If you dread Mondays and feel like your business is more draining that life giving then you may have lost focus on what it is you want to be doing, on who you want to work with and on connecting with them.

Now could be the perfect time for you to take stock and figure out exactly what you love doing, this could mean a change in direction for your business which should be exciting. It could mean you realise you're actually wanting to target a whole different audience and provide a range of different products and connecting with them should be different also.

By figuring these out makes for a simple straightforward marketing. Knowing exactly who you want to work with makes connecting with them that much easier and when you know exactly what you're doing on your marketing day-to-day, month-to-month saves you time, keeps you motivated and excited.

1. Figure out who are now, what work do you do now that you enjoy, maybe its a service you don't offer now, but have actually been asked about. Research overseas and see what others like you are doing, maybe they are doing something different you'd like to do
2. Who do you enjoy working with, who loves what you offer and comes back for more? You may find there is more than one market and that's ok, as long as you know about them you are able to connect with them
3. Work out some simple goals for your marketing. Is it to increase turnover by $___ and or grow your database and or fans to ___
4. Where will you connect with them, is it social media and blogging for a wider reach or events for a more local audience. List what you think appeals to each market.
5. From here you can work out 4 marketing strategies these could be online, events, email and print and then a 90 day promotional plan for each strategy working out social media posts and more including seasonal events that influence your markets. 

For me being in business from before my boys were born and throughout their little lives to date has been mostly very fulfilling, I have a creative outlet and a way to stimulate my sometimes exhausted mind as well as bringing in some more income for our little family. It means I get to spend time with them and also give them good memories of their childhood like going to the park, making Lego together, baking, going to the library and seeing what they're up to at Kindergarten. We have fun and sometimes during the day (but mostly at night) Mummy has work time which means they do an activity together by themselves for a while or watch a DVD (keeping screentime to a minimum of course : )

To be able to stay home and nurture your children and still have a creative outlet while bringing in that extra income I think is much more successful when you:

• Can work online via email, avoiding phone calls when you can when as I find as soon as I pick up the phone my almost 2 year old wants me and is very persistent!
  
• Know your audience, work out your dream client - who you really want to work with, these clients will pay what you're worth
  
• Know your value and charge accordingly. As a busy Mum providing a cheap product or service just isn't sustainable, packaging your expertise and listing the benefits (intangible) and features (tangible) positions you as a leader and means you can charge a higher price and differentiate yourself
  
• Work out your brand and plan your marketing strategies, keep it simple and aim for 4 or 5 strategies and plan a years or 6 months schedule from there, this is exciting!
• Block out work time and don't cross those boundaries between work and family time, enjoy your kids, get out and do something you like doing like a simple walk by the river ending up at the park, or a swim, these times are magical, switch off your phone and be in the now with your children
  
• Don't apologise to people that you have children and don't feel embarrassed that you are a Mum in business, if someone phones you and you have children making noises in the background so be it, be proud you are a pro and a Mum - WOW!
  
• Try to design some ways to earn passive income, perhaps you can write your expertise into an e-book?..
  
• Make the most of Social Media and email marketing, be creative with these and plan ahead to give you focus. This means you can quickly post what you'd planned to while the kids eat breakfast instead of taking an hour to think of something creative to post and then feeling guilty for not spending time with your kids.
  
• Don't feel the need to be a supermum, do what you can and feel proud, being a nurturer to your children is your first priority, don't stay up until midnight to get something finished if you can help it, a cranky Mum is an unhappy Mum
  
• Don't beat yourself up if you don't get your household chores done, there's always tomorrow
  
• Get help with babysitting from time to time, get out and do something you love, even as simple as visiting a gallery
  
• Become known for something, get creative and start a movement
  
• And lastly be the queen of positivity and feign confidence when you don't feel it until you do feel it especially around money if bills are flowing in, but work isn't, don't lie awake worrying about it, instead start a plan, work out ways to increase your income, it gives you such a boost!