tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-74930119930312200412024-03-13T09:43:28.222-04:00Work at Home Mom and DadThis is a blog for moms, dads, and grandparents who have a homebased business or want to start a homebased business. Posts will focus on how to market your business both online and offline, easy recipes, family time management, and even homeschooling.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger23125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7493011993031220041.post-51822964223763933932010-04-18T20:58:00.007-04:002010-04-18T23:25:57.101-04:00Book Review - Too Close to Home by Lynette Eason<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8wgff3klyRChJWaiIr9IARfOMNKDfyBmiUGwWpkgEYbIFQfJpDgWK_jNEVpcVFDvQKpCxjp3SbVZhD2OMVG6kKnziQGIIzxi5tqT9lnxbYP-eyZ4NTyPbb8euSG8Uw-Tg_bMNQuPodWk/s1600/Too+Close+to+Home.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5461658613822344402" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 129px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8wgff3klyRChJWaiIr9IARfOMNKDfyBmiUGwWpkgEYbIFQfJpDgWK_jNEVpcVFDvQKpCxjp3SbVZhD2OMVG6kKnziQGIIzxi5tqT9lnxbYP-eyZ4NTyPbb8euSG8Uw-Tg_bMNQuPodWk/s200/Too+Close+to+Home.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Teenage girls have gone missing and a few have been found dead. How do you solve the case of a serial killer when he is staying one step ahead of the police and FBI? How do you protect your teenage daughters from an online predator who is promising them a rewarding modeling career?</span><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"></span><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">I am proud to have been asked to review another fine book from Revell Publishing. <em>Too Close to Home</em>, by Lynette Eason, is the first book in The <em>Women of Justice</em> series. This novel features Samantha Cash, a computer forensics expert with the FBI. She teams up with Connor Wolfe, a homicide detective with SLED, the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division to help solve the case. Together they try to solve a vicious series of killings that is threatening the lives of young high school girls in a small South Carolina town. One common denominator, 2 of the dead girls had had a baby recently. </span><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"></span><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">This novel really draws you in with characters that you really care about. Connor must repair the relationship with his daughter while Samantha worries about her sister who had been a victim of a serious assault. Although Samantha has promised herself not to date a cop, she finds herself increasingly attracted to Connor. </span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">The case gets a little too close to home when Connor's own daughter, Jenna, despite knowing better, is taken in by a computer predator. Could this be the same predator that is preying upon the girls?</span><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"></span><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;">I definitely recommend this book to those who enjoy a good romantic suspense read.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"></span><br /><div align="center"><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;">Available April 2010 at your bookstore. </span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7493011993031220041.post-71061718963535002462009-11-11T23:43:00.003-05:002009-11-11T23:54:17.522-05:00Book Review - The Swiss Courier<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga7RF82MN4XAuZ9Ldf-6A2lfS1U4JOIWv2Ssc9RQclDjf47ZYC9LZZkntPL3Fy_XVHHV_uPsEjRxyQ9GIpdUqPD2AQHGeU4FKr58skRmtCoNcCCssZBT_eIuzz77s1ewFfrcrWBkiztps/s1600-h/the+swiss+courier.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5403075139967467858" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 128px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga7RF82MN4XAuZ9Ldf-6A2lfS1U4JOIWv2Ssc9RQclDjf47ZYC9LZZkntPL3Fy_XVHHV_uPsEjRxyQ9GIpdUqPD2AQHGeU4FKr58skRmtCoNcCCssZBT_eIuzz77s1ewFfrcrWBkiztps/s200/the+swiss+courier.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">This Veteran’s Day, it is important to give remembrance to our men and women who serve and protect our country. During World War II, not only did the members of our armed forces help defeat the Nazi evil, but there were many other players as well including those in the resistance movement and home front both in the United States and Europe. </span></div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><br /><div><br />It has been an honor to be asked to review The Swiss Courier by Tricia Goyer and Mike Yorkey. I thoroughly enjoyed this story of intrigue and suspense, and recommend it to readers who enjoy historical fiction. </div><br /><div><br />The story takes place towards the very end of World Wart II, shortly after the successful D-Day invasion of the Normandy beaches in France. Germany was weakened but still a very dangerous foe. Our main character, Gabi Mueller, is a 24 year old daughter of an American father and Swiss mother working in the translation pool at the Basel, Switzerland office of the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) which was the forerunner of our present day CIA. This office was in charge of gathering intelligence about Nazi operations and was also a liaison with the German resistance movement. </div><br /><div><br />In addition to her German and English language skills, Gabi came to the attention of Allen Dulles, head of the OSS because of a unique and special talent. Gabi grew up in a family of locksmiths and she had a talent for “cracking” the codes of combination safes. </div><br /><div><br />Gabi was assigned to several special assignments, but none more important than the spiriting out of Germany of Joseph Engel, a German Ph.D. student working with Werner Heisenberg, recipient of the 1932 Nobel Peace Prize in physics. It seems that Heisenberg was in charge of developing a secret Wunderwaffe (wonder weapon) for the Nazis. In fact one of the reasons that we in America were working on the atomic bomb was the fear that the Nazis were developing an atomic weapon. Fortunately they were not as far along as thought, but this was not known at the time. The mission to bring Joseph Engel from Germany into Switzerland became even more dangerous when it was discovered that Joseph Engel, although raised as a Catholic, was born to Jewish parents. </div><br /><div><br />There are many exciting twists, turns, and surprises in this novel which will keep you turning the pages. We see an affirmation of the characters’ faith as they embark on this dangerous mission. </div><br /><div><br />We get to experience both the work and the family life of Gabi Mueller. Through this character development, we get to experience some of the hardships that people had to face in their daily lives due to war shortages. Today, we take for granted that we will always have butter on the table, gas for our cars, and nylon for our clothes and stockings. I remember my mother telling me about the ration books that were issued to every family. No doubt, these shortages were even more acute in Europe. </div><br /><div><br />We also learn about the resistance movement in Europe. These brave righteous men and women risked their lives and the lives of their families in aiding Jews to escape or doing their part to help defeat Hitler. If caught, these resistance fighters faced torture and killing on the spot. Switzerland’s questionable role in not doing more to aid the Jews is also touched upon when we witness a Jewish family that takes their own lives rather than face the horror that would await them on deportment back to Germany. Switzerland was trying to avoid being invaded by the Nazis, but did this mean turning one’s back on innocent lives? </div><br /><div><br />The addition of a sprinkling of Swiss German dialect throughout the book added considerably to the flavor of the novel. You will not want to miss this good read available now at your bookstore.<br /></span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7493011993031220041.post-63788693746992743112009-10-25T08:16:00.009-04:002009-10-25T08:32:02.589-04:00GeneLink, parent company of GeneWize Life Sciences, named to Deloitte Technology Fast 500 List<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOrAmoZv5t-0fQcFNu0_XCyHpM1qvIsm8EtPdhFgQt_bFWdugoZRh29Kj6P6tQ0yJ_GdcQcpYyCQIOF6Pi3oXbxy9EcUxTrvy2BYWD8O3pwMtRjZOFghAkxUWXqNLgpdM5AQPzWFQOSM0/s1600-h/DNA+Scientists+Working.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396511389101968226" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 134px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOrAmoZv5t-0fQcFNu0_XCyHpM1qvIsm8EtPdhFgQt_bFWdugoZRh29Kj6P6tQ0yJ_GdcQcpYyCQIOF6Pi3oXbxy9EcUxTrvy2BYWD8O3pwMtRjZOFghAkxUWXqNLgpdM5AQPzWFQOSM0/s200/DNA+Scientists+Working.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="color:#009900;"><strong>GeneLink Biosciences, Inc., the parent company of GeneWize Life Sciences, was named this week to the Deloitte 2009 Technology Fast 500™ list.</strong></span> GeneLink was ranked number 92 on this prestigious list of the fastest growing technology companies in the United States and Canada. The company attributed its 1991% revenue growth to the launch of GeneWize Life Sciences. </span></div><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><div><br />The Deloitte Technology Fast 500™ is “an annual ranking of the fastest growing technology, media, telecommunications, life sciences and clean technology companies in North America based on five-year fiscal revenue growth.” To be considered for the list, companies must own proprietary technology or intellectual property that has contributed substantially to the company’s revenue. </div><div><br />GeneLink owns 21 patents and patents pending in the field of nutrogenomics and dermagenetics. These patents include genetic assessments linked to personalized health, wellness and beauty applications. The M.D.s and Ph.D.s on our scientific advisory board are experts in the fields of genetics, anti-aging, and molecular and microbiology and hold over 600 peer reviewed articles and scientific abstracts between them. With the launch of GeneWize Life Sciences, the company has been able to apply this technology to create a customized nutritional supplement based on the customer’s DNA assessment and has also introduced LifeMap Me™ DNA Customized Skin Repair Serum. Several new LifeStyle Boosts are on the horizon, so the company should continue to experience tremendous growth. For more about GeneWize Life Sciences, Inc. visit: </span></div><a href="http://helenezemel.mygenewize.com/company/index.html"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">http://helenezemel.mygenewize.com/company/index.html</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">. </span><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><br /><a href="http://www.customizednutrition4u.com/">GeneWize</a> not only offers customized nutritional and skin care products but also a business opportunity. As a GeneWize Distributor, you have the opportunity to participate in this fast growing and innovative company. For details on how to become a GeneWize distributor, visit my website at: </span><a href="http://helenezemel.mygenewize.com/our_business/index.html"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">http://helenezemel.mygenewize.com/our_business/index.html</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">. </span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7493011993031220041.post-979007592142462722009-09-09T02:07:00.007-04:002009-09-09T02:13:40.490-04:00Book Review – The Knight by Steven James<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">I had the opportunity to participate in a Blog Tour featuring the new book, <em>The Knight</em>, by critically acclaimed author, Steven James. </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></div><p><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnbx6Ggr7c_a0fpwbdIlHr79MPtcsr_uI_pkxxjxsz7ABiHARx_ktY_UyHN2feplWyc6YtFur94NqpYUjt3hD81OVK7o5YWFq1RxhiHcrQxOaT48gP_T3QCfYiyeZD9eB85hj1ODD3dVg/s1600-h/The+Knight.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" mq="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnbx6Ggr7c_a0fpwbdIlHr79MPtcsr_uI_pkxxjxsz7ABiHARx_ktY_UyHN2feplWyc6YtFur94NqpYUjt3hD81OVK7o5YWFq1RxhiHcrQxOaT48gP_T3QCfYiyeZD9eB85hj1ODD3dVg/s320/The+Knight.jpg" /></a>This is the third entry in a series of books featuring FBI agent Patrick Bowers. Although I did not read the first 2 entries in this series, <em>The Pawn</em>, and <em>The Rock</em>, I was able to get right into the story line. </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></div><p><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">The reader’s interest is piqued right from the beginning, as Agent Bowers visits the scene of a gruesome murder. It soon becomes evident that this has been the work of a very clever serial killer, and Agent Bowers must find the killer by using his expertise in geoprofiling while managing to stay one story ahead of the perpetrator who is following the sequence of a medieval text . </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></div><p><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">I especially liked the character development in the book. The reader gets to know Agent Bowers and his family. Could there be a love interest between Patrick and Detective Warren? How does Agent Bowers juggle his life as an FBI agent with that of being a parent of a teenage daughter who is going through her own crisis?</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><p>This book will keep you turning pages and guessing “who done it” right to the end. If you enjoy books about crime solving and FBI profiling, this is the book for you. I look forward to reading <em>The Pawn</em> and <em>The Rook</em> at a future date. <em>One word of warning, this book is not for the squeamish as it contains graphic descriptions of some gruesome murders. </em></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></div><p><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Available August 2009 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7493011993031220041.post-16821989607893998102009-09-01T14:41:00.003-04:002009-09-01T15:01:51.845-04:00So You Want to Be a Work-at-Home Mom<table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" width="100%" bgcolor="#ffffff" border="0"><tbody><tr><td><div align="center"><p align="left"><a href="http://tinyurl.com/sowahm"><img height="153" src="http://www.cwahm.com/pics2009/sowahm-cover-green-small.jpg" width="100" align="left" border="0" /></a>Home-based businesses are estimated to be a $427 billion-a-year industry. In recent studies it was found that as many as 105 million people in North America alone were working at home. Considering this information, it is obvious that home-based businesses can be successful and authors Jill Hart and Diana Ennen will help you succeed with your own.</p><p align="left"><strong><em><a href="http://tinyurl.com/sowahm">So You Want to Be a Work-at-Home Mom</a></em></strong> details all the basics of starting a business in a spiritual, motivational, and comprehensive manner. From deciding what type of business to start to keeping your family and faith first, this helpful tool details every aspect of establishing a business. With proven success tips utilized by the authors and others who own work-at-home businesses, this inspiration approach will provide you with the resources you need to start your own home-based business.</p><p align="left"><em><strong>So You Want to Be a Work-at-Home Mom</strong></em><strong> includes:</strong><br />* Detailed information on types of businesses to start<br />* Ideas and assistance for setting up, operating, and marketing your business<br />* Definitions and descriptions of work-at-home terminology and processes<br />* Help for developing your Website<br />* Explanations of the business nuts and bolts, including bookkeeping, taxes, and more</p><p align="left"><strong><em>About the Authors</em></strong><br /><a href="http://soyouwanttobeawahm.com/"><img height="73" src="http://jillhart.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/jill2009-small.jpg" width="60" align="left" border="0" /></a>JILL HART is the founder of Christian Work at Home Moms, CWAHM.com. Jill is a co-author of <em>So You Want To Be a Work-at-Home Mom</em>. Jill has published many articles and is a contributing author in Laundry Tales, The Business Mom Guide Book, I'll Be Home for Christmas, and Faith Deployed. She holds a bachelor's degree in human development and family studies. Learn more about working from home at <a href="http://www.cwahm.com/work-at-home/">http://www.cwahm.com/work-at-home/</a> .</p><p align="left"><br /><a href="http://soyouwanttobeawahm.com/"><img height="67" src="http://soyouwanttobeawahm.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/dee-professional-_125x125.gif" width="67" align="left" border="0" /></a>DIANA ENNEN has been a leader and mentor in the work-at-home industry since starting her business, <a href="http://virtualwordpublishing.com/">Virtual Word Publishing</a>, in 1985. She is the author of many books, including <em>Virtual Assistant the Series; Become a Highly Successful, Sought After VA </em>and <em>Words from Home: Start, Run, and Profit from a Home-Based Word Processing Business</em>. She resides in Margate, Florida, with her husband and their three children.</p><p> </p><p align="center"><strong>Below is an interview with the authors of <em>So You Want To Be a Work-at-Home Mom</em> – Jill & Diana. </strong></p><p align="left"><a href="http://tinyurl.com/sowahm"><img height="153" src="http://www.cwahm.com/pics2009/sowahm-cover-green-small.jpg" width="100" align="left" border="0" /></a>If you have questions they are happy to answer your questions anytime. Leave a comment below or email Jill@cwahm.com or Diana@virtualwordpublishing.com </p><p align="left"><strong>How long have you been working at home? </strong></p><p align="left"><strong><span style="color:#00cc33;">Jill Hart</span></strong> - I've been working at home since 2000. I had to go back to work full-time for a brief period in 2003 when my husband got out of the Air Force. At that point I got even more serious about making my business work and I've been home full-time since then. </p><p align="left"><strong><span style="color:#ff6633;">Diana Ennen</span></strong> – I’ve been working at home since 1985, when my son was born. He’s now graduated college and already working towards his own career. I absolutely love it. I can’t imagine doing anything else. </p><p align="left"> </p><p align="left"><strong>What types of businesses do you operate? </strong></p><p align="left"><strong><span style="color:#00cc33;">Jill Hart</span></strong> – I run Christian Work at Home Moms, <a href="http://cwahm.com/">CWAHM.com</a>, a website full of free resources, job listings and information about home businesses. I also write articles and books (yes, more books to come!) and am a blogger for sites like Time/Warner's Christian Momlogic.com and a member of the Guideposts blogger team </p><p align="left"><strong><span style="color:#ff6633;">Diana Ennen</span></strong>– I’m the President of <a href="http://virtualwordpublishing.com/">Virtual Word Publishing</a>. I’m a virtual assistant and specialize in marketing & publicity. I’ve also written numerous books on how to start a VA business and offer PR and VA Coaching. </p><p align="left"> </p><p align="left"><strong>Tell us about your book? How do you think it can benefit those who want to start a business?</strong></p><p align="left"><strong><span style="color:#00cc33;">Jill Hart</span></strong> - The book has been such a "God thing." He orchestrated the entire sequence of events - from putting Diana and I together as co-authors to bringing us to the right publisher. The book is a hands-on practical guide for anyone who wants to build a business from home. We cover topics ranging from how to select the right type of business for you, to how to get started, to how to market and grow your business.</p><p align="left"><strong><span style="color:#ff6633;">Diana Ennen</span></strong> - I think one of the best features of our book is that it’s not only informative, but motivational as well. You’ll feel like friends are helping you on your journey to success. Also, we discuss numerous types of businesses to start and provide proven methods to achieve success. We also often hear how starting a business can be so overwhelming. That’s why we pay special attention to all the how tos. We feel very confident our book will help, not only those starting a business, but those already in business wanting to expand it. </p><p align="left"> </p><p align="left"><strong>What types of businesses are featured in your book? </strong></p><p align="left"><strong><span style="color:#00cc33;">Jill Hart</span></strong> - We have such a great range of contributors - everything from direct sales companies like Southern Living at Home and Avon to unique product-driven businesses like BSM Media and GrillCharms. These woman are amazing and give readers a great insight into how they've grown their businesses in very different ways.</p><p align="left"><strong><span style="color:#ff6633;">Diana Ennen</span></strong> - We cover everything from direct sales companies to specialized areas such as medical transcription and virtual assisting. Also, Jill shares detailed information on starting a community based membership site. We think you’ll get a lot of helpful tips too from such work-at-home powerhouses as Maria Bailey and Lesley Spencer Pyle. </p><p align="left"> </p><p align="left"><strong>Do you have any tips for success for Christian entrepreneurs that you’d like to share?</strong></p><p align="left"><strong><span style="color:#00cc33;">Jill Hart</span></strong> - I think my favorite tip - shared with me by one of our contributors, Tammy Degenhart, almost ten years ago is that working together benefits everyone. She told me, "Jill, what you give to others God brings back tenfold" and I've seen that hold true time and time again. It may not be in financial gains and it may not look like what we expected but God is so faithful in that when we work together there is no competition - it's a win-win situation. </p><p align="left"><strong><span style="color:#ff6633;">Diana Ennen</span></strong> - Do what you believe in and use your own skills and prior experience to find the business that’s just right for you. Research/Research/Research. The more you research, the better your business. Continue to market and be out there. So many once they find a few clients stop marketing. You need to get out there continually. You then become the go to person when someone needs services or products that you offer. </p><p align="left"> </p><p align="left"><strong>What are some of the challenges that you see with those starting or operating a business?</strong></p><p align="left"><strong><span style="color:#00cc33;">Jill Hart</span></strong> – In my experience, I've talked with many women who get frustrated because success doesn't come easily or quickly. Working from home may sound easy, but in reality it can actually be just as hard as working outside the home. There are many unique challenges, especially when working at home while raising children. If women don't prepare themselves, they can become discouraged and disheartened.</p><p align="left"><strong><span style="color:#ff6633;">Diana Ennen</span></strong>– One of the major challenges I see is losing belief in yourself that you can do it. That’s why I think a faith-based book will be so beneficial. Even when times get tough, you can rely on your faith to forge ahead.<br /></p><p align="left"></p><p align="left"><strong>With the economy, do you believe it’s still a good time to start a business? Why?</strong></p><p align="left"><strong><span style="color:#00cc33;">Jill Hart</span></strong> – I think it's a better time than ever. The internet is so much more widely used than it was even nine years ago when I began my website. If people do their research and find a company that fits them as well as their budget this can be a great time to break into the work-at-home field.