Women's  Source

Author Information:
Peggy Hazelwood is a writer and editor with 20 years of experience. She runs the Albooktross electronic bookstore, www.albooktross.com, and the site for writing made easy, www.ezeewriter.com. 
Subscribe to her FREE weekly newsletter- send an email to albooktross-subscribe@yahoogroups.com.

Finding Content Through Networking 
Content Swapping 

3rd April 2001

A few months back, we saw a spate of articles in a certain class of newsletters on a rather unusual subject: how other publishers could or should generate “content” for their OWN newsletters and ezines. This topic still pops up frequently. 

The advice often given is that publishers should try hard to offer “original” content, which is interpreted to mean content that they write themselves. What the writers giving this counsel don’t usually make clear, is why something I write myself is necessarily original, or why something that others write for me is not. 

To be fair, we have to look at the trends that prompted these authors to bring up the subject in the first place.

Many writers submit their articles to a number of publications simultaneously.  The receiving publishers are often only too happy to find something to fill up space in their newsletters, particularly when they don’t have to pay for it! Several of them will then use the same article all around the same time.

Since all these publications deal with the same subject area, quite a few people will subscribe to all or most of them, and they’re not too impressed to be exposed to the same articles all over again!

In the world of traditional print media, it’s not uncommon, of course, for newspapers in different regions and countries to use the same syndicated material. But the situation’s rather different with a medium that penetrates all geographic boundaries in an instant.             

Many novice publishers are so carried away by enthusiasm when launching newsletters, that they hardly give a thought to their future content needs. 

But while nothing can match sound advance planning, the cause is never lost.

You CAN, if you want, give your readers the original content they deserve, and you don’t necessarily have to write it yourself. If it’s already late in the day, you have to work harder. But with the right approach, it can be done. 

For your purposes, there’s no earthly reason why the word “original” has to refer to material that has never seen the light of day before. What it SHOULD mean is that your own readers have not been exposed to it. 

In fact, the prime criterion for good material is not originality, but VALUE. Sure, originality is one of the components of the quality of value (facts are hardly valuable to those that know them already), but not the only one or even the most important one. 

So how do you go about finding content that’s both original and valuable, when it’s not practical to create it yourself - and you can’t afford to hire someone to do it for you? 

The secret is this: if you can’t create content, create relationships!

Let’s use a practical example to explain what I mean by this.

Imagine that you’re the publisher of a newsletter about gardening. You know of another publication on a topic not quite identical, but certainly complementary, to your own specialty. You drop off a note to the other publisher, as follows:   

>Hi Steve

>I've been an avid reader of "Outdoor Living" for some 
>time I enjoy your light-hearted style and have often used 
>your practical tips to good advantage.

>I've just completed a new article entitled "How a Garden
>Can Help to Reduce Stress". I was wondering whether 
>you'd like to use it for "Outdoor Living"? 

>Since the subject of this article is so intriguing and it's
>well suited for your readership profile, your readers are
>bound to find it interesting and entertaining. Until I hear
>from you, I won't offer it to anyone else. If you publish
>it, please give me a little publicity by including the
>"resource box" at the end.

>I'd be delighted to return the favor by publishing a
>suitable article of yours in "Country Gardening." To tell
>you the truth, you might be doing ME a favor. The kind of 
>quality stuff I need is hard to come by, and as I said, I
>know you write well. 

>Best wishes,
>Joan Smith
>Publisher, "Country Gardening."

Let’s hope that this is the beginning of a working arrangement between Joan and Steve that will serve them both well for many years.

And let’s hope that this little illustration will speak louder than (other) words!

Author Information:
Azriel Winnett is Senior Staff Writer at Sling Shot Media LLC <http://www.listhost.net> The List Hosting SpeciaLists, offering superb list management solutions for every business need. Watch out for plenty of surprises at our upcoming venture at   http://www.listchannel.com   

Creating Targeted Content 
10 Tips on how to generate targeted ideas for your website content

5th April 2001

1. Participate in chat rooms related to your targeted audience. Watch what questions people are asking and ask others what information they're interested in.

2. Examine what information in being broadcast on TV, news and talk shows. That information is usually hot topics.

3. Hang out in similar message boards. People leave questions for information they're seeking. That is a strong indicator of subjects to write about.

4. Survey your web site visitors or current customers. Ask them what type of articles they would like to see published on your web site or in your e-zine.

5. Regularly check your site's guest books. People sometimes leave questions or comments that would help you generate high readership articles.

6. Check online bookstore's best sellers list. They're very good resources for finding winning topics and ideas to write about.

7. Use the time of year to come up with good topics. You could relate your content to the holiday, season, things that happen years ago during that time, etc.

8. Join some related e-mail discussion lists. Explore the question being asked and the subjects people are discussing.

9. Relate your article to a current fad that's going on in your specific industry. The topic is usually interesting to your target audience.

10. Make a file of visitor or customer questions you receive via e-mail or phone. Usually, others have the same questions, but never ask.
 

Author Information:
Over 40,000 Free eBooks & Web Books when you visit: http://www.ldpublishing.com  As a bonus, Bob Osgoodby publishes the free weekly "Your Business" Newsletter - visit his web site to subscribe and place a FREE Ad! http://adv-marketing.com/business 

Is it all hype?

By Heather Piehl

We have all heard the buzz the past few years…work at home, stay at home or work outside of the home, which type of mom are you?  It seems that we all of a sudden have to put our tally mark in one column or another on this issue.  That fascinates me.  When I became a stay at home mom almost 9 years ago, it was “hush, hush” if you were a stay at home mom, it was almost shameful.  Now, SAHM and WAHM are proudly displayed on e mail signatures, blogs, and message boards.  The WAHM industry has exploded with online businesses everywhere you turn on the internet. 

I have been on both sides of the issue; I was a single work outside of the home mom for the first year of my daughter’s life.  I became a stay at home mom while pregnant with my second child.  It was a choice I made gladly after my company gave me the choice between them or my family.  I have to admit, though, I had never really thought about it one way or another.  I worked, it was what I had always done and I didn’t plan to do anything different.  The pangs of leaving my baby in daycare still lingered but I learned to live with them, as a single mom, I had no choice.  I did have reservations about being able to leave two children in daycare but I thought I would handle it just fine.  With a very supportive husband and the ultimatum from my employer, I became a stay at home mom.  A road I had never dreamed I would be able to travel, it has been rough but so rewarding!

I have slowly became a work at home mom, I dabbled in two moderately successful businesses, sold on e bay and other things to help contribute to our now one income family.  This whole process helped me evolve.  I did not realize it at the time but as a young mother, I did not yet know “what I wanted to be when I grew up”.  I was not fully college educated; I had no degree to dictate the career path I would take.  I knew the things I thought I wanted to do, I knew my interests but did not know what it was that I really wanted for myself.   I had just climbed up the ladder in retail management.  From the high school girl running a register to being on the management team of a well known retail store, I was proud of my accomplishments but was not fully satisfied, it was all I knew and I knew it well so it seemed to make sense to concentrate my efforts there.

I knew I wanted to be in business, I have always wanted to be in business for myself.  This I think is the goal of so many moms.  It is a wonderful goal, it would be so great if we could all stay home with our children and work from home.   My problem was I was looking at it from the point of view of making money to contribute to my family and not from the point of view of being fulfilled.  That sounds like a selfish statement, I know, the little voice in the back of my head is remembering HAVING to work as a single mother to support my child.  I understand that working from home just to feel fulfilled is not always an option.  I think, though, that a mistake most women make when trying to make money from home is that they focus on the money part.   It takes a small business a minimum of 5 years to start seeing growth and profit.  Most women don’t know that when choosing to work from home with their own business.  You will have successes, fluxes of great cash flow and then become frustrated with the lack of businesses.  A yo-yo that is hard to take when you start feeling guilty for not being able to contribute in a steady way to the finances.  Of course, there are exceptions and some women hit it on the mark right off the bat.  But for most of us, our business will not be steady and reliable for 5 years.  Many of us pack it in way before that.

So what do we do?  Now that it is okay to say you are a stay at home mom or work at home mom with your own business, how do we overcome the challenges that lie ahead in becoming successful?  How do we overcome the challenges that face us when we are torn between our business and our families?  How do we overcome the guilt of feeling selfish when we are taking time to feel fulfilled?  After all, we are first mom; there is no time for feeling fulfilled.  Or is there?  Are we making a big mistake by not thinking of ourselves as an equal to our children in time and attention?  What are the risks, the differences and the benefits of staying at home, working at home or working outside of the home?  How do we even begin to sift through this all?

I can not stress enough the importance of networking!  I think it is the key to not only your business life but your personal life as well.  Especially as women, we have a talent for lifting each other up and maybe motivating through competition.  Your networking group should be a friendly, honest, willing group of people that you trust.  People who will be truthful with you and who you do not have the fear of running off with your great idea!  I truly believe that strengthening your network base should be one of the first things you concentrate on.  A good support base is something you will not regret "investing" in!

