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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

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Melinda, what’s your background?

Businesses that never go according to plan require a work-at-home mum who’s been there to help plan for growth. I bring a great combination of work and educational experience to my career as the business planning expert at the head of SuperWAHM.

Human Resources and Intelligence positions in the military led to work in retail and corporate environments—and when I started my first home-based business in 1991, my true path began to emerge.

Working as a consultant and freelancer, I developed the in-depth understanding of the issues facing work-at-home mums which I’ve been sharing with my clients as a business planning coach since 2004.

I’m now a Certified Professional Coach and qualified Neuro Linguistic Practitioner. In 2009 I was elected as President and Area Leader for the Canberra Chapter of the International Coach Federation, where we’re constantly searching for innovative ways to give clients an experience that’s not just insightful and fun, but also high-reward for you and your business.

To learn more about the work-at-home-mum and expert business planner behind SuperWAHM, visit About Melinda.

What sort of industries have you worked with?

Previous clients have included business and life coaches, virtual assistants (VAs), graphic designers, children’s wholesalers and manufacturers, copywriters—even soapmakers and cake decorators. The one thing these owners had in common was the desire to grow their home-based businesses, which is why they came to me to learn to take control and drive growth on their own terms.

How are you at working with me, and my wild schedule as a work-at-home mum?

I’ve organised my business to work with your family and professional schedule as well as my own—and as we work together, you can bet I’ll share the secrets of taming your wild schedule, as well! My hours are designed to work around different worldwide time zones. With our easy online booking system, you’re sure to find a time that works for you.

By doing my “homework” in advance of your appointment, I’ll always be ready to maximise our time together. Of course, I do expect clients to be prepared and on time for our coaching sessions.

As a work-at-home mum myself, I understand that life happens. If for some reason you need to reschedule, I can accommodate that at no charge with at least 24 hours’ notice. In the same way, I will always notify you in advance if I can’t make a coaching session—and in five years that’s only happened twice.

I can hardly wait to get a plan together for my business. So how do we work together?

1. Once you decide to get started, simply go to our SuperSERVICES page and use the Paypal button to purchase your chosen program. After payment you will receive an email with a link to confirm your purchase. You must click this link and confirm!

2. Next you’ll receive a questionnaire to complete (in MS Word format) and a link to book your first appointment online. The online booking system makes it really easy. The times I’m available are shown to you in your own time zone. You select a time that works for you and we’re both emailed a confirmation of the appointment. If you wish, the appointment will be automatically entered into your Outlook or Google calendar. Return the completed questionnaire via email no later than 24 hours before our first appointment.

3. At the time of our appointment I’ll call you via phone or Skype. (If you haven’t heard of it, Skype is a great way to make free telephone calls over the Internet to other Skype users worldwide.) You’ll need a pen and notepad (to take your own notes), and a quiet place where you’ll be undisturbed during our call.

4. Depending on the course you’ve selected, the process of developing your highly focused plan will take between four and nine weeks. You’ll have weekly tasks to complete to keep you on target, with four to six one-on-one coaching sessions to find strengths and sticking points, and create a strategy that’s perfect for building your business, your way.

5. One of the great advantages of planning packages over individual SuperWAHM coaching sessions is that each SuperWAHM business development package concludes with a full report. In your report I’ll detail the process we went through, and lay out your plan—with strategies to help you continue to grow your business long after our work is done.

What kind of results can I expect?

My goals for your project will be to identify and clarify your own personal goals and course of action for your business, then to provide you with a road map, the tools, and the know-how to become a SuperWAHM.

Of course, how well any plan works is up to how much you work your plan, so I can’t guarantee any specific results—but here’s what a couple of clients have said about the work we’ve done:

I had no idea what to expect when I started with Melinda. I just knew that I had so many things going on and I felt like even though I was working hard I wasn’t going anywhere. She was smart supportive and focused. She asked pointed questions and offered creative solutions. There is no doubt that both me and my business are running more efficiently since working with her.
—Erin Gutierrez

Great coaching! Melinda delved into my chaotic mind and helped me to work out what I really wanted to achieve. Since clarifying my business goals my stress levels have plummeted and I can now truly enjoy what I do. I recommend WAHM Biz Builder wholeheartedly. Thanks Melinda!
—Mary C

Will this business plan help me get funding from a bank/ venture capitalists/ angel investors?

Probably not. Bootstrapping is the reality for most small businesses. In truth, that’s one of the best parts of starting your business on your own terms—for the life of the business, you answer only to yourself and to your customers, and your schedule is your own, not dependent on business loan payments pressing down on you.

The plan that I work on with you is not your ‘normal’ business plan that’s all about forecasts and projections and ifs and buts, the type that you write once and then throw in a drawer and never look at again.

A SuperWAHM plan lays out step by step how to grow your business and where you’re headed. This is a plan that you’ll use daily as your guiding light, for direction and motivation. It’s expert strategy and support—tailored for you, your strengths and your business.

What types of payment do you accept?

Paypal only for clients outside of Australia. If you’re in Australia and would like to pay by Direct Deposit then please email me.

Can you meet with me by phone/ Skype/ email/ chat/ in person?

Yes, yes, yes, yes, and probably not. But you can use any of the first four methods to ask me about that.

What if I need it fast?

Rush service—straight to the head of the queue, and daily meetings instead of weekly, so your project’s completed in just a week—add 50% to the usual fee for the package you’ve selected.

What if I need it cheap?

My expert business planning services are not for bargain-hunters, but they are for you if you want to grow your business long-term with a plan that works for you and your family. However, for the do-it-yourselfer with time to learn on her own, my e-books are an excellent introduction to planning your home-based business, and like everything at SuperWAHM, they’re designed just for the special needs of women who work from home.

For clients or anyone interested in the subject of business planning for mom-preneurs, my blog is an excellent resource. It’s free, and you can have it delivered straight to your email or RSS reader by subscribing here.

Where are you located?

I live just outside of beautiful Canberra, the capital city of Australia. We’ve got our famous Aussie bushland straight over the back fence so I get to have my morning coffee watching our native rosellas (species of parrot) and listening to the kookaburra’s laughing. It’s a great place to practice my superhero skills, which include crawling out of mountains of work to be with my family and leap over time, stress, and chaos in a single bound—and it’s a great place to create success on my own terms. I wish the same for you!

Need more information? Click here to read more about our one-on-one SuperServices, check out our e-books right here, or contact me if you’re ready to get started with your work-at-home business plan today!

Do you accept guest posts?

Sure do!  As long as the post helps Work At Home Mums grow their business then I’d love to see them.  (If it’s a blatant self promotional post and links back to your site then I probably won’t accept it)  Add in an interesting and catchy blurb about you at the bottom – this bit is welcome to link back to you – and I’ll have a look at your post.  I won’t guarantee to accept all posts sent to me, and I also reserve the right to edit posts.

Will you advertise my site/product/services on your site?

Um, no.  I don’t have paid advertising on this site and don’t plan to in the foreseeable future.  I do promote (usually through an affiliate link that might pay for a coffee if I’m lucky) products and services that I have personally bought, used, liked and think my readers would benefit from as well.  And you have to admit, being able to visit a site without ads all over the place is pretty sweet!

Got more questions?  Email me!