</p><p align="left"><strong><span style="color:#ff6633;">Diana Ennen</span></strong> – Absolutely. In fact, I think there’s never been a better time. You might have to work a little harder, but it absolutely can be done. Plus, there are so many businesses who need us more than ever because of the economy. For example, with virtual assistants because businesses are downsizing they are seeking the help of a VA to help on an as needed basis. </p><p align="left"></p><p align="left"><strong>Your book is written from a Christian perspective? Tell us a little about that and how you feel that makes it so unique? </strong></p><p align="left"><strong><span style="color:#00cc33;">Jill Hart</span></strong> – My faith is central to who I am and therefore central to my business. I began Christian Work at Home Moms because I wanted women to have a safe place where they could discuss not only business things, but also talk about an area that doesn't get talked about a lot in business circles - how our faith affects our businesses. The book is written in a way that doesn't hit anyone over the head with our faith, but it's true to who we are and talks about things from the vantage point that we see life - through the lens of our faith.</p><p align="left"><strong><span style="color:#ff6633;">Diana Ennen</span></strong> – There are so many books out there today on starting a business. However, few have the Christian mom in mind. We provide a lot of scriptures and examples of how you can use your faith to help you. Our hope is that not only will your business thrive, but it might just give a little boost to your faith as well. </p><p align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;"><strong><br />Learn more about the book at <a href="http://www.nph.com/nphweb/html/bhol/itempage.jsp?itemId=9780834124660&catalogId=BHOL&catSecCd=CHLCR&subCatSecCd=GEN&subSubCatSecCd=NA&lid=dsc">Beacon Hill Press</a> or <a href="http://soyouwanttobeawahm.com/">SoYouWantToBeAWAHM.com</a>.</strong></span></p><p align="center"> </p></div></td></tr></tbody></table>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7493011993031220041.post-29263587161606712052009-08-24T23:52:00.006-04:002009-08-25T00:16:31.719-04:00The Work at Home Family Carnival - August 24, 2009<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-RSjz72Ga-gB77rTbi2cmJDpzIImX-rgjOKklaa3Thy-ux1E2Jqhots1pe9imsbiELM26Mr6ueKQR7RR7sqYicQ5lIhp1hDDyS-Tmw7iZ4kgBN7aIXzzI5g8VE39FXGHCOK1Dtlz7G0s/s1600-h/Boy+on+carousel.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5373746793609103986" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 132px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-RSjz72Ga-gB77rTbi2cmJDpzIImX-rgjOKklaa3Thy-ux1E2Jqhots1pe9imsbiELM26Mr6ueKQR7RR7sqYicQ5lIhp1hDDyS-Tmw7iZ4kgBN7aIXzzI5g8VE39FXGHCOK1Dtlz7G0s/s200/Boy+on+carousel.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><br /><br /><div><br /><br /><!-- The next few lines insert the BlogCarnival LogoLink for the August 24, 2009 edition of "the work at home family" here. Presence of the BlogCarnival LogoLink allows this carnival edition to be listed at blogcarnival.com. This example puts it in the upper right corner, but it can go anywhere in the blog post. --><br /><br /></div><div><div style="FLOAT: right"><br /><br /><script src="http://blogcarnival.com/bc/logolink_30874.js" type="text/javascript"></script><br /><br /></div></div><div><br /><br /><!-- EDIT THIS: carnival introduction begins with this paragraph: --><br /><br /></div><p><br /><br /></p><div><br /><br /><br /><span style="color:#339999;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><strong>Welcome to the August 24, 2009 edition of The Work at Home Family Carnival.</strong> </span><br /></span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><br />This is a new blog carnival dedicated to the work at home family. Our focus is on internet marketing techniques, marketing and advertising tips for home based entrepreneurs, as well as family management for families with one or more work at home parents. We have many good articles this month which should help readers who are already working from home or thinking of starting a home based business. </span></div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><div><br />This is an edited carnival and only quality articles which offer good content will be accepted. To keep this carnival manageable, please submit only your best 2 blog posts for inclusion. I had to exclude a number of very good articles because there were over the 2 submissions per author. I follow this rule for my own submissions. Also, all articles must be family friendly and be related to the topic of home based businesses and working at home. Sales pages with little or no content will not be included in the carnival nor will site with too much hype or excessive income claims. Also, starting with this month, I will no longer include long lists of resources e.g. the 100 best blogs for entrepreneurs, etc. which turn out to be advertisements for schools and other programs. </div><div><br />Our carnival is quickly becoming very popular, and I want to thank all of our authors for the many quality blog posts that I have received this month. </div><div><br /><strong><span style="color:#339999;">Internet Marketing</span></strong> </div><div><br />Helene Zemel presents </span><a href="http://workathomemom-dad.blogspot.com/2009/07/internet-marketing-basics-creating.html"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Internet Marketing Basics - Creating a Website</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> posted at </span><a href="http://workathomemom-dad.blogspot.com/"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Work at Home Mom and Dad</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">, saying, "How to create your own marketing website. Follow these 7 steps for good results." </span></div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><div><br />Debbie Foster presents </span><a href="http://www.debbiefoster.net/221/some-things-to-know-about-pay-per-click-advertising/"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Some Things To Know About Pay Per Click Advertising</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> posted at </span><a href="http://debbiefoster.net/"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Internet Income - The Journey</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">, saying, “There are many steps you must master before you can become profitable with PPC. It is not a matter of throwing up something in ten minutes and seeing what works. You will need to research and implement each part of the process properly, otherwise your campaign will not succeed.” </span></div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><div><br />Debbie Foster presents </span><a href="http://www.debbiefoster.net/287/the-role-of-inbound-links-in-seo/"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">The Role of Inbound Links in SEO</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> posted at </span><a href="http://debbiefoster.net/"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Internet Income - The Journey</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">, saying, “There are a number of strategies you can use to get high quality inbound links. Remember, the quality, not the quantity, is the most important factor you will want to take into consideration.” </span></div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><div><br />Chris McClelland presents </span><a href="http://www.thelucrativeinvestor.com/social-networking-sites-also-help/"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">How social networking sites can also help you save some money</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> posted at </span><a href="http://www.thelucrativeinvestor.com/"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Lucrative Investing</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">, saying, “Twitter has actually become kind of useful to those who are trying to save some money also. Companies like Sears, Fiji Water, and Gold’s Gym are looking to be your friend on popular social networking sites like Twitter and Facebook.” </span></div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><div><br />Christian Russell presents </span><a href="http://www.nextlevelblogger.com/how-to-use-social-networking-sites-for-business/"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">How to Use Social Networking Sites for Business</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> posted at </span><a href="http://www.nextlevelblogger.com/"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Next Level Blogger</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">, saying, "I like to keep it simple. Simple is good. Know why? Because it works. Social networking for business is not rocket science, but for some strange reason, many of us WANT it to be! Perhaps it’s human nature. Perhaps if we think it’s complicated, then we will be able to figure it out…and after we figure it out, it will be easy. And our lives will then be easy. And money will fall into our laps without us ever having to lift a finger, because we’ve figured it out. We know the secret!" </span></div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><div><br />Christian Russell presents </span><a href="http://www.nextlevelblogger.com/quick-start-to-internet-marketing/"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Quick Start to Internet Marketing</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> posted at </span><a href="http://www.nextlevelblogger.com/"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Next Level Blogger</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">, saying, "Many people out there are looking for a quick start to internet marketing. I understand. Most people in my network are business people, and we are the kind of people who want to get things rolling quickly. You know being online and marketing yourself with blogging, internet marketing and social networking is essential, but you don’t know the best way to go about it, and you have a million questions." </span></div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><div><br />Jimmy Adames presents </span><a href="http://jimmyadames.com/list-building-tips-3-effortless-ways-to-grow-a-list-of-active-subscribers/"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">List Building Tips ? 3 Effortless Ways to Grow a List of Active Subscribers</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> posted at </span><a href="http://jimmyadames.com/"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Internet Business Building</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">, saying, "Earning an income using the Internet is much simpler if you have a list of active subscribers. The key to making sure you succeed is to have reliable marketing tools and quality content to provide your customers and prospects. What is holding you back from building a list of active subscribers?" </span></div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><div><br />Robert Alan presents </span><a href="http://sellitontheweb.com/blog/big-mistakes-avoid-first-ppc-campaign/"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Big Mistakes to Avoid with Your First PPC Campaign</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> posted at </span><a href="http://sellitontheweb.com/blog"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Sell It on the Web</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">, saying, "Here's a great list of things that must be avoided for newbies and budding online marketers who are considering paid search (PPC) marketing as a means to start and grow their businesses online." </span></div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><div><br />Robert Alan presents </span><a href="http://sellitontheweb.com/blog/ultimate-twitter-starter-guide-for-small-business/"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Ultimate Twitter Starter Guide for Small Business</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> posted at </span><a href="http://sellitontheweb.com/blog/"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Bill Hazelton</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">, saying, "Here's a great "starter guide" and how-to manual from Sell It! on the Web on how to get started using Twitter for your small business." </span></div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><div><br />Sell It! on the Web presents </span><a href="http://sellitontheweb.com/blog/affordable-shopping-cart-platforms-for-new-business-owners/"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Affordable Shopping Cart Platforms for New Business Owners</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> posted at </span><a href="http://sellitontheweb.com/blog/"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Bill Hazelton</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">, saying, "Recommendations for several affordable shopping cart platforms for new website owners and e-commerce marketers." </span></div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><div><br />Sell It! on the Web presents </span><a href="http://sellitontheweb.com/blog/guide-to-optimizing-your-landing-page-copy/"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Guide to Optimizing Your Landing Page Copy</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> posted at </span><a href="http://sellitontheweb.com/blog/"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Bill Hazelton</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">, saying, "Tips and recommendations on how to optimize the copy on the "landing pages" of your website or blog in order to convert more of your visitors into buyers." </span></div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><div><br />Ben Dinsmore presents </span><a href="http://www.treesfullofmoney.com/?p=750"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">My Experience with Facebook’s Advertising Program</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> posted at </span><a href="http://www.treesfullofmoney.com/"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Trees Full of Money</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">, saying, "If you're looking for a new medium to advertise your small business, you may have success with highly targeted ads on social medial sites like Facebook." </span></div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><div><br />Golam Moinuddin presents </span><a href="http://internetauctioncoach.com/blog/?p=100"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">How to make money on eBay</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> posted at </span><a href="http://internetauctioncoach.com/blog"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Internet Auction Coach</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">. Editor’s note: The author provides 7 steps that you should follow if you want to be successful on ebay. </span></div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><div><br />Jimmy Adames presents </span><a href="http://jimmyadames.com/internet-income-tips-12-critical-steps-for-recovering-opportunity-jumping-junkies/"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Internet Income Tips - 12 Critical Steps For Recovering Opportunity Jumping Junkies</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> posted at </span><a href="http://jimmyadames.com/"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Internet Business Building</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">, saying, "Many people go online everyday looking for ways to make extra money and just as many have every intention of earning a long-term Internet income while simultaneously firing their bosses. Unfortunately, the high expectations of overnight riches turns people into dejected participants. How many times have you quit one money making opportunity for another?" </span></div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><div><br />Rusty Shelton presents </span><a href="http://rustylshelton.blogspot.com/2009/08/solving-internet-marketing-puzzle.html"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Solving the Internet Marketing Puzzle</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> posted at </span><a href="http://rustylshelton.blogspot.com/"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">My Internet Marketing Journey</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">. Editor’s note: The author discusses the importance of knowing your why, tenacity, and hard work as the key to success in mlm and network marketing. </span></div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><div><br />Brian Terry presents </span><a href="http://bigsellingwebsitedesign.com/web-design-that-sells/website-design-matter/"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Does website design really matter?</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> posted at </span><a href="http://bigsellingwebsitedesign.com/"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Big Selling Website Design</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">, saying, “I still believe that a visual brand identity is important, but the challenge is in creating graphics that not only look good but also sell. When you get the balance right and combine it with other proven direct response strategies the sky really is the limit!” </span></div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><div><br />Simon Stapleton presents </span><a href="http://www.simonstapleton.com/wordpress/2009/07/20/why-dont-graduates-get-jobs/"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Why Don’t Graduates Get Jobs?</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> posted at </span><a href="http://www.simonstapleton.com/wordpress"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Career & Personal Development for CIOs, Technical Professionals and Self-Professed Geeks</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">, saying, "The Recession has created massive competition for the fewer jobs that become available, and it’s graduates that are paying the price. Lack of experience in industry seems like an obvious reason why graduates are not offered job placements, but surprisingly, this is not the primary reason (according to a survey of 200 recruiting managers in the US, UK and South Africa). </span></div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><div><br />Simon Stapleton presents </span><a href="http://www.simonstapleton.com/wordpress/2009/07/12/the-12-dumbest-mistakes-network-managers-make/"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">The 12 Dumbest Mistakes Network Managers Make</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> posted at </span><a href="http://www.simonstapleton.com/wordpress"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Career & Personal Development for CIOs, Technical Professionals and Self-Professed Geeks</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">, saying, "What are the 12 most stupidest gaffes a network manager can make? More to the point, have you made one, or experienced one yourself? See if you recognize any of these clangers?" </span></div><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><br /><strong><span style="color:#339999;">Marketing and Advertising Tips</span></strong> </span></div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><div><br />Shawn M. Driscoll presents </span><a href="http://www.shawndriscoll.com/blog/?p=93"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Real Growth in Unreal Times</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> posted at </span><a href="http://www.shawndriscoll.com/blog"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Shawn Driscoll</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">, saying, “You can position yourself for growth now and into the future by making a few simple and smart moves” </span></div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><div><br />Kevin Blaikie presents </span><a href="http://www.warriorforum.com/blogs/braveheart37/6954-how-business-ideas-beginners.html"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">HOW TO - BUSINESS IDEAS FOR BEGINNERS - WarriorForum - Internet Marketing Forums</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> posted at </span><a href="http://warriorforum.com/"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">jokijio</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">. Editor’s note: Good advice from the Warrior Forum. </span></div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><div><br />Sam Carrara presents </span><a href="http://www.samcarrara.com/marketing/the-seed-becomes-a-big-tree/"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">The Seed Becomes a Big Tree</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> posted at </span><a href="http://www.samcarrara.com/marketing"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Sam Carrara's Marketing Education</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">. Editor’s note: The author explains the maturity stage of the product life cycle. </span></div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><div><br />Bobby Leong presents </span><a href="http://www.bobmarketing.com/complains-can-be-good/"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Complaints Can Be Good</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> posted at </span><a href="http://www.bobmarketing.com/"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Internet Marketing Solutions</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">. Editor’s note: The author points out a problem with the Get Response autoresponder system. </span></div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><div><br /><strong><span style="color:#339999;">Family Management</span></strong> </div><div><br />Helene Zemel presents </span><a href="http://healthplansplus.blogspot.com/2009/08/ameriplan-half-price-discount-dental.html"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">AmeriPlan Half Price Discount Dental & Medical Benefit Plans</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> posted at </span><a href="http://healthplansplus.blogspot.com/"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Health Plans Plus</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">, saying, "Self employed entrepreneurs often have trouble finding affordable health benefits. If they have a pre-existing condition, they may not be able to obtain coverage at any price. A discount medical plan can help. AmeriPlan is offering new members who sign up on or before 5 p.m. Central Standard Time on September 14th and opportunity to receive benefits for 1 full year at half price." </span></div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><div><br />Brian McKay presents </span><a href="http://www.monitorbankrates.com/personal-finance/flexible-spending-account-for-dependent-care-4519"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Flexible Spending Account (FSA) for Dependent Care</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> posted at </span><a href="http://www.monitorbankrates.com/"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">MonitorBankRates.com</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">, saying, "A dependent care flexible spending Account (FSA) allows you to save money pretax to pay for dependent care in the process also lowering your taxable income." </span></div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><div><br />Eldon Sarte presents </span><a href="http://www.wordpreneur.com/2009/08/this-is-my-night-job/"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">This is My Night Job</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> posted at </span><a href="http://www.wordpreneur.com/"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Wordpreneur.com</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">, saying, "Writing is everything. Or is it? Sometimes, even with the best laid plans, it needs to take second place. Temporarily at least." Editor’s note: Some interesting commentary on balancing work at home with caring for a small child. </span></div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><div><br />Chris McClelland presents </span><a href="http://www.thelucrativeinvestor.com/best-buys-fall/"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Best buys of the fall</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> posted at </span><a href="http://www.thelucrativeinvestor.com/"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Lucrative Investing</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">. Editor’s note: The author lists some good deals to be had during the Fall season. </span></div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><div><br /><span style="color:#339999;"><strong>Quick and Easy Recipes</strong></span> </div><div><br />Renee V. Rouse presents </span><a href="http://www.frugal-living-skills.org/2009/07/family-dinner-for-under-5-deli.html"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Family Dinner for under $5 - Deli Sandwiches</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> posted at </span><a href="http://www.frugal-living-skills.org/"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Frugal-Living-Skills Blog</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">, saying, "...Weekly grocery circulars often read “feed a family of 4 for under $10!”