Making Money by Sharing Halal Recipes

There are a few different business models you can embrace. One model is as an affiliate marketer. You can blog about your favorite recipes, create video cooking demonstrations and offer information about food and cooking. While discussing various recipes and cooking topics you can include links to relevant products. When a visitor clicks on the link and makes a purchase, you earn a commission. You can also profit from advertising sales and PPC clicks like Google AdSense. You can also write reviews for restaurants in your area and make money on advertising sales.

The second business model you can choose is an information marketer. You can create halal cookbooks and sell them online. You might consider creating a blog or website that supports your cookbook sales. For example, you could blog about various recipes and offer cooking demonstrations while also selling your cookbooks.

What Do You Need to Get Started?

First and foremost, you really need to love food! If you enjoy eating (and who doesn’t?,) then it should be a pretty easy transition. The second thing to consider is a specialty. Do you want to focus on sharing soup recipes? What about bread or baked goods? Will you review restaurants? If so, will you focus on a type of restaurant or will you cover them all?

Before you hop online and start blogging or reviewing, create a business plan. Set goals for your business and strategies to achieve them.

You’ll also need basic equipment. You’ll want a computer with an internet connection. You’ll also want to create a blog or website. If you’re creating video content for your blog or website then you’ll also want a camera.

Chances are you already have a computer, an internet connection and you may have a video camera. That means all you need is a domain name, hosting and a website or blog. You can create that for just a few dollars. Of course you can spend thousands on a website too. However, there’s no need to spend a ton. You can create a great blog or website all by yourself for very little.

Marketing Your Business

As an affiliate or information marketer, your biggest marketing tool will more than likely be your content. Good quality content will help you rank on the search engines. You can also use pay per click advertising to drive traffic. Social networking on sites like Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn is free and it’s a great way to increase awareness for your website.

Create a newsletter. Email newsletters are a great way to stay in touch with your readers. They’re also a fantastic way to promote a few affiliate products and earn extra money.

If you love food and you enjoy talking about halal options for Muslim consumers, consider building a business around your passion. Create a halal food blog. Write halal cookbooks. Share halal resources, recipes, reviews and information and earn income at the same time.

I’m greatful that my husband has always been supportive of my decision to start a home-based business. Even though he gave the green light from the very beginning, it wasn’t always smooth sailing. For example, when I was balancing project deadlines with homeschooling, he had trouble understanding how I could fall behind on the laundry or dusting when I was home all day. Thankfully, once he understood how much I had piled on my plate, he was willing to pitch in more around the house and with the children, masha’Allah.

Sometimes husbands aren’t immediately excited about a wife’s desire to start a home-based business. He may see it as a waste of time with no real profit potential. He may feel threatened by your business when he desires nothing more than to provide for you and your family, or maybe he just doesn’t understand your vision. Yet.

If your husband isn’t exactly supportive of your home business idea, don’t give up too soon – maybe he just needs time to adjust to the idea – after all a happy household is in EVERYONE’S best interest. You might gently remind him of your shared goal to raise your children to be happy and productive members of the ummah, insha’Allah. That’s a goal easier achieved if there is an available parent in the home to help raise them more so than with two parents working long hours outside of the home. It might help to let him know how important working at home is to you and your children.

Show Him the Benefits

One of my coaching clients is truly blessed to have a husband who supports her as she completes her education/training and works little by little to build her home business. He watches their two small children for her during our Skype chats so she can focus on our discussion with no interruptions, and he lends a listening ear and provides her with feedback and advice when she needs it. He sees the benefit of having his wife at home to care for their children while she also builds something that utilizes her education, skill. He support her decision to enhance her quality of life by creating something that helps others with her own hands and maybe even helps the family out financially.

So how can you help your husband see the benefits of you starting a home-based business? You may have to demonstrate them in a way that appeals to what he considers important. Here are a few benefits we’ve experienced in our home:

• Your husband won’t have to leave work early o share school pick ups/drop offs.
• There is no need to figure out how who will stay home to care for a sick child.
• If he travels for business, you won’t have to struggle to figure out how to coordinate school, childcare schedules.
• Develop a mini business plan. Men are doers by nature, so showing him a plan of how you plan to make your business work may be all that’s needed to tip the scales in your favor.

There are probably many more advantages I failed to mention. Think about your own circumstances, and initiate a discussion.

Establish Expectations

As I mentioned previously, my husband initially expected the house to be perfectly clean at all times when I first started working at home. He didn’t take into account that I had to coordinate getting my client work done while also caring for our then three children.