Heather Piehl is a WAHM to 5 beautiful children.  She has almost 10 years of experience being a WAHM including two original businesses, working in direct sales and as founder of Minnesota Women's Source and the Minnesota Women's Small Business Expo and Sale.  

5 Tips for Holiday Craft Shows

by Kara Kelso & Anita DeFrank
www.DirectSalesHelpers.com

Attending craft show can be a profitable experience if you use the following tips:

1. Show off your best products
Have an eye catching product? Don't leave it at home! They may not sell, but they'll bring more to your table. Make sure what you are showing off is an item you sell, and not just a prop.

2. Keep your table simple
Flashy lights, decorations, and tons of shelves are not needed. Keep your focus on your products.

3. Talk to your customers
While walking around we noticed not a lot of vendors were talking with their customer and encouraging them to buy. You don't have to be pushy, but ask them what they are looking for. You might have what they want, but they may not see it right away!

4. Have nice brochures
This is something free they can take home to look at later, so you want to make sure it outlines your business and products well. If your company brochures are expensive, design simple ones at home to print and take to your show. Keep the company brochures to include with orders.

5. Smile!
More than just interacting with your customers, be friendly as well. A smile can go a long way!

Craft shows may take time to get use to and profit from, but once you do they can be your best friend. As the old saying goes, "practice makes perfect", but with these tips you will have a good jump start!

How to Take Orders at Craft Shows

We've discussed how important it is to have stock on hand, and how you want to sell off the table rather than take orders. However, if you are just getting started and your stock is low, there's several ways you can increase the number of orders you take in at an offline show.

1. Display Order Forms
If you have products which must be custom ordered, display those next to your order forms. It's an extra visual for the customer and understanding of how your ordering process works. They also know they can quickly put in their order if the forms are already on the table. Remember your customers don't have a lot of time!

2. Display All Products
While you may not have a large stock, you'll want to put out as many products as possible. Let the customers see and touch all products. Use those products if possible - such as placing food in a dish which holds food. I once saw a Pampered Chef rep use cookie cutters on meat and cheese samples which were placed on a serving dish. They displayed what could be done with the cookie cutters, as well as the use for the dish.

3. Don't Hide Catalogs
Catalogs can be expensive, but don't hide them. If you don't want just anyone walking away with them, place pages in a binder which can be set out on the table. Shoppers at craft shows want to see prices. Don't hide it from them or they may loose interest! You shouldn't be ashamed of your prices if the product is of high quality.

4. Talk to Customers
This is important no matter how your are selling. Get to know your customers and their needs. Don't assume your display will sell your products alone. Even the worst display will sell hundreds of products if the person behind it is talking. With so much to look at, it's easy for your customer to miss an item they may be truly interested in. Also it's possible you don't have a certain item on your table they would like, and they may not take the time to flip through your catalog.

These are the basic ways to make sure you sell the most products if you are taking orders. Mostly it takes a lot of trial and error, so don't give up after only a few shows.

-----------------------------------------------------------
Anita DeFrank & Kara Kelso, authors of Direct Sales Success, specialize in coaching direct sales representatives to reach their goal of becoming successful in their field. Visit http://www.directsaleshelpers.com for free weekly tips.

The Customer Is Always Right

One of the most basic rules of business, but often times forgotten. No matter what goes on we must remember - the customer is always right!

This tried and true statement stretches back to the beginning of the small business revolution. When customer service was the most important aspect of business, which set them apart from the big corporations.

Offering the best customer service possible is just as important today as it was more than 100 years ago. In today's world there are just too many options. If you don't treat your customers right, they will have no problem doing business with someone else.

Not only does poor customer service lose a customer, but negativity travels far. Most know a happy customer might tell a few people (if any) about your business, but an unhappy person will tell everyone they know. As a small business owner, can you afford to lose hundreds of customers due to one unhappy customer?

In the work at home mom community, when business is done with other business owners, it can get tricky. We are suppose to understand the hardships of running a small business, as well as show compassion to family emergencies. However, business is business and customers are customers. No matter what the social status of your customer, they are still just that - a customer.

The lesson here is to always treat everyone like a customer. No matter how mad you are about what they've said, keep your cool and make it right. Don't argue with them, because they WILL spread the word on how hard you are to work with. If you lose money because of the situation, live and learn. There are situations where the customer will be in the wrong and just trying to scam you, but don't ever assume they are. Learn from the mistake and put your own rules in place so it won't happen again.

It's inevitable, if you're in business, at some point, you're going to have to deal with a disgruntled customer. The protocol should be to apologize and get the issue resolved as quickly and painless for the customer as possible (within reason of course).

The bottom line which I feel needs to be said just one more time - the customer is always right! Remember it, and you will go far in business!

------------------------------------------------
Anita DeFrank & Kara Kelso, authors of Direct Sales Success, specialize in coaching direct sales representatives to reach their goal of becoming successful in their field. Visit http://www.directsaleshelpers.com for free weekly tips.

Child Care For Work At Home Mum's
By Christain Cullen 

Many potential Wahms think that starting an at home daycare business will be an easy way to make extra money and stay at home with their children. Owning a childcare business can be rewarding and does have many perks. However, the realities of this type of business are far from the ideal expectations of most people considering childcare.

If you have experience in child care or a degree related to the child care field, then opening your own daycare as a Wahm is a natural extension of your our of the home job. However, there are a few important distinctions between working for someone else taking care of children and running your own in-home facility.

The first point to look at is money. At home childcare businesses can be profitable, but it normally takes six to eighteen months for Wahms to see any substantial income coming in. This may not be a problem for you, and if you are committed to building the quality and size of your business, the start of your profitability can be on the low end of that scale.

It takes several months to a year to turn a daycare into a profitable daycare for many reasons. First of all, each state has its own licensed childcare requirements. Getting licensed to have a home daycare means attending classes, passing certification and having your home inspected. While you are going through this process, you can look into doing some unlicensed childcare for a few children to start building your business. Each state has its own rules for unlicensed childcare. You should take the steps, however, to get licensed because it will increase your clout in the eyes of parents and make it easier to get funding for your daycare.

It can also take a while to become a profitable daycare because of the start up costs involved. While you do have some baby and child items from your own children, there are many things that you’ll need to buy in order to make your home functional as a daycare. You’ll want to buy tables and chairs, art supplies, music CDs, games and other activities that the children can use while they are in your home.

Finally, it takes time to build up a list of children who attend your daycare. There are many home daycare centers to choose from in every town, and once parents find a good center they normally stay there long term. Finding new clients can be difficult, especially if you don’t take care of infants or babies. Getting clients can be easier when you are licensed, but to begin with you need to rely on networking with parenting groups, people at your church, people in your community and friends in order to build your business.

Despite the long start up time, many Wahms find that owning their own in home childcare center is a great solution to their work at home problem. There are many benefits to taking care of other people’s children. Your children will never be without playmates to entertain them. You’ll have access to many fun and exciting programs made especially for daycare business owners, including discounts on supplies. You may even be eligible for federal subsidies for food and diapers for your cares.

To find out if owning a home daycare is right for you, read up on the subject. Visit other home daycares and ask how those Wahms are enjoying their business. Find out what your state and local regulations are regarding licensed and unlicensed daycare. Once you’ve done your homework, you’ll know if owning a childcare is right for you.

For more information and helpful tips on childcare for wahms try visiting www.seewhatwehave.com, where you will find detailed information for those mum's wanting to work from home.

Ideas to stay focused and on purpose

By: Suzette Walker

When you first bring your profession home and begin your stay at home business, you will soon yearn for that tiny little cubicle that you had when you were at an office working for someone else. At least when you were in your own cubicle, you were able to turn your back on impositions and get your work done. However, in an at home atmosphere, this does not always happen. When working for an employer, usually it was a nine to five job where your productivity did not have that much influence on your paycheck at the end of the week. This is not so with your own business. Your salary is DIRECTLY proportional to your productivity. You will need to learn early on in your business how to combat these interruptions, stay focused and on task or you will not be in business for yourself for very long.

To be able to overcome your distractions, you will need to recognize where they are coming from. Are they self imposed or are they from family and friends? One self-imposed distraction that can be extremely disruptive is procrastination. It is also easy to fall off task when we have too many interests and try to do all of them at once. This may seem like multi-tasking but really you are just spinning your wheels and exhausting yourself. Self-inflicted distractions are the most difficult to conquer but it can be done. By following a few simple steps, you will have no problem winning against the time wasters.

1. Quiet Time: It is not necessary to step into your office and become involved in the first task on hand immediately. Take a moment to sit and look at your computer and look out of the window. Better yet, step outside for a moment in the morning sun and clear your mind of the daily family activities. This is what you would normally do on your commute from your home to a normal job at an office. Take ten minutes in the morning to begin the transition from family/house life to work life. Begin to think about the projects that are a priority for the day.

