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.   You can find a monthly article to highlight the lighter side of the Wahm world  at Heather's Corner.

5 Tips for Holiday Craft Shows

by Kara Kelso & Anita DeFrank
http://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!)