Getting the most out of your Housewife

I leave the list on the island
with a pen (and usually a tip.)

If you haven't seen the announcement on our Facebook Page, then you might not know that I recently got married. It's not only a very exciting, but also a very busy time in my life!

Between moving the kids & I from the apartment to my husband's house, planning and executing the reception, and all the regular day-to-day stuff going on, I haven't had a lot of free time in awhile.

I love our Housewives and appreciate being able to schedule them to help me when needed. With everything going on, I KNEW it would be important for my Housewife to be especially productive the way I needed her to be when she started at the new house.

Have you ever given vague instructions to someone, realizing later that what you really wanted done wasn't completed (even though they technically did what you asked?)

"Clean the kitchen" to you might include washing the dishes, whereas to someone else it means wiping down surfaces and sweep & mopping the floors.
That's why we ask for a list from all of our clients.

Customer complaints are a rarity with us. But 95% of the time that someone has a complaint. We find that a detailed, prioritized list wasn't left for the employee and it all came down to miscommunication.

Our checklist has several ways to focus productivity available. If you use our checklist, (available at the link below) you can number the rooms on the list in the order you want them cleaned, and check off the stuff inside the rooms that is important to you. Clients can even put a maximum amount of time next to each room on the list. So if it takes longer than you anticipate to finish a room, they can move on to the next room on the priority list.

With this knowledge at my disposal, I created my own list for my home, changing it slightly to reflect the needs of the house for the different weeks of the month, and leaving some spaces to write in anything I needed to add.

By creating a list with all the main categories on it and adding in and taking away tasks that don't need to be done weekly, my Housewife now has a rotating list of things to get done that help ensure everything is covered!

Best of all, I will never look up and wonder how long it has been since someone cleaned the ceiling fan.

 You can do the same thing by typing a list up or printing out several copies of our checklist and making rotating changes... (Find that here: bit.ly/hahprioritychecklist )

You may only want your ceiling fans dusted every 3 or 6 months, or maybe you want everything on the main floor done every appointment, but you want to alternate cleaning in the upstairs and the basement. The possibilities are endless!

Pro Tip: Put your lists in clear sheet protectors and use a dry erase marker for your housewife to check items off and to leave notes. Then you only have to print each list one time!

We love it when you work with us to help make your experience the best it can be! Know that you can always call, text, email, or Facebook Messenger us if you ever have any concerns or questions. We'll be happy to help!

Stay tuned as we work on building a new website and sharing some other new adventures with you as well! Oh, and I can't wait to tell you about our awesome reception from last weekend!

Please note our mailing address has changed to:
212 Devron Circle
East Peoria, IL 61611

Market your products AND keep your followers

Being an entrepreneur isn't easy.

Putting your livelihood on the line to do something you believe in can be scary.

If you found a product or service you are passionate about and are willing and able to do that, I applaud you!

But if you are doing this and are frustrated by your results, there's a good chance the people who are (or were) following you on social media are frustrated as well.

While this applies to many types of sales, it is especially true with Multi Level Marketing opportunities.

This isn't meant to point fingers at any one company or person. I see it every day. From many, many companies and many friends and not-yet friends both... and I have some friends who do what they do VERY WELL!

But so often I hear a sales pitch or see a post and cringe, saying nothing. Really though, I want you to succeed... and how are you going to do that if nobody tells you that there are better ways to market your products?

I'll admit. I'm no expert. Not all of my marketing ideas work... but one thing I do know is that you can always learn something new! And, the more you are willing to learn, the more successful you will be.

Here are some common ways to lose followers...

• If you add me as a friend and immediately start trying to sell to me
• If your posts are almost exactly the same as the posts of someone else in my friends list who sells the same thing
• If you serial post (filling my feed with your posts)
• If I answer a question on a seemly non-related topic and you follow up with a sales pitch

Most people know more than one entrepreneur who is selling the same product, so not only is it important to not get "unfollowed," but it's also important to set yourself apart in some way!

Here are a few ways you can do that...

• We need to see your product in action daily in your own life, not attached to a sales pitch.
• Be passionate about the product, not just the opportunity. Focus on selling the product and people who love the product will want to sell too.
• Tell the stories of others who have used your products and services without attaching a sales pitch.
• Be real. We won't believe that your product has fixed every aspect of your life. Tell us about your struggles as well as your wins!
• Just build relationships with us and let us choose to try your products when we are ready.
• Be generous. People want to do business with businesses who give back!

Above all, keep learning! It's okay to not know it all!