2. Create a To Do List: After you have spent a moment “commuting” to work, begin to create a to do list of the projects and tasks that need to be done. It is okay to add to this list throughout the day for additional items that you might have forgotten about. When creating your list, do not just write down a general idea of the project. Give your task a name and break it into milestones. This will eliminate procrastination and make the task easier to manage. This is especially important for long-term projects. Each time you cross off an item on your to do list, it will give you a feeling of accomplishment.

3. Have a Set Schedule for Tasks: Most employees have a set time to work such as your old “nine to five” job. It is also important to follow this same rule when working from home. Have a set time that you will begin work and close up shop at a certain time. Since you own the business, you can choose if you want to work ten hours straight through or break your day into two work periods of five hours each. Also, set a fixed time to answer your email and other daily tasks. You do not have to answer every email that comes to you within minutes of receiving it. Sometimes it is even easier to just turn off your email program all together until your set time.

4. Shut the Door! With smaller children, you will need to address each issue as the need arises. That is not so with older children. They will understand when you tell them you need to work from x to y. Hire an in-home babysitter for younger children or enlist an aunt or grandparent if possible. If the phone becomes a distraction, turn the ringer off for an hour so that you can concentrate on your task. Most of all, do not permit family and friends to distract them. Be firm with them and let them know that you are at work and cannot be disturbed for x amount of time. You will be glad you did.

The main key to successfully staying on task while working at home is to identify the problem that exists and nip it in the bud quickly.

Article by:

Copyright @ Suzette Walker lovetodream2.com helping others to achieve financial freedom. Most financially successful individuals grow rich by starting their own business. You too can own your own business.

10 Ways to Market Your Article OFFLINE!

By: Lisa Schulte

So you want to market your website? First of all make sure that you have a good domain name. You want a name that is easy to remember and that says something to those who see it. It doesn’t have to be a full website; it can just be a name that redirects to your company site or any other site.
So now you have a name and you’re ready to market it. There are many ways to market online, however you can market offline with much success. Here are some ideas to get you started:

1. Vehicles – Your vehicle is a billboard that you drive everyday! Have your site on your vehicle. You can do magnetic signs from your company or local print shop, or vinyl letters. Go a step further and leave cards on your own windshield when you park it! People will take them.

2. Mail & Packages - Stamp or write you website on all mail. My site is stamped on every bill or letter that I mail. I also sell on eBay occasionally and I always have my website in RED letters across the box. Many people see that box during the mail process. Be sure to include a business card inside the envelope or package for whoever is receiving it.

3. Clothing - Wear clothes with your website on them. Be a walking billboard for your company. People will ask you questions. Buttons work well too!

4. Flyers & Cards - Use your website on all marketing materials and leave them everywhere you go. I post them on bulletin boards, in laundry mats, grocery stores, and everywhere that I go throughout the day. Keep a roll of tape with you in case there are no push pins. Tape a card to the inside door of bathroom stalls. Sounds silly, but you can bet anyone who sits down will read it!!

5. Checks - Have your website printed on your personal and business checks. You never know who may see it.

6. Auctions - Donate items to auctions and use your website name instead of your name. It will say donated (Your Website) in the program for all to see.

7. Classified Ads - Small inexpensive classified newspaper ads work well, especially if you have a good domain name.

8. Signs - Road signs work well. Keep in mind they may not stay up long before they are taken down, but lots of people may see them while they are up. Just use a few words and your website. Simple is best.

9. Voicemail - Leave your website on your voicemail. If you’re not available to answer the phone, they’ll get a reminder to visit your website.

10. Out of the Box - Think out of the box! Bus benches, shopping carts, sides of barns, restaurant placemats, floats in parades, and anything you can think of that will get people’s attention! Go beyond the ordinary.

Article by:

Lisa Schulte is a mom of 4 boys who all help with the family business. She loves helping others who wish to Work From Home! www.WorkFromHomeToday.com

The Six Best Jobs for Working At Home

By: Leslie Truex

Every day I get email asking me how to find legitimate work-at-home jobs. I have to say this always baffles me because every week I wade through thousands of jobs to find a select few to post in my weekly newsletter. The problem I believe is that people look for the wrong jobs in the wrong places. They often limit themselves to jobs like "typing" or "data entry" that are so rare they might as well give up on the idea of working at home.

My suggestion to them is to find work in areas that are hiring. There are many companies looking for home-based employees to do work that doesn't necessarily require a great deal of experience or education. So why not go after these jobs?

Some people tell me, "I don't anything about these jobs." THAT'S OKAY. Many of these jobs don't require a formal education and some have entry-level positions. Further, several of these jobs pay very well. As long as you're willing to learn and work hard, there are companies ready to hire you.

Here are six job types that have hundreds of job openings available now. These jobs are found all over the Internet on job related websites. If you have been searching for a work-at-home job, you have probably run into many of them. Remember, even if you don't know how to do these things now, many are easy to learn and are worth considering.

Copywriting – Don’t let the word "writing" scare you. You don't need a degree in English to be a copywriter. In fact, some of the most successful copywriters break most rules taught in high school English. The best thing about copywriting is that it can be very lucrative and requires very little in terms of education and experience. In fact, many copywriting experts indicate they earned a fulltime income their first year without having previous experience. Copywriting involves writing promotional materials including ads, brochures, sales letters, press releases, reports, and web site copy. There are many good books that teach about this type of writing and all say you don't need to be a great writer; you simply need to learn the techniques of promotional writing. Some books that can teach you about copywriting are "The Elements of Copywriting" by Gary Blake and Robert Bly and "Writing Copy for Dummies" by Jonathan Kranz.

Customer service – This is another job that doesn't necessarily require a lot of skill or experience. Most customer service jobs I find are related to order taking and help lines, and usually require a pleasant voice, second phone line or DSL, and headset for your phone.

Sales/telemarketing/research (phone surveys) – Many people hate sales and telemarketing, but if you want to work at home badly enough, its an area worth trying. Most companies have established scripts and training so it's easy to jump right in. Like customer service, you will likely need good phone skills, a quality phone with headset and high-speed Internet access.

Transcription – The most common form of transcription jobs I find are in medical transcription and usually ask for at least two years experience. However, legal and business transcription is a growing market. People doing teleseminars are also hiring transcribers to transcribe their talks. Then there is the growing captioning field, which are the transcribers who type for the closed captioning on your television. You can learn medical and legal transcription through correspondence courses. Or become a general transcriber or captioner by teaching yourself and practicing to improve your speed and accuracy.

Translation – The Internet has made the world a smaller place and many companies want to make their website and other materials accessible to people in other countries. If you are fluent (speaking and writing) in more than one language, there are many companies that need your services.

Graphic or web design and web programming – Often employers will want a combination of all skills required for these jobs so I have lumped them together. These jobs do require extensive knowledge and frequently specific software. However, many will take entry-level employees, so if you can get the education, you may be able to get a job. Many community colleges offer courses in these areas. You can check online educational resources as well.

Experts in economics talk about "supply and demand". The above jobs are in large supply and are waiting for you to fill the demand. If you take the time to develop your skills, there is no reason why you shouldn't be able to find a job in one of these areas.

Article by:

Leslie Truex is a work-at-home consultant and owner of Work-At-Home Success www.workathomesuccess.com a free resource to help people work at home in a job or home business. Sign up for her free ezine to get jobs and other work-at-home information and resources in your email weekly.

Fewer Employers Offering Flexible Schedules

Little Entrepreneurs - Starting them Young and Creating Good Habits for Life

By: Annette Yen

I've been working from home since my youngest daughter was born. It's been a great adventure and I'm so blessed to be able to stay home with my kids and bring some income to the family budget. I love it.

The key to making this work for our family has been having our daughters work with me in my businesses from the beginning. Now I know, that sounds impossible. And obviously a newborn can't stick labels on my mailing etc. But as soon as my kids could walk and talk I started training them to be little entrepreneurs and helpers, beginning first with helping me around the house so that I could get the business work done.

Here are a few quick steps you can take with your little ones to start them on the road to success in helping you with your business and even toward helping them get their own home business started when they're older.

1. While they're still in your arms, use a sling or a backpack to carry baby with you while you work. Talk about what you're doing and how they can help you when they're older. The key at this age is have them WITH you as much as possible and then use nap time to get those things done that might be impossible to do with a young one strapped to you.

2. When your little ones can walk, have them help you with some simple tasks...filling up the dog food, folding washcloths, snapping beans. Always talk about how much help they are to you and how much you'll love it when they're ready to do this job all by themselves. Before you know it they'll be saying, "I can do it mom!"

3. Praise them often for their efforts. They may not put the fork on the right side of the plate but it's there and it helped. Let them know it! Make simple jobs easy for them. Put items in drawers that they can reach. For instance, a two or three year old can easily set the table with silverware, but it would really help them if they had a placemat to tell them where each piece goes and if the flatware was in a drawer at their level. You can easily make a vinyl placemat a silverware map with a sharpie. Just draw each piece on there and use the placemats at every meal letting your child set the table.