. I’m sure most of you have laughed at this as I did. As a result, I began to wonder what does dinner really cost for my family of 8? So I set a challenge for myself and I figured if I kept it under $5, I was doing good..."</span></div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><div><br />Belle presents </span><a href="http://homesteaderbellesblog.blogspot.com/2009/07/how-to-make-fried-zucchini-with.html"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">How to make Fried Zucchini - with pictures</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> posted at </span><a href="http://homesteaderbellesblog.blogspot.com/"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Homesteaderbelle's Blog</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">. Editor’s note: This recipe sounds yummy. Good step by step directions are presented. </span></div><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><br /><span style="color:#339999;"><strong>Working at Home</strong></span> </span></div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><div><br />DeMarcus presents </span><a href="http://www.self-improvement-articles.com/personal-development-home-based-business.html"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Creating A Personal Development Home Based Business</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> posted at </span><a href="http://www.self-improvement-articles.com/"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Self Improvement Articles</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">, saying, “Should you consider a personal development home based business? If you are passionate about being a mentor to others, or have a good knowledge base of personal development skills or resources, then perhaps this is for you.” </span></div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><div><br />John Crickett presents </span><a href="http://www.businessopportunitiesandideas.co.uk/1011/how-to-start-a-home-based-web-design-business"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">How To Start A Home Based Web Design Business</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> posted at </span><a href="http://www.businessopportunitiesandideas.co.uk/"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Business Opportunities And Ideas</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">, saying, “Starting a web design business from home doesn’t have to cost much at all. Best of all you can fit in most start up activities around an existing job allowing you to test the waters before you jump in.” </span></div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><div><br />Darwin presents </span><a href="http://www.darwinsfinance.com/haverhill-home-staging-scam/"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Haverhill Home Staging Course - Have You Been Had?</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> posted at </span><a href="http://www.darwinsfinance.com/"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Darwin's Finance</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">, saying, "This article highlights a rapidly growing and heavily advertised "income opportunity" that you should consider further before forking over your money." </span></div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><div><br />Leah Grant presents </span><a href="http://www.leahgrantblog.com/2009/07/things-to-consider-when-employing-a-new-strategy.html"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Things to Consider When Employing a New Strategy</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> posted at </span><a href="http://www.leahgrantblog.com/"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Startup Success</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">. Editor’s note: The author lists 7 key ideas that you consider when creating a business strategy. </span></div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><div><br />nissim ziv presents </span><a href="http://www.job-interview-site.com/career-goals-examples-of-career-goals-and-objectives.html"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Career Goals: Examples of Career Goals and Objectives</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> posted at </span><a href="http://www.job-interview-site.com/"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Job Interview Guide</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">, saying, "It is only when a person has a clear thought about their career goals and objectives that they get ultimate satisfaction from their jobs and therefore progress faster. This article covers many examples for your career goals & objectives." </span></div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><div><br />sagarika presents </span><a href="http://www.indiansocialstudy.com/2009/06/skills-that-we-should-be-learn-for.html"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Skills that you should be learn for Success</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> posted at </span><a href="http://www.indiansocialstudy.com/"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Social Work for Mankind</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">, saying, “True Success is simply the realization and obtainment of a worthy ideal or result that your heart is deeply connected to it & what you desired, results fruitfully in your life, business, wealth, or a worthy ideal.” </span></div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><div><br />Tiffany Colter presents </span><a href="http://writingcareercoach.blogspot.com/2009/07/getting-ahead-of-game.html"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Getting Ahead of the Game</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> posted at </span><a href="http://writingcareercoach.blogspot.com/"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Writing Career Coach</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">. Editor’s note: The author discusses some techniques for getting a jump start on a new writing project.<br />Gloria Booth presents </span><a href="http://www.gloriabooth.com/2009/08/self-development-and-marketing.html"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Self Development and the Marketing Entrepreneur</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> posted at </span><a href="http://www.gloriabooth.com/"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">MLM Marketing UK</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">, saying, "Do you think that it's ok to set up in business then sit back and watch it happen? Or do you think there's more you can do, but not sure what? Find out how self development can make a difference." </span></div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><div><br />Gloria Booth presents </span><a href="http://www.gloriabooth.com/2009/08/donald-trump-network-marketing.html"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Donald Trump & Network Marketing</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> posted at </span><a href="http://www.gloriabooth.com/"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">MLM Marketing UK</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">, saying, "With the backing of business magnate Donald Trump, could this be the start of media acceptance of network marketing as a legitimate way to build a business and work towards financial independence?" </span></div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><div><br />Gin G. presents </span><a href="http://hubpages.com/_tthgg/hub/Spotlight-Ten-Offers"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Spotlight Ten Offers</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> posted at </span><a href="http://hubpages.com/profile/dame+scribe"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Sense Scribe</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">, saying, "Learn to use your computer for self-employment. Read more." </span></div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><div><br /><span style="color:#339999;"><strong>Miscellaneous</strong></span> </div><div><br />Ray presents </span><a href="http://www.creditbluebook.com/list-of-the-best-online-brokers-by-smart-money-2009/"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">SmartMoney 2009's Best Online Brokers</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> posted at </span><a href="http://www.creditbluebook.com/blog/"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Money Blue Book</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">, saying, “While I have written about the best discount online brokers in the past – reviewing what I believe to be the top brokerage companies out there for new stock and fund investors – it’s always good to check out what the financial experts have to say on the subject.” </span></div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><div><br />fourleafclovergoodluckcharms presents </span><a href="http://www.fourleafclovergoodluckcharms.com/fourleafclovers/"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Four Leaf cLovers</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> posted at </span><a href="http://www.fourleafclovergoodluckcharms.com/"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Four Leaf cLover Good Luck Charms.com</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">, saying, "Luck plays a hugely significant role in many different aspects of our lives. Luck has the power to transform both our personal and professional lives. Do you feel lucky?" </span></div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><div><br />That concludes this edition. Submit your blog article to the next edition of the work at home family using our </span><a title="Submit an entry to “the work at home family”" href="http://blogcarnival.com/bc/submit_7190.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">carnival submission form</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">. Past posts and future hosts can be found on our </span><a title="Blog Carnival index for “the work at home family”" href="http://blogcarnival.com/bc/cprof_7190.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">blog carnival index page</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">. </span></div><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><br />Technorati tags: </span><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/the+work+at+home+family"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">the work at home family</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">, </span><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/blog+carnival"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">blog carnival</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">.<br /></div></span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7493011993031220041.post-19404078327538070892009-07-18T22:32:00.008-04:002009-07-18T23:27:33.821-04:00The Work at Home Family Carnival July 18, 2009<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPB5_gTqJPl7vU48qo2oFL2LDYn1UZAuYkaIKJvEAnwkN7Uqu8UmQDcwNR448Ad4zo64ujIEfg3wGle5lSTqx_UcZSX_wRZLxVmPmBzW7UBePmsTg84KKpahn1YSxo15H8Wr-m5_5WD7w/s1600-h/Boy+on+carousel.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 132px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPB5_gTqJPl7vU48qo2oFL2LDYn1UZAuYkaIKJvEAnwkN7Uqu8UmQDcwNR448Ad4zo64ujIEfg3wGle5lSTqx_UcZSX_wRZLxVmPmBzW7UBePmsTg84KKpahn1YSxo15H8Wr-m5_5WD7w/s200/Boy+on+carousel.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5360007502433912530" /></a><br /><br /><div><br /><br /><!-- The next few lines insert the BlogCarnival LogoLink for the July 18, 2009 edition of "the work at home family" here. Presence of the BlogCarnival LogoLink allows this carnival edition to be listed at blogcarnival.com. This example puts it in the upper right corner, but it can go anywhere in the blog post. --><br /><div style="FLOAT: right"><br /><script src="http://blogcarnival.com/bc/logolink_30223.js" type="text/javascript"></script><br /></div><br /><br /><!-- EDIT THIS: carnival introduction begins with this paragraph: --><br /><p><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="color:#3366ff;"><strong>Welcome to the July 18, 2009 edition of the work at home family.</strong></span> </span></p><p><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">We have some great articles that will really help you with your home based business. It is so nice of our authors to share their expertise and even some great marketing tips and secrets with the readers of this blog. In addition to articles on online and offline marketing, the Carnival has some good articles to help you with economic and family management. I am sure that you will find some valuable “nuggets” of information and some excellent resources as you review the selections.</span></p><p><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Our new carnival is already receiving traffic and getting many submissions. In some cases I received multiple submissions by some authors. Since I am the sole editor for this carnival and I want to publish the carnival in a timely manner, please only submit 2 articles per author to each carnival. Also, all articles must be family friendly, be well written, have good content, and not be spammy. I have no problem with promoting your business, but a submission that is not a true blog, does not have useful information and good content, and is primarily an advertisement will not be published. Thanks for your contributions this month. </span></p><p><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;color:#3366ff;"><strong>Internet Marketing</strong></span></p><p><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><strong>Helene Zemel</strong> presents </span><a href="http://workathomemom-dad.blogspot.com/2009/07/internet-marketing-basics-for-work-at.html"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Internet Marketing Basics for Work at Home Moms & Dads</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> posted at </span><a href="http://workathomemom-dad.blogspot.com/"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Work at Home Mom and Dad</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">, saying, "Whether you have a brick and mortar store or work out of your home, advertising on the internet will allow you to reach millions of people with your ads. Books and courses have been written on how to use the internet effectively for marketing, and each one of the tips below can be the subject of an article or even a book chapter. What I have attempted to do in this article is to provide you with some basics on getting started with internet marketing." </span></p><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><p><strong>Kim Roach</strong> presents </span><a href="http://www.buzzblogger.com/hidden-traffic-sources-part-1/"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Hidden Traffic Sources</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> posted at </span><a href="http://www.buzzblogger.com/"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">BuzzBlogger.com</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">. <em>Editor’s note: The author shares some great traffic building tips. I plan to try some of these. </em></span></p><p><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><strong>Silicon Valley Blogger</strong> presents </span><a href="http://www.thedigeratilife.com/blog/index.php/2009/03/09/start-an-online-business-open-ebay-store-build-a-web-site-blog/"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Start an Online Business: Open an eBay Store, Build a Website or Blog</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> posted at </span><a href="http://www.thedigeratilife.com/blog"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">The Digerati Life</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">. <em>Editor’s note: The author presents some sound advice on starting your own online business. </em></span></p><p><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><strong>Robert Alan</strong> presents </span><a href="http://sellitontheweb.com/blog/website-design-flaws-to-avoid/"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">7 Website Design Flaws to Avoid</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> posted at </span><a href="http://sellitontheweb.com/blog"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Sell It on the Web</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">, saying, "Here's a great list for small business owners, bloggers and the work at home family of the top 7 website design flaws to avoid the most." </span></p><p><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><strong>Missy Diaz</strong> presents </span><a href="http://www.g34media.com/2009/05/11/7-elements-of-a-successful-website/"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">7 Elements Of A Successful Website</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> posted at </span><a href="http://www.g34media.com/"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">G34 Media</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">. <em>Editor's note: The author presents some good tips for website planning and design with an emphasis on WordPress.</em></span></p><p><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><strong>barry walls</strong> presents </span><a href="http://strategicoutsourcers.com/blog/article-marketing/"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Is Article Marketing The Optimal Way to Maximum Profits from Content for Newbies?</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> posted at </span><a href="http://strategicoutsourcers.com/blog"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Strategic Outsourcers</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">, saying,” Basic article marketing, also known as bum marketing is a form of generating cash which draws in many people who are new to internet marketing who have limited funds. Is this a smart way to earn money for newbie’s?”</span></p><p><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><strong>Christian Russell</strong> presents </span><a href="http://www.nextlevelblogger.com/improve-traffic-monetize-blog-website/"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">3 Simple, Killer Steps to Improve Traffic and Monetize Your Blog or Website</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> posted at </span><a href="http://www.nextlevelblogger.com/"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Next Level Blogger</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">. <em>Editor’s note: Some good information is presented here. The author suggests 3 Simple, Killer Steps to Improve Traffic and Monetize Your Site.</em></span></p><p><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><strong>Christian Russell</strong> presents </span><a href="http://www.nextlevelblogger.com/sales-funnel-blogging-internet-marketing-sales/"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Use a Sales Funnel to Blow Up Your Blogging and Internet Marketing Sales</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> posted at </span><a href="http://www.nextlevelblogger.com/"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Next Level Blogger</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">, saying, “The good news is that by developing a well-designed sales funnel, you will be able to truly maximize sales on your site.” <em>Editor’s note: More good content from this author. </em></span></p><p><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><strong>Barbra Sundquist</strong> presents </span><a href="http://homebusinesswiz.com/2006/12/how-to-set-up-an-aweber-autoresponder.html"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">How to Set Up an Aweber Autoresponder</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> posted at </span><a href="http://www.homebusinesswiz.com/"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">HomeBusinessWiz</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">. <em>Editor’s note: The author provides step by step instructions on how to work with the AWeber autoresponder.</em></span></p><p><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><strong>Andy Loverock</strong> presents </span><a href="http://connect2workathome.com/?p=103"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Free Search Engine optimization Tips</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> posted at </span><a href="http://connect2workathome.com/"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Work At Home Opportunities</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">, saying, "For anyone with plans to have their own website, or business owners who already have a website, search engine optimization is one of those areas that shouldn’t be overlooked.”</span></p><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><p><strong>Robert Alan</strong> presents </span><a href="http://sellitontheweb.com/blog/features-effective-shopping-cart-platforms/"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Features of Effective Shopping Cart Platforms</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> posted at </span><a href="http://sellitontheweb.com/blog"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Sell It on the Web</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">, saying, "For all those work at home business owners who want to start selling products directly from their blog or website, we've put together a list of features that you'll need to have in any new shopping cart platform." </span></p><p><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><strong>Simon Stapleton</strong> presents </span><a href="http://aceyourperformancereview.wordpress.com/2009/07/02/does-facebook-flunk-your-performance-review/"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Does Facebook Flunk Your Performance Review?