If your husband is on the fence about you working at home, spend some quality time discussing the situation. Ask about his concerns and try to provide solutions. Discuss his expectations. Help him understand that working at home is work just as much as if you were doing it somewhere else in a corporate office building. If he’s concerned about laundry or the housework, create a plan and show him your solution for keeping the house in order.

Don’t Forget Quality Time

Don’t allow your business to take over your life and neglect your husband. A marriage needs to be nurtured regularly. My husband and I regularly try to schedule “date nights” in our home after we put the children to bed. We enjoy spending time together watching a movie. Sometimes we’ll meet up and go to our favorite restaurant during lunchtime while the kids are in school and just enjoy one another’s company and conversation.

You don’t have to plan expensive trips and outings to stay connected. Make sure your marriage is a top priority and do special things for each other once and a while. When children see their parents making an effort in their marriage, it makes them feel secure and provides a positive example of marriage for them to some day follow, insha’Allah.

Make Istikhara

Sometimes only Allah t’ala can change a person’s mind and heart. If you are still meeting resistance, take the issue to Allah and allow Him to let things turn out as He sees fit. Working from home is not for everyone, and building a business takes a lot of work and sacrafice. Allahu alim.

This week was absolutely chock full of useful information for both budding and existing home business owners. I’m sharing some posts that really stood out to me this week. I hope you’ll find this useful for your own home business as well, insha’Allah.

Useful Tips for an Entrepreneur to Increase Traffic from Twitter

Brand Against the Machine: Take Your Brand to the Next Level

Pricing Your Products Correctly

5 Habits Every Business Owner Must Adopt to Become More Successful in 2012

Entrepreneur Training for Entrepreneurs

I’m so excited to be able to bring you a bonus interview today, alhamduillilah! Ponn Sabra, the founder and publisher of American Muslim Mom, was kind enough to share how she began working as a professional blogger, growing her own sites. I have the utmost respect for Ponn – it is inspiring to see another Muslim sister creating such a prolific presence online. I am so happy to see so many sisters creating a strong online presence and representing our faith, masha’Allah. American Muslim Mom is definitely an ezine that embodies the true spirit of Islam and sisterhood.
Several sisters have contacted me by email seeking advice about how to get started blogging for profit. I think Ponn is an excellent source of information on this topic,  insha’Allah . You’re sure to get a good dose of inspiration and motivation from her interview responses.

How long have you worked as a professional blogger for your own
sites?

Since 2005.

What were you doing professionally before you started blogging
full-time?

The year before I started blogging professionally, I was a foreclosure and
short sales real estate agent and specialist, and freelance writer. Prior
to that, I was a public health official since 1998; and published writer
since 1995.

What motivated you to start blogging as a business venture?

After a life-changing car accident in 2004, I realized that I wouldn’t hold
off anything anymore, such as my dream of writing a book. So, I wrote a
business networking book for women in 3-days while in bed. Rather going
through the small press publisher who solicited the book, I was actually
blessed to be published traditionally. While my book was being published, I
entered the online world in January 2005 simply to promote and publicize my
book in the most cost-effective and time-efficient way.

Alhumdulilah, Masha’Allah, 9 months of hard work, dedication and many
mistakes on the book’s debut release date, my book was a best-seller on
amazon.com. I immediately became a well-sought after online freelance
writer, Internet Branding Consultant, and became a debut columnist of
Entrepreneur Magazine’s women’s site. Blogging was the main platform I used
to share my journey and written works.

Can you share some of the ways you generate profit from your blog?

First, I use the blog platform (specifically WordPress) to host a series of different types of websites. For example, I have my main blog network, AmericanMuslimMom.com, which has two separate blogs “channels” connected by one-brand name. The Muslim Homeschool Channel of that site is: MuslimHomeEducation.com. I have an online gift guide or catalogue at EidGiftGuide.com, PublicitySpark.com  is a co-owned online PR (Public Relations) and Social Media information products store. This is where my partner and I relieve all our SEO secrets that we use to catapult our individual businesses and that of our clients since 2005. I use PonnSabra.com  as a stand-alone website for all my businesses to refer Press to and generate leads into my mailing list. As you will see by the list of the various sites, I have other blogs as well.
Direct sponsorships & online advertisements, affiliate marketing of hard products (like my book, “Empowering Women to Power Network,” but mostly information products, and online services I use and love; Information product development, affiliate management, Internet Branding consultation to design, conduct and/or run their social media campaigns, Paid blogging, vlogging and speaker,  Online Publicity & Search Engine Optimization work, and online freelance writing.