4. Let them work the business with you. In the beginning that might just be having them sit in the high chair or booster seat at the table while you work the computer and they put paperclips in Dixie cups. Or buy some tape and construction paper and have them tape away ... it's cheap and you're using items that they'll be using in the future to really help you with your business. As soon as they're ready, have them put the stickers and postage stamps on your mailings, strap the packing tape on your boxes (it doesn't have to be perfect!) sort and/or file your papers, etc. Again, the key when they're young is working with them and encouraging them.

5. Let them work independently when they're ready. Kids are often ready to take on bigger responsibilities before you think they are. A 10 year old can easily handle the checkbook and just imagine how great it will be for his math skills too - plus the bank checks his work!

Involve your young kids in your business from the beginning. You'll be amazed at how the investment of time (and maybe some frustration) in the early days will pay off greatly down the road when your children can handle huge parts of your business without you because they've been well trained.

Article by:

Annette Yen and her daughters have worked together in their home-based business from the beginning. You can learn more about them at their website www.kidspartybusiness.com. Find out more tips for raising your kids to be entrepreneurs at www.showkidsthemoney.com.

Online Parties-How to get started and how to promote them….

By: Rebecca White

So how do you do an online party?

Its really quite simple :)

When you are networking you will come across sites that are holding expos check them out to see if they are free to join or cost a small fee, see how many visitors they expect to come to the expo, will you be solely responsible for the advertising of the event or will it be a joint venture. ONE quick note here even if the company is doing a mass amount of advertising it is best if you also do your own advertising for your own event.

When you start an online party you will need to know a few things ahead of time.

#1 Where its going to be located

#2 what type of games you will be playing, everyone loves games for a list of games to play for both online and offline parties and chats look at page 59 in the Step by Step Marketing Guide.

#3 What type of prizes you will be giving away

#4 Who will you be inviting, where you network, family and friends etc

#5 Start advertising your party a full 2 weeks in advance, ask for people who are interested emails so you can send them reminders! I can't tell you how many times I wanted to go to an online party and just plain forgot the day and time. An update about a couple days before and the day of will help your attendance!

#6 Be prepared to talk about not only your products but your business opportunities if its offered.

Ok its the day of the party what do you do?

#1 Send out an email reminder, post on networks and groups you are a member of

#2 Party starts introduce yourself and tell them a little about your company and ask everyone in the chat room to introduce themselves.

#3 Ask if anyone is looking for a specific item or what their needs are for that day

#4 Tell them about your specials, if you do a drawing for attendees do it now

#5 Have them look at your website direct them to the areas you want them go to

#6 Play a game

#7 Announce the winner of the game

#8 Ask several times during the party if anyone has any questions

#9 Tell everyone when you will be closing the party.

#10 Thank everyone for coming

Now you can adjust the party to what makes you feel comfortable. I also for a small fee ($5.00)can come to your party and if you need support or guidance you can PM me and no one will know I am helping you out for your first online party.

Most important make the party fun!

I went to a business associates online parties every time she had one last year WHY? They were fun! She was very interested in people's needs; she played a couple games and just had fun!

So have fun at your online parties make it something everyone will want to come to!

Article by:

Rebecca White has been marketing online for over 4 years. Rebecca owns a website design business www.advantagemarketing4u.com contact her today for help organizing your website for better traffic

Direct Sellers: How to Motivate Your Team

By: Jane Deuber

It is a well-known fact that managers who focus on the number of shows being held by their team have higher monthly sales. By learning early in the month how many shows are already on the books, you will discover how you can support your team members to achieve more success.

For example, a team with lots of shows scheduled will need guidance on hostess coaching and reducing postponements. On the other hand, a team with fewer shows may need a short-term booking challenge or ideas on how to schedule shows.

Here are just a few ideas for coaching your team:

1. Be informed. Prior to the first of the month, ask each team member to share how many shows they have booked. Give lots of appreciation and praise and offer guidance on how to book additional shows.

2. Offer a booking challenge. Challenge each Consultant to ask for a booking from five people every day for one week and watch her schedule fill. Because this challenge depends on the "honor system" keep your reward small but give it with lots of praise.

3. Reward results. Offer a "Consistency Award" to anyone on your team who holds one show a week for two consecutive months. These are potential stars.

4. Get the bigger picture! Record your team's shows on one big show calendar! This helps you project group sales and provide support to help ensure their success.

5. Know your team show average. Helping your team members increase their show average is just as important as helping them book more shows. Since hostess coaching has the greatest impact on sales, ask Consultants to complete a Hostess Coaching Checklist for every show.

6. Emphasize sponsoring. Take advantage of the fabulous recruiting opportunities at shows by challenging your team to discuss the opportunity during their presentation and then offer it to every guest while writing up their order. Make sponsoring a natural part of your team's shows and you will soon see results!

7. Lead by example. This is perhaps the most important tip we can offer because your team will follow your lead when it comes to holding shows and sponsoring. Be sure you are setting a good example by consistently holding shows of your own!

Article by:

Jane Deuber is a Co-Founder of www.DSWA.org (the only association dedicated to the needs of the independent party plan and network marketing professionals). Discover what makes the DSWA so unique. Listen to three motivating and informative free teleseminars by visiting www.mydswa.org/tele_class.asp

Mailing Lists Should I offer One?

By: Doll5272

A lot of people in the crafting community have small boxes on their front page asking you to enter your email address to sign up for a newsletter or sales updates. These are wonderful ways to keep in touch with your customers on a personal basis. Your newsletter is your gateway to keep your customer coming back. Newsletters in my personal opinion are one of the hearts of any good online business.

If you think about it if you visited a great site, and maybe didn't purchase something that day but signed up for the newsletter to be informed of upcoming sales that is wonderful. With everyone's busy lives the truth is our customers often do not bookmark our sites, and if they did our bookmark may be lost in a sea of bookmarks on their computer and thus we are rarely visited, even though they may of loved your site.

A Well written and composed newsletter can do many things:
1-Remind your customer of your site and products
2-Invite your customer to return back and see your new products
3-A great way to introduce new products or offers
4-Great way to advertise your sales or monthly specials going on
5-Invite repeated sales from your existing clientele base

Newsletter can open a new world of repeat business, developing online relationships with your customers and help build a wonderful reputation for your business.

Tips on writing a great newsletter:
The key to writing a well composed and easy to read and navigate newsletter is also key. You want to avoid making your newsletters to long, you can briefly touch on a subject and put to read more please click here. This entices your customer to visit your website to read further information on your product or view photos. Keep your Newsletter straight to the point, what sales you are offering and new products you are working on, any new products you are adding etc.

Example:
We are so excited to anounce the launch of our new line of Candles this month. Our Candle line is called "Grungy Originals" and are handpoured and soy based to provide you with the best scented and highest quality candle available. We offer over 75 scents in so many varities we invite you to stop by and see our scents and candle designs new to our site. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE

See you are given your customer a teaser inviting them to stop by and see your photos of your products, why you are candles are diffrent from the competitors and unique. Never offer too much information in your newsletter, just enough to let them know of new things going on and also to entice them to stop on by!

FREE NEWSLETTER SITES:
There are several FREE sites that offer you FREE mailing lists to add to your sites these are the ones we recommend from BEST to Average
*Bravenet
Topica
Mailer 4 U
List Power
Fan Mass
Your Mailing List Provider
Notify Lists
Smart Groups

Article by:

Article by Angela Wenke owner of Heartland Marketplace. www.heartlandmarketplace.org. Heartland Marketplace is an online craft marketplace offering affordable advertising options for crafters and primitive crafters. Heartland Marketplace Blog is also a great resource for great crafting and business articles heartlandmarketplace.blogspot.com

What is the importance of press release?

A press release is all about the publicity that you can do for your online business. The more publicity you do for your goods and services the more your business gets recognized everywhere on and off of the web. The trick is in making use of all the publicity tools including press releases in the correct way to draw attention to your site. Publishing press releases on the web is one great way of going about the successful publicity of your site.

Well, it is not enough just to write press releases and publish them on the web, you must know the correct way of writing a press release to be noticed on the web. There are hundreds of press releases posted on the web on a daily basis and there are chances that the one you write will get lost among the lot. The press release that you write must be just perfect to make you visible on the web.

The first and foremost rule of writing a good press release is that the information that you give throughout the press release must be newsworthy. Who will even read the press release that you have written if the information is not newsworthy? Remember, your press release must not sound like an advertisement. Rather it should be newsworthy information about the product or service you are offering to customers. There is a very thin line between writing about your site and the write up not appearing as advertisement of your business.

Always remember to ask the question how you as a customer will feel while reading your write up. And if you feel that you would not like to read it, then you drastically need to change your press release. If you do not like something chances are no one else will like it either. Put special emphasis on the first paragraph of your press release. Most editors do not go beyond the first paragraph and if you are going to create a first impression then half the work is done. If some one likes to read your first paragraph then they will go through the entire thing.

Press releases have more credibility among all the other publicity methods. While reading a press release readers do not feel that they are reading some other disguised advertisement about a product. Readers and online visitors are more likely to trust credible sources like columnists, editors and reviewers about the authenticity of any write up appearing anywhere. Editors will not publish anything that is not well written.

