Alyice Edrich

www.TheDabblingMum.com

Her tenacity in finding her "niche" matches the experience many of us have had in our quest to work at home so we can be with our families and earn an income. Alyice's story inspires us with its gentle reminder to be true to ourselves so we can enjoy our families and our work.

Q&A With Alyice Edrich

Q: What was your inspiration for starting your online magazine, The Dabbling Mum, and how has it evolved over time?

A: When I was younger, I was a bit of a home body. I liked to keep to myself and that carried into my adulthood, but when I became a mother, I found my world closing in more than usual as it began to be filled with diapers, teaching, and playing--while still trying to maintain a household. I needed something to do for me, so I began dabbling in various home business ideas: in-home daycare, virtual assistance, notary public, mystery shopping, direct sales and home parties, and so on. I loved many aspects of each job, but I hated being away from the kids. I wanted something I could do within the confines of my home, and around their schedules, not the other way around.

That's when I happened upon writing. Once I caught that writing bug there was no turning back. But I hated the entire query letter process. You spend so much time researching and writing the darn query letter, then finding suitable magazines interested in publishing the proposed article, and finally--if you're lucky--you get published. I had so much to say that I didn't want to wait weeks, even months to see my words in print.

I've always toyed with the idea of publishing a magazine, or working for a prominent one in New York City, but after researching the costs involved, I realized I didn't want to take that HUGE of a risk so I went online.

When I first began my magazine, it was laughable. I started out on a free Web server, no domain name, and I designed the website myself. In the beginning, I knew nothing about Web design and I refused to hire a designer because back in 1999, they wanted a hefty penny. In fact, one Web designer quoted me $10,000! But I studied and I observed and eventually I created a design that was not only functional, but pleasing to the eye.

As far as the magazine itself, I jumped in feet first, and decided to "play" publisher and editor until I could actually call myself a "true" publisher and editor.

During one of my visits to an online writing group, I met an editor of a nationally recognized print magazine who told me that I would go far in the business because I had a teachable heart and was willing to learn the ropes. Though we didn't stay in contact after the first few emails back and forth, her words stayed in the back of my mind--reminding me that in order to succeed I needed to be willing to listen and learn and not be set in my own ways.

WORK-AT-HOME SCHEDULE

Q: You are a prolific writer, producing numerous e-books, online newsletters (e-zines), and writing several blogs. Do you have a set schedule for your workdays at home, and was it difficult for your family to adjust to your schedule?

A: I'm a fly-by-your-seat kind of gal. The only time I keep to a strict schedule is when I'm on deadline to have a project completed for a paying customer. That being said, I have a running 'To Do List.' My 'To Do List' is forever changing and growing--as soon as I mark one task off, another is added.

But there are a few things I do on a regular basis:

On Mondays, I finalize my newsletters (TheDabblingMum Ezines) and send them out. Basically what this means is that I go to my acceptance folder, pull the articles I want to buy (that fit the issue), edit the articles, upload them to the website, plug them in the newsletter and print out an invoice for the writer. I then send an email stating the article is live to the writer so that he/she can double check the article. Then I write my editorial letter, write my Q&A column if I've not already done so, and double check the newsletter.

On Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, I post an interview to DM Speaks (http://www.thedabblingmum.blogspot.com). After I post the interview to the blog, I open up the current month's e-zine and paste the interview link in the announcement section.

If I'm in a browsing mood and run across a website by an author or entrepreneur that intrigues me, I immediately send off a request to be interviewed. This is easy because I have basic Q&A templates for each type of writer and entrepreneur, so all I have to do is change a couple of questions to fit the person, then copy and paste into an email. Once I receive the answers, I edit them, write my introduction, and save in a Word document, to later be posted in the blog, DM Speaks. Once I make the interview live, I let the interviewee know by sending the live link. This is not only a courtesy to the interviewee, but it also helps build links back to the blog as the interviewee announces the interview in his/her circle of friends and colleagues.

On Fridays, I accept and reject query letters and manuscript proposals for the magazine.

On weekends, I tend to catch up on my reading and review products.

I'm supposed to be writing for an hour every day, for my "work in progress," but I don't always get that full hour.

