The Work at Home Family Carnival July 18, 2009

Welcome to the July 18, 2009 edition of the work at home family.

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.

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that is not a true blog, does not have useful information and good content, and is primarily an advertisement will not be published.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.

Internet Marketing

Helene Zemel presents Internet Marketing Basics for Work at Home Moms & Dads posted at Work at Home Mom and Dad, 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."

Kim Roach presents Hidden Traffic Sources posted at BuzzBlogger.com. Editor’s note: The author shares some great traffic building tips. I plan to try some of these.

Silicon Valley Blogger presents Start an Online Business: Open an eBay Store, Build a Website or Blog posted at The Digerati Life. Editor’s note: The author presents some sound advice on starting your own online business.

Robert Alan presents 7 Website Design Flaws to Avoid posted at Sell It on the Web, 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."

Missy Diaz presents 7 Elements Of A Successful Website posted at G34 Media. Editor's note: The author presents some good tips for website planning and design with an emphasis on WordPress.

barry walls presents Is Article Marketing The Optimal Way to Maximum Profits from Content for Newbies? posted at Strategic Outsourcers, 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?”

Christian Russell presents 3 Simple, Killer Steps to Improve Traffic and Monetize Your Blog or Website posted at Next Level Blogger. Editor’s note: Some good information is presented here. The author suggests 3 Simple, Killer Steps to Improve Traffic and Monetize Your Site.

Christian Russell presents Use a Sales Funnel to Blow Up Your Blogging and Internet Marketing Sales posted at Next Level Blogger, saying, “The good news is that by developing a well-designed sales funnel, you will be able to truly maximize sales on your site.” Editor’s note: More good content from this author.

Barbra Sundquist presents How to Set Up an Aweber Autoresponder posted at HomeBusinessWiz. Editor’s note: The author provides step by step instructions on how to work with the AWeber autoresponder.

Andy Loverock presents Free Search Engine optimization Tips posted at Work At Home Opportunities, 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.”

Robert Alan presents Features of Effective Shopping Cart Platforms posted at Sell It on the Web, 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."

Simon Stapleton presents Does Facebook Flunk Your Performance Review? posted at ACE Your Performance Review, 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."

Joanne Collins presents The Google Story posted at Jo's Reviews And Ad Space. Editor’s note: The author reviews 2 books which should be of interest to internet marketers.

Brian Terry presents How to make your subscribers love you posted at Big Selling Website Design, 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.”

alland smith presents Options for Memory Card Packaging posted at Memory Card Packaging's Blog, 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.”

Marketing and Advertising Tips

Ken McArthur presents If You Want to Be Noticed, It Matters Who Hears You posted at Ken McArthur's Impact Factor, 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.”

Tushar Mathur presents Whats The Best Way To Get The Word Out About Your Small Business - Word Of Mouth Or Social Media? posted at Small Business Resource, 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." Editor’s note: Good discussion on the merits of Twitter, Facebook and Linked In.

GP presents Home Grown Hospitality « Musings from Montana posted at Manely Montana. Editor’s note: Some good marketing tips for the small business owner, especially in the hospitality industry. Tasty veggie omelet recipe presented as well.

Singing Steve Bermann presents How to Be Successful With Google Adwords Pay Per Click Marketing posted at Click-Here-Now.To. Editor's note: The author presents some good tips for running a successful Google Adwords campaign.

Chris McClelland presents Marketing Minute with Jennifer: The Marketing Mix and Q posted at Lucrative Investing. 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.

Kevin Blaikie presents HOW TO - THE SECRETS OF INTERNET AND ONLINE MARKETING - WarriorForum - Internet Marketing Forums posted at jokijio. Editor’s note: The Warrior Forum is always good place for checking out internet marketing strategies and techniques.

Fiona Lohrenz presents Formulating A Day Care Mission Statement posted at Child Care Only, saying, “You're starting a day care 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.”

brian young presents How Retail Security Should Keep Your Business Safe posted at Retail Security Products. Editor's note: The author presents good information on security for your small business.

deborah davis presents The Challenge of Keeping Your Store Hand-Held Products Secure posted at Anti theft security systems. Editor’s note: Good information on security systems for the retail store owner.

Working at Home

Helene Zemel presents Despite the Weak Economy, Sales of Nutritional Supplements are Up posted at Work at Home Mom and Dad, 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."

RemarkablyClever presents 10 REAL work at home jobs you didn’t know about (and they’re hiring now) posted at remarkably clever, 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." Editor’s note: This is a great resource for finding some good work at home opportunities that pay well.