The buck does not stop here. The next step for you is to submit your press release to the proper places. You need a proper channel to publish your press release be it online or offline. Lots of people must have access to your press release if you are serious about this and want to create an effect. Create very impressive and eye catching headlines for your press release. A catchy headline guarantees that you press release will grab attention and compel people to read it.

Take care that there are no spelling and grammatical errors in your press release. Get someone to proof read it two or three times so that there is no chance for any mistakes. Incorrect spelling and grammar usage is not acceptable. Stick to the facts while giving information to readers and do not try to use fancy language and adjectives in your writing.

Steve Waganer has specialization in Web Marketing. He is expert in Search engine optimization, Affiliated Marketing, Affordable search engine marketing and articles and press release. To get his expert advice for your website to get high rank and top position in major search engines visit http://www.cometsearchenginemarketing.com

By: Terry Detty

Adsense is a great marketing method that can be quite effective for your business. It involves advertisements for your business being posted on the websites of others. In a world where millions access the internet every day, this type of marketing is very effective. It has the potential of generating more traffic to your website. A percentage of that traffic will likely result in an increase of sales for your business.

It is less expensive that other types of marketing because you only pay when a consumer clicks your link from one of the websites you are advertising on. This is a great opportunity for new businesses, small businesses, those on a low marketing budget, and larger businesses that are looking at ways to market their products or services while cutting out unnecessary costs.

Take a moment to look at various websites on the internet. I am sure you will find several sites that offer advertisement links for other businesses. You will also notice they look professional and attractive. Are you ready to give advertising with Adsense through Google a try? The process is very simple. You will need to go to www.AdWords.com. Here you will complete a detailed application. It is important to use relevant keywords for your products or services as this is how matches will be made to relevant websites who will be posting your ads. Google Adsense offers great tutorials to help you select the right keywords for your business.

Google Adsense allows you to create your own ads just like you would for any other type of advertising campaign. They program allows you to format for specified languages and geographic locations. Once the ads are posted on various websites consumers can choose to click on the link and be directed to your website. This is the only time you will pay an advertisement host website. When you set up your ads, you will decide how much you are willing to pay per click on your advertisement. You will also have the opportunity to change and edit your advertisements any time you like. If the advertising is going well you might be able to increase the amount of sites you advertise on.

There is a five dollar activation fee for each new business to set up an account on Google Adsense. Most credit cards can by used for payment as can Paypal and Post-Pay. There is no minimum dollar amount you have to pay each month. Again, you only pay for when consumers click on your link from a website you are advertising on. If they access a webpage with your advertisement on it and read it but don’t click on it, then you pay nothing.

As with most other types of business, there are scammers out there waiting to take advantage. Click fraud is a problem with Adsense advertising. Click fraud involves setting up a system to click on advertisement links or doing it manually to earn more money from the business that is advertising. Another reason click fraud is done is to damage competitors by clicking on their ads, knowing they will have to pay out more money. If you participate in Google Adsense for your advertising needs, it is a good idea to purchase Click Fraud software for your own protection. Google also works very hard to monitor such fraudulent activities.

To get the most out of Adsense advertising with Google, make sure you purchase Click Fraud software to minimize your risk of being taken advantage of by those out to make money at your expense or competitors wanting to see you waste earnings on high marketing bills.

Article Source: http://www.thewahmshack.com/articledirectory

How To Promote Your Site With A Contest

By: Amanda Compton

So you want to offer a free contest on your website but you don’t know where to start?

First of all, you need to determine the type of contest that you want to offer. There are many kinds of contests that you can offer on your website and you can even come up with your own if you want to. The most common types of contests that site owners run are described below.

Newsletter Contest

A newsletter contest is a contest where your site visitors will need to subscribe to your newsletter in order to be entered into the contest. This is an easy contest to run.

Entry Form Contest

An Entry Form Contest is a simple contest where your site viewers fill out a simple form such as name and email address and they are automatically entered into the contest. Most viewers prefer this type of contest because there is no further obligation.

Message Board/Forum Contest

If you have a Message Board/Forum on your site then you can offer a post-the-most contest where site viewers are required to post messages in order to win. The viewer who posts the most at the end wins the contest. There are also other ways you can use your message board for contests.

There are many other types of contests you can offer on your site. It all depends on your creative imagination!

Now you need to determine what you are going to offer as a prize for your free contest. If you own an e-commerce website and you sell products, you could offer one of your products or a gift certificate as a prize. If you have a service oriented website then you could offer free services as a prize. You could also ask other business owners to sponsor your contest by offering their products or services in exchange for site promotion.

Finally, we go on to why you should offer contests on your site. The main reason you want to offer contests on your site is to promote & market your site! You want customers to find your products and services! Advertising & Marketing your business are two extremely important aspects to running a successful business especially an online business. Contests are a great free way to advertise your site, get visitors to your site and to increase your overall site traffic. This is also a good way to get more subscribers and repeat visitors to your site. It’s also a way for your customers to sample your products before purchasing them.

Now that you know all about how to run a contest on your site and you have decided what you want to offer, you now need to promote your contest. There are many paid and free ways to promote and advertise your contest. The best way to advertise your contest is to submit your contest to the many free contest directories available on the World Wide Web. Most of these contest directory websites are updated on a daily basis, and since everyone loves free contests these contest directory websites have high traffic rankings which means your contest will be seen.

Below is a list of free contest directories that I have complied while searching the web. Feel free to submit your contests to them. They all offer free and paid listings.

www.ContestForMoms.com
www.ContestHound.com
www.GrandMaJam.com
www.SandyRealm.com
www.ContestGuide.com
www.ContestListings.com
www.CashNetSweeps.com
www.FamilySweeps.net
www.GalaxySweepstakes.com
www.SweepsAdvantage.com
www.sweepstakesonline.com
www.TheWinnersClub.net
www.ContestAlley.com

Article by:

About the Author: Amanda Compton is a Work at Home Mom of two boys. Visit her at www.ContestForMoms.com, a Mom and Baby Resource site featuring a Free Baby Photo Contest, Mommy Forums, Parenting Resources and more for Moms! Be sure to keep up with her latest Home Business Site for Moms, www.HomeJobsForMoms.biz Feel free to re-print this article provided that all hyperlinks and author biography are kept as-is. Copyright 2005

WAHM - How to Find Time for Your Business

By: Charissa Bear

Any work-at-home-mom will confess that owing her own business is as challenging as it gets. While the rewards are bountiful, the word easy is not one used to describe small business ownership.

Many moms who work out of their home also have to multitask tending to the needs of their small children. In fact the reason many parents choose to work at home is so they can be available to care for the kids. Keeping up with household maintenance and child rearing is a full time job. So how does one find time for her business?

The answer to that is simple. You don't find time; you make time. Okay the part about making time may not be that simple, but it is very much doable. The most important factor in making time is your mind set. Remember RYBLAB – Run Your Business Like a Business. Assuming we're talking about a bona fide business and not just a little something you do periodically to earn a little extra cash, then it's important to manage your time.

The mom business owner who has an infant or toddler will need to manage her time much differently than one who has school aged children. For those who are also caring for an infant, take advantage of the times when baby is sleeping. Just don't forget to get a few hours of sleep yourself!

Toddlers are a little more challenging as they are very busy little people. Set up a desk for your little one near your computer. While mommy is working, your toddler can color or work on simple crafts. Or set up a small corner near you with some favorite toys.

Business owner parents who have children in school all day know they have a window of approximately six hours to get as much done as humanly possible without interruptions of parental tasks. The key is to take full advantage of any time you have to yourself or at least without a child needing your undivided attention.

Don't try to find the time – you'll run yourself ragged trying to find something that isn't there. You need to make the time. If you fail to plan, you can plan to fail. Just as married couples should schedule dates on a regular basis, small business owners need to schedule work time and stick with it!

You can do it!

Article by:

Charissa Bear is the owner of www.momsinc.biz, a work at home mom resource site dedicated to helping moms find home based careers.

Time Management - Accomplish More By Doing Less

By: wendy hearn

Effective time management is a step by step process that takes determination and a long-term commitment. However, it is essential that you do not try to take on too much, too soon. In this article I advise you on how you can manage your time effectively.

We all have days when we are left frustrated and dissatisfied because we did not achieve everything we wanted to get done at the start of the day. This feeling of dissatisfaction can have a disruptive effect that can lower productivity and general happiness.

Because of this, it is essential not to pack too much into your day. It is true that we can achieve a lot if we focus and work very hard, but this is difficult to sustain and can be counter-productive in the long run.

When you are planning your day you should think about how you can use your time effectively. Think about what the most important things are for you to achieve and give these priority. Make a list outlining what you have to achieve and what you would like to achieve.

Allocate time slots for the things that you have to achieve and use any left over time for the things that you would like to achieve that are most important to you. Anything else will just have to wait until another day.