</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> posted at </span><a href="http://aceyourperformancereview.wordpress.com/"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">ACE Your Performance Review</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">, saying, "Time Magazine recently caused a stir when they published the results of research that strongly suggested that Facebook (and other social networking sites) caused graduate students to suffer lower grades." </span></p><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><p><strong>Joanne Collins</strong> presents </span><a href="http://bestjoanne.info/2009/book-review/google-story-david-vise/"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">The Google Story</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> posted at </span><a href="http://bestjoanne.info/"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Jo's Reviews And Ad Space</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">. <em>Editor’s note: The author reviews 2 books which should be of interest to internet marketers. </em></span></p><p><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><strong>Brian Terry</strong> presents </span><a href="http://bigsellingwebsitedesign.com/recommended/subscribers-love/"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">How to make your subscribers love you</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> posted at </span><a href="http://bigsellingwebsitedesign.com/"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Big Selling Website Design</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">, saying, “it’s all about finding out what people want then giving it to them. That’s the bottom line and one so many people miss out on.” </span></p><p><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><strong>alland smith</strong> presents </span><a href="http://memorycardpackaging.wordpress.com/2009/06/29/options-for-memory-card-packaging/"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Options for Memory Card Packaging</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> posted at </span><a href="http://memorycardpackaging.wordpress.com/"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Memory Card Packaging's Blog</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">, saying, “Packaging offers physical support and protection to products, particularly those that are considered sensitive or fragile and they also serve as a marketing tool, a means to display and promote the product they contain.”</span></p><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><p><br /><strong><span style="color:#3366ff;">Marketing and Advertising Tips</span></strong></p><p><strong>Ken McArthur</strong> presents </span><a href="http://theimpactfactor.com/articles/if-you-want-to-be-noticed-it-matters-who-hears-you.html"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">If You Want to Be Noticed, It Matters Who Hears You</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> posted at </span><a href="http://theimpactfactor.com/"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Ken McArthur's Impact Factor</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">, saying, “Key people are waiting to spread your message right now. They interact daily in networks that exist today where their influence is felt far beyond your limited vision of what you can do. If you know who to target and where to find the influencers, you can create a firestorm of activity around your project, before you even launch.”</span></p><p><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><strong>Tushar Mathur</strong> presents </span><a href="http://freesmallbusinessresource.com/whats-the-best-way-to-get-the-word-out-about-your-small-business-word-of-mouth-or-social-media/"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Whats The Best Way To Get The Word Out About Your Small Business - Word Of Mouth Or Social Media?</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> posted at </span><a href="http://freesmallbusinessresource.com/"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Small Business Resource</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">, saying, "If you have a small local (niche) market, cheap local advertising is somewhat effective for the purpose of exposure. However, I’ve found that word-of-mouth exposure pays off the best." <em>Editor’s note: Good discussion on the merits of Twitter, Facebook and Linked In. </em></span></p><p><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><strong>GP</strong> presents </span><a href="http://manker.wordpress.com/2009/06/04/home-grown-hospitality/"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Home Grown Hospitality « Musings from Montana</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> posted at </span><a href="http://manker.wordpress.com/"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Manely Montana</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">. <em>Editor’s note: Some good marketing tips for the small business owner, especially in the hospitality industry. Tasty veggie omelet recipe presented as well. </em></span></p><p><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><strong>Singing Steve Bermann</strong> presents </span><a href="http://click-here-now.to/53/how-to-be-successful-with-google-adwords-pay-per-click-marketing/"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">How to Be Successful With Google Adwords Pay Per Click Marketing</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> posted at </span><a href="http://click-here-now.to/"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Click-Here-Now.To</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">. <em>Editor's note: The author presents some good tips for running a successful Google Adwords campaign.</em> </span></p><p><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><strong>Chris McClelland</strong> presents </span><a href="http://www.thelucrativeinvestor.com/marketing-minute-with-jennifer/"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Marketing Minute with Jennifer: The Marketing Mix and Q</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> posted at </span><a href="http://www.thelucrativeinvestor.com/"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Lucrative Investing</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">. <em>Editor’s note: The author provides a review of basic marketing principles with emphasis on the marketing mix of product, price, place (distribution), and promotion.</em></span></p><p><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><strong>Kevin Blaikie</strong> presents </span><a href="http://www.warriorforum.com/blogs/braveheart37/5585-how-secrets-internet-online-marketing.html"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">HOW TO - THE SECRETS OF INTERNET AND ONLINE MARKETING - WarriorForum - Internet Marketing Forums</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> posted at </span><a href="http://warriorforum.com/"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">jokijio</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">. <em>Editor’s note: The Warrior Forum is always good place for checking out internet marketing strategies and techniques. </em></span></p><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><em><p></em><strong>Fiona Lohrenz</strong> presents </span><a href="http://www.childcareonly.com/2009/07/06/formulating-a-day-care-mission-statement/"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Formulating A Day Care Mission Statement</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> posted at </span><a href="http://www.childcareonly.com/"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Child Care Only</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">, saying, “You're </span><a title="DVD Guide to running a child day care business." href="http://www.startchildcare.com/"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">starting a day care</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> service and have everything in place, all the nuts and bolts are ordered, staff ready to go but have you considered one of the most important aspects of your infant business - formulating your mission statement.” </span></p><p><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><strong>brian young</strong> presents </span><a href="http://retailsecurityproducts.wordpress.com/2009/06/19/how-retail-security-should-keep-your-business-safe/"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">How Retail Security Should Keep Your Business Safe</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> posted at </span><a href="http://retailsecurityproducts.wordpress.com/"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Retail Security Products</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">. <em>Editor's note: The author presents good information on security for your small business. </em></span></p><p><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><strong>deborah davis</strong> presents </span><a href="http://antitheftsecuritysystems.wordpress.com/2009/05/18/the-challenge-of-keeping-your-store-hand-held-products-secure/"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">The Challenge of Keeping Your Store Hand-Held Products Secure</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> posted at </span><a href="http://antitheftsecuritysystems.wordpress.com/"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Anti theft security systems</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">. <em>Editor’s note: Good information on security systems for the retail store owner. </em></span></p><p><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;color:#3366ff;"><strong>Working at Home</strong></span></p><p><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><strong>Helene Zemel</strong> presents </span><a href="http://workathomemom-dad.blogspot.com/2009/03/despite-weak-economy-sales-of.html"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Despite the Weak Economy, Sales of Nutritional Supplements are Up</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> posted at </span><a href="http://workathomemom-dad.blogspot.com/"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Work at Home Mom and Dad</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">, saying, "Since the start of the economic recession, we read every day how retail sales are down for almost every product category including cars, restaurant meals, clothing, jewelry, and movies and entertainment. Despite the gloomy economic picture, there is one bright light. Sales of nutritional supplements have been increasing." </span></p><p><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><strong>RemarkablyClever</strong> presents </span><a href="http://remarkablyclever.com/2009/06/15/10-real-work-at-home-jobs/"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">10 REAL work at home jobs you didn’t know about (and they’re hiring now)</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> posted at </span><a href="http://remarkablyclever.com/"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">remarkably clever</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">, saying, "Stuffing envelopes and posting ads online are not legitimate ways of earning money from home. Here are 10 real work at home (or flexible) jobs you may not have known about and the companies that are hiring for them right now." <em>Editor’s note: This is a great resource for finding some good work at home opportunities that pay well.</em></span></p><p><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><strong>Billeater</strong> presents </span><a href="http://billeater.com/tips/incorporate-llc-s-corp-or-c-corp"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Incorporate as an LLC, S-Corp or C-Corp</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> posted at </span><a href="http://billeater.com/"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Billeater</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">. <em>Editor’s note: As your business grows, you will need this information on the differences between an LLC, C-Corp, S-Corp, and a Sole Proprietorship.</em></span></p><p><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><strong>Simon Stapleton</strong> presents </span><a href="http://www.simonstapleton.com/wordpress/2009/06/15/freelancers-how-to-increase-your-rates-annually/"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Freelancers: How To Increase Your Rates, Annually</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> posted at </span><a href="http://www.simonstapleton.com/wordpress"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Career & Personal Development for CIOs, Technical Professionals and Self-Professed Geeks</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">, saying, "One of the hotly debated topics between freelancer and customer is the issue of rate escalation. Customers don’t want to pay more; they’re savvy enough to know that if you provide services year-on-year, you haven’t been subjected to marketing costs to land the gig. Nevertheless, your costs go up with inflation. What do you do?" </span></p><p><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><strong>apply4-credit</strong> presents </span><a href="http://www.apply4-credit.com/blog/the-benefits-of-a-business-credit-card-still-ring-true/"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">The Benefits of a Business Credit Card Still Ring True</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> posted at </span><a href="http://www.apply4-credit.com/"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Apply4-Credit</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">, saying, “When you own a small business, one of the first rules of thumb is to separate your personal finances from that of your business. For many entrepreneurs, it can be difficult to undertake this task but a small business credit card may be just the solution you are looking for and one that will also help the credit score of your business.” </span></p><p><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><strong>Shamelle</strong> presents </span><a href="http://www.theenhancelife.com/2009/06/how-to-re-focus-when-you-lose-focus.html"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">How To Re-focus When You Lose Focus</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> posted at </span><a href="http://www.theenhancelife.com/"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Enhance Life</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">. <em>Editor’s note. This is a must read if you need help in staying focused in your home based business.</em></span></p><p><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><strong>Andy Loverock</strong> presents </span><a href="http://connect2workathome.com/?p=130"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Low Cost Business Ideas From Home</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> posted at </span><a href="http://connect2workathome.com/"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Work At Home Opportunities</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">, saying, "More people than ever are searching for low cost business ideas in an attempt to overcome the effects of the recent economic downturn. The internet provides a great platform for people to develop low cost business ideas from home and there are some incredible success stories." </span></p><p><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><strong>Lilycat</strong> presents </span><a href="http://floridalifelilycat.blogspot.com/2009/06/magical-gift-company-crafting-work-at.html"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Magical Gift Company (Crafting Work at Home)</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> posted at </span><a href="http://floridalifelilycat.blogspot.com/"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">JOBB...SOS!!</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">. <em>Editor’s note: This looks like a very legitimate opportunity for people that enjoy crafting. I am forwarding this post to someone that I know who was thinking doing some assembly for extra income. </em></span></p><p><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><strong>Robert Alan</strong> presents </span><a href="http://sellitontheweb.com/blog/build-solid-virtual-team/"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Can You Build A Solid Virtual Team?</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> posted at </span><a href="http://sellitontheweb.com/blog"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Sell It on the Web</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">, saying, "Tips and advice on how to build a virtual team for your home-based business." </span></p><p><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><strong>Jacquelyn</strong> presents </span><a href="http://wparent.com/money-ideas/"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Moneymaking Ideas for You</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> posted at </span><a href="http://wparent.com/"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">WParent.com - Wise Parenting Guide</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">, saying, "Are you looking for a job to do part time or full time or you just want another source of income? Are you searching for moneymaking opportunities or ideas? Check out the great ideas found in this article." </span></p><p><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><strong>Alisha Harmann</strong> presents </span><a href="http://www.nursingonlinedegree.com/features/the-healthy-living-guide-for-web-workers%2050-resources.html"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">The Healthy Living Guide for Web Workers: 50+ Resources</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> posted at </span><a href="http://www.nursingonlinedegree.com/"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Nursing Online Degree</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">, saying, “If you work with computers and the Internet or know someone who does, you may know already that online interaction can damage health. But, the upside to online interaction is that it brings the normally isolated Web worker into a somewhat “social” realm.” </span></p><p><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><strong>Meaghan Montrose</strong> presents </span><a href="http://www.tutorfi.com/wordpress/index.php/7-mistakes-to-avoid-when-starting-your-home-business"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">7 Mistakes to Avoid When Starting Your Home Business </span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">posted at </span><a href="http://www.tutorfi.com/wordpress"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Colleen Palat</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">. <em>Editor’s note: 7 good tips to help you get your business started. </em></span></p><p><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><strong>Kevin Blaikie</strong> presents </span><a href="http://3hourprofitmagic.blogspot.com/2009/06/make-money-working-from-comfort-of-your.html"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Make money working from the comfort of your own home!</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> posted at </span><a href="http://3hourprofitmagic.blogspot.com/"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">How To Make money working from the comfort of your own home!</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">, saying, “Is it really possible to run a business from your own home that is more than a hobby or source of part-time income?”</span></p><p><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><strong>Linda Jones</strong> presents </span><a href="http://www.jobprofiles.org/library/students/fifty-useful-firefox.htm"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">50 Useful Firefox Add-Ons for Job Seekers</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> posted at </span><a href="http://www.jobprofiles.org/library.htm"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">JobProfiles.org - Job Descriptions and Online Schools to Start Your Career</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">. <em>Editor’s note: These Firefox add-ons will prove useful. </em></span></p><p><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><strong>Martin Russell</strong> presents </span><a href="http://www.wordofmouthmagic.com/conspiracy-of-the-rich-a-review/"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">“Conspiracy of the Rich”- A Review</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> posted at </span><a href="http://www.wordofmouthmagic.com/"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Word of Mouth Marketing</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">. <em>Editor’s note: An excellent review of this latest book by the author of “Rich Dad, Poor Dad.”</em></span></p><p><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;color:#3366ff;"><strong>Family Economic and Time Management</strong></span></p><p><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><strong>The Smarter Wallet</strong> presents </span><a href="http://thesmarterwallet.com/2008/work-at-home-stay-at-home-to-work-telecommute/"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Why Work At Home? Top Reasons For Staying Home To Work</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> posted at </span><a href="http://thesmarterwallet.com/"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">The Smarter Wallet</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">. <em>Editor’s note:</em> <em>This article discusses both the financial and personal costs of working outside o the home. </em></span></p><p><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><strong>Chris McClelland</strong> presents </span><a href="http://www.thelucrativeinvestor.com/beware-shifty-credit-related-phone/"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Beware of Shifty Credit Related Phone Calls</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> posted at </span><a href="http://www.thelucrativeinvestor.com/"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Lucrative Investing</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">, saying, “Be smart, be aware, and be conscious of the fact that there are thousands, if not millions, of companies and people out there who want your money, and especially your social security number. They are calling you everyday and one false move could compromise your financial wellbeing, either in a small way or a big way.” </span></p><p><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><strong>Leave Debt Behind</strong> presents </span><a href="http://www.leavedebtbehind.com/budgeting/what-is-the-envelope-budget-method/"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">What is the Envelope Budget Method</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> posted at </span><a href="http://www.leavedebtbehind.com/"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Leave Debt Behind</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">, saying, “The envelope budgeting system is becoming a very popular method for people to budget their income in a very visual way. Essentially, the envelope method is as simple as it sounds.” </span></p><p><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><strong>Jack Schmidt</strong> presents </span><a href="http://jackschmidt.bravejournal.com/entry/33550"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Got Big Feet? You'll Just Have to Pay the Man!