It’s important to note that I do not seek out work or pitch for jobs anymore; meaning I do not actively promote myself as a freelance writer or consultant. All jobs, sponsorships and advertisement come to me through my multiple blogs, my network. By “publicizing” myself in various online venues, I am seen as an “authority blogger” and sought out. There’s a significant difference in that I am not a service provider, I am an online business owner who manages multiple websites (i.e. blogs), staff, outsources, contributors, etc.

What kind of education, certification and/or training background do
you have?

I have a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology, and a Master in Public Health degree in Health Care Management and Administration. I was the youngest appointed public health official in the country once I completed my Master’s thesis, and the 2nd highest paid position in the country with the largest staff and number of programs; masha’Allah, God has willed. Therefore, I was public speaking throughout the country, media, and overseeing all business aspects from human resources (hiring, firing, credentialing), to applying for and managing grants from $15K to $3M. I was published the most prestigious academic journal twice for my unique research, and I networked hard and long for these unique opportunities to avail myself at such a young age. In doing so, I catapulted my career, so when my first daughter was born I was fortunate to rely on my husband to leave this work with the confidence that I had the skills and abilities to run multi-million-dollar business.

Masha’Allah, my husband and I have run and closed down multiple multi-million dollar businesses to date, so we a blessed to live a life a convenience to travel, homeschool and most of all live our life based on the Sunnah of our Prophet Muhammad, sallallahi alayhi wa salam, and worship Allah subhanallahu wa Ta’ala. I believe it was the collective life experiences that Allah destined me and my family the lifestyle we live because we have always worked directly in the Name of Allah regardless what kind of work I was doing at any time. Therefore, I feel honored, blessed and humbled, that Allah gave me the opportunity to release and grow the American Muslim Mom brand.

When you’re employed by someone else, there is structure already in place for you to follow. As professional blogger, you have to come up with your own work schedule and way of getting things accomplished. Has this ever been a challenge?

The biggest challenge was getting my husband behind me. He has supported and motivated me as my business partner in every single business venture except blogging. It was seen as a mere waste of my time, but knowing I’m a professional writer by trade and a life-long journal writer; he knew I needed a writing outlet; however, he preferred that it not to be so public via the Internet. He was mostly concerned about my health, because 3 months into my physical therapy (from my car accident) I was diagnosed with a rare brain disorder, and it was devastating for our family. Masha’Allah, I took much time offline due as a cause of it; then 2009 changed our lives again–I opened an Islamic academy, he went to Hajj and as a cause of that, American Muslim Mom was born. This brand was changed our lives, especially rebranding in 2010 and writing my “Balancing Life as a Muslim Mom” ebook–it’s something my husband feels I was destined to do…rather than simply writing for women entrepreneurs and business owners. This is why I wrote [an] article [about] having your hubby support you.

What resources (blogs/websites, software, books, etc.) do you recommend for someone considering starting their own blog for profit?

Please check out my Online ToolKit on http://PonnSabra.com<http://ponnsabra.com/>where I have detailed descriptions how I use individual products, services and memberships to grow my online business (ie blogs). However, I highly recommend my mentor, Kelly McCausey! I’ve come full circle with her. I started off with her in 2005, but went in different directions after my book was released. However, I returned to her in 2009, when I launched my mommy blog http://AmericanMuslimMom.com <http://americanmuslimmom.com/>. Over the past 2.5 years, my blog’s traffic increased so much that it’s now a blog network, and my income increased so much that I was able to re-invest and launch multiple different online businesses. I owe a great deal of my success to Kelly’s advice and guidance, which I detail the most important products and services at http://PonnSabra.com<http://ponnsabra.com/>.

I know many people buy products, try to become a student of a mentor, and only have bad testimonials of “I just wasted my time and money”. However, my reply is “they just wasted their opportunity”. It takes time and money to get something, but it takes even more time, effort, belief and faith to take action and make an opportunity for one self. In Islam, we are haram (prohibited) from wasting ANYTHING, such as time, money, or resources; therefore, I never buy anything until I finish using (reading and implementing) the previous product and made sure I find some benefit from the time, money and resources used.