If you are just starting out with managing your time more effectively you may find it difficult to gauge exactly how long a task will take. As time goes on you will get better at this but for now allow a little bit more time than you think a particular task will take. This will make sure that you do not over stretch yourself at the beginning.

You can now go about your day happy that you have given yourself realistic and achievable goals. This will allow you to work in a relaxed and stress-free manner and most of us work better when we are relaxed.

However, it is at the end of the day that you will feel the most benefit from the exercise. The feelings of frustration and dissatisfaction will be replaced by a sense of achievement, and contentment that you have had a full and productive day where you attained all of your goals. This will leave you ready for the next day and, in the long run, increase your productivity and quality of life.

As mentioned, as time goes on you will be able get better at estimating how long various tasks will take. Two tools that can help you with this are the time log and the time plan.

A time log is basically a list of how you spend your time every day. Try writing down how you spend your time each day for a week. You will probably surprised at the results. This will allow you to see exactly where your time goes and will show you how long different things take. You can use this information to make a time plan for how you are going to spend each day.

Article by:

Discover how you can easily accomplish more in the same or even less time. If you're struggling with time management, then visit www.AboveAndBeyondTimeManagement.com Wendy Hearn works with business owners to be more effective and successful, achieving a more profitable business in less time.

Your Thoughts Create Futures—How Does Yours Look

By: Shonda Miles

As a man thinketh in his heart so is he Proverbs 23:7

One of the most important things we can do if not the most important is to spend sometime thinking about what we are thinking about. Yes, thoughts are powerful things. They make us who we are. Do you remember when you were young and your mom or somebody use to say to you, who do you think you are. Then you started to doubt yourself.

Or even now people will try to talk you out of stepping out of the box because they are so used to stinkin’ thinking. I suggest listening to positive self help CDs on tapes in the car. This will help you stay focused on being positive. Not only does thoughts have power but what we speak with our mouth multiplies and brings that very thing into existence.

Here are some tips to help control your thinking and keep them going in the right direction:

•Pay attention to what you take in. If you’re listening to someone who is always negative, gossip, negative music, then chances are you will be to. Garbage in Garbage out.

•Make time for reflection. What good things are happening today? Write them down in a journal. What areas of your life could use some improving?
•Let things go quickly. If you make a mistake, Apologize and let it go. Move on.

•Leave the past in the past. Stop rehashing old things that happened in the past.

•Forgive people who have hurt you in the past. We are all human and we make mistakes including you.

•What you focus on grows. So focus on loving people, and encouraging people. Get out and help someone else. “Our life is what our thoughts make it.”

•Find a new circle of friends. It is said that the 6 people closest to you determines your future. Start to notice if everyone around you is negative. Find some new people to be around. If it is you who are negative, make an effort every second of everyday to stay focused on things that are positive.
Constantly cast down those negative thoughts and replace them with positive.

•Spend time daily visualizing the results you want. Start acting like you have already achieved them.

Article by:

Shonda Miles is a business consultant and business coach. Gotta Take Action provides informative articles and advice to women-owned businesses who are ready to skyrocket their profits. Learn more about how to catapult your business success by visiting www.gottatakeaction.com for more information. If you enjoyed this article, join our newsletter Hot Marketing Tips today.

Telecommuting - Five Ways to Find Your Next Job

By: Jill Hart, CWAHM.com

The trend of telecommuting is on the rise as employers begin to see the savings involved in both gas and office space. With gas prices at an all-time high, many Americans are looking for ways to do less driving and more companies than ever before are offering telecommuting options to their current employees and searching for at-home employees to fill open positions. The question for the job seeker is now how to find these opportunities. Below are five methods you can use to find a telecommuting position.

First, check your local newspaper. When I began my search for an at-home career, I found my first employer through the Classified Ads section of our hometown paper. I was wary at first, but after thoroughly researching the company through means such as the Better Business Bureau (BBB), visiting the corporate office and meeting some of their current employees I found the company to be legitimate.

Second, search online using website such as Monster.com and Dice.com. However, listings found online must be researched carefully to avoid the scams that abound on the Internet. There are also websites that will you allow to do job research in your own community. One such website is Craigslist.com on which you can choose a city and then refine your search with keywords such as “telecommute.”

Posting your resume on websites such as Hotjobs.com is a third way to locate at work-at-home job. Putting your resume online can bring employers to you, depending on your skills and qualifications. Another bonus of an online resume is that you can easily direct prospective employers to view it. It also makes life a bit simpler when applying for jobs, because you can attach your online resume instead of typing out your job history, qualifications, and so on, each time you apply for a job.

When posting your resume on the web, be sure to create an accurate and impressive representation of your abilities. You don’t want to be wordy when describing past job experience, but you do want to be specific about the roles you’ve held as well as your accomplishments.

A fourth option when looking for at-home employment is to open a phone book and call businesses in your area. For example, if you’re interested in doing administrative work, you might contact churches and small businesses in your area to see if they are looking for office help. Even if they are not currently seeking help, they may know of another business owner who is.

Along those same lines, the fifth way to become a telecommuter is to create your own opportunity. For example, instead of finding a company that will hire you as an administrative assistant from home, consider starting your own business as a Virtual Assistant. You can offer your services to many companies, which can both increase your income potential and allow you the flexibility of deciding which jobs you’d like to accept.

You can also create your own telecommuting position by talking with your current employer about work-at-home possibilities. More and more companies are finding that at-home employees are just as productive as those in the office, if not more. Companies also benefit financially by lessening office space and avoiding the costs of many office supplies. Many companies who are not ready to hire at-home workers will allow their current employees to work one or two days from a home office, so be sure to discuss this option.

The telecommuting field has become highly competitive as more and more people find that working from home is a possibility. Searching for a telecommuting position can be daunting, but by looking in strategic places such as online and in your local newspaper, you’ll have a much better chance. No matter, how you find your telecommuting position, make sure it’s something you would enjoy doing and also something you can make money at.

Article by:

Jill Hart is the founder of Christian Work at Home Moms, CWAHM.com. Jill is a contributing author in The Business Mom Guide Book and I'll Be Home for Christmas and co-author of the upcoming book, Home Based Blessings. Jill has articles published across the web on sites like DrLaura.com and ClubMom.com. Jill and her husband, Allen of CWAHD.com reside in Nebraska with their two children.

I Don't Believe in Failures

By: Ponn Sabra

I prefer to call the challenges, obstacles, side-tracks, and barriers that prevent me from reaching my goals as “unfavorable outcomes”. If you put Merriam-Webster definition [i] of failure “as the lack of success” into perspective, remembering that “success is a journey and NOT a destination”, then you too will be able to accept and embrace unfavorable outcomes in life rather than demise failures.

Unfavorable outcomes will remind you that you need to continue on your mission, pick yourself up and move on. Unfavorable outcomes will remind you not to dwell in your misery or even worse—give up. Since everything in life has its purpose and meaning, enjoy the moments of your shortcomings, learn from them, advance your abilities, and grow WITH the moment.

As mortals, the beginning point of our everlasting life is death, so keep picking yourself up and learning until the moment you die. If you don’t, then you are truly walking dead. No one determines our life except God and He gives us the ability to choose our paths. So pick the positive path that leads to success. Accept the inevitable outcomes and give up worry, fear, anguish or blame. Stop making excuses and blaming others for your failures, take responsibility, take charge, and most of all move on. Enjoy life.

No one can pick you up except yourself. Faith will guide you, and family will encourage you, but YOU need to make the choice to succeed. You need to embrace unfavorable outcomes and squash failures. Lighten up and see every unfavorable outcome as one-step closer to reaching your goals. Don’t let anyone tell you that you are not worthy and that you can’t do what you want to do. If you do, then you’re letting others chose your destiny and that power should always remain with you and you alone.

I honestly believe that I am one of the wealthiest women in this world, for I am an Empowered Woman in faith, family, and good health. I find success through balancing each aspect of my life, spiritually, personally, professionally, emotionally, socially and financially. Therefore, I do classify my psycho-socio-economic status as ‘spectacular’. Since the amount of my time, money and success satisfies me and my family, I am an Empowered Woman living a luxurious life. If God grants me more, than I’ll be able to give more of myself to others—and that’s pretty darn peachy!

I believe that true wealth is NOT measured by one’s possessions (i.e., material objects), yet measured by the ability to give freely of one’s possessions. Since, I possess the power of faith and my self-empowerment; I now offer my tips and tools to you.

Success in life depends on you. So, it really doesn’t matter what I can do for you. What matters is what you are going to do for you!?

Be empowered, act now and start living your present and future dreams now.

(c) 2005 Ponn M. Sabra, MPH

Article by:

Ponn M. Sabra is a homeschool work at home mom of three with partial paralysis, best-selling author of "Empowering Women to Power Network", syndicated columnist, and writer. A home-based entrepreneur for 10 years, Ponn empowers women entrepreneurs to action at www.EmpowerWomenNow.com Logon for free tips, tools & resources today.

Offline Advertising Is Important!