I often learn from the weekly podcasts from Entreleadership. In fact, I was re-listening to some older ones and was inspired to write this post because of one that I heard yesterday. If you sell anything... you need to listen to the first 20 minutes of this podcast. The rest is really good, but the first 20 minutes talks about so many of the mistakes being made in social media marketing today and what to do instead.

Listen to this podcast to learn... How to Market Without Everyone Hating You

I've Decided

How often do we decide to start something, make a positive change in our lives and then fall flat after a few months, weeks, days…? If we’re talking about a diet, for me, it could be just hours!

There is a new organization in Peoria called “I’ve Decided” that was created to help people not only choose to make their lives better, but also to link them up with motivation and support partners who can keep them on track. While I thought that this was a fabulous idea from the first time I heard about it, there was a moment when I knew that there was definitely a place for Hire A Housewife within I’ve Decided.

With I’ve Decided, people who have decided to run their first 5k can link up with Running Central and not only receive information about training and running, but also actually run their first 5k this summer… in a race that is ONLY for first time runners!

Have you decided to take control of your finances? I’ve Decided not only provides motivation and support, but they can connect you with professionals like Vickie Streitmatter from Empowered Financial Living, who can help you create a budget you can live with.

Those who have decided to take control of your home, through cleaning, decluttering, and organizing can be partnered with Hire A Housewife to not only help keep you motivated, but also to help give you the skills and/or extra hands you need to make it happen. We want you to succeed!

CEO, Kim Martin and I were talking about partnering a couple of weeks ago when she asked me if I would be willing to speak to people about my story. Of course I said yes! We started talking about motivation and why we do what we do and she mentioned using “I’ve decided…” when I spoke at her event. She said, “Something like, I decided to start my own business…” and I my heart jumped a little.

I like Kim so much and was excited about the opportunity, but I had to make sure we were on the same page. I told her that I have to give credit where credit is due and that I never really decided to start a business. I decided to do my best to live a life that honors God, and He has taken care of everything else. I waited for almost no time at all, although it seemed like forever before she spoke.

Her reaction was a huge smile and a “That’s perfect!” That’s when I was sure I was supposed to be part of I’ve Decided!

Starting Monday you will begin seeing commercials on TV for I’ve Decided and their motivational conference being held at the Civic Center in January. Check out the website www.IveDecided.org for more information. It is going to be a great experience for all involved!

So, tell me… what changes are you wanting to make in your life? What do you want to be able to stand up and say “I’ve decided” about? Want to get in better shape? Want to spend more time with your children? Want to rejuvenate your marriage? Want to organize your home?

New Year’s resolution time is coming… and the conference is right after! But, you don’t have to wait until the first of the year! Tell me, what will you decide?

Learning Experience

People often ask, "How long have you been in business?"

My standard answer is May, 2012. I'm also quick to point out that I didn't know I was starting a business at that point. I was almost an entire year in before I realized what God had created. In these last 26 months, I have learned more than I ever imagined and I am so thankful for all that God has done. As with any learning experience, knowledge brings some changes. While there are many in the future, here are a few that are happening right now.

HaH Rates
I'm going to be honest here (as I always am!) and share that I have now learned how expensive it is to have employees! Besides the cost of their salaries and the employer taxes associated with them, my employees are covered with General Liability insurance, Bonding insurance, Unemployment insurance, and Workers' Comp insurance.

Because of these things, new customers will be charged $18per hour beginning August 1st, 2014. If you are already a regular customer at that point, we will continue to serve you at our current rate for now, and that won't change in the future without 30 days' written notice.

Employees and Training
Another thing I've learned about having employees is that I can't make all of them care about the business as much as I do. I tell them all at interviews that if they are only in this for the paycheck, they will probably not last very long at this job. You have to love serving others.

I have made several personnel changes and am in the midst of revamping our training processes yet again. It is important to me that all of our customers are more than satisfied with the service they receive from Hire A Housewife.

Answering Your Questions
What else have I learned? Personally, I have learned how much I love connecting with people. I love being able to help others on many levels. One way I'd like to be able to do more of that is through the Hire A Housewife blog posts. 

As I've said before, like any good housewife I have an opinion on just about everything.... I'd like to share it with you if you are interested in hearing it.

So, I want to know what you want to know! Give me something to post about! Have a question about gardening, cleaning, or organizing? Just ask! Maybe you want a recommendation for a good Bible study or have a question about raising children, or even owning a business... Send your question through the "CONTACT US" form on our website or through Facebook. 

If you are wondering something, then there is a pretty good chance that someone else is wondering too!

Have a blessed day and I look forward to hearing from you!