I love Kelly’s quote, which is the tentative title of her upcoming book, “You CAN do it, IF you’re willing to do it!” Just like in Islam, you’re not a Mu’min (true believer) if you don’t act upon the knowledge gained from the Qur’an and Sunnah. You’re simply a Muslim by name, however only Mu’minyn (true believers) will elevate their ranks in Jennah (Heaven), Insha’Allah Ta’ala (God willing May He be Glorified).

What advice would you give to someone interested in becoming a professional blogger?

Have faith in Allah. Consult and discuss with your husband or wali (guardian). They just start blogging. Don’t stop. Don’t doubt yourself.
Work wisely (not just hard). Be patience. Enjoy blogging! But, learn the ”profession” of blogging, if making an income is your goal.
When in doubt, just keep typing and don’t forget to hit the “publish” button. My 11 year old professional blogger and daughter recently published a thought-provoking post which was a fresh new way to look at blogging (on http://KidBloggersClub.com), which I never really thought about until she told me so innocently. So, my last advice would be to follow my girls’blog, become a mommy and kid blogging team, and be wise enough to learn from your own kids too.

Insha’Allah, God willing, this interview encourages many more Muslim Mommies to join me in the blogosphere, as our voices are much needed. I’ve talked about the grave need for devout Muslims in America to start utilizing blogs, vlogs, and podcasts so our voices are heard. I’d love to help you on this journey! Please feel free to comment below with your questions and concerns, insha’Allah (God willing).

As with most things, when the idea to start a home-based business first comes to you, you’re motivated in a big way. It’s constantly on your mind and you just can’t wait to start laying the groundwork to get things moving. Over time motivation ebbs and flows. Sometimes you’re just as enthusiastic about your business as the day the decision to become self-employed first popped into your head; but there are also days when you just want a break from it all, and maintaining momentum takes serious effort. Believe me, I speak from experience.

Motivation is the mental fuel that provides enthusiasm, creativity and determination to meet your goals. When you find motivation for your business is lacking, these 5 tips can help:

Create lists

The simple act of making lists helps you plan the necessary process of completing daily tasks and it shows your progression as you cross completed items off. Sometimes just seeing that you’re making progress is all it takes to reignite fledging motivation.

Be accountable

Find another business owner, a mentor or coach that you can regularly share business goals with to help keep you accountable for following through. Even during periods where you’re feeling less than motivated, you’re more likely to follow through with business tasks and goals if you share them with someone else who wants to see your home business succeed and is willing to provide support and encouragement.

Don’t procrastinate

This is a challenge for me. When motivation is low I easily become distracted. All procrastinating does is delay the ultimate gratification of achieving your goals.

When you have something to do, just do it. Procrastination is simply delaying the inevitable. Procrastination is a bad habit, but the good news is that you can change it. Commit to increasing productivity, and if you need more help in this area I recommend you check out the Productive Muslim blog which has lots of advice about improving productivity.

Build expectation

You know how it feels when you’re REALLY excited about something? The continuous build of expectation? Even though you may not always feel that way about the day to day operations of your business, you can increase motivation by building up anticipation about the final result of carrying out certain duties (e.g. more traffic to your website or blog, increased sales, getting your product into stores).

Focus on the prize

Sometimes we become so caught up in the more “tedious” aspects of daily operations that we forget that they are merely a means to the end goal – a profitable home-based business that allows you to earn money and be there for your family. Try instead to focus on the desired outcome to increase motivation.

Do you have tips to share for maintaining motivation?

If you’ve ever thought about writing books for a living, you’ll get lots of useful, practical advice from Interview #5 of our 6 Week Home Business Interview Series. Linda D. Delgado is the noted author of several books, including the popular Islamic Rose children’s book series, founder of the Islamic Writers Alliance and the founder/owner of the Islamic publishing house, Muslim Writers Publishing. She kindly took time from her busy schedule to share invaluable information about making a living as a published author of Islamic books, and explain what publishing a book actually entails.

Writing and publishing books for a living involves many of the same business elements and processes as any other self-employment venture as Linda explains in the interview:

How did you get started writing books?

Prior to my retirement and conversion to Islam I had an extensive background in technical writing such as manuals, directives, and such. Once I retired and a second career as a teacher was not possible I looked for something else to do. My health was poor but my mind and fingers were unaffected as was my imagination. My granddaughter suggested I write stories about our family experience with getting to know two Saudi Arabian police officers who were our guests in our home during the year they were in the USA. The book series just expanded and grew, incorporating factual people and situations and fiction characters and situations. To gain name recognition I began to write non-fiction articles, poetry, short stories, and created a comic strip based on my book characters that teaches Islamic fiqh.

