Smart Moms ~ Smart Business

Moving The Blog

2007-06-22T15:50:00.000-07:00

We will no longer be posting on the this blog. We will however, be adding business topics and focusing on making our 4 Fab Moms blog the best it can be! So, please continue to visit us at 4 Fab Moms!

Tuesday's Efficiency Tip

2007-06-19T10:01:00.000-07:00

Join us for the Tuesday Efficiency Tip! Check back each week for easy ways to make your life and business more efficient!

Emailing

If you're anything like me, you can easily spend hours reading, responding or creating emails. Often times email is my only source of communication to the outside world and therefore, I enjoy it! And while emails may be a vital part to my business and social life, the time consumed on them may not be the most cost efficient. If you struggle with emails as much as I do, it may be wise to do the following.

1. Evaluate just how much time you spend doing email related work.
Track yourself for the day, you may be surprised how much time you spend reading emails. After evaluating, ask yourself, "Is this the best use of my time." If it's not, then cut back.

2. Limit your email time. I will often set a time limit (or even a timer) so that I am fully aware of my schedule and limits. Stick to your time frame so that you will have plenty of time for the other important tasks in your daily life!

3. Schedule when you will read, respond, and create emails. I often times find it easier to read and respond to emails than work on all of the pressing and often times, money making projects. In order not to waste time, I often make a rule that I won't even open my email until my priority jobs are finished. If I don't have the distraction, I don't miss it and usually get my work done a lot faster...leaving plenty of time for emails!

Hopefully these tips will help you become more efficient in your life and business. Until next time!

Exciting Times!

2007-06-14T14:03:00.000-07:00

Lately I feel like I am going back to school and I am learning a foreign language. The internet isn't new to me, but learning the lingo and how to utilize ALL of the great knowledge is something new! It's very exciting, though, at the same time. I am finally learning something that I am excited to teach others and that will ultimately make us money. I feel so empowered by all of my knowledge.

I am very proud of what the our Smart Moms teams has accomplished. We are on the verge of launching our new site together with a fabulous Health and Wellness eBook and we aren't stopping there. Our minds are swimming with new ideas. All we need is time and energy!!

Why not join us and learn together? We are here to help!! http://www.smartmoms~finishrich.com/. Receive our FREE Work At Home Solutions Report just for visiting!

Only Fools Rush In

2007-06-13T20:11:00.000-07:00

I asked my husband to share some of his wisdom about jumping into business with people. Here is what he emailed me. I hope you find it useful.

Partnerships are like marriages. They can be extremely rewarding--both financially and personally. They can also be an extrodinary source of misery--both financially and personally. Also like a marriage, it's generally much easier to jump in than to "jump" out. Time and money spent at the front end, discussing some important things with a legal advisor can make all the difference in making a good relationship better, and preventing train wrecks before they happen. Here are some things to do BEFORE going into business with someone:

1. Get a credit report and a financial statement and possibly even a background check--even if the potential partner is someone you know socially. The more you plan on investing in this joint venture (in time or money), the more important this becomes. Credit reports give a running history of a person's actions with money and monetary promises. Does your prospective partner have a trail of broken financial promises? This is extremely important to know before you're in business with someone. I've had 2 clients just in the past year that lost about a half of a million dollars each because they failed to do this very thing with people they knew socially.

2. Get a lawyer to help you structure the legal agreement between the partners. Just like a marriage counselor would strongly recommend that certain topics be discussed before saying "I do", an experienced lawyer will have lots of wisdom about the kinds of things that should be nailed down in writing before there's a lot more at stake. If you're already in business and haven't gotten the following things resolved in writing, get your partner(s) and yourself to an attorney to get them taken care of a.s.a.p.

3. Get certain aspects of the relationship in writing. Here are just a few things that are too important in a business relationship to leave undiscussed or unwritten, and with the help of attorney:

- What are each of us going to put into the business & when (money, time, certain tasks)?

- When and how is money going to come out of the business? Are there any salaries or is one or some or all of us waiting on profits, which could take days, months, or years?

- Who makes what decisions? Which ones are yours? Mine? Ours?

- How do I get out if I want out? (You can have an agreement that will create a predetermined and mutually fair way for one partner to be bought out.)

The bottom line is getting a prospective partner's financial history and, if that part is acceptable, getting everyone's expectations for money, time, control and exit strategies on the table and in writing. If you do that, you'll keep lots of avoidable problems from killing your business once its underway. Getting a good CPA involved from the beginning who will keep all the partners informed about the state of the business is also very helpful. Partnerships can be a great thing, but only fools rush in.

T. N. Freeman II - Law Offices
600 Northlake Boulevard
North Palm Beach, FL 33408
Tel: 561-845-0560
Fax: 561-658-0823

Smart Moms Need Patience!