Billeater presents Incorporate as an LLC, S-Corp or C-Corp posted at Billeater. 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.

Simon Stapleton presents Freelancers: How To Increase Your Rates, Annually posted at Career & Personal Development for CIOs, Technical Professionals and Self-Professed Geeks, 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?"

apply4-credit presents The Benefits of a Business Credit Card Still Ring True posted at Apply4-Credit, 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.”

Shamelle presents How To Re-focus When You Lose Focus posted at Enhance Life. Editor’s note. This is a must read if you need help in staying focused in your home based business.

Andy Loverock presents Low Cost Business Ideas From Home posted at Work At Home Opportunities, 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."

Lilycat presents Magical Gift Company (Crafting Work at Home) posted at JOBB...SOS!!. 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.

Robert Alan presents Can You Build A Solid Virtual Team? posted at Sell It on the Web, saying, "Tips and advice on how to build a virtual team for your home-based business."

Jacquelyn presents Moneymaking Ideas for You posted at WParent.com - Wise Parenting Guide, 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."

Alisha Harmann presents The Healthy Living Guide for Web Workers: 50+ Resources posted at Nursing Online Degree, 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.”

Meaghan Montrose presents 7 Mistakes to Avoid When Starting Your Home Business posted at Colleen Palat. Editor’s note: 7 good tips to help you get your business started.

Kevin Blaikie presents Make money working from the comfort of your own home! posted at How To Make money working from the comfort of your own home!, 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?”

Linda Jones presents 50 Useful Firefox Add-Ons for Job Seekers posted at JobProfiles.org - Job Descriptions and Online Schools to Start Your Career. Editor’s note: These Firefox add-ons will prove useful.

Martin Russell presents “Conspiracy of the Rich”- A Review posted at Word of Mouth Marketing. Editor’s note: An excellent review of this latest book by the author of “Rich Dad, Poor Dad.”

Family Economic and Time Management

The Smarter Wallet presents Why Work At Home? Top Reasons For Staying Home To Work posted at The Smarter Wallet. Editor’s note: This article discusses both the financial and personal costs of working outside o the home.

Chris McClelland presents Beware of Shifty Credit Related Phone Calls posted at Lucrative Investing, 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.”

Leave Debt Behind presents What is the Envelope Budget Method posted at Leave Debt Behind, 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.”

Jack Schmidt presents Got Big Feet? You'll Just Have to Pay the Man! posted at SectorMatic Money Journal, 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!" Editor’s note: Despite the title, the author provides some good information on home refinancing.

Ben presents Discover Credit Cards in Cereal Boxes posted at Money Smart Life, 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!”

Kerry Fletcher presents City or suburbs posted at Houston Interior Decorating Examiner, 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.”

GoByOwners presents How To Write Ads That Will Sell Your FSBO Home posted at Sale By OwnersSale By Owners, 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.”

GoByOwners presents Homes For Sale By Owner - FREE LISTINGS posted at Sale By Owners. Editor’s note: This video provides advice on how to sell your home without a realtor.

Miscellaneous

Kakie presents Book Review: Raising Cain: Protecting the Emotional Life of Boys posted at Bur Bur & Friends: Community Park, 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."

Kelsey Grace presents Best Sympathy Arrangements by Religion posted at Sympathy Plants, 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."
Knitting Needles presents How to control knitting needles & yarn posted at Knitting Needles, saying, "A fantastic article for people interested in getting involved in knitting."

Belle presents How to Pasteurize Goat Milk posted at Homesteaderbelle's Blog. Editor’s note: The author provides step by step instructions on how to pasteurize goat’s milk.

Joe Dale presents Accelerated College Degrees Online posted at Online Accelerated Degree Colleges, saying, "Dozens of top accredited colleges are now offering accelerated online degrees to help you earn a college degree at an accelerated pace."

That concludes this edition. Submit your blog article to the next edition of the work at home family using our carnival submission form. Past posts and future hosts can be found on our blog carnival index page.

Internet Marketing Basics - Creating a Website

Internet Marketing Basics Part 2

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.

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.

Creating Your Own Website

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.

Here are some steps that you can follow to create your own website:

1. First you will need to choose a good domain name. A site like www.godaddy.com will show you which URLs are available, make suggestions for you, and you can purchase a domain name through them.

2. You will also want to choose a website host. There are a number of good ones available. Be sure to choose a website host with good support. I have gotten good support from www.jumpline.com, but there are many others to choose from.

3. Select a Website Design Program. 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 www.sitespinner.com.

4. Begin creating your website. 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.

5. Set up each page for optimal SEO. 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 www.workathomemom-dad.com website is: Business Opportunities, Marketing Tips, and Advertising for Work at Home Moms, Dads, & Grandparents.