Have you always wanted to write books?

Response: No, but I have always loved books and began reading at an early age. In fact for many years I wanted to be a librarian when I grew up just so I would be around books all the time. It was my granddaughter who urged me to write fiction books for the youth reading level: chapter books. With no training and knowing nothing about writing fiction I just dove right in and began writing. I was fortunate to meet a published author. We became best friends and writing buddies. She was the one who taught me the technical aspects of writing a fiction book.

What was the inspiration for your Islamic Rose book series?

I wanted to write stories that promoted peace, appreciation for diversity, and respect for the fact that people are different from each other but all should be treated without discrimination or bias because of race, culture, national origin, or how they looked. My granddaughter urged me to write about her and her friends and I decided I would write stories that showed kids how Islam is relevant in these modern times. How they could use Islamic teachings when dealing with the challenges they might face in school, with family, and with themselves. I labeled my work as Islamic fiction and have promoted it as such since I first published my Islamic Rose Books series in 2003. I also hoped that Muslim kids would learn something about the values and religious beliefs of non-Muslim people (Christians) and that the non-Muslim kids reading the series would learn things about Islamic teachings. Learning about the differences and those things that we share with no-Muslims, in my opinion, helps promote understanding.

Have you written books in genres other than Islamic fiction?

I wrote and published two non-fiction books. A cookbook titled, Halal Food, Fun, and Laughter and a ‘how-to’ type book titled, A Muslim’s Guide to Publishing and Marketing. In 2009 I began writing an adult Islamic fiction series. I have published two books so far in this series with a third manuscript in progress. Prior to this I concentrated on primarily youth reading level Islamic fiction.

Did you query publishers to publish your first book, or go for self-publishing right away?

I spent a year sending queries to large Muslim publishers that I researched and knew they published fiction. I noticed, however, that almost all the books were color illustrated books for young readers and not fiction books for the youth or even teen reading levels. I received three offers for publishing but each one was an insult. One demanded I give up my copyright with an offer of less than $100 for each book. Another didn’t offer me any payment but said I should be pleased to get payment in paradise. The third offered me a small amount but said it would be several years before the books were published and demanded rights to any future books I might r write for the series.

I did not know about self-publishing back then. A friend told me about using a subsidy publishing service. I would pay a business to design a cover and interior layout and then distribute and manage my books once published. The cost of the books was high and the amount I received in royalty was very small. I also was charged almost full price to buy author copies to sell. . It was then I learned that most bookstores would not sell books that were subsidy published…and as the subsidy publishers were mainstream businesses, I would have no access to Muslim retailers.

I learned soon enough that most Muslim retailers were not interested in buying and selling Islamic fiction books for older children. They were only interested in the color picture type books for K through 3rd grade reading levels. It was at this time I discovered that most Muslim publishers and book retailers did not want to publish and sell Islamic fiction or any book that was fiction for older readers. I was shocked having grown up reading fiction for so many years. I couldn’t imagine an entire book industry that did not publish fiction! It was at this point I time that I began more earnestly to promote Islamic fiction books to everyone.

By 2005 I decided that I would become a publisher of Islamic fiction for older reading levels as there weren’t a huge number of Islamic fiction books for youth, teens, and adults. It took me a year of research and study to learn about the mainstream and Muslim book publishing industries and marketing before I created my own Muslim publishing business.

What are some of the most important aspects of the publishing process that writers need to know?

a. Writers need to research any publisher they intend to query with a publishing request.
b. I cannot speak for other publishers, but for me, a writer needs to demonstrate that he/she can follow directions. This is critically important when following manuscript submissions.
c. A writer should have his or her manuscript professionally book edited. Having a friend or e English teacher do editing and/or review is not the same as having a professional book editor work on the manuscript. Writers need to keep in mind that there are thousands of writers seeking publishing each year and for their book to stand out from others, a good story is usually not enough if the manuscript is filled with typos, spelling, punctuation, and grammar errors…and is not formatted as specified by the publisher.
d. Publishing is done is stages. In other words one step is done to get to the next step. Once a book is published and released for sale the now published author’s work has really begun. Many new authors think the publisher will manage all the book promotion tasks but that is far from reality.
e. Mainstream publishers generally expect an author to have a literary agent and the author usually works with this agent to get the promotional campaign started months before the book is published. Some authors have a publicist that helps with or manages the promotional tasks for the book and author. In the Muslim book industry I have found that a published author is totally on his or her own once the book is published. It is up to the author to reach out and do the contacts in the markets the book targets and do the work such as lining up book signing events, attending events where books can be viewed and sold like large Muslim conferences etc.
f. The publisher has the last say so regarding book cover design and interior layout. Most authors are not aware that a publisher might even change the title of the book if it seems necessary to the publisher.
g. Writers, when agreeing to a contract, need to not give up their copyright ownership. Publishing licensing should be specified in years and allow for the author to regain control of his/her work. I recommend authors have a lawyer look over the contract before signing it.

Do you primarily publish fiction, or both fiction and non-fiction?

The main focus of my publishing is Islamic fiction for youth, teens, and adults. Target markets are primarily Muslim although some of the books I have published can be successfully marketed and promoted to mainstream readers.

You’re not only a writer; you’re also a publisher, founder of Muslim Writers Publishing. Can you explain from a publisher’s point of view what you look for in a writer?

I am looking for a writer who is creative while still being realistic and pays attention to details. I look for a writer who has the ability to follow directions. This is critically important when the writer begins working with the editor. I also look for someone who is enthusiastic about Islamic fiction and has the ability to put together a comprehensive marketing plan. I evaluate a writer’s marketing plan prior to determining whether I will publish his/her manuscript or not. It is a waste of time, resources, and money to publish a really good book when I know beforehand that the author has little interest in promoting and doing marketing work to help sell the book. I don’t have time to give to individual authors to manage and promote their book. My job, once the book is published and released, is to ensure the book is distributed and available in purchasing locations (bookstores and other locations) and I then manage the distribution, sales, and fulfillment.

Is there really a demand for Islamic fiction?

Ten years ago I would have said no. Six years ago I would have said there is ‘some’ demand. Today I can say that there is a lot of demand for Islamic fiction from parents, home schooling parents, Islamic schools, and fiction readers. The challenges we are facing is finding publishers willing to publish IF for older youth, teens, and adults. In the last couple of years Muslim online retail stores have begun using the word “fiction” on their web sites. Ten years ago I couldn’t find even one. I have noticed that a couple of the large Muslim publishers are now willing to publish IF and fiction books from chapter books to fiction books for teens and adults. We lag so far behind mainstream fiction publishing that it will take years more before we have a sufficient number of titles in the many fiction genres available. But we are making positive gains. I get so many requests for publishing IF manuscripts and I have to turn them down for lack of funds and time. There is only me in my business. If I had the money I could easily produce a dozen books annually, but alas publishing is not cheap so the number of books I publish is limited to my own available funds.

Do you have any tips for newbie writers who dream of someday writing and publishing a book?

Writing a manuscript and going after publishing is no different from learning a skill and then going after a job that fits that skill.

Prepare yourself. Learn about the Muslim and mainstream publishing industries. Learn about digital printing and digital publishing. A writer can seek traditional publishing, subsidy (paying a fee) publishing, self-publishing of paper books (hard cover or paperback) or learn about the newest trend in publishing which is ebook publishing. There are many ways or methods to publish ebooks and there are a dozen or so ebook formats used for various ereaders. The ebook segment of the publishing industry is evolving and changing (rapidly) as technology advances. So…

Join writers’ egroups and forums. Buy books about publishing and marketing and study what you read.

Many individuals go to a university or college and study so they can become a professional in their choice of vocation/work. A writer has the same responsibilities… to study, practice, learn about the industries he/she wants to be a part of and become successful within.

Finally, save money. Going to college or university costs money. Going to a trade school to become an electrician or computer tech costs money. Becoming a successful writer costs money, especially once your book is published and ready for you to promote the book and yourself.

Our third interview of the six week home business series is with Paramaya Web Consulting owner Laura Sultan. Laura is a very talented website and graphic designer. I contacted her firm last year to discuss my plans for creating a new website design for Muslimahs Working at Home. I wanted something  unique, user-friendly and of course pretty. Ironically, when I visited her company website, it was this simple statement that really got my attention: “Sometimes pretty isn’t enough.”

The truth in that statement is what spurred me to carefully review her website and learn about what her web consulting firm really does. They definitely do much more than simply create “pretty” websites. She has created a full-service, web-based agency that provides businesses with a broad spectrum of services including strategic web consulting, custom web design and development, ecommerce website design, content management systems, web writing marketing services, web copywriting, website maintenance and support. She works closely with a remote team of experts and successfully meets the needs of many high-profile clients from her home.

Laura was kind enough to share with our readers how she got started, and what it takes to successfully build and compete in the web design/website development profession.