By: Corrie Petersen

We all know that customers or clients are important to our business. Without customers or clients our business would fail. Now, I don’t know about you, but fail is not in my vocabulary when it comes to business.

When you are in business you most likely have business cards. Here are some places that you can leave your cards at. Make sure you either ask for permission or check your local, county, and state laws before you do any of these.

Dr. office waiting room
Daycares
Dentist office waiting room
Bathrooms
Table at restaurant
Schools
Office breakrooms
Hospital waiting room
Mechanic shop
Bulletin board at the grocery store
Bulleting board at the convenience store or gas station
Work out studio or gym
Cable company lobby
Electric company lobby
Gas company lobby
Phone company lobby
Real estate office
Malls
Banks
Car dealership
Library
Leave it with a tip in your hotel room
Bulletin boards at the college

Some people have flyers or catalogs for there business. Flyers and catalogs can also attract people to your site.

Make sure you put your information on the catalog so they know how to find you. You will want to put your website, your e-mail, and your phone number if you want. If you are creating flyers make sure you put them on bright colored paper. Make sure the font is big enough to read. Also, don’t put a whole bunch of info on it. You want just enough information to get them to your site.

Here are some things you can do with your flyer or catalog. Make sure you ask for permission when leaving these items in public places. Also make sure you check the laws in your community.

Bulletin board at the grocery store
Bulletin board at the convenience store or gas station
Dr. office waiting room
Dentist office waiting room
Hospital waiting room
Teacher’s lounge at the schools
Pass out to children at the schools
Cars in the parking lot at the stores
New baby packs given out by the hospital
Lamaze classes
Bulletin board at the college
Create a mom pack to hand out
Send them to others that have mom packs
Mail to businesses that can use your product or service
Mail to people that can use your product or service
Break room in office buildings
Counters at Post Office
Tables at the library
Counter at the mechanic shop
Bulletin board at the gym or work out studio
Door handles of homes
Bulletin boards in apartment complexes
Car dealerships
Vehicle repair shop waiting room
Bulletin boards at the college

So as you can see there are many places that you can leave your business cards, flyers, and catalogs. Make sure you are creative when creating your business cards and flyers, so they will stand out from the others.

Advertising offline is just as important as advertising online. When you advertise offline, you are attracting people to your site, that wouldn’t have seen it otherwise. Take a stroll through town and see what you can come up with. Have fun!

Article by:

Corrie Petersen runs a successful Advertising and VA business. She offers free advertising tips that can be found at www.squidoo.com/virtualfreedom4you. You can also join her free Ad Tips Newsletter at www.virtualfreedom4you.com.

Women Mentoring Women

By: Sarah Eiden

Mentor - a trusted counselor guide or coach. Women have been mentoring women for centuries. Mothers train up their daughters from infants to little girls to adults. However, even adult women continue to learn, grow and need guidance. All women should have a female mentor in their life.

From the aspect of being a mentor to someone, be careful not to fall into unhealthy thought patterns. For example, thinking you're too good to mentor someone who is not on your same level. Rarely would any woman verbally admit that to be true. However someone who may not be of the same socioeconomic or educational background is still very much worthy of your attention. Use the wisdom you have received over the years to help bring another along in her journey.

When looking to find another woman to trust or emulate, you want to hook up with someone who has already experienced some of the things in life you are or will go through. You will not gain much if your mentor is a 'yes woman' and will always tell you want you want to hear. You need someone who is not afraid to challenge you; someone who will point out erroneous thinking on your part.

Also if you are able to see the benefit to having a female mentor, it is important that you are not so prideful that you get upset with constructive criticism. Constructive criticism is a difficult pill to swallow. If you have a mentor who is not afraid to have the difficult conversations with you, take the advice in the spirit of helping you become a better woman.

Some people flat out refuse to accept the possibility that there may be a better way to do something. Some get extremely defensive and take the criticism as a personal attack. If you are working with a mentor you have to allow for the possibility that she may know what she is talking about.

If you ask for your mentor's advice, be prepared to consider her response. Don't instantly get defensive. Let me say it again: Allow for the possibility there may be a better way to do things. If you have a mentor, consider yourself blessed. Wise women are everywhere and if you have one willing to share her insight with you, remind her how much you appreciate her.

Article by:

Sarah Eiden enjoys sharing gourmet candles in her community and teaching others how to start their own candle business from home. Request a Free Candle Business eBook at: www.start-a-candle-business.com

Working from Home — Examining your ‘Why’

Written by Nicole Dean

As Work at Home Moms, we talk about our “Why” as a positive thing. Our “Why” is our purpose, our reason, our muse. We refer to our ‘Why’ when we need inspiration or motivation to reach outside our comfort zone, to try a little harder, to keep going even when it’s hard. Our ‘Why’ helps us to succeed.

Today I was asking “Why work from home” in a slightly different tone. Today, I am home with a sick puppy and am up to my eyeballs in puppy puke.

I’m new to this puppy thing. I was warned up and down about how much work a puppy is, and I thought “I have two children. How hard can a puppy possibly be?!” Well, one difference is that newborn babies aren’t born with fangs –

at least mine weren’t. So, in between changing the gauze patches on my shredded arms (those teeth are sharp!), and hours of puppy school, I fell in love with this furry beast. He was added to my list of “Why’s”.

So, today, while I was composing my work at home mom newsletter, in the background I hear my furr-ball start to vomit — again. The thought that ran through my mind initially was not a happy “Why”. It was more like:

* “WHY in the world am I home to deal with this while my husband gets to sit in a quiet office all day?”
* “WHY isn’t HE dealing with cleaning up the 8th pile of yucky stuff?”
* “WHY don’t I get any peace and quiet while I work?!”

After I cleaned up the puppy, rubbed his head and got him clean blankets, threw in another load of laundry, and climbed into bed with my sick 7 year old and my 3 year old to read stories, I had time to collect my thoughts. A little bit (ok, a LOT) of puppy puke was sure worth it.

And, later, when I made my phone call to my husband to tell him about our day, it wasn’t the puppy-puke I was telling him about….

I told him how our daughter said that she wanted to plant some jelly beans to grow a jelly bean tree. And, how the kids were playing the game of Life and I overheard their rules. They decided that the person who got the most parents
into the car won. That’s why I stay at home.

And, if a furry little tail starts wagging when I walk into the room? Well, that’s sure an added bonus.

So, the next time your warm and loving “Why” turns into a plea for help, take a deep breath and think of all the memories you would be missing — both good and not-so-good, if you weren’t a work at home mom.

Article by:

Nicole Dean is the mostly-sane Mom behind www.ShowMomTheMoney.com Are you a Work at Home Mom looking for ways to get more traffic? Take the Web Traffic School tutorial - Free! www.WebTrafficBasics.com

Smart Women Get Uncomfortable

Written by Joy Chudacoff

Loyalty - The Key to Business Success

Robert Warlow

Small Business Success

Talk to many business people about how they approach customer service and the majority of them will say that they are aiming to have �satisfied� customers. No! What we all should be seeking is to have loyal customers.

Research has shown that 65% of customers say they are loyal. You may be happy with this but you shouldn't! Satisfied customers are in a state of nothing � they are neither dissatisfied or happy; they are in between. They will tolerate you while you are of use to them but if a better deal comes along, they�re off.

On the other hand, loyal customers are your friends. They will be with you through thick and thin; they will be the first to try out you new product; they willing give you honest feedback; they will regularly refer business to you. This is what you want! But how can you turn a satisfied customer into a loyal one?

Let Them Decide How to Do Business With You

Today customers are a lot more sophisticated in how they want to do business. If your product or service lends itself to be offered via a number of different means, then give your customer the option.

Can you deliver face-to-face? What about telephone services? Could you make use of SMS texts for quick notes and reminders? Do you have a web site through which customers can contact you or even make orders on-line? If you provide a variety of delivery channels which are available to suit the customer�s needs then they are more likely to stay with you.

Build a Relationship

Loyalty can only be achieved if you have a true relationship with your customer. Aim to build rapport. Understand who are dealing with and understand what they are looking for. Keep in regular contact with them; you don�t necessarily have to be selling something. Always use their names, especially their first name if you can.

All of this will help in building a long term relationship. Once you have this, they are less likely to walk away.

Generate Staff Loyalty

How can you cultivate a loyal customer if your staff are not loyal to the business? You must have staff who care for the job and will do anything to protect and move the business forward. Customers will be more loyal if they see familiar faces. A business with a high staff turnover will find it difficult to build a relationship with their customers.

Treat your staff well. Reward their successes and recognise their achievements. Hold regular training sessions so they feel that they are learning and developing. An established training programme will also make sure that their product knowledge is up to date.

Seek Out Complaints

This sound strange but the average customer has to be encouraged to complain! Many will keep quiet about poor service but if they can find someone else to do their business with, they will. Set up a clear complaints procedure so customers can complain if they wish. Provide staff with the tools to effectively deal with customer problems. Follow up all complaints to ensure that they have been resolved.