2007-06-13T20:09:00.000-07:00

On days like today, when I feel like (and have been) in front of a computer all day, I have to remember the payment is in the long run. It is not easy to get websites up- proof read- with buttons and links working and in place. It is especially not easy when the computer is acting crazy, the kids are running around, and you have company coming over for dinner the following night. I remind myself, someday, this will not be the case!

The websites will be working on automatic pilot. The kids will still be running around. And I will have someone that helps me clean the house!

Working at home is about patience and time management (I think there is a post here someo where on that- I need to re-read!). And a few days of longer hours will pay off in the end!

Tuesday's Efficiency Tip

2007-06-12T14:43:00.000-07:00

Join us as we explore ways to make our lives and business more efficient. Every Tuesday we will share a new tip, so be sure to check back!!

Business Notebook

If you're anything like me, you write names, phone numbers, dates and other important information on little pieces of paper that can be found all over the house! It's great to jot things down, but if you can't find them, well...!

In my former career, real estate, I quickly learned that I had to have my notes, phone numbers and daily "to-do" list in one place. I purchased a medium size spiral notebook and recorded everything in that book. Whether it was jotting down a message (with phone number), making a "note to self" or listing my daily chores, I made sure it was all in one place. The great thing about doing this was that I always had records of names and phones numbers and would often flip through my pages to find a number that I really needed.

I have carried this tradition into my home based business and really benefit from it. I have a small notebook that sits at my desk where I record everything from phone numbers, ID and passwords to my daily "to-do" list. I have found that I no longer have tons of sticky notes or individual pieces of paper floating around. It has really simplified my life and made it more efficient!

I also have a mini notebook in my car. It is really helpful for jotting down phone numbers or even writing down business ideas when they pop into my head. Of course after reading Kim's post about Driving Mistakes, you might want to consider pulling over before writing!!

Make it a point to purchase a notebook and see how convenient and efficient it is to keep everything in one place! Until next time!

The Truth is In the Traffic

2007-06-11T12:03:00.000-07:00

We are on a few different forums for work at home moms and there are often questions on how to increase sales. They have a great website and great products, but they don't know why no one is buying. The number one reason is probably traffic. If you do not have enough visitors, you cannot get enough people to even look to buy. If you think of it in the offline world, you have to get customers to get buyers. I doubt there is a store that has a 100% conversion rate. People come to browse, just like they do on a website. Not every browser will buy, they may just window shop. If you don't have the traffic, you cannot get the buyers. Window shoppers (hits) are great because the more you have, the more likely you are to get the buyer.

A great blog post I just read on this was from Stanley Tang's Internet Marketing Blog (which I found through a WAH Blog from Smart Mom Lisa). Stanley also offers a free course in traffic marketing. I just got my first email, so I will let you know if it is worth the time!

One thing to consider when you are building an internet business is building your website. You need the SEO, the keywords, the content... if you are unsure about any of those concepts, a great web hosting service is SBI- they walk you through the whole process and make sure you build it right- if you are looking for a great service, this one is tops. The amount of information you receive for your annual fee is well worth it! If you want to see some work at home mom testimonials, check out this section of SBI.

The Nice Part About Working From Home

2007-06-07T18:03:00.000-07:00

One great benefit of working at home for yourself is the ability to take a break. Two of the Smart Moms are on vacation this week, and two of us are still working the business. However, I am not working as much as usual because I also have a church commitment this week which is taking up some time and energy.

The great part about having our own home based business is we can do this: take vacations, take a break, or go play with the kids. The boss is not there telling us when to show up, when to be back, and what needs to be done when we get back. We can work when we can and when we need to. We can take the time off if we need to also, because we are in charge of what gets done!

Having your own home based business also gives you the determination to get things accomplished. We know we are the only way things are going to get done, so it will get done. We will work our hardest to meet our goals and we will accomplish great things- because we are the ones that benefit in the long run. Not a corporation or a mysterious CEO. We are the corporation, the CEO, the bookkeeper, and the secretary (for now!).

Learning From Others

2007-06-06T17:52:00.000-07:00

One of the great things about our forum is that I am constantly learning from everyone. Just the other day I came across this great entry by a fellow member and I wanted to share. Enjoy!

There are several secrets that SUCCESSFUL WAHM's know... Would you like to know what they are????

1. Working at home actually takes WORK. That's the TRUTH. No matter WHAT business you choose, NOTHING will work unless YOU do. It never ceases to amaze me the amounts of women who actually turn down a good opportunity b/c they believe that there is a REAL business out there that is FREE to start, takes NO effort to build, earns HUGE income in no time at all, and you NEVER have to speak to a living soul (it's all done through the website!) YEAH RIGHT!!! If ya'll find that, let me know!

2. You must truly LOVE what you do. You can't just be in it for the money because the TRUTH is, that eventually someone else will come along that loves money MORE than you do and they will out run you. Can you answer this question honestly: If I make NO money with this opportunity, would I still PERSONALLY use/buy this product/service? If you can't answer YES, then no one else will.

3. Sometimes, you must accept a period of imbalