getting you more visibility and exposure, while you take care of the clients.

This might look like: obtaining media opportunities for you, writing sales pages, finding new avenues to build your community, etc.

High-level Business Delegation Tip:

Give your valuable team members the authority to make decisions and the responsibility to see tasks through to completion. If you don’t, you’ll be looking over their shoulders, and wasting more of your precious time. Hire qualified people, and then let go and trust. You will open up huge opportunities for growth.

To your success!

No Comments | Category: business, delegating, mindset

5 Ways to Capture Your Ideal Clients

May 5th, 2011

Want to build a community of loyal, happy, ideal prospects? It all starts with capturing their contact information.

Once you acquire the contact information of your ideal audience, you can build relationships with them, learn how you can help them, create products for them, market to them.

How do you capture this information? It starts with your Capture Offer.

Your Capture Offer is what you use to obtain people’s contact information. Your Capture Offer is a free giveaway — an irresistible package that your ideal clients really want.

Your goal is to build your loyal tribe of ideal prospects. So offer them something irresistible, and they will join your community.

Here are 5 ideas for Capture Offers:

Checklist
(Grocery Shopping Checklist: Take this with you every time you go to the grocery store, and you will never feel overwhelmed again!)
Special Report
(The 5 Secrets Your Realtor Isn’t Sharing That Can Cost You Thousands of Dollars)
Survey
(What do Residential Interior Designers Charge? The 2011 Survey Results)
Quiz
(What website color will attract YOUR ideal clients? Take this quiz and find out!)
E-Course
(How to Raise Smarter Children: a home-study guide)

Give your audience what they want, and they will come back for more.

If you would like the Laptop Mom team to create your Capture Offer for you, simply write to us for information.

1 Comment | Category: business, clients, creating info products, marketing, sales / selling

How to Use Facebook to Increase Business

April 29th, 2011

Jennifer Abernethy, author of The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Social Media Marketing, says:

Think of Facebook as the world’s largest trade show (with more than 350 million active attendees!), and they have just offered you a F.R.E.E booth.

How can you pass this up? You now have a f.r.e.e booth at the world’s largest trade show. So how are you going to promote your business? Here are 5 tips to make your marketing more effective:

Use Facebook for BUSINESS
Keep most of your shared information business-oriented. This is a business, not a social party. However, you don’t want to come across as stiff, so use the general rule of 80% business and 20% personal – just as you would in a professional environment.
Get a professional headshot
A snapshot taken on a friend’s iPhone (with your other friends cut out from the background) is NOT a professional headshot. Take a great picture that shows off your personality and professionalism. This photo should be used consistently – in ALL your marketing materials, and on all the social networks that you join, so that prospects begin to recognize you.
Network openly
It always amazes me when a business owner rejects a requested “friendship” on Facebook because they don’t know the person. If a stranger came up to you at your trade show booth and asked for your business card, would you say, “No, I won’t give you my card because I don’t know you”? When you use Facebook for business, you WANT to connect with new people. You never know where your next profitable connection lies.
Automate status updates
You don’t want to have all of your social media automated, because that defeats the purpose of “social networking” – participating in conversations and building relationships. But to save time, you can schedule a week or two of daily tips to go out in your status update. This will give your followers great value and make it look like you are spending more time on Facebook, while you are really out working with clients! Check out SocialOomph.com
Share your expertise with “Facebook Notes”
The “Notes” application is a great way to share your expertise, cultivate your following, and virally get your information out to the masses. Write about a new service you are providing or share your thoughts on an industry trend. Write as if your ideal clients are reading it. What would interest them? Use the Notes application on a regular basis. Provide value, information, and entertainment, and your followers will love it.

The number one activity you can do on Facebook to build momentum and keep your fans engaged is to update your status every day. If you do nothing else, spend 2 minutes doing this.

Remember to set realistic expectations for the amount of time you spend on the social networks, and always look for timesaving shortcuts and tools to help you.

No Comments | Category: business, marketing, social networking

How I Chose My New Car (This will help you get more clients!)

April 14th, 2011

After about 6 months of looking at every available car, I finally narrowed down my search to two options. I then had to decide between the two. As I was making my decision, I learned a lot about “selling” – from the buyer’s perspective.

Observing the different ways each salesperson approached the selling process was a wonderful lesson in how to sell our own high-end products and services – because after going back to both dealerships to make a final choice, it was obvious which car I should get.

You can use these same ideas to make it a no-brainer for your clients to choose YOU.

Don’t Put Up Obstacles
Sometimes it is as simple as making it EASY for your clients to buy. Your clients are busy and overwhelmed. They need YOU to make their lives easier. Any added obstacle that you put in their way will cause them to say NO. Do you take credit cards? Do you handle the paperwork? Are all your links easy to see and click?

I had questions and concerns about which car would be the best for me. One car dealership was open and honest, soothing all my concerns quickly. The other made me jump through hoops and do my own homework to figure out answers.

Remember: Selling = Serving
Your job is to solve your clients’ problems. When you do, they will want to buy your solutions.

One car salesman acted like the stereotypical car salesman, playing games and demanding that I commit to buying the car before he would even give me a price! The other salesman offered me a beautiful new car, explaining all the amazing benefits I would get from owning it, and then allowed me to make a decision.

Add value
In a marketplace where many services are considered a commodity, how do you add value so that YOU are the obvious choice?

In one dealership, I felt like a number. In the other, I was treated like a VIP. I was always offered coffee and bottled water. The chairs were delightfully comfortable. The bathrooms were immaculate, and even had fresh flowers by the sink! These simple, value-added details really influenced my decision.

An important note: It isn’t about price. Although I was hoping to choose the less expensive car (once in a while, I can be practical), I purchased the car that cost more, and I have no remorse. When you offer solutions that make your clients’ lives easier, and you treat them extra special, the price becomes much less of an issue.

No Comments | Category: business, clients, marketing, sales / selling

Being a nerd is really cool for business

April 5th, 2011

As I was on the carpool line waiting to pick up my daughter from Kindergarten yesterday, I had a sudden memory flash…

About 10 years ago, I was singing in an all-80′s rock band. Often, the guys and I would drive to our gigs together, and we’d have lots of time to chat and get to know each other better.

One trip, as I was talking about something, the guitar player said to me, “Nika, you really are an enigma.”

I asked him what he meant. He told me that I was very nerdy, and yet, somehow – maybe because I was singing in a rock band – I was also a little cool. Thus, an enigma.

Hmmmm… should I be insulted? Growing up, it was pretty painful to be nerdy and different – not fitting in – wanting to be cool, but never getting it quite right.

As I got older, I stopped trying so hard, which of course helped me actually BE “cooler.” But it seemed I never lost the dweeby, weird side of me.

So now, as I sat in the car waiting for my daughter, I suddenly realized that embracing my nerdy, weird self was one of the things that has helped me succeed in business.

We all try to stand out in business, but then everyone tries to act cool, and so no one is any different! Everyone is trying so hard to be cool that no one is being unique!

So being yourself – even if that means being a dweeb, a nerd, a weirdo, or fantastically cool (or a combination of any) – is good for business.

But now… how do you spread your nerdy coolness in a really big way, so you can serve more people and make more money?

My answer is with information products.

Wouldn’t you love to have your own info-product earning you additional, passive income? Well, let me introduce you to:

The Laptop Mom Info-Product Done For You Program

Have your own information product created for you…
often within ONE WEEK!

Get all the details here (and set up an appointment to talk directly with me – for free – to have all your questions answered).

I can’t wait to talk to you, and help you decide what your next step is for up-leveling your business – and spreading your unique value!

To your success!

3 Comments | Category: business

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