</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> posted at </span><a href="http://jackschmidt.bravejournal.com/"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">SectorMatic Money Journal</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">, saying, "SectorMatic - Personal Finance: Everything for the Big Spender on a Budget! Now you can live like a fat cat, even if you're on a money diet. Laugh all the way to the bank with Jack Schmidt and SectorMatic. It's for you!" <em>Editor’s note: Despite the title, the author provides some good information on home refinancing. </em></span></p><p><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><strong>Ben</strong> presents </span><a href="http://moneysmartlife.com/discover-credit-cards-in-cereal-boxes/"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Discover Credit Cards in Cereal Boxes</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> posted at </span><a href="http://moneysmartlife.com/"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Money Smart Life</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">, saying, “When I went to recycle an old box of Honey Nut Cheerios last night a small silver package fell out of the container. I was certainly surprised to see what was what looked to be a Discover credit card!” </span></p><p><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><strong>Kerry Fletcher</strong> presents </span><a href="http://www.examiner.com/examiner/x-11869-Houston-Interior-Decorating-Examiner~y2009m6d11-City-or-suburbs"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">City or suburbs</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> posted at </span><a href="http://www.examiner.com/x-11869-Houston-Interior-Decorating-Examiner"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Houston Interior Decorating Examiner</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">, saying, “With the price of homes currently low and government programs for new home buyers, many people are considering purchasing a new home. A big decision for most buyers will be whether to purchase a new home in the city or the suburbs.”</span></p><p><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><strong>GoByOwners</strong> presents </span><a href="http://salebyowners.wordpress.com/2009/06/17/how-to-write-ads-that-will-sell-your-fsbo-home/"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">How To Write Ads That Will Sell Your FSBO Home</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> posted at </span><a href="http://salebyowners.wordpress.com/"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Sale By OwnersSale By Owners</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">, saying, “When it comes to marketing your home, the ad you write is highly important as a first point of connection with your prospective home buyers.” </span></p><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><p><strong>GoByOwners</strong> presents </span><a href="http://sale-by-owners.blogspot.com/2009/06/homes-for-sale-by-owner-free-listings.html"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Homes For Sale By Owner - FREE LISTINGS</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> posted at </span><a href="http://sale-by-owners.blogspot.com/"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Sale By Owners</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">. <em>Editor’s note: This video provides advice on how to sell your home without a realtor.</em></span></p><p><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;color:#3366ff;"><strong>Miscellaneous</strong></span></p><p><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><strong>Kakie</strong> presents </span><a href="http://burburandfriendsblog.com/2009/06/05/book-review-raising-cain-protecting-the-emotional-life-of-boys/"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Book Review: Raising Cain: Protecting the Emotional Life of Boys</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> posted at </span><a href="http://burburandfriendsblog.com/"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Bur Bur & Friends: Community Park</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">, saying, "This book explores the state of raising boys in today society and shares how we can give them the tools to assist in their emotional literacy so they can thrive." </span></p><p><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><strong>Kelsey Grace</strong> presents </span><a href="http://www.sympathyplants.org/religion"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Best Sympathy Arrangements by Religion</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> posted at </span><a href="http://www.sympathyplants.org/blog"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Sympathy Plants</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">, saying, "This article talks about the rules for sending flowers and or plants in the event of a funeral and looks at it through the lens of multiple religions. Which religion is accepting of flowers or plants, what kind, and where should they be delivered are covered in this article."<br /><strong>Knitting Needles</strong> presents </span><a href="http://knitting-needles.net/how-to-control-knitting-needles-yarn/"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">How to control knitting needles & yarn</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> posted at </span><a href="http://knitting-needles.net/"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Knitting Needles</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">, saying, "A fantastic article for people interested in getting involved in knitting." </span></p><p><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><strong>Belle</strong> presents </span><a href="http://homesteaderbellesblog.blogspot.com/2009/06/how-to-pasteurize-milk-from-goats-cows.html"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">How to Pasteurize Goat Milk</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> posted at </span><a href="http://homesteaderbellesblog.blogspot.com/"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Homesteaderbelle's Blog</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">. <em>Editor’s note: The author provides step by step instructions on how to pasteurize goat’s milk.</em></span></p><p><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><strong>Joe Dale</strong> presents </span><a href="http://www.accelerated-degree.com/index.php/accelerated-degree-online-fast-college-degree/"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Accelerated College Degrees Online</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> posted at </span><a href="http://www.accelerated-degree.com/"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Online Accelerated Degree Colleges</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">, saying, "Dozens of top accredited colleges are now offering accelerated online degrees to help you earn a college degree at an accelerated pace." </span></p><p><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">That concludes this edition. Submit your blog article to the next edition of the work at home family using our </span><a title="Submit an entry to “the work at home family”" href="http://blogcarnival.com/bc/submit_7190.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">carnival submission form</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">. Past posts and future hosts can be found on our </span><a title="Blog Carnival index for “the work at home family”" href="http://blogcarnival.com/bc/cprof_7190.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">blog carnival index page</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">.<br /></p></span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7493011993031220041.post-799581541170019672009-07-05T17:19:00.007-04:002009-07-05T17:46:17.060-04:00Internet Marketing Basics - Creating a Website<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiidFRJ41gHAbwPngKUu-0J8_ooaPOgBazm-lJSaCor8-_de9IJaDEYqVzCE37i_fDdRXJOw0eGwOhjCeOHqyYDx_cORoN2aTtzsHeyxF5R0N-N76bG94ftxxV2N88NUsHdCpgqTF9m7Go/s1600-h/wahm+with+child+in+home+office.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5355092909708234466" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 132px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiidFRJ41gHAbwPngKUu-0J8_ooaPOgBazm-lJSaCor8-_de9IJaDEYqVzCE37i_fDdRXJOw0eGwOhjCeOHqyYDx_cORoN2aTtzsHeyxF5R0N-N76bG94ftxxV2N88NUsHdCpgqTF9m7Go/s200/wahm+with+child+in+home+office.jpg" border="0" /></a><strong><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;color:#993300;">Internet Marketing Basics Part 2</span></strong><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">In Part 1 of Internet Marketing Basics, I ended by stating that “content was king.” It is your good content that will entice your readers to visit more often, stay on your site longer, request information from you, and ultimately purchase from you.</span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><br />Now that you have created good content and copy, what do you do with it? Hopefully, you have already written some good articles and blog posts. You may even want to take this one step further and create your own website. Of course, once you have created your website, you will need to build traffic for your website. How to build traffic will be the subject of Part 3 of this series. </span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><br /><strong><span style="color:#993300;">Creating Your Own Website</span></strong></span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><br />If you have a big advertising budget, you can certainly pay to have a beautiful website created for you. If you are just getting started, you may prefer to create your own website. In fact, optimizing your site for Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is more important than a glossy website. <br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#993300;">Here are some steps that you can follow to create your own website</span></strong>:<br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> <strong>1. First you will need to choose a good domain name.</strong> A site like </span><a href="http://www.godaddy.com/"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">www.godaddy.com</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> will show you which URLs are available, make suggestions for you, and you can purchase a domain name through them. </span><br /></span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><br /><strong>2. You will also want to choose a website host.</strong> There are a number of good ones available. Be sure to choose a website host with good support. I have gotten good support from </span><a href="http://www.jumpline.com/"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">www.jumpline.com</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">, but there are many others to choose from.</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><br /></span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><br /><strong>3. Select a Website Design Program.</strong> Depending on your level of expertise, you will need a program to build your website. There are some excellent programs that you can purchase such as Microsoft’s FrontPage or Adobe’s Dreamweaver. I was able to purchase a very easy to use WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) website builder for just $49.00 at </span><a href="http://www.sitespinner.com/"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">www.sitespinner.com</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">. </span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><br /></span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><br /><strong>4. Begin creating your website.</strong> Start to create your website. Pay attention to spelling and grammar. Be sure that each website is both readable and attractive to the eye. Include links to your offers and/or affiliate sites but don’t overdo. Check all of your facts for accuracy. You do not want to mislead your prospects. If you have already written articles or blog posts about your business, using this content can give you a quick start into building your website.<br /><br /><strong>5. Set up each page for optimal SEO.</strong> Be sure to use the keywords that you have researched liberally; however, don’t stuff your website with keywords. Remember that your website content must always be readable to keep your potential customers coming back. Be sure to thoroughly proofread your website. If grammar isn’t your area of expertise, ask a friend or family member to proofread your copy. See July 2 post for more information on keyword research. Even more important is selecting a good title for your website. This is what will appear in the blue bar at the top of your website and this is how search engines find you. Be sure to include some keywords in your title. As an example, the actual title appearing in the blue bar of my </span><a href="http://www.workathomemom-dad.com/"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">www.workathomemom-dad.com</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> website is: Business Opportunities, Marketing Tips, and Advertising for Work at Home Moms, Dads, & Grandparents. </span> <span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><br /></span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><br /><strong>6. Be sure that your website is pleasing to the eye.</strong> Do not crowd your website and use an easy to read font. Be sure to leave plenty of “white space” on your website to make your website more readable. Use of graphics and photographs also create an interesting look to your website. When using graphics, be sure to give credit to the photographer or illustrator. For an inexpensive source of licensed photographs, check out </span><a href="http://www.istockphoto.com/"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">www.istockphoto.com</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">. Many of the photos on this blog have come from this source. </span> <span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><br /></span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><br /><strong>7. Make it easy for your readers to contact you.</strong> You will want to make it easy for your readers to contact you. It is a good idea to have a Contact Us page as well as links that lead to either a shopping cart or a source for additional information. To help you build your mailing list, be sure to include a lead capture form on your website. </span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7493011993031220041.post-47429342443850707332009-07-02T05:22:00.011-04:002009-07-02T17:01:19.938-04:00Internet Marketing Basics for Work at Home Moms & Dads<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicIrpv3nEK-aDLX38FVu8qcQFYYD25NQZohBMGVFynxfIhTBbfbbOKJPfAepARBoW3nBrSq04kCAqqT5zTiP4uOj8UOSooL9YYNhFIuAM4DKI5kHYgL9NvD59q8H_Cou-mrkvZrt3I28M/s1600-h/work+at+home+dad+with+daughter+and+file.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5353792780406093890" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 132px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicIrpv3nEK-aDLX38FVu8qcQFYYD25NQZohBMGVFynxfIhTBbfbbOKJPfAepARBoW3nBrSq04kCAqqT5zTiP4uOj8UOSooL9YYNhFIuAM4DKI5kHYgL9NvD59q8H_Cou-mrkvZrt3I28M/s200/work+at+home+dad+with+daughter+and+file.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><strong>Part 1 – An Introduction</strong></span></div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><br /><br /><div><br />Whether you have a brick and mortar store or work out of your home, advertising on the internet will allow you to reach millions of people with your ads. Books and courses have been written on how to use the internet effectively for marketing, and each one of the tips below can be the subject of an article or even a book chapter. What I have attempted to do in this article is to provide you with some basics on getting started with internet marketing. </div><div><br />In my own internet advertising, I have used a combination of methods for getting quick results such as paid advertising, as well as internet marketing that takes longer to gain traffic such as creating my own website. Below are some ideas to help get you started in internet marketing.</div><br /><div><strong>1. Paid Internet Advertising</strong> – Paid internet advertising can take the form of classified ads, text ads, featured ads, and banner and button (square graphic) advertising. Which method you choose will depend on the website that you decide to advertise on, location on the website, and, of course, your budget. The site that you choose to place your ad on should receive good traffic and be preferably on page 1 of Google. The best place for your ad is above the fold i.e. that part of the website that is visible when you first view the website. In general, I like button and banner advertising because graphics easily attract the eye. If you need to create a banner or button, you will find that there are many good banner creators available on the internet. To save money, try a free trial of a banner maker and make the buttons and banners that you need during the free trial period. Some other paid internet advertising methods include advertising on ezines (internet newsletters) and solo mailings.</div><br /><div><strong>2. Start a Blog</strong> – It’s easy to get started with blogging. Blog articles are usually indexed in Google much quicker than websites. I have found that blog posts can become material and content for future articles and websites. It is just as important to use good search engine optimization (SEO) techniques for your blogs as well as your website. I will discuss SEO below. Both </span></div><a href="http://www.wordpress.com/"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">www.wordpress.com</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> and </span><a href="http://www.blogger.com/"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">www.blogger.com</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> provide good blog platforms. Both are favorably ranked by Google. WordPress is known for all of the plug-ins that are available to help your site look its best. On the other hand, I have found the Blogger blogs very easy to set up and have received quick Google ranking for my blog articles. </span><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"></div></span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><div><br /><strong>3. Write Articles</strong> – Writing articles establishes you as an expert. Your articles can help you gain exposure for your product or service. Most article submission services allow you to have a resource box where you can place 2 or 3 links to you websites or blogs. This helps you with search engine optimization. The best article directories are </span></div><a href="http://www.ezinearticles.com/"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">www.ezinearticles.com</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> and </span><a href="http://www.goarticles.com/"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">www.goarticles.com</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">. Articles submitted to these 2 services do get listed on Google. After receiving approval from Ezine Articles or Go Articles, revise and vary your article, and submit to several additional article directories. Some internet marketers use article spinning software. This can be very effective; however, do be careful when using this automated software. Make sure that your finished (spun) article makes sense and reads easily. </span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><div><br /><strong>4. Select your Keywords carefully</strong> - Be sure to find the keywords and keyword phrases that people actually search by. There are many good tools to use when doing keyword research. Just Google “free keyword research tools” and you will find several that you can use for keyword suggestions. You can also type a keyword or keyword phrase into Google and see how many searches actually come up. If there are over 1 million searches, the keyword might be too competitive for you to rank high in the search engines; however, with fewer than 10,000 searches, not too many people will be able to find you. </div><div><br /><strong>5. Create a Good Title</strong> – One of the methods that have helped my website and blogs to achieve good ranking in the search engines has been selecting a good title. Be sure to have some of your selected keywords in your title. Remember that title is more than your domain name. When you sign on to a website or blog, you will notice writing in the blue bar at the top of your website. That is your title. Stuff that with keywords. For example, I was able to achieve #1 in Google for my </span></div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><a href="http://www.healthplansplus.net/">www.healthplansplus.net</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> website for the keyword: “discount health plans.” Although the main title of my domain name and website is “Health Plans Plus,” notice that the title in the blue bar reads: Health Plans Plus – AmeriPlan Discount Affordable Dental and Health plans. </span><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><br /><strong>6. Content is King</strong> – Be sure to write quality content in all of your articles, blogs and websites. People will revisit your site if you provide good content and solutions to their problems. Your advertising message should be subtle, and your focus should be on providing a solution to the reader’s problem. Also remember to proofread for grammar and spelling errors as well as readability. If English is your second language, have someone read and edit your finished work.<br /><br />Part 2 of this internet marketing basics primer will discuss creating your own website and building traffic to your websites and blogs through social networking. For more information on marketing your home based business, visit <a href="http://www.workathomemom-dad.com/">http://www.workathomemom-dad.com/</a>. </span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7493011993031220041.post-6927713977065749322009-06-08T23:25:00.017-04:002009-06-09T00:01:00.787-04:00The Work at Home Family Carnival June 8, 2009<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisnBweQnlvgm2dzTNPMDD1_QIcZ_1n0aVdVxtvgulRKE5X90rGdoPuKgyCQ3cb7zhblK2Z5lj3cCynbKkluWCKCp-5IJqTgEqQw-h7xJN1gtyuSsRPV0uS0498x-OMbN4AvrhdlEcWXMg/s1600-h/Boy+on+carousel.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5345164465123679906" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 132px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisnBweQnlvgm2dzTNPMDD1_QIcZ_1n0aVdVxtvgulRKE5X90rGdoPuKgyCQ3cb7zhblK2Z5lj3cCynbKkluWCKCp-5IJqTgEqQw-h7xJN1gtyuSsRPV0uS0498x-OMbN4AvrhdlEcWXMg/s200/Boy+on+carousel.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><br /><div style="FLOAT: right"><br /><script src="http://blogcarnival.com/bc/logolink_29771.js" type="text/javascript"></script><br /></div><div></div><div></div><div><br /><br /><!-- EDIT THIS: carnival introduction begins with this paragraph: --><br /><p></p><p></p><p></p><p><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="color:#33cc00;"><strong></strong></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="color:#33cc00;"><strong></strong></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="color:#33cc00;"><strong></strong></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="color:#33cc00;"><strong></strong></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="color:#33cc00;"><strong></strong></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="color:#33cc00;"><strong>Welcome to our very first edition of The Work at Home Family Carnival.</strong></span> The purpose of this carnival is to provide moms, dads, and grandparents with resources and information to help manage their busy households and businesses. Some of the topics to be covered include working at home, internet marketing, family management, marketing and advertising tips, and quick and easy recipes. </span></p><p><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">I look forward to the growth of this carnival and your future submissions. To be accepted, all articles must be appropriate to the subject matter of this carnival, have good content, not be spammy, and be family friendly.</span></p><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><p><br /><span style="color:#33cc00;"><strong>Working at Home</strong></span></p><p><strong>Helene Zemel</strong> presents </span><a href="http://workathomemom-dad.blogspot.com/2008/07/finding-great-home-based-business.html"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Finding a Great Home Based Business</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> posted at </span><a href="http://workathomemom-dad.blogspot.com/"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Work at Home Mom and Dad</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">, saying, "Now that you have made the decision to work from home, how do you go about selecting a suitable and profitable home business?" </span></p><p><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><strong>Shawn M. Driscoll</strong> presents </span><a href="http://www.shawndriscoll.com/blog/?p=86"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Stop! Don’t Throw in the Towel Just Yet!