As to how my family adjusts to my time away from them? When they were younger, I ran an in-home daycare so my business sort of revolved around them. I was able to spend a lot of time playing and interacting with my kids and provide them with playmates I felt comfortable having them around. In the evenings, I'd work the paperwork side of the business and clean up.

When I ran my other businesses, I did most of my work in the evenings when they were winding down for the night or heading off to bed.

As they began to get older, I realized I could do most of my work during their school hours, so it wasn't very intrusive on their time or my time with them. Except, of course, during the summer months when I'd have to balance kids at home and working at home.

PROMOTING HER BUSINESS

Q: Your website has been named one of the 101 Best Websites for Writers by Writer's Digest magazine two years in a row. How do you promote yourself so effectively?

A: I think the key to any good business is to be a place others can rely on. If you say you're going to do something, follow through. If you make promises to your customers, keep them. If there is a problem with a customer, address the issue immediately. You may not agree with the customer, but show respect.

When I ran my in-home daycare center, I advertised locally. There was no reason to advertise on the Internet or statewide, because my clients were local.

When I worked direct sales, I hand delivered catalogs to the surrounding area. I would use outdated catalogs because they were cheap. I'd include a sticker stating something to the effect that the catalog was outdated, but I wanted to introduce myself and would be more than willing to stop by with a more current catalog if interested in our products and/or services. I also encouraged my hostesses to encourage their friends to host a party.

When I ran my virtual assistant business, I'd network and hand out business cards with my services and contact information listed.

When I ran my notary business, I ran ads in newspapers and online. I also contacted companies personally.

When I began my magazine, I wrote articles for other websites and publications. And I distributed many of them, free of charge, using a distribution method which has now been coined, 'Free Content' or 'Article Distribution.' (I wrote an e-book detailing this process, called Tid-Bits for Marketing Your Business With Articles, which can be found here: Tid-Bits e-book.

I also sent out press releases, left my signature line when replying to posts in forums and chat rooms, and I did blog tours. You can do a blog tour for anything--a book you've written, a product you've developed, a company you've started, and so on. The key is to find blogs that relate to your audience and/or your theme. Here's an article I wrote on blog tours; just adjust it to meet your company and/or product: Blog Tours.

Q: What are your dreams for the future of your business?

A: I'd love to reach 1 million visitors per year, have 100 e-books for sale, and grow my e-zines to reach over 20,000 subscribers, each. My main goal is to find a way to keep the publication free, while providing quality content that isn't easily found on other websites or in other publications. But keeping the publication free limits my advertising dollars, so I have to be creative and that can sometimes be exhausting.

Q: What advice would you give a new entrepreneur who wanted to follow in your footsteps?

A: Whatever your dream in life, take the time to invest in it. Learn the ropes, be teachable, don't get a swelled head, stay humble, respect your colleagues, and show yourself worthy of your customers' time.

All too often I've seen work-at-home moms shoot themselves in the foot by showing a poor image of themselves via forums, chat rooms, and online groups. Potential clients and customers are everywhere. If you don't think they're watching and observing, think again!

Q: Anything else you'd like to share about your business or your life that would inspire other women to pursue their passions?

A: Anything in life worth having is worth fighting for. What I mean by that is that it's often tempting to fall for get-rich-quick schemes, or to copy someone else's business idea. It's easy to think, "That worked for them. I'll just copy the idea, copy the business model, and in no time, I'll have a thriving business too." But easy doesn't bring wealth, financial independence, or happiness.

Just because Jane Doe has a successful work-at-home website or candle business doesn't mean you will. You have to take a good, hard look at your personal skills, education, and work habits. You have to figure out what you like doing best, what keeps your interest, and what makes you excited. Then you have to find a business idea that fits those things.

You can learn from others, but don't try to follow in their footsteps so much that you lose sight of what's best for you and your family.

Finally, sign up for my business e-zine, TheDabblingMum; it's jam-packed with wonderful, free advice! And you get a free e-book when you join.

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Alyice Edrich is the editor of The Dabbling Mum (www.thedabblingmum.com), an aspiring photographer, and a freelance writer for hire. She's travelled the U.S. in search of a place to call home and found it in South Dakota with her beautiful children and husband of 16 years.

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