6. Be sure that your website is pleasing to the eye. 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 www.istockphoto.com. Many of the photos on this blog have come from this source.

7. Make it easy for your readers to contact you. 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.

Internet Marketing Basics for Work at Home Moms & Dads

Part 1 – An Introduction

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.

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.

1. Paid Internet Advertising – 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.

2. Start a Blog – 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

www.wordpress.com and www.blogger.com 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.

3. Write Articles – 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

www.ezinearticles.com and www.goarticles.com. 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.

4. Select your Keywords carefully - 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.

5. Create a Good Title – 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

www.healthplansplus.net 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.

6. Content is King – 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.

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 http://www.workathomemom-dad.com/.

The Work at Home Family Carnival June 8, 2009

Welcome to our very first edition of The Work at Home Family Carnival. 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.

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.

Working at Home

Helene Zemel presents Finding a Great Home Based Business posted at Work at Home Mom and Dad, saying, "Now that you have made the decision to work from home, how do you go about selecting a suitable and profitable home business?"

Shawn M. Driscoll presents Stop! Don’t Throw in the Towel Just Yet! posted at Shawn Driscoll. 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.

Fiona Lohrenz presents Guidelines For Preparing A Day Care Safety Statement posted at Child Care Only. Editor’s note: If you are considering starting a day care or pre-school business, you need to read this important article.

Brian McKay presents Business Insurance Basics posted at MonitorBankRates.com, 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."

Ruoall Chapman presents Everything you need to know about how to Make Online Beats posted at Make Online Beats. Editor’s note: The author provides good information for those interested in the music industry.

Patti Blevins presents Are You Driving Your Life Blindfolded? posted at Patti Blevins, saying, "Believe In Yourself and Enjoy Life!"

nissim ziv presents How to start eBay business from scratch posted at eBay Business Guide. Editor’s note: If you are thinking of starting an Ebay business, you will find this step-by-step guide very helpful.

Catherine VanWetter presents To the Heart of the Matter - The Myth of Busyness posted at To The Heart of the Matter, 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?"

Sarah Scrafford presents 100 Terrific Productivity Tools for the Bored or Unemployed posted at Online College.org, 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.”

Internet Marketing

nissim ziv presents Best EBay business ideas for home based business posted at eBay Business Guide. Editor’s note: The author provides 7 helpful tips and ideas for making money selling on Ebay.

Jim DeSantis presents How To Get Low Cost Products To Sell At Fair Prices On Ebay! posted at Work At Home Programs Reviewed, 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."

Diego Cervantes presents the Ultimate Guide to Web Marketing for Real Estate Agents posted at Real Estate Agent Database Blog. 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.

Quick and Easy Recipes

Helene Zemel presents My Tomato Rarebit Recipe A Good Source of Lycopene posted at Health Plans Plus, 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."

Family Management

Jacquelyn presents Financial Concerns For a Stay-At-Home Parent posted at WParent.com - Wise Parenting Guide, saying, "This article gives suggestions on how to make the transition to a one-income household when one parent decides to stay at home."

Jack Schmidt presents Health Insurance Can Improve Your Love Life posted at SectorMatic Money Journal, 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.

Nancy Miller presents Top 100 Blogs for DIY Home Improvement posted at Construction Management Degrees, 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.”

That concludes this edition. Submit your blog article to the next edition of the work at home family using our carnival submission form. Past posts and future hosts can be found on our blog carnival index page.

Technorati tags: the work at home family, blog carnival.

Despite the Weak Economy, Sales of Nutritional Supplements are Up

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.”

Biggest Growth Seen in Specialty Nutritional Products

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. GeneWize is the ultimate specialty supplement. The GeneWize supplement is custom made just for you, based on a DNA assessment. No two customer’s supplement formulas are exactly alike. In fact, there are over 177,000 possible ingredient combinations in the GeneWize product.

GeneWize will save you money too! 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:

www.yourbetterhealth.dnawellnesssolutions.com.

Receive Your Supplements for Free

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.

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. The opportunity is right now with GeneWize Life Sciences. GeneWize is a member of the Direct Selling Association and the Women's Direct Selling Alliance.

If you are interested in starting a home based business in the growing health and wellness industry, visit www.yourbetterhealth.genefreedomtours.com for detailed information on our product and opportunity.