</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> posted at </span><a href="http://www.shawndriscoll.com/blog"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Shawn Driscoll</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">. <em>Editor’s note: The author focuses on the importance of having a clear mission, a good business model to follow, a good working environment, and the need to have a plan of action to implement your business.</em> </span></p><p><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><strong>Fiona Lohrenz</strong> presents </span><a href="http://www.childcareonly.com/2009/05/27/guidelines-for-preparing-a-day-care-safety-statement/"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Guidelines For Preparing A Day Care Safety Statement</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> posted at </span><a href="http://www.childcareonly.com/"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Child Care Only</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">. <em>Editor’s note: If you are considering starting a day care or pre-school business, you need to read this important article.</em> </span></p><p><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><strong>Brian McKay</strong> presents </span><a href="http://www.monitorbankrates.com/insurance/business-insurance-basics-4477"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Business Insurance Basics</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> posted at </span><a href="http://www.monitorbankrates.com/"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">MonitorBankRates.com</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">, saying, "Whether you’re a business owner, a risk manager or an executive, have a large or small business or employ five people or 500, purchasing the right insurance coverage is essential to your business plan." </span></p><p><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><strong>Ruoall Chapman</strong> presents </span><a href="http://make-online-beats.com/everything-you-need-to-know-about-how-to-make-online-beats"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Everything you need to know about how to Make Online Beats</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> posted at </span><a href="http://make-online-beats.com/"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Make Online Beats</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">. <em>Editor’s note: The author provides good information for those interested in the music industry. </em></span></p><p><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><strong>Patti Blevins</strong> presents </span><a href="http://pblevins.wordpress.com/2009/05/22/are-you-driving-your-life-blindfolded"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Are You Driving Your Life Blindfolded?</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> posted at </span><a href="http://pblevins.wordpress.com/"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Patti Blevins</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">, saying, "Believe In Yourself and Enjoy Life!" </span></p><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><p><br /><strong>nissim ziv</strong> presents </span><a href="http://www.2n-business.com/how-to-start-ebay-business-from-scratch.html"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">How to start eBay business from scratch</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> posted at </span><a href="http://www.2n-business.com/"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">eBay Business Guide</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">. <em>Editor’s note: If you are thinking of starting an Ebay business, you will find this step-by-step guide very helpful.</em> </span></p><p><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><strong>Catherine VanWetter</strong> presents </span><a href="http://totheheartofthematter.com/blog/53-inward-journey/70-the-myth-of-busyness.html"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">To the Heart of the Matter - The Myth of Busyness</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> posted at </span><a href="http://totheheartofthematter.com/blog"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">To The Heart of the Matter</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">, saying, "Have you ever wondered who you are if you are not busy? Busy taking care of other people, busy working, busy doing “stuff”? In everyday life, how does one step off of the “dread mill” of busyness? Are you present?" </span></p><p><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><strong>Sarah Scrafford</strong> presents </span><a href="http://www.onlinecollege.org/2009/05/26/100-terrific-productivity-tools-for-the-bored-or-unemployed/"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">100 Terrific Productivity Tools for the Bored or Unemployed</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> posted at </span><a href="http://www.onlinecollege.org/"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Online College.org</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">, saying, “These 100 tools will help you get busy doing just about anything from organizing your DVD collection to planning your potential future, giving you no excuse to be bored or unemployed for long.” </span></p><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><p><br /><span style="color:#33cc00;"><strong>Internet Marketing</strong></span></p><p><strong>nissim ziv</strong> presents </span><a href="http://www.2n-business.com/best-ebay-business-ideas-for-home-based-business.html"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Best EBay business ideas for home based business</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> posted at </span><a href="http://www.2n-business.com/"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">eBay Business Guide</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">. Editor’s note: The author provides 7 helpful tips and ideas for making money selling on Ebay. </span></p><p><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><strong>Jim DeSantis</strong> presents </span><a href="http://www-jdanswers.blogspot.com/2009/05/how-to-get-low-cost-products-to-sell-at.html"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">How To Get Low Cost Products To Sell At Fair Prices On Ebay!</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> posted at </span><a href="http://www-jdanswers.blogspot.com/"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Work At Home Programs Reviewed</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">, saying, "If you have been selling products on eBay, you know how difficult it is to find products cheaply enough to sell for a fair profit these days. You may not have considered several good sources right under your nose in your own hometown. But, the question is: Which promise the least amount of hassle for the most profit? Let's consider the most popular sources." </span></p><p><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><strong>Diego Cervantes</strong> presents </span><a href="http://www.readb.org/articles/2009/the-ultimate-guide-to-web-marketing-for-real-estate-agents-50-free-resources/"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">the Ultimate Guide to Web Marketing for Real Estate Agents</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> posted at </span><a href="http://www.readb.org/articles"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Real Estate Agent Database Blog</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">. Editor’s note: You will find some excellent sources in this blog post for marketing your real estate business. The author has also included some web sources that are helpful for all businesses including article marketing and social media.</span></p><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><p><br /><span style="color:#33cc00;"><strong>Quick and Easy Recipes</strong></span></p><p><strong>Helene Zemel</strong> presents </span><a href="http://healthplansplus.blogspot.com/2008/01/my-tomato-rarebit-reciipe-good-source.html"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">My Tomato Rarebit Recipe A Good Source of Lycopene</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> posted at </span><a href="http://healthplansplus.blogspot.com/"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Health Plans Plus</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">, saying, "Here is a very simple but tasty recipe that has been in my father’s family for many years and is a good source of vitamins A, C, K and lycopene. It is also very quick and easy to make for busy parents who work at home as well an inexpensive, budget lunch." </span></p><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><p><br /><span style="color:#33cc00;"><strong>Family Management</strong></span></p><p><strong>Jacquelyn</strong> presents </span><a href="http://wparent.com/financial-concerns/"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Financial Concerns For a Stay-At-Home Parent</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> posted at </span><a href="http://wparent.com/"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">WParent.com - Wise Parenting Guide</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">, saying, "This article gives suggestions on how to make the transition to a one-income household when one parent decides to stay at home." </span></p><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><p><strong>Jack Schmidt</strong> presents </span><a href="http://jackschmidt.bravejournal.com/entry/32619"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Health Insurance Can Improve Your Love Life</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> posted at </span><a href="http://jackschmidt.bravejournal.com/"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">SectorMatic Money Journal</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">, saying, "Personal Finance - Everything for the Big Spender on a Budget. Now you can live like a fat cat, even if you're on a money diet. Laugh all the way to the bank with Jack Schmidt and SectorMatic. It's for you!" Editor’s note: A humorous look at a serious subject. </span></p><p><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><strong>Nancy Miller</strong> presents </span><a href="http://constructionmanagementdegree.org/?page_id=113"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Top 100 Blogs for DIY Home Improvement</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> posted at </span><a href="http://constructionmanagementdegree.org/"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Construction Management Degrees</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">, saying, Hiring a contractor can be expensive. With monthly bills climbing and income shrinking, the “do it yourself” movement has gained momentum. Below are the best 100 blogs for home improvement that provide inspiration, design ideas, advice, and much more from those just starting out or those that have a lifetime of experience.”</span></p><p><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">That concludes this edition. Submit your blog article to the next edition of the work at home family using our </span><a title="Submit an entry to “the work at home family”" href="http://blogcarnival.com/bc/submit_7190.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">carnival submission form</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">. Past posts and future hosts can be found on our </span><a title="Blog Carnival index for “the work at home family”" href="http://blogcarnival.com/bc/cprof_7190.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">blog carnival index page</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">.</span></p><p><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Technorati tags: </span><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/the+work+at+home+family"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">the work at home family</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">, </span><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/blog+carnival"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">blog carnival</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">.<br /></p></span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7493011993031220041.post-29712583728317264402009-05-18T03:57:00.005-04:002009-05-18T05:16:43.894-04:00Introducing The Work at Home Family Carnival<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8apySJnNcXU3KaS2eSCJyT0wIpRWgr8vB4zl1maBl6Y5a85h9dKbQt9G7UfLuYgOE5Fty_AEkYttpxogQWgkzc2Xw-9hq6HEadJO7mVmzCJmYs8B5waMa0wOdB_G2dzaNQNKLkq5MadM/s1600-h/Boy+on+carousel.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5337073795790894946" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 132px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8apySJnNcXU3KaS2eSCJyT0wIpRWgr8vB4zl1maBl6Y5a85h9dKbQt9G7UfLuYgOE5Fty_AEkYttpxogQWgkzc2Xw-9hq6HEadJO7mVmzCJmYs8B5waMa0wOdB_G2dzaNQNKLkq5MadM/s200/Boy+on+carousel.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Due to the success of the Take Charge of Your Health Care Carnival which appears monthly on my </span><a href="http://www.healthplansplus.blogspot.com/"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Health Plans Plus Blog</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">, I have decided to publish a new blog carnival on this blog: The Work at Home Family Carnival. </span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"></span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">This carnival is for busy moms and dads who work from home and manage a family at the same time. Accepted articles should focus on business solutions and tips for moms, dads, and grandparents who work at home as well as suggestions for managing a busy household while working from home. All articles must have good content, and no more than 2 articles will be accepted per author. </span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"></span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">I am looking for blog posts in the following areas: working from home, internet marketing, marketing and advertising tips, quick and easy recipes, family management. I promise to promote the carnival to gain traffic for your posts. </span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"></span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">To submit an article to the carnival, visit </span><a href="http://www.blogcarnival.com/"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">www.blogcarnival.com</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> and look for The Work at Home Family Carnival under business or </span><a href="http://blogcarnival.com/bc/submit_7190.html"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">click here</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">. I look forward to reading your submissions. </span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7493011993031220041.post-90084964988787916292009-03-03T05:17:00.000-05:002009-03-04T02:29:06.066-05:00Despite the Weak Economy, Sales of Nutritional Supplements are Up<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVFRymgjC1hM_53JvKtf66CRDuXVRySY3UjXLnkiI6kG_Ty-ge0Hfj08n4uol_gz1b9yU8_L1PfFVpJcv59qB-y0XGATdrGwwM13IS_dHXqszYhcVmlP6zKv6AXT0lyLwW_mx4venfUuo/s1600-h/Bowl+of+Berries.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5308905651464470370" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 192px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVFRymgjC1hM_53JvKtf66CRDuXVRySY3UjXLnkiI6kG_Ty-ge0Hfj08n4uol_gz1b9yU8_L1PfFVpJcv59qB-y0XGATdrGwwM13IS_dHXqszYhcVmlP6zKv6AXT0lyLwW_mx4venfUuo/s200/Bowl+of+Berries.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><p><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Since the start of the economic recession, we read every day how retail sales are down for almost every product category including cars, restaurant meals, clothing, jewelry, and movies and entertainment. Despite the gloomy economic picture, there is one bright light. Sales of nutritional supplements have been increasing. According to the Nutrition Business Journal: “Dietary supplements appear to be bucking the negative sales trend in the United States, according to the most recent sales data from Nielsen Co. For the 52 weeks ending December 27, 2008, vitamin and other supplement sales were up 5.9% to $3.8 billion in food, drug and mass merchandiser stores, Nielsen reports.” </span></p><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><br /><p align="center"><br /><strong><span style="color:#33cc00;">Biggest Growth Seen in Specialty Nutritional Products</span></strong></p><br /><p>Much of the growth was seen in the specialty nutritional supplement market, for example supplements targeted to specific conditions or specialty juices such as acai, mangosteen, and Goji. <strong><em>GeneWize is the ultimate specialty supplement. The GeneWize supplement is custom made just for you, based on a DNA assessment.</em></strong> No two customer’s supplement formulas are exactly alike. In fact, there are over 177,000 possible ingredient combinations in the GeneWize product.</p><br /><p><strong>GeneWize will save you money too!</strong> If you were to go out and buy the natural ingredients in the GeneWize formula, it would cost you hundreds of dollars per month, yet the GeneWize supplement is available for approximately $3.00 per day. Antioxidants such as bilberry, green and white tea, blueberry extract, resveratrol, lycopene, pomegranate, alpha lipoic acid, and broccoli are important ingredients in the GeneWize supplement as well as Vitamins C, E, and selenium. The damage to the body that free radicals can cause is well documented. Scientific research has documented that antioxidants can destroy these free radicals in the bloodstream, so having a supplement high in ORAC value (a measure of antioxidant strength) will help prevent this damage. The supplement also includes Goji fruit, Mangosteen, and Acai extract. AC-11, folic acid, and various B vitamins have been scientifically proven to repair DNA damage and are also part of the GeneWize product. Your customized product may well contain over 65 ingredients specially formulated to your DNA assessment. For more information on the GeneWize product visit: </span></p><a href="http://www.yourbetterhealth.dnawellnesssolutions.com/"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">www.yourbetterhealth.dnawellnesssolutions.com</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">.</span><br /><p align="center"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;color:#33cc00;"><strong>Receive Your Supplements for Free</strong></span></p><br /><p><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Not only is the GeneWize LifeMap Nutrition affordably priced, but you have the opportunity to receive your product for free. Customers receive a discount for each person that they refer on auto ship. If they refer 4 customers on auto shipment, they pay no more for their product. As we like to say at GeneWize: “Enroll 4 and Pay No More.” For affiliates who wish to join our growing company, just refer 4 customers and/or affiliates on auto shipment, and your product is free as well.</span></p><br /><p><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Paul Zane Pilzer, economic advisor to 4 U.S. presidents, predicted 10 years ago that the first company to provide fully customizable nutrition according to each person's DNA would be the BIGGEST Company to hit the industry. <strong><em>The opportunity is right now with GeneWize Life Sciences. </em></strong>GeneWize is a member of the Direct Selling Association and the Women's Direct Selling Alliance. </span></p><br /><p><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">If you are interested in starting a home based business in the growing health and wellness industry, visit </span><a href="http://www.yourbetterhealth.genefreedomtours.com/"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">www.yourbetterhealth.genefreedomtours.com</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> for detailed information on our product and opportunity.<br /></span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7493011993031220041.post-42929919874126132262009-02-14T02:47:00.000-05:002009-02-14T02:58:42.814-05:00Free Work at Home 101 course from CWAHM<table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="5" width="100%" bgcolor="#ffffff" border="1"><tbody><tr><td><div align="center"><p><a href="http://101.cwahm.com/"><img src="http://www.cwahm.com/pics2009/logo09c.gif" border="0" /></a></p><p><strong><span style="color:#ff0099;">CWAHM.com Announces</span></strong> <span style="color:#ff0099;"><strong><em>Work At Home 101<br /></em></strong></span><strong>A FREE online 3 week course designed to give moms a work-at-home starting place.</strong></p><p align="left">Most people are curious about working from home. We know others do it, but aren't sure <em>how</em> they do it. </p><p align="left">CWAHM.com's<strong><em> Work at Home 101</em></strong> is designed to give you an overview of the choices available that will allow you to work from home. This online course will give you the starting place you've been searching for.</p><p align="left"><strong><span style="color:#ff0099;">Best of all - it's completely free! <a href="http://101.cwahm.com/">CLICK HERE!</a></span></strong></p><p align="left">Some of the things covered during <strong><em>Work at Home 101</em></strong>:</p><p align="left"><span style="color:#ff0099;"><strong>*</strong></span> Where to Start <span style="color:#ff0099;"><strong><br />*</strong></span> Telecommuting <span style="color:#ff0099;"><strong><br />*</strong></span> Home-Based Businesses <span style="color:#ff0099;"><strong><br />*</strong></span> Avoiding Scams <span style="color:#ff0099;"><strong><br />*</strong></span> Entrepreneur Tips <span style="color:#ff0099;"><strong><br />*</strong><em>AND MUCH MORE!</em></span></p><p align="left"><span style="color:#ff0099;"><strong>To My Readers: CWAHM is one of the top ranked Work at Home sites on Google. Jill has been helping people find legitimate work at home opportunities through her CWAHM.COM and CWAHD.COM sites for years. She has personally helped me with my advertising, and I know that this course will provide you with excellent information on starting a successful home based business.</strong></span></p><p align="left"><em><span style="color:#ff0099;"></span></em> </p><p><a href="http://101.cwahm.com/"><img height="104" src="http://www.cwahm.com/pics2009/pinky-button2.jpg" width="267" border="0" /></a></p></div></td><br /></tr></tbody></table>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7493011993031220041.post-39869307914749199832009-01-11T04:00:00.000-05:002009-01-11T04:18:53.050-05:0012 Tips for Effective Phone Presentations<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6PvyCJSke3iYe1Ame4eJ9GYv7HxVg1r_EnBbQSo3BfkRFn2X_ZskqWXb2sGogXKjsLv9H5BpnDUvdeDWvEwyS22Ew0vEnwORfR2lti_-ejMJNvvZidJpoRU_YrTmdyyYgUKdBwdmxuwc/s1600-h/busymom.bmp"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5289962420646652402" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 100px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 100px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6PvyCJSke3iYe1Ame4eJ9GYv7HxVg1r_EnBbQSo3BfkRFn2X_ZskqWXb2sGogXKjsLv9H5BpnDUvdeDWvEwyS22Ew0vEnwORfR2lti_-ejMJNvvZidJpoRU_YrTmdyyYgUKdBwdmxuwc/s320/busymom.bmp" border="0" /></a><br /><br />You’ve done your marketing and now have leads to work with. Most likely you have snail mailed or e-mailed your client or customer additional information describing your product or service. You might have even sent your prospect a sequence of e-mails through an autoresponder. At some point in the marketing process, you must pick up the phone and actually talk with the customer. People new to telemarketing or direct marketing often feel like the phone weighs a thousand pounds, but with the right techniques, you can become confident and successful on the phone. Remember that with your phone call, you can do what is so essential to the network marketing process—build a relationship.<br /><br /><strong>Here are some tips that you can follow for effective phone presentations:</strong><br /><br /><ol><li><strong>Good Quality Leads.</strong> Be sure to start with good quality leads. When working with leads purchased from a lead company, get the best quality leads available. The best purchased leads will be phone verified or surveyed and exclusive to you. It is even better if you can purchase leads that have seen an overview of your specific opportunity. The adage that “you get what you pay for” is especially true of leads. Get the best quality leads that you can afford.</li><br /><li><strong>Self Generated Leads.</strong> Most network marketers find that the leads that they generate through their own advertising and marketing efforts are the best. When people see an ad that you have written and posted yourself, they are usually eager for the information that you have to offer and welcome your call. When people are truly ready to buy your product or join you opportunity, you won’t even have to sell them. </li><br /><li><strong>Have a Good Marketing Plan.</strong> Beginning network marketers often complain that they are having trouble signing people up, but they have invested little time and money on advertising and marketing. Building a successful business, be it an internet marketing business, a service, a product, or brick and mortar store starts with a good marketing plan. See my blog post: <a href="http://workathomemom-dad.blogspot.com/2008/06/formulating-marketing-plan-for-your-at.html">http://workathomemom-dad.blogspot.com/2008/06/formulating-marketing-plan-for-your-at.html</a></li><br /><li><strong>Show excitement and enthusiasm about your product or opportunity. </strong>Start with a product, service, or opportunity that you truly believe in. What is unique about the product, service or opportunity? Be enthusiastic when you describe these unique features, and your client will feel your enthusiasm. </li><br /><li><strong>Choose a good script and rehearse it.</strong> Do some role playing with your mentor, enroller, or even a close friend. Rehearsing your phone presentation will give you the confidence that you need for an effective presentation.</li><br /><li><strong>Your presentation should flow and sound natural.</strong> Know your script well enough to not sound like you are reading it. The best presentation will sound natural and not forced. Basically I do my presentation extemporaneously. I work with a 6 step outline on a 4 x 6 card which I use just to make sure I don’t forget any important points.</li><br /><li><strong>Build a relationship.</strong> Begin to build a relationship with your client, customer, or future team member. People will buy from or sign up with someone that they can trust and relate to. Type out notes so you can remember that their child was sick or that they have an upcoming birthday or event, etc. You can ask your prospect about it in a subsequent call. Building relationships is the essence of network marketing.</li><br /><li><strong>Be a good listener. </strong>Try to address the customer’s needs. Explain how your product will solve a problem that he or she may have. If you are in a competitive market, you can compare your product with a competitor’s product to show why your product or service can best meet the customer’s need, but do not be overly harsh or critical of another product. This will have a negative effect on your ability to close the sale. </li><br /><li><strong>Listen for signs that you are ready to close.</strong> Avoid a hard sell. People will buy your product or service or join your opportunity when they are truly ready. There are subtle ways of asking for the close. After my presentation, I will ask if the prospect has any questions. If I feel that they are really interested, I might ask them if they are ready to get started. If they are not ready, I always set a date and time for a follow up call.</li><br /><br /><li><strong>Do have a good follow up system.</strong> Do not be discouraged if you do not close on your first presentation. It has been said that it takes at least 7 marketing exposures to close the deal. That is why good follow up techniques are so important. For more information on follow up see my blog post at: <a href="http://workathomemom-dad.blogspot.com/2008/07/importance-of-good-follow-up-techniques.html">http://workathomemom-dad.blogspot.com/2008/07/importance-of-good-follow-up-techniques.html</a></li><br /><br /><li><strong>Post Sales Follow Up. </strong>Post sales follow up is very important but often neglected. A buyer may have cognitive dissonance about what they have just purchased or signed up for. Cognitive dissonance can be definite as the “second thoughts” that buyers sometimes get after completing a purchase. Did they make the right selection? Can they really be successful with this opportunity? Be sure to send post sales literature. An after sale follow up phone call will certainly be appreciated. If the prospect will be joining your opportunity, be sure to provide him or her with adequate training. Keep your holiday list of customers and teammates up to date. </li><br /><li><strong>Ask for referrals.</strong> Referrals are your best source for enthusiastic customers.</li></ol>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7493011993031220041.post-54987662483562750612008-12-24T03:26:00.000-05:002008-12-31T00:07:26.340-05:00Ground Floor Opportunity with GeneWize Life Sciences<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhePDHEsOVzF6UK0P2vhLv5fe2r34OHtOy_ldH5rBpMib_hEngJh6kpaawYHB5uYW9Foqi1v-x7ger4i-ssN9dlk5TZN4QtxKNzXo4m_kuR_syRH9plbFAuEuCEoEEKIyQvEnp5adiJnaQ/s1600-h/DNA+Scientists+Working.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5283271784516379010" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 134px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhePDHEsOVzF6UK0P2vhLv5fe2r34OHtOy_ldH5rBpMib_hEngJh6kpaawYHB5uYW9Foqi1v-x7ger4i-ssN9dlk5TZN4QtxKNzXo4m_kuR_syRH9plbFAuEuCEoEEKIyQvEnp5adiJnaQ/s200/DNA+Scientists+Working.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><p><span style="font-family:verdana;">I recently joined an innovative company that has been in the news. The name of the company is <a href="http://yourbetterhealth.genefreedom.com/">GeneWize Life Sciences</a>, a subsidiary of Gene Link, a 14 year old publicly traded company. The GeneWize LifeMap Nutrition™ System is the first scientifically supported nutritional supplement program that utilizes YOUR DNA to create a custom nutritional supplement formula that contains the nutrients your body really needs. The LifeMap nutrition is formulated just for you based on an analysis of your specific DNA.<br /><br /><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Here's What Healthcare Professionals and the Media are Saying....</span></strong></span></p><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">"…A tremendous advancement in nutritional sciences"</span><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">" If there is such a thing as High-Def nutrition, this is it.”"…Look out folks, there's a new player in town...with real science" </span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span><br /><br /><p><span style="font-family:verdana;">“ There is a major buzz around nutritional genomics…a sea change is underway.”</span></p><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">“…Good News in our DNA: Defects You Can Fix With Vitamins and Minerals."</span><br /><br /><br /><p></p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqfzMzBlwF8aqrtAz7N6G1pUUgQkxhqBL2vg-h_8IcQqtdjqbcmazvO6srpZQRQHGzaIeEr5CVvs-d_04cuwK1Ris5EOhPFRoxz_avoOes13O_N9zevWQtmoeC7qjnszYrYAkpH5-6Gmk/s1600-h/Genewize_news_logos.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5283273121865109490" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 45px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqfzMzBlwF8aqrtAz7N6G1pUUgQkxhqBL2vg-h_8IcQqtdjqbcmazvO6srpZQRQHGzaIeEr5CVvs-d_04cuwK1Ris5EOhPFRoxz_avoOes13O_N9zevWQtmoeC7qjnszYrYAkpH5-6Gmk/s320/Genewize_news_logos.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><p><span style="font-family:verdana;">After hearing the Fox News report on scientific studies showing that customized nutritional supplements can fix DNA flaws, I jumped aboard this opportunity. <a href="http://yourbetterhealth.genefreedom.com/">GeneWize</a> is attracting some of the leading internet marketers in the field, and you will have the opportunity to work with 6 and 7 figure earners in the growing health and wellness industry.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;"><strong>For more information visit my website at:<br /></strong><br /><a title="http://yourbetterhealth.genefreedom.com/" href="http://yourbetterhealth.genefreedom.com/">http://yourbetterhealth.genefreedom.com</a></span></p><br /><br /><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7493011993031220041.post-62027432792625018812008-12-04T04:39:00.000-05:002008-12-06T00:50:03.030-05:00The Importance of Your "Why"<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ1gUWmOf5HvRvtsCT8MGey9wNC5eTSUQMRWUEVT9-lY1mabHszPJ1jXhCr9la89sXtMn08Pcmfl8rVsTY1MdrDFdiAI9_soOG_qaO_NlIZdWW7VBYi23K1tZlnWhO8OkIobg4tnZnyxc/s1600-h/families.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5275868449469418738" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 160px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ1gUWmOf5HvRvtsCT8MGey9wNC5eTSUQMRWUEVT9-lY1mabHszPJ1jXhCr9la89sXtMn08Pcmfl8rVsTY1MdrDFdiAI9_soOG_qaO_NlIZdWW7VBYi23K1tZlnWhO8OkIobg4tnZnyxc/s200/families.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><span style="font-family:verdana;">One of the first things that the leaders of the company that I represent tell new Independent Business Owners to do is to write out their “Why? What are their reasons for wanting to go through the trials and tribulations of starting a home based business.</span></div><span style="font-family:verdana;"><br /><div><br />Starting a brand new business can be difficult and even frustrating. In order to stay focused through all of the difficulties of getting a new business off the ground floor, you need to understand why you chose to go into this new business in the first place. Any new business will fail if your “why” or reason for going into this business is not that strong. Having a strong purpose for your business will give you the drive and determination that you need to be successful.</div><br /><div><br />As an exercise, find a quiet place and take out a pen and a notebook. Write out your main reason for wanting to start your new business. What do you want to accomplish with this new business? Who will be your customers? How will this product or service help or benefit them? How will you and your family benefit from this business? </div><br /><div><br />After you write out your primary reason for starting your new business, write 3 or more additional ways that you will benefit by having started this new venture. Type or write out this reason and review it from time to time. Even post your “Why” where you can see it every day. If your “why” is strong enough, you will have the necessary resiliency to succeed.</div><br /><div><br />Here are some reasons why many people start their own homebased business:</div><br /><div><br /><ol><li>The ability to spend more time with children and family members. For many people this is reason number 1.</li><br /><li>Earn additional income to help with family expenses.</li><br /><li>Replace a full time job that is no longer satisfying.</li><br /><li>The ability to have true financial freedom, to work when you want to work, to be able to travel and see the world, own your dream home, not have to worry about paying the bills or mortgage, send your children to the college of their choice, etc.</li><br /><li>The challenge of being your own boss. Being able to run the business the way you think it ought to be run. Following your own time table. The ability to be creative and appreciated.</li><br /><li>Not having to face the rush hour or work that 9 to 5 routine. As a New Yorker, I certainly don’t miss the railroad or the subways, and driving into Manhattan can be a nightmare.</li><br /><li>While there are some great forward thinking and considerate bosses out there, in some cases people have had to put up with verbally abusive bosses and even sexual harassment. When you start your own business, this is a thing of the past.</li><br /><li>The ability to bring needed goods and services to others. For example, as a Senior Regional Sales Director for AmeriPlan, I have the satisfaction of knowing that I am bringing affordable dental and medical benefits to people that truly need them. I market these dental and medical benefits through my website: <a href="http://www.healthplansplus.net/"><span style="font-family:verdana;">www.healthplansplus.net</span></a>.<div></ol><ol><span style="font-family:verdana;"></ol></div></span><ol></ol></div><p>For some ideas for starting your own home based businesses see my website at: <a href="http://www.workathomemom-dad.com/"><span style="font-family:verdana;">www.workathomemom-dad.com</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;"> and read some of the other posts in this blog. </span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7493011993031220041.post-81908777670758992892008-09-01T05:22:00.000-04:002008-09-01T05:55:52.977-04:00Get Started for $25 with the AmeriPlan Opportunity<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii-DCE4NO1ZCBb4vB4ajib_05Sz7HVm3perJphyFPkiRJ0d73IOnHVNkSn3cuuBn6PLxcqYNJUbsfhbLEamZS_mDLioJTX5oLEw358wQJGcyPZFKBt67QnQsHRDZUg7zIs7_Kv4IJaNu4/s1600-h/family+with+dog+on+lawn.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5240985912637271426" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii-DCE4NO1ZCBb4vB4ajib_05Sz7HVm3perJphyFPkiRJ0d73IOnHVNkSn3cuuBn6PLxcqYNJUbsfhbLEamZS_mDLioJTX5oLEw358wQJGcyPZFKBt67QnQsHRDZUg7zIs7_Kv4IJaNu4/s200/family+with+dog+on+lawn.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><ul><br /><li>Have you ever dreamed of a career in the healthcare field?</li><br /><br /><li>Have you ever dreamed of being in business for yourself?</li><br /><br /><li>Have you ever dreamed of firing your boss some day?</li><br /><br /><li>Have you dreamed of having the financial freedom to do the things that you want and spend more time with your family?</li><br /><br /><li>Have you dreamed of being able to earn a lifetime of residual income from the comfort of your own home?</li></ul><br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#ff6600;">What if you could do all of this for just a $25 start-up fee?</span></strong><br /><br />I have some really great news for you! During our September Spectacular, you can start your AmeriPlan business for just a $25.00 startup fee. This is a $70.00 savings from our regular startup cost of $95.00. This promotion begins on August 29, 2008 and ends September 30th, 2008 at 5:00 p.m. Central Time. This is an excellent opportunity to try a new business and see if it is right for you with minimal financial risk. Visit my website at: <a href="http://www.bestnewhomebiz.com/">http://www.bestnewhomebiz.com/</a> to find out more about the AmeriPlan opportunity.<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#ff6600;">What You Will Be Doing?</span></strong><br /><br />As we are all aware, there is a growing healthcare crisis in the United States. There are over 47 million Americans with no health insurance at all, and even more Americans are underinsured. Insurance companies hold the reins and will cancel you if your expenses are too high. They can even refuse to insure you if you have a pre-existing condition. Even more people have no dental insurance. It is estimated that 7 out of 10 Americans do not have a dental plan. Of the 30% of Americans who do have dental insurance, most plans are inadequate and have serious limits on coverage. People need dental and health insurance policies, yet the high price puts this protection out of the reach of many Americans.<br /><br /><strong>Discount health plans</strong> can provide individuals and families with a low cost and effective alternative to expensive medical and dental insurance coverage. At AmeriPlan, we have 4 great affordable plans to choose from. Prices range from just $14.95 to $59.95 per month and provide you with important benefits for your family. These plans include:<br /><br /><br /><br /><ol><br /><li><strong>Dental Plus</strong> – Save up to 80% on all dental services. Our plan includes discounts on prescriptions, vision care, and chiropractic treatment. Savings are available on cosmetic dentistry, dental implants, orthodontia, and LASIK eye surgery.</li><br /><br /><li><strong>Basic Health</strong> – Discounts on doctor visits, lab tests, imaging studies, hospital advocacy, hearing aids, diabetic supplies, a 24 hour Nurseline, and much more.</li><br /><br /><li><strong>Total Health</strong> – Includes everything in both the Dental Plus and Basic Health programs.</li><br /><br /><li><strong>Total Health Plus</strong> – This is our complete package. It includes everything in the Dental Plus and Basic Health programs plus the AmeriPlan Auto Club, the AmeriPlan Identity Theft Assistance program, and AmeriPlan Legal Services.</li></ol><br />As an AmeriPlan Independent Business Owner, you will be signing up members in our affordable medical and dental plans and helping families save money on their benefits and healthcare. To learn more about our discount health plans visit: <a href="http://www.healthplansplus.net/">http://www.healthplansplus.net/</a>. You will also have the opportunity to introduce other people interested in a homebased business to the AmeriPlan Business Opportunity.<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#ff6600;">About this opportunity </span></strong><br /><br />As a new Independent Business Owner, you will receive the Dental Plus plan for your entire family. This plan will help you save up to 80% on dental, vision, prescription and chiropractic services. You will also receive additional benefits including an Accidental Death and Dismemberment policy, membership in various discount programs, direct deposit, and a 401K plan. You will also receive 5 professionally designed websites, a computerized back office, full training and staff support, and a broker's kit containing brochures, DVDs, and application forms to help you make those sales. In addition you will receive two $25 certificates redeemable in our sales aids store for additional sales tools and supplies. I will personally mentor you to make sure that you get your business off to a great start.<br /><br />AmeriPlan has been in business for 16 years and is a member in good standing of the Consumer Health Alliance, the National Association of Dental Plans, National Association of Health Underwriters, the Direct Selling Association, and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Well-known companies such as Lenscrafters, Pearle Vision, J C Penney, Sears, CVS, Walgreens, and Rite-Aid are vision and prescription providers for AmeriPlan. In addition, we have extensive networks of doctors and dentists throughout the United States.<br /><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;"><strong>Earn True Residual Income</strong></span><br /><br />With AmeriPlan, you have the opportunity to earn true residual income. In other words, you can keep getting paid on work that you did months or even years ago. Because our plans are so affordable and save people significant money on medical and dental care, our members keep our plans for years. Each time one of your medical or dental plan members makes a payment to AmeriPlan, you will receive commission.<br /><br /><a href="http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=jx4vbjcab.0.0.nm4frtbab.0&ts=S0313&p=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.freedomathometeam.com%2Fworkathome&id=preview" target="_blank">Visit our website for more information about the company</a><br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#ff6600;">Great Time to Become an AmeriPlan Broker</span></strong><br /><br />What a time to get started with AmeriPlan. Not only will you be able to start your own AmeriPlan business for just a $25.00 start-up fee, but you will also be able to sign up new Independent Business Owners for your team for just a $25.00 start-up fee. In fact, the sooner you get started, the more new brokers you will be able to sign up and the more you will earn. Remember that the promotion ends September 30th, 2008 at 5:00 p.m. Central Time.<br /><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;"><strong>Get Started Today</strong></span><br /><br />For more information on the Ameriplan business opportunity visit my website at: <a href="http://www.freedomathometeam.com/workathome">www.freedomathometeam.com/workathome</a>. Please do not hesitate to contact me toll free at (800) 635-3394. You can also self enroll at: <a href="http://www.iboplus.com/hlz">www.iboplus.com/hlz</a>.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7493011993031220041.post-4807433968628546592008-08-24T05:15:00.000-04:002008-08-25T02:16:20.742-04:0010 Reasons Why People Fail at Network Marketing<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqDvX7Ls_5YBOlh9WS2WQX_O3GsWLXk0tZC8GxhVrZE4ZQshag9XiO-Q58J3VwSSoiH2-G067AaOF8_nVEK6zUTqjNlLU7uPhcoazEttotAC1TGb4fLDCQgMGyiEj3hKacT3XltKumGNY/s1600-h/work+at+home+dad+with+daughter+and+file.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5238017297291130786" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqDvX7Ls_5YBOlh9WS2WQX_O3GsWLXk0tZC8GxhVrZE4ZQshag9XiO-Q58J3VwSSoiH2-G067AaOF8_nVEK6zUTqjNlLU7uPhcoazEttotAC1TGb4fLDCQgMGyiEj3hKacT3XltKumGNY/s200/work+at+home+dad+with+daughter+and+file.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><br /><br /><div><span style="font-family:verdana;">It seems like a reasonable enough task. Just start a homebased business and success will come your way. Unfortunately 95% of all homebased businesses fail in their first year. In fact many people don’t make it past their first 3 months in a network marketing or MLM businesses. Yet, many people go on to become successful and make much more money than they would have in a traditional business.</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"><br /><strong>Here are 10 reason why people fail in network marketing or MLM businesses:</strong><br /><ol><br /><br /><br /><li><strong>Don’t have a good marketing plan</strong> – Many people fail at homebased businesses because they fail to do their planning. To be successful in your own business, you must take the time to create a sound marketing plan. For more information visit my blog post entitled: <a href="http://workathomemom-dad.blogspot.com/2008/06/formulating-marketing-plan-for-your-at.html">Formulating a Marketing Plan for your At Home Business.</a></li><br /><br /><br /><br /><li><strong>Don’t treat your homebased business as a real business</strong> – As a Senior Regional Sales Director at AmeriPlan, I have come across many people who want to do the business but only treat it as a hobby. Remember that this is a real business. Treat it like one.</li><br /><br /><br /><br /><li><strong>Don’t invest the necessary time and money to make the business work</strong> – There is no successful business that did not take a lot of hard work and an investment of money to make it work. I have seen too many of my business builders not spend sufficient time and not even make a minimal investment in some advertising or leads. Advertising does work, and you must drive traffic to your business whether it is a storefront, party plan, or internet based business.