Ms. No Single Mama Drama’s Blog

In case you haven’t noticed, I haven’t written any posts since January.

But, I’m back now.

Thanks for all your comments, questions and support of all my posts, especially the Side Hustle posts.

I’ve been gone because I’ve been working on writing an eBook on HOW single mothers, or, anyone for that matter, can make extra cash–WITHOUT getting a second job.

If you, or anyone you know, is making at least $500.00 cash with a side business, moonlighting or a side hustle and would like to be featured in this book, please send me an e-mail at askme@nosinglemamadrama.com.  You must be willing to state your full name and how much you’re generating with your sideline business.  I’m especially interested in those that involve your children as well.  Please include your e-mail address, Web site address/blog name and phone number, if you would like that information included. This is great way to promote your business!

The book will be priced at $19.99 but will feature 101 ways to make extra cash with real-life examples and information on how to market you side business–a great value, if I say so myself.

Anyhow, please feel free to write me or ask me any questions.

As always, peace and blessings and, of course, keep it drama free.

Ms. No Single Mama Drama

Single motherhood is full of challenges all by itself! Throw in a full-time job, the kids’ extracurricular activities, and a social life and the dream of owning your own business can seem daunting, at best.

But it doesn’t have to be.

Here are some tips to help you turn an idea into the business of your dreams:

# 1 Start With a Plan
You know the old adage: Failing to plan is planning to fail. Well, a good business idea can only be achieved through a well-thought out plan. Initially, it doesn’t have to be fancy–it can be something really simple and basic as a bulleted list on a scratch piece of paper. The point is that you have a plan. Remember, it can always be fleshed out later.

#Perfection Will Get You No Where–Fast
Too often, as mothers, we want to do everything just right; so much so, in fact, that we sometimes miss opportunities that could have taken us to the next level in our careers or our businesses. Don’t let perfectionism steal your opportunities to succeed. Sometimes, it’s just better to get the thing started than it is for it to be perfect. You can always perfect it later, if necessary.

#3 Believe in Yourself When Nobody Else Does
Just because you’re a single mother, it doesn’t mean you have to put your dreams on hold, especially your dream of entrepreneurship. Even if no one else believes that you can do it, believe in yourself. Soon enough, after people see that you have an unfaltering determination to make your business succeed, they will jump on the bandwagon and offer support. But it all starts with YOU believing in YOU, your IDEA, your SKILLS, your EXPERIENCE, your BACKGROUND and what YOU want to accomplish for YOUR CHILDREN.

Got more tips on how to make Single Mompreneurship happen? Discuss them here.

Side Hustles Close Up: Make Extra Cash with Medical Transcription
Ms. No Single Mama Drama

Want to significantly improve the quality of life for you and your child(ren)? The single best way to change your quality of life is to increase your earning power—and that means getting new skills. As a single mother, college is not always an option.

Before I got pregnant with my son, I got an A.A. degree in Criminal Justice; however, after my son was born, I decided that the criminal justice field was not for me. But because I was a single mother of a new baby with medical problems, I didn’t have the time, money or support system to attend a traditional college.

What was I to do?

First, I did some research to discover if I really would enjoy Medical Transcription and to find the best program for me and my financial situation. I then enrolled in Medical Transcription training through a distance learning program, which, at the time, turned out to be the best educational decision I could have made.

After completing the program, I successfully worked 13 years as a Medical Transcriptionist in both work-at-home and in-office settings. I earned a great living (including benefits)—all from the comfort of my home, and I didn’t have to worry about baby sitters or transportation issues.

Why I wrote this post:

Since I’ve gotten a lot of responses to the Side Hustle Posts, I decided to post some information about Medical Transcription programs. Remember, some programs are less expensive than others—but don’t sacrifice quality, if you can. The quality of the program you choose will impact how well you do in your career.

Stay tuned for my review of at-home Medical Transcription Training Programs.

Side Hustles - Part III: Make Extra Cash

Ms. No Single Mama Drama’s Top Side Hustles – These are the ones that I, at one point or another, did to escape financial drama. Yes, I did every one of these at some point or another, and I’m only thirty-something. So, you can, too! Warning: The list is LONG.

Water Seller
Sold water at parks/sporting events on super hot days

Candy House
We were the candy/ice cream apartment – My motto: “Don’t walk to the store, shop at apartment number 4” (lol)

Button Maker
Created buttons for schools, churches and local organizations fund raising efforts

Personalized Greeting Card Designer
Created personalized greeting cards (i.e. birthdays, anniversaries, etc)

Memory Book Maker
Created personalized memory books, including new births, weddings, anniversaries, family tree/history

Wedding/Party Favor Maker
Created personalized wedding favors – started with friends who referred customers to me

House Cleaner
Cleaned up friends/neighbors apartments for cash or barter

Medical Transcriptionist – Perfect for single mothers/stay-at-home moms
This is my favorite side hustle – I took this side hustle and parlayed it into a full-time career. I had the opportunity to work at home and in the office. Click here to learn how I learned Medical Transcription at home.

Freelance Copywriter (Advertising/Direct Mail)
Because I love to write (even before I earned a B.A. in English), I was able to earn additional income working as a freelance copy writer. I started writing for free and parlayed this into a career as well. Currently, I work as a Web Analyst/Web Content Editor.

Freelance Magazine Writer
My first paying magazine gig was for a local jazz/book review magazine, which only paid .02/per word. However, I built a portfolio of clips that eventually landed me in my current position. I have also worked as an editor of an indie magazine and a fact checker/editorial assistant at a national publication.

Graphic Designer
I started learning graphic design in high school. I continued to tinker with design throughout my other careers, volunteering to do graphic work for my employers. Again, I built a portfolio of work. I was then able to use my portfolio to land freelance gigs.

Web Designer/Web Analyst
In order to promote my freelance writing services, I needed a Web site, but I didn’t have the money to pay a designer. So, I decided I would build the site myself and did a pretty decent job with Yahoo! Sitebuilder. That experience landed me a full-time gig as a Web Design Services Quality Assurance Team Lead for a Web Design company within a few months of learning my new skills. I currently manage the content of a major government agency’s Web site.

Desktop Publisher
I used my “limited” design skills and Microsoft Publisher to create some pretty eye-catching newsletters for physicians that I did medical transcription for. See how you can provide additional services to an existing customer base?

E-Newsletter Editor/Print Publisher
I started an underground “mini magazine” and sold advertising to generate revenue.

Pre-Paid Legal Sales
I, along with my son, my boyfriend, and his son, sold Pre-Paid Legal services. Though I don’t sell this anymore – this is one service I wouldn’t be caught dead without.

Avon Sales Representative
When my son was an infant, I sold Avon to earn some extra cash.

Concert/Event Promoter
Now, this is where I shine! Before I had my son, I would get out there with the people have fun and make some money for real. I charged a fixed fee for promotions. I helped to promote some very popular Compton-based rappers in the late ‘80s (at the time, they were nobodys..lol).

Friday Night Fish Dinners – Cook’s Assistant/Salesperson
My friend and I were broke and needed rent money. With food stamps (this probably was illegal, but hey we were desperate and not saved at the time) and her cooking skills, we sold dinners on Friday nights. This little deal got so popular (mostly because of my friend’s cooking skills) that one day a fight broke out because we sold out of a BBQ dinner:&gt

So, as you can see, anything that you enjoy doing or would like to do is fair game as a side hustle. I like to experiment with new skills or career options (as you can see). That way, I can test my new dream career before actually committing to it. If you decide to turn it into a full-time gig, you can always show that you have valuable experience that people have been willing to pay you for.

Stay tuned for Part III - Side-Hustles: YOU and YOUR KIDS can start for $100.00 or less in a weekend.

Peace, love and blessings (and, as always, keep it drama free).

Side Hustles – Part II: Make Extra Money

As I have previously stated, most of my single mama drama (SMD) has been unequivocally financial. I’m sure that most single mothers out there would agree. And, more importantly, financial drama can cause a whole lot of other kinds of drama—especially in the romance department.

“Ain’t nothing like two broke folks fighting about what they don’t have; what they can’t do, because they don’t have it; and, why all the drama is the other person’s fault in the first place!”

So what’s a single mama to do?

Get her side hustle on, of course. (What’s a side hustle, you ask? Click here for Part I)

Here are some examples of things I’ve done to get my side hustle on – and, trust me, there’s no shame in my game…lol. Whatever it took to put food on the table, I’ve done it—as long as it was legal and honest work, of course. Remember, side hustles are not part-time jobs that you work for someone else’s benefit; instead, they are entrepreneurial by design. After all, there’s no greater feeling in the world than making your own money doing something you positively enjoy.

And, what’s best about side hustles is that NO FORMAL EDUCATION or PRIOR EXPERIENCE IS REQUIRED. If you always wanted to do something, “Just Do It,” like Nike says. And, starting a side hustle is the perfect way to transition into a new career or to build an empire. You never know, you could be creating a dynasty.

So, without further ado, click here for Side Hustles - Part III, the reveal.

Peace, love and blessings (and, as always, keep it drama free).

Part I

On September 14, 2007, I closed on my house! This is the biggest accomplishment of my life, with the exception of having my most perfect blessing, my son

With that said, there are some expected (and some very unexpected) additional expenses that come with home ownership. For instance, as a renter, I never had to worry about hiring someone to come rake the leaves from my lawn (I know what you’re thinking…rake ‘em yourself). Well, unfortunately, my house sits on half an acre and it was a foreclosure that sat empty for almost year. So, when I say there are a lot of leaves out there, please believe me! Never mind that we found a dead baby snake in my house the first night we moved in - so, I’m really not feeling the whole being snake bait in the name of cleaning my yard<yikes!!!>. So far, I’ve gotten two quotes of $150 and $160, respectively. In addition to that, I have some plumbing issues that, while minor, are irritating as all get out. Let me tell you, having to turn the toilet switch on and off every time you go:> gets really old, really quick…lol.

Anyhow, when a single mama needs extra mullah (for whatever reason), what does she do? Well, she goes into single mama mode, of course, and gets her side hustle on (for those that don’t know, side hustle is another way of saying moonlighting or side job:).

So far, I’ve made a little extra cash to help out with the extra expenses. But, my short-term side hustle goal is to earn (at minimum) an extra $500.00 per month, which shouldn’t be a problem. Eventually, within the next six (6) months, I hope to earn an additional $1000.00 per month.

Why not get a second job you ask? Well, simply because I refuse to. As a single mother, I feel like a barely have enough quality time with my son. I also feel like it’s important for me to be there for him and his activities. On top of that, I don’t think anyone, especially single mothers, should depend on a job for their every cent of their income.

After all, if you think about it, a paycheck from a job is nothing more than an inflated WELFARE check. Hold on now, DON’T GET YOUR PANTIES IN A BUNCH, let me explain. When I was on welfare (yeah, I was on welfare; however, I used for what it was created to be: temporary assistance, not a way of life), I didn’t like that my welfare check determined what I could and couldn’t afford. Basically, it determined where I could live, what I could eat, what I could wear, etc. The same is true of a paycheck. Now, don’t get me wrong, I love my paycheck - there’s nothing like a regular check, especially one that covers all the essentials plus some - it’s definitely a beautiful thing. However, as a single mother, sometimes or maybe most of the time, there seems like there’s never enough money. That’s why I firmly believe in the side hustle. My side hustles have kept me from starving in between jobs and have even helped me land better paying gigs because of the experience.

Stay tuned for Part II - My side hustles & side hustle you can start today>>