How long have you provided web design & development services?

Alhamdulillah, I began work on my first website eleven years ago, and I began working for clients about ten years ago.

What makes the service you provide different from a graphic designer?

My company, Paramaya Web Consulting, is a full-service web marketing company, and graphic design is just one part of that. We strive to assist companies with a full spectrum of online marketing services, insha’Allah, including content strategy, copywriting, search engine optimization, ecommerce development, blog development, and more.

What were you doing professionally before starting your business?

When I was in college, web design was in it’s infancy as a career choice, and it wasn’t even on my radar. I originally wanted to become a therapist, so I earned a B.A. in psychology. In the years before I started my company, I was floundering to find work that suited me. I worked for a couple of years as a book buyer in a bookstore, then briefly as a caseworker for the Department of Family and Children Services. I even ventured into web copywriting for while before discovering web design.

What motivated you to pursue the web design & development profession?

My daughter motivated me. When I was expecting my first child, I began to think critically about how my career choice might affect her. I couldn’t stand the thought of dropping off my tiny baby at a daycare center early in the morning and not seeing her all day. Financially speaking, I didn’t have the option not to work, so I began searching frantically for work that I could do from home. At that time, websites like Muslimahs Working at Home were few and far between, and the concept of telecommuting was still pretty foreign. I stumbled onto web design when I was helping my mother, a writer, promote her latest book. I found that web design appealed to both the creative and analytic sides of my brain in perfect harmony. Subhanallah, I have never, ever regretted getting into this field.

Are there other markets/specialties you target specifically (e.g. e-commerce businesses, service-based businesses, etc.)?

We work with a wide variety of companies, including service-based companies and ecommerce businesses. Our client list includes attorneys, daycare centers, answering services, recruiters, bloggers, artists, and much more.

 How have you developed your skills?

You have to be a lifelong learner to work in the field of web design and development. I went back to school for a degree in Information Technology after I got into this field, but most of the skills I use were not learned in school. Trends and technology evolve so quickly that I learn something new almost every day. Once I had the basics of web design and development down, I have honed my skills through the work itself. I also consume a lot of blog posts, webinars, eBooks, etc., and I follow web design and marketing experts on Twitter and Facebook.

When you’re employed by someone else, there is structure already in
place for you to follow. As an entrepreneur, you have to come up with your
own work schedule and way of getting things accomplished. Has this ever
been a challenge for you?

I struggled with this for years. When you run a home-based business, you have the flexibility to work or not work almost anytime. Procrastination is easy. You have to take your business seriously and not treat it as a hobby. I have had to clearly define my business time and my family time, so that neither will be neglected. That means that I have consistent business hours during which my family knows to leave me alone. It also means that I “clock out” mentally at the end of my work day so that my family has my full attention.

What resources (websites or books) do you recommend for someone
considering pursuing a website design and development profession?

The good news is that there are so many more resources available now than when I was getting into the field. The bad news is that you have to figure out what information is relevant and what’s outdated.

Some of my favorites are:

• A List Apart http://www.alistapart.com (Web design & development)
• Hubspot http://www.hubspot.com (Online marketing)
• Search Engine Journal http://www.searchenginejournal.com (SEO)
• Boagworld http://boagworld.com/ (My favorite web design podcast)
• Smashing Magazine http://smashingmagazine.com (All things web design)
• Social Media Examiner http://www.socialmediaexaminer.com (Social media marketing)
• Brain Traffic http://blog.braintraffic.com (Content strategy)
• Copyblogger http://www.copyblogger.com (Copywriting)

You have a pretty amazing team that works with you to complete
projects (I know from first hand experience!) Did you always work with a team of
professionals? If not, how did you come to the decision to do so, and how
did you go about finding the right people for your team?

I have only worked with a team for the last four or five years. I started adding to my team for two reasons. First of all, I found it difficult to keep up with the work coming in when I was trying to do it all myself. Secondly, I wanted to improve the quality of the websites we were producing and improve customer service. I found that if I focus on what I do best and hire talented people for everything else, my business runs more smoothly and clients are more satisfied.

What advice would you give to someone looking to break into web design
& development with no samples or previous experience?

You can build a portfolio without paying clients very easily. Design a blog for yourself or your friends. Volunteer to develop a website for a church or nonprofit organization. If you have kids, volunteer to create a website for the PTA. Start designing generic website templates and display them on your blog. There are countless ways to gain experience and build a portfolio. You just have to get started!