</li><br /><br /><br /><br /><li><strong>Don’t stay in it for the long run</strong> – Every business takes time to build. There is definitely a learning curve involved. Your business skills will get better over time. Also, it takes time to build traffic. People have to learn about your business. Imagine if you shut down your store or quit your MLM business just before you found a really great salesperson or business builder.</li><br /><br /><br /><br /><li><strong>Don’t focus on the product or service</strong> – Remember that your main responsibility is to sell the product or service. Building a team is great and can lead to substantial income as you grow your team. However, building a team takes time, and the money you make selling the product or service can create income for you while you wait for your team to build.</li><br /><br /><br /><br /><li><strong>Don’t follow up with your clients and prospects</strong> – To quote a familiar saying: “The fortune is in the follow up.” Every good advertising executive knows that it takes a number of exposures to your ad before a client or customer will buy. For effective follow up techniques, see my blog post: <a href="http://workathomemom-dad.blogspot.com/2008/07/importance-of-good-follow-up-techniques.html">The Importance of Good Follow Up Techniques with Prospective Clients and Customers.</a></li><br /><br /><br /><br /><li><strong>Don’t know how to get people to contact you</strong> – This is sometimes called <em>attraction marketing</em> and there has been much written about it. Rather than you cold calling prospects, you will be much more effective if you utilize marketing methods where people seek you out because of the information, products, or services that you have. I will have more to say about this in an upcoming blog post.</li><br /><br /><br /><br /><li><strong>Don’t test different marketing strategies</strong> – To use another cliché: "Don’t put all of your eggs in one basket.” Try a variety of different marketing strategies. Keep careful statistics on results. Stay with the marketing strategies that work and discard those that don’t work.</li><br /><br /><br /><br /><li><strong>Don’t invest in continuing education</strong> – Learn all that you can about your business. If you are with a reputable direct sales or MLM company, the company has most likely invested extensively in the training of associates and independent business owners. It does not come as a surprise, that those individuals that attend training calls and classes and come to company events tend to do better than those that don’t.</li><br /><br /><br /><br /><li><strong>Don’t spend enough time around positive, but do spend time around the negative people in your life</strong> – There are many people who just have a negative attitude. They will tell you that you can’t succeed at your homebased business. Sometimes these people can even be close friends and family members. Don’t let them steal your dreams! Be sure to always stay focused on your “Why” for starting the business whether it is to earn extra money, have flexible hours, or be home for your family.</li></ol><br /><br />For more tips on running a successful home business, visit </span><a href="http://www.workathomemom-dad.com/"><span style="font-family:verdana;">www.workathomemom-dad.com</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;">. </span><br /></span></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7493011993031220041.post-88282421477420736782008-07-29T03:08:00.000-04:002008-08-24T04:32:31.519-04:00The Importance of Good Follow Up Techniques with Prospective Clients and Customers<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4gEUVC-6gf6JJ8u3VBi72KD9Aw0ASKs-0HoovbENyf0ApOttxtgvC4rt89Ajr3j7BZjcBe-0DimY-iwaKNGVqYP-M1kaswbBk2VhYfMVSib3Zh6HeeOg8DuWPaSYVYIxcP80aujKwj7c/s1600-h/busymom.bmp"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5228331859861732018" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4gEUVC-6gf6JJ8u3VBi72KD9Aw0ASKs-0HoovbENyf0ApOttxtgvC4rt89Ajr3j7BZjcBe-0DimY-iwaKNGVqYP-M1kaswbBk2VhYfMVSib3Zh6HeeOg8DuWPaSYVYIxcP80aujKwj7c/s200/busymom.bmp" border="0" /></a><br /><div><span style="font-family:verdana;">In both my career as an insurance agent and my present career as a Senior Regional Sales Director for AmeriPlan, a discount medical and dental benefits company, I have always been quite aware of the importance of following up with prospects and clients. As any good advertising professional will tell you, it takes a number of exposures to your marketing or advertising to make that sale no matter which industry you are in.</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"><br />While we have all experienced those customers who are ready to buy as soon as we finish our presentation, and some clients will even buy directly from your website without even calling your 800 number or requesting more information via e-mail, chances are that these customers have already done their homework, have a need that your product, service or opportunity satisfies, and are ready to buy when they come across your advertising or website. There is always the impulse buyer too, but in my experience they are the first to return the product or only use your service for a short period of time.<br /><br />For most sales, people will want to think about it. Sometimes the timing is just not right. Perhaps they have some extra bills to pay, their life is too hectic at the moment, or there is even a family crisis going on. Your prospects may be ready in the future to make the purchase, but if you don’t keep your advertising in front of prospective customers, you will lose them as future customers when they are ready to try your product, service or opportunity.<br /><br />Here are some tips for following up with your prospects:<br /><br /></div></span><ol><br /><li>Keep an accurate and up to date database of all your customers and prospects. You can even subdivide your database into various categories e.g. age group, income level, type of product purchased, etc.</li><br /><br /><li>Set up a system of drip mails or repeat promotional announcements to send to your prospects and customers. Do this in a tasteful and subtle way. Send a drip mail or announcement frequently enough to keep your name in front of the potential customer but not so often that your messages are annoying.</li><br /><br /><li>I make it a point to follow up until the prospect unsubscribes from my list or tells me they are no longer interested. </li><br /><br /><li>Purchase an auto responder. I use Constant Contact for my drip mailings and newsletters. You can easily create beautiful promotional mailings, announcements, and newsletters with this program. Be sure to use only opt-in leads with Constant Contact otherwise purchase a more general type of auto responder.</li><br /><br /><li>Have promotions from time to time. It is not surprising that people will make that purchase when the price is right.</li><br /><br /><li>An informative, content rich newsletter makes a good follow up piece to send out. Your prospect will appreciate the timely information and good content.</li><br /><br /><li><span style="font-family:verdana;">Remember to send out holiday cards, not just at Christmas and New Years, but for other important holidays as well.</span></li></ol><span style="font-family:verdana;"><p></span><span style="font-family:verdana;">For more marketing tips and ideas check out my website at: </span><a href="http://www.workathomemom-dad.com/"><span style="font-family:verdana;">http://www.workathomemom-dad.com/</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;">.<br /></span></p></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7493011993031220041.post-17204374909022764622008-07-14T01:51:00.000-04:002008-07-14T02:16:05.810-04:00Finding a Great Home Based Business<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgunB_tJ4eA7_KwNzgikxWr08Py7qKvG8Ei_w_R1nEAghvp6f7WQAGtD8nE0DOHshmBQ_JkOrkGXODrff9J43WSIVp1h81ZG1o-CsP6oGsuuFIV2UP1oI300XTqqmrGCXO_T5XADBHMuYc/s1600-h/j0284938.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5222745724956232418" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgunB_tJ4eA7_KwNzgikxWr08Py7qKvG8Ei_w_R1nEAghvp6f7WQAGtD8nE0DOHshmBQ_JkOrkGXODrff9J43WSIVp1h81ZG1o-CsP6oGsuuFIV2UP1oI300XTqqmrGCXO_T5XADBHMuYc/s200/j0284938.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><br /><br /><div><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">There are many reasons to make the decision to work from home. For many parents, it is the desire to spend more time with children and family. Even if you have the best quality child care available, there is no substitution for the love and care that you can provide as a parent. It is so rewarding to watch your child take those first few steps, speak those first words, and later on to be able to attend school events. For other people it is the flexibility of being in charge of your own schedule and earnings. For people with disabilities, the opportunity to work from home can allow you to be able to earn a living without the hindrance of commuting to a work place. And with today’s high gasoline prices, working from home makes more and more sense with the money that you will save by not having to commute. </span></div><span style="font-family:verdana;"><div><br />Now that you have made the decision to work from home, how do you go about selecting a suitable and profitable home business? Here are some suggestions: </div><div><br />1) <strong>Telecommuting</strong> – You might already be working for a company and like your job. There are many jobs that can be done just as well from home such as bookkeeping and accounting, data entry, advertising, editing, and many others. Discuss with your manager the feasibility of being able to work from home for all or part of the work week. </div><div><br />2) <strong>Special knowledge and expertise</strong> – If you have special knowledge, experience, or talent, put this to work for you as you start a home based business. For example teachers can start a tutoring service. People talented and skilled in music, art or theater can give lessons out of their home or even start a small school or studio. If you are skilled in market research, accounting, advertising, human resources, website design, computer programming, or other business related areas, consider becoming a free lance consultant or starting your own advertising, accounting, internet marketing, or other business service. </div><div><br />3) <strong>Choose a service or product you are passionate about</strong> – When choosing a totally new business, be sure to choose something that you are truly passionate about. If you are passionate about ecology, choose a product or products that benefit the environment. As a Senior Regional Sales Director for AmeriPlan, the discount dental and medical benefits company, some of my best team members are those that are very passionate about wanting to help people save money on their health care. </div><div><br />4) <strong>Hobbies</strong> – If you have hobbies like making jewelry, sewing, writing, and various crafts, consider turning these into businesses. </div><div><br />5) <strong>Work at Home Jobs</strong> – While there are many legitimate work at home jobs, do investigate them thoroughly before signing up. Generally, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Beware of such schemes as envelope stuffing, mailing letters, and assembling products. In some cases they are just trying to get your money for the purchase of a kit, and then there is no real work behind this. From my own experience, filling out surveys is time consuming, and most turn out to be just contests. Filling out surveys is very unlikely to pay your bills. </div><div><br />As with any important decision, be sure to do your research when selecting a home based business. Read as much as you can about the company, and speak to people who have been successful in similar businesses. If you will be working for or representing a company, be sure to qualify this company. How long has the company been in business? What credentials does the company have? Are they members of any professional or industrial associations? In addition, learn all that you can about their products and services. </span></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7493011993031220041.post-74894628893839068342008-07-04T03:09:00.000-04:002008-07-04T04:33:18.933-04:00Successful Flea Markets and Outdoor Shows<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYMYsdS3DRgtaD9aek91Lz-miVyQP7clW2XxHobdLFGCc89_EMCY8IKSrmJA65QDG8lgFr7XWiFsDaMwidMX29xABGaN4DzYG5kigC57TJvLqXHqEF2JQCPac1iyFZvpiBF7SrH_ipMmg/s1600-h/dad+on+floor+with+computer+and+kids.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5219074083540289122" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYMYsdS3DRgtaD9aek91Lz-miVyQP7clW2XxHobdLFGCc89_EMCY8IKSrmJA65QDG8lgFr7XWiFsDaMwidMX29xABGaN4DzYG5kigC57TJvLqXHqEF2JQCPac1iyFZvpiBF7SrH_ipMmg/s200/dad+on+floor+with+computer+and+kids.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><span style="font-family:verdana;">Whether you are selling a product or service, exhibiting at a flea market or outdoor show can bring some extra sales revenue. If you are lucky enough to live in an area like Florida or Southern California, you can do this all year long. For those of us who don’t, take advantage of these nice weather months and see what exhibiting at a flea market or outdoor show can do for your business.</span></div><br /><br /><div><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">Even if you do your business from a brick and mortar storefront or sell your product through the internet or by having parties, exhibiting at a flea market can bring in some additional sales. Even if you sell a service, exhibiting at a flea market is a great way to meet prospective customers and get leads. For those of you who are just getting started in direct sales, you will find that interested prospects will actually walk up to you to request information about your product or service. If you do this on a weekly basis, it actually gives you an inexpensive storefront. </span></div><br /><br /><div><br /><strong><span style="font-family:verdana;">Here are some guidelines for a successful flea market or outdoor show:</span></strong></div><br /><br /><div><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"><strong>1. Make your flea market stall as attractive as possible.</strong> You can use a holiday or seasonal theme to draw people over. Cover your table with a bright colored table cloth and invest in a banner displaying your company name and logo.</span></div><br /><br /><div><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"><strong>2.</strong> <strong>Invest in some large readable signs.</strong> Make sure that they are easy to read from a distance and weatherproof. You can use an easel to display your sign, but make sure that it is weighted down so that it doesn’t blow away. If you are offering great prices or deals, let people know about this through your signs.</span></div><span style="font-family:verdana;"><br /><br /><div><br /><strong>3. Do have a canopy</strong> for sun and weather protection. Both you and your prospective customers will appreciate it. A canopy also adds to the look of your display.</div><br /><br /><div><br /><strong>4. Give attention to how you display your products.</strong> If you sell a product, an attractively arranged display will bring over customers. Bring some of your more popular items for sale, and have catalogs available so that customers can easily order your products. Be sure to have catalogs and literature that the prospective customer can take home.</div><br /><br /><div><br /><strong>5. Set up an attractive display of your brochures.</strong> If you provide a service, have plenty of information available for customers to read. Display your brochures in nice holders and arrange them attractively on your table or counter. Also, have your business card available.</div><br /><br /><div><br /><strong>6. Have a system for capturing leads.</strong> Have lead sheets or cards available for your prospects and customers to fill in. Offer a free gift or DVD when they fill out the card. You can also have a drawing for a prize to help gather leads. If you do hold a drawing, be sure to award the prize to someone visiting that day. Your good reputation is very important.</div><br /><br /><div><br /><strong>7. Bring a portable DVD player.</strong> Playing a DVD about your product, service, or opportunity will attract prospects and customers to your table or booth.</div><br /><br /><div><br /><strong>8. Follow up on all your leads.</strong> As they say, “the fortune is in the follow up.” Make it a point to follow up on all leads and you will be successful.</div><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><div>For more marketing tips check out <a href="http://www.workathomemom-dad.com/">http://www.workathomemom-dad.com/</a>. Good luck on your flea market or outdoor show.<br /></span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7493011993031220041.post-79209891241609260472008-06-23T05:44:00.000-04:002008-06-23T06:07:10.578-04:00Formulating a Marketing Plan for your At Home Business<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgK57NZ57cGXG5QWClRSXT1Zg7AXjuzt08mgIpOrhMdco46DFWN4d8Z8lSbork7224ORRoGS4YkKk4CtjNJyruRaze2p5FXc_grbejyf_IocY3WyIwxB2PcoFc8hWqsud3m1_HqbVHcOI/s1600-h/husband+and+wife+2.bmp"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5215011873901523442" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgK57NZ57cGXG5QWClRSXT1Zg7AXjuzt08mgIpOrhMdco46DFWN4d8Z8lSbork7224ORRoGS4YkKk4CtjNJyruRaze2p5FXc_grbejyf_IocY3WyIwxB2PcoFc8hWqsud3m1_HqbVHcOI/s200/husband+and+wife+2.bmp" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">As a Senior Regional Sales Director at AmeriPlan, a discount dental and medical benefits company, one of my main responsibilities is to see that my new Independent Business Owners get off to a good start. Whether you have a brick and mortar store, an online store or business, have purchased a franchise, own a business creating crafts and handmade items, or your business is an MLM or network marketing company, it is important to create a marketing plan. This marketing plan should be fluid and dynamic, and you should update it with some regularity.<br /><br />Here are some steps that you can follow to create a successful marketing plan.<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#33cc00;">1) Learn all you can about your new business.</span></strong> Read all you can about the business and talk to people who have been successful in the industry. If you are with a network marketing company, attend meetings and work closely with your enroller. Review all company literature. Franchise businesses usually have very specific training for their franchisees.<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#33cc00;">2) Do some brainstorming and free association.</span></strong> Put down as many ideas that you can think up for marketing your new business. Do not censor any ideas. Think of all the ways that you can advertise or promote your business and do this over the course of several days. Even write down some wish list marketing ideas. In other words, if I had an extra $500 or $1000 or even more to spend on marketing, how would I use it for advertising and promotion? </span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"><br /><strong><span style="color:#33cc00;">3) Research all of the marketing ideas that you wrote down in step 2.</span></strong> Locate various advertising sources and find out how much each will cost. For example with magazine advertising, you will want to determine not only the price for various types of ads, but what is the circulation? What are the demographics for that magazine (income level, age of reader, interests and hobbies of the reader, etc.)? In other words, whom does this magazine target? Are your competitors in that magazine? Also speak to people who might have done this type of advertising before.<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#33cc00;">4) Choose your best ideas and come up with a marketing plan. </span></strong>Review your list of marketing ideas and select the 4 or 5 best ideas. (It is always good to have more than one type of marketing or advertising going on at one time. I am a strong believer in not putting “all of my eggs in one basket.” By participating in a number of different marketing activities, your odds of being successful will definitely increase. The ideas that you select become your marketing plan. Write this plan up and keep it in a safe place.<br /><br /><span style="color:#33cc00;"><strong>5) Develop your marketing ideas.</strong></span> For each of the ideas that you have selected, write down a course of action to implement each activity. For example, if you are planning to purchase some leads. Your course of action might include the following:<br /><br />- Research various lead companies<br />- Compare prices<br />- Seek testimonials from people who have used this lead service.<br />- Purchase the leads<br />- What methods will you use to contact these leads?<br />- Set up a schedule for mailing and calling the leads.<br /><br /><span style="color:#33cc00;"><strong>6) Keep notes and statistics on results.</strong></span> This is one of the most important things for you to do. Always keep careful notes on all of the ads and promotional activities that you do. It is best to set up tracking codes, so that you can track which ads are getting the most response. Don’t make too large an advertising purchase until you have sampled this marketing technique and know that it will get you the results that you want.<br /><br /><span style="color:#33cc00;"><strong>7) Visit your marketing plans from time to time.</strong></span> Make changes as necessary. As I mentioned above, the marketing plan should be fluid and dynamic and adjust to changes in your business. Check each marketing technique for effectiveness. Add some new activities from time to time, and discard any activities that are ineffective.<br /><br />Be sure to visit </span><a href="http://www.workathomemom-dad.com/"><span style="font-family:verdana;">www.workathomemom-dad.com</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;"> for some more tips and ideas for work at home moms, dads, and grandparents.<br /><br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7493011993031220041.post-57277143258786585742008-06-18T05:48:00.000-04:002008-06-21T04:16:43.453-04:00Welcome to Work at Home Mom & Dad<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEwP7GWZ0eBPf0tilgUEtCSmXiLhrd0usWzXnlYIi13XuSyr8SwF0NDWnkhl3yC4nNOYHB4MmfBo5GPu6P7apVhVIC6q3TBSE-yEFEjLQiNQ5_3z6OqFyE7lEMZ1pDU277saQPCa_fo-c/s1600-h/husband+and+wife+at+computer+and+phone.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5213431204830426770" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEwP7GWZ0eBPf0tilgUEtCSmXiLhrd0usWzXnlYIi13XuSyr8SwF0NDWnkhl3yC4nNOYHB4MmfBo5GPu6P7apVhVIC6q3TBSE-yEFEjLQiNQ5_3z6OqFyE7lEMZ1pDU277saQPCa_fo-c/s200/husband+and+wife+at+computer+and+phone.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div>I am a Senior Regional Sales Director with AmeriPlan, a 16 year old discount medical and dental benefits company. I am also a piano teacher with my own homebased music studio. I have enjoyed having the freedom to earn a living while working at home, and hope to share some of my experiences with my readers.</div><br /><br /><br /><div>This blog is a companion to my website <a href="http://www.workathomemom-dad.com/">http://www.workathomemom-dad.com/</a>. This website is designed for work at home moms, dads, and grandparents and has information on marketing, work at home opportunities, and homeschooling while working at home. Inexpensive button and banner ads can be purchased on this website as well.</div><br /><br /><br /><div>I hope to post articles that will help you in choosing a homebased business, marketing your new business, website management and blogging, time management, family health, fast and easy nutritious recipes, and even homeschooling advice for those homebased business owners that also homeschool their children.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2