Take an Interest

Show your customers that you are interested in their views. Run regular surveys to find out what they think of your service, to find out what you can do differently. You can either carry out a survey over the telephone, or go as far as doing a mailing to all your customers.

Taking the trouble to contact your customers will reinforce the message that you want their custom. But don�t forget � take action on what you find out!   

Be a Can Do Business

Customers like nothing better than a business which delivers on even the most difficult of requests. �Can Do� businesses will always have loyal customers. Train your staff to never use words like, �Sorry but ��, �It�s not my fault�, �It�s company policy�.

Be a business where solutions are always looked for and problems seen as challenges.

Look After The Golden Customers

The old 80/20 is likely to apply to your business � 80% of your sales or profits are likely to come from just 20% of your customers. Work out who your top 20% is and love them to death! Why not concentrate on turning the remaining 80% into loyal customers? Well, the 20% have already shown that they trust and respect you. A little more effort with these customers will reap more business than concentrating on the �maybe�s�. By all means, run a programme to convert the �maybe�s� but put more effort into the converted.

So, there you have it. Some ideas and tips on how to build and keep loyal customers. Take a critical look at your business and put a loyalty building programme in place, which will boost sales and profits.

� Robert Warlow       

Small Business Success        

www.smallbusinesssuccess.biz

Small Business Success is a resource dedicated to helping small business owners be more successful. If you are looking for a regular flow of ideas and tips then subscribe to Small Business Success a  free newsletter, which provides you with quick tips, ideas and articles.

For more information visit http://www.smallbusinesssuccess.biz

Fact or Myth? ---The 600 Pound Phone

            In any marketing or sales business, the major obstacle to success is simply making the call to the prospect to set an appointment to meet with them.  The fear of rejection or what others will think prevents many from achieving true success. However, with a little preparation, a dose of healthy attitude, and a lot of practice, you can turn dread into anticipation.  To borrow one of my husband’s favorite phrases, “If you can’t have fun, why show up?”  After all, keep in mind that you can not loose anything you do not already have. Before making the call, you do not have the prospect, so if he or she is not interested in what you have to offer, nothing has been lost!  Therefore, there is no such thing as rejection.

            When you listen to someone successfully make an appointment with a prospective customer or business partner, you may be thinking, “I will never be that smooth and relaxed.”  Believe me, every successful person in your business started exactly where you are today. That person who seems to be so polished has already received numerous “no’s,” but persisted with a lot more practice in order to achieve the level of professionalism you are hearing. 

            In many home businesses, income is based on results, rather than a salary or hourly wage.  Results come from appointments, and appointments only happen if you make the call to your prospect.  The math is simple.  No calls = no appointments = no results= no money!  By following a few simple steps, you will soon be looking forward to setting appointments each day.

Step 1. Have a script in front of you every time.  Know in advance what you want to accomplish, what information you wish to gain, and what information you need to relay. Keep the script simple and in your own words. I prefer to use a bullet point outline, so as not to sound as though I am “reading” a script.  A script allows you to lead the conversation, while at the same time establishing rapport.

Step 2.  Pick up the Phone and Dial.  Just do it!

Step 3.  Introduce yourself and give the game plan.  When your prospect answers, identify yourself, tell them why you are calling, and confirm this is a good time to talk with them for only a few minutes.  Here you are establishing respect for his or her time and informing the prospect you will not be on the phone for a lengthy conversation. Remember, your purpose is to get an appointment with them.  Once you have established that the present tine is good, then give a synopsis of how your time will be spent. Ask permission to ask a few questions if you are interviewing for a business partner, and let them know you will be open to their questions.

Step 4.  Interview questions.   When searching for new business partners, have a list of questions ready that will allow you to determine if this is a person with whom you wish to work. Why is it important for them to be able to work from home?  How much time can they devote to a home business each week? How much income will make a difference in their household?   What skills do they already have?  Are they self motivated and dependable?  Listen to the answers and interact. This is not an interrogation, but instead a fact-finding conversation.  Thank the prospect for answering your questions.

Step 5.  Tell them what you do.   Explain in only a few sentences what you do and what you have to offer.  If you have an interest in the prospect, and he or she is curious to learn more, set the appointment.  Give them only two options at a time for establishing the appointment time.  For instance, “Is morning or afternoon better for you?”  “Would 2pm or 4pm work?”  In other words, your time is valuable. Only give options for when you are available. Never say, “I have nothing scheduled all day, so when works for you?”

Step 6. Answer any questions the prospect may have.   Be thankful for questions, answer directly and briefly, but reiterate that all the details they need to make an informed decision will be covered thoroughly in your next appointment.  Reassure them that you expect them to have more questions, and you will be available to answer them.

Step 7.  Confirm the appointment.   Reiterate the plan for the appointment.  Request a commitment that the prospect will give you the courtesy of a call if for any reason he or she cannot attend.  You will want to give that slot to another prospect!

            Your success depends on skills, but all the practice and preparation in the world will not substitute for a good mental attitude about picking up the phone. Understand that while your business or product may not be for everyone, there are many more people out there simply waiting for your call.  Pick up the phone and call them now!

Katherine is the co-author of five best selling real estate related books, and has written a series of children’s educational books for Rourke Publishing.  Katherine’s successful home based business allows her the time freedom and necessary income to pursue her personal and professional interests. With today’s internet technology, Katherine is able to supervise national and international marketing teams from her home office.  Visit her website at http://www.team2succeed.com/ActNow

When Your Spouse DOES NOT Support You Working From Home

I recently received an email from a listener that I thought would make for a wonderful topic here on Frugal WAHMs Talk Radio. What do you do when you want to provide a good income for your family by working from home but your spouse does NOT support you? One of the biggest obstacles I have seen other Work At Home Mom's struggle with is having little to no support from their biggest cheering squad, which should be their spouses or family members.

How many times have you had friends or family members make smart mouth comments like "You work from home?" "You must have lots of free time to watch TV and relax--must be nice!". Now come on, any of us work at home moms are probably finding just the opposite that there is so much to juggle in just one day, that at times it can simply feel very overwhelming. Not only are you juggling trying to provide an income for your family, but you are also juggling the regular household chores that need to be done, provide three meals a day, kids and school and so much more. So many times I feel myself, and other work at home moms, work more now then we did when we had regular full time jobs outside of the home. What can really complicate this matter is when you have little to no support from your loved ones, especially your spouse.

Eleven years ago when my daughter was diagnosed with asthma, I made the choice to open and start running a licensed home daycare. This would allow me to remain home with my daughter and care for her while still providing an income for my family. My husband was very upset, to say the very least, when I first started out. He felt I was copping out and that I really did not want to work, and that I was not as concerned as he was about our financial stability. This lit a fire in me to prove him wrong, to prove that I could be a respected home daycare provider, and that I could provide as good of an income if not better than what I had left. Within six months, I had proven him wrong when I was making more money then he was bringing in, including the grants and programs I was eligible for each month on top of my monthly income. Within a couple of weeks, he finally came to me and apologized to me, and when I decided to start working from home by making my own graphics and making my own online magazine, he was my biggest cheerleader because he knew from my past experience that I would MAKE this a success also.

Some of the major obstacles that work at home moms face with their spouses is usually the financial instability and worry about paying the monthly bills. Often times you may be dealing with jealously from your husband, wishing he too could have the opportunity of staying home to spend more time with his kids.

1. Show your husband or spouse your complete business plan, from your projective costs involved in setting up your new business, your overall objective, and your projected income from this new venture in your life. Allowing your spouse to see your goals in black and white may help to ease their minds, allowing them to know you are serious and you have goals and plans to make your new online business a success.

2. While outlining your business plan, you may want to research your potential tax breaks and benefits of being a stay a home working mom. You may even want to consult a tax professional to really get yourself prepared.

3. Make suggestions on areas where you can cut back on expenses to help make your dreams a reality. For example, the savings you will reap by not having to pay daycare expenses, and by purchasing your household essentials like groceries and household expenses from stores like Aldis' and dollar stores. Also, the amount of gas and regular car acquaintance you will be saving by working from home.

4. Often times your spouse may be feeling jealous at the fact that you are going to be able to stay at home in a nice working environment and still be able to spend quality time with your children. You want to mention that you understand that your life may be easier in some aspects, you may not have to get up as early, you don't have fight traffic daily, and you no longer have a boss to report to; and that you understand the concerns, but the concerns outweigh having a parent at home all the time to nurture and care for your children.

5. Another possible concern or issue your spouse might be dealing with is knowing that they will have to work harder in the beginning to help offset your income not being there. You need to be understanding that one of the biggest fears and problems is that your spouse needs to be reassured that the tough financial problems will only be temporary, and that you truly appreciate them supporting your family as your try to build a new future for your family.

The best thing you can do as you start your new online business, is keep your lines of communication open with your spouse. Allow their fears and problems to be heard, understood, and addressed. Realize that this may not be an easy transition at the beginning, but that you really want to provide an honest, good income while working from home, and that it will prove to be a wonderful opportunity for yourself, your children and your family.

Article Source: http://www.thewahmshack.com/articledirectory/