After several unexpected delays, I’m please to finally announce that next week Muslimahs Working at Home will launch our very 1st Annual Muslimahs Working at Home Facebook Sweepstakes Giveaway. We will be giving away a $100 Visa gift card and 1 free month of advertising on our blog to the winner.

The contest rules are simple: from Tuesday, November 22-Thursday, November 24, visit the Muslimahs Working at Home Facebook page and promote your business on the wall. Post a comment on our Facebook wall describing your Muslimah-owned home-business, the products/services you offer and a link to your site. We will conduct a random drawing and the winner will be announced here and on Facebook Monday, November 29. We’re so excited and hope you’ll participate, insha’Allah.

Life can quickly become a blur of forgotten appointments, last minute plans and unexpected circumstances. That’s how the last two weeks have been for me – completely unpredictable! Some things went as planned, and others…not so much. A sobering reminder that Allah t’ala is in control of all things, regardless of how often we forget. My calendar for the rest of 2011 is full of impending projects and deadlines, but regardless of all my attempts to plan ahead, Allah is the best of planners and I submit to His will, suban’Allah.

Can you believe there only 7 weeks left in 2011? I have quite a few projects I’m trying to complete before then, insha’Allah. I hope they will benefit you in 2012 and going forward. Muslimah Business Spotlight is currently on hiatus, but I will begin profiling Muslimah-owned businesses again, insha’Allah beginning Saturday November 26, 2011. I’m currently rounding up the sister-owned businesses that will be featured each Saturday through the end of the year. If you are interested in having us profile your business here at Muslimahs Working at Home, contact me.

I’m putting the finishing touches on my One-On-One Muslimah Home Business Mentoring Program. If you are thinking of starting your own business but could use guidance getting your idea up an running, or if you have a business, but it’s not moving forward, I can help. I’ll be taking on a limited number of sisters for 12 weeks at a time (to ensure that I can give them the attention they need to meet their goals) and we will communicate by phone/Skype and email. Details will be revealed Monday, November 29, 2011.

In addition to launching the One-On-One Muslimah Home Business Mentoring Program, I’ll also be kicking off a contest giveaway. More details to come, insha’Allah. In December Muslimahs Working at Home will publish a special weekly series where I’ll interview several successful Muslimah entrepreneurs. I’ve been contacted by email from a number of readers seeking advice about starting specific businesses, so I thought I’d go right to the source for answers. I’ve sought out successful experts in specific niches and professions to ask them the questions you sent to me. Each Monday in December I will publish an interview Q&A. I’ll provide the list of participants and the publishing schedule on November 30, insha’Allah. Enjoy your weekend!

Today I accidentally deleted an important email from a client. I knew she’d sent me the information. As she sat on the phone, waiting I was frantically searching through my cluttered inbox in vain. My worst fears were quickly confirmed – I’d accidentally deleted her message.

It doesn’t matter that the client literally sent a barrage of email messages that day, and I got confused trying to clear my rapidly expanding inbox. My client’s expect me to be organized, and want me to treat the information they send with respect. Thankfully, my client was very easygoing and resent the information without giving it a second thought. But not every client is quite so laid back and accommodating.

Client communications, emails from family and friends, notifications from Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and messages from and endless list of subscriptions means my inbox fills up fast and can get out of control in no time. My businesses depend on me being organized. When I first struck out to work for myself, I learned very quickly how easily email can get out of control, making it so easy to miss important incoming messages. I can’t have that, so I decided to refresh my email maintenance knowledge. I do most of these things, but lately I’ve been slacking on some others:

Sort Messages Right Away

Are you the “I’ll read it later” type? Yeah, me too. That’s how I once ended up with 27,625 unread messages sitting in my inbox. Yeah, seriously.

It’s best to deal with messages immediately as you receive them. Delete what you don’t need and sort the rest accordingly, which brings me to my next tip…

Group Similar Messages Into Folders

Folders have made my life much easier. I create client folders, a folder to keep up with receipts from online purchases, a folder to manage correspondence from my kid’s school, etc. 

Unsubscribe Regularly

I willingly subscribe to some websites and blogs. Most of them send me lots of very useful information, but my limited time means I simply cannot read it all.

Once a month I go through and review my subscriptions to decide which ones provide the most value. I then unsubscribe from those that don’t meet my immediate, or future, needs. This significantly cuts down on email chaos.

Not responding to important messages in a timely manner can reflect negatively on your business, so take time out each day to do whatever you can to keep your inbox in order.