Free Work at Home 101 course from CWAHM

CWAHM.com Announces Work At Home 101 A FREE online 3 week course designed to give moms a work-at-home starting place. Most people are curious about working from home. We know others do it, but aren't sure how they do it. CWAHM.com's Work at Home 101 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. Best of all - it's completely free! CLICK HERE! Some of the things covered during Work at Home 101: * Where to Start * Telecommuting * Home-Based Businesses * Avoiding Scams * Entrepreneur Tips *AND MUCH MORE! 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.

12 Tips for Effective Phone Presentations

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.

Here are some tips that you can follow for effective phone presentations:

1. Good Quality Leads. 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.


2. Self Generated Leads. 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.


3. Have a Good Marketing Plan. 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: http://workathomemom-dad.blogspot.com/2008/06/formulating-marketing-plan-for-your-at.html


4. Show excitement and enthusiasm about your product or opportunity. 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.


5. Choose a good script and rehearse it. 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.


6. Your presentation should flow and sound natural. 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.


7. Build a relationship. 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.


8. Be a good listener. 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.


9. Listen for signs that you are ready to close. 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.



10. Do have a good follow up system. 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: http://workathomemom-dad.blogspot.com/2008/07/importance-of-good-follow-up-techniques.html



11. Post Sales Follow Up. 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.


12. Ask for referrals. Referrals are your best source for enthusiastic customers.

Ground Floor Opportunity with GeneWize Life Sciences

I recently joined an innovative company that has been in the news. The name of the company is GeneWize Life Sciences, 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.

Here's What Healthcare Professionals and the Media are Saying....

"…A tremendous advancement in nutritional sciences"



" 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"

“ There is a major buzz around nutritional genomics…a sea change is underway.”

“…Good News in our DNA: Defects You Can Fix With Vitamins and Minerals."

After hearing the Fox News report on scientific studies showing that customized nutritional supplements can fix DNA flaws, I jumped aboard this opportunity. GeneWize 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.

For more information visit my website at:

http://yourbetterhealth.genefreedom.com

The Importance of Your "Why"

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.

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.

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?

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.

Here are some reasons why many people start their own homebased business:

1. The ability to spend more time with children and family members. For many people this is reason number 1.


2. Earn additional income to help with family expenses.


3. Replace a full time job that is no longer satisfying.


4. 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.


5. 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.


6. 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.


7. 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.


8. 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: www.healthplansplus.net.

Get Started for $25 with the AmeriPlan Opportunity

• Have you ever dreamed of a career in the healthcare field?



• Have you ever dreamed of being in business for yourself?



• Have you ever dreamed of firing your boss some day?



• Have you dreamed of having the financial freedom to do the things that you want and spend more time with your family?



• Have you dreamed of being able to earn a lifetime of residual income from the comfort of your own home?

What if you could do all of this for just a $25 start-up fee?

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: http://www.bestnewhomebiz.com/ to find out more about the AmeriPlan opportunity.

What You Will Be Doing?

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.

Discount health plans 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:

1. Dental Plus – 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.



2. Basic Health – Discounts on doctor visits, lab tests, imaging studies, hospital advocacy, hearing aids, diabetic supplies, a 24 hour Nurseline, and much more.



3. Total Health – Includes everything in both the Dental Plus and Basic Health programs.



4. Total Health Plus – 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.

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: http://www.healthplansplus.net/. You will also have the opportunity to introduce other people interested in a homebased business to the AmeriPlan Business Opportunity.

About this opportunity

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.

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.

Earn True Residual Income

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.

Visit our website for more information about the company

Great Time to Become an AmeriPlan Broker

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.

Get Started Today

For more information on the Ameriplan business opportunity visit my website at: www.freedomathometeam.com/workathome. Please do not hesitate to contact me toll free at (800) 635-3394. You can also self enroll at: www.iboplus.com/hlz.

10 Reasons Why People Fail at Network Marketing

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.

Here are 10 reason why people fail in network marketing or MLM businesses:

1. Don’t have a good marketing plan – 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: Formulating a Marketing Plan for your At Home Business.





2. Don’t treat your homebased business as a real business – 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.





3. Don’t invest the necessary time and money to make the business work – 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.





4. Don’t stay in it for the long run – 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.





5. Don’t focus on the product or service – 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.





6. Don’t follow up with your clients and prospects – 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: The Importance of Good Follow Up Techniques with Prospective Clients and Customers.





7. Don’t know how to get people to contact you – This is sometimes called attraction marketing 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.





8. Don’t test different marketing strategies – 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.





9. Don’t invest in continuing education – 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.





10. Don’t spend enough time around positive, but do spend time around the negative people in your life – 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.

For more tips on running a successful home business, visit www.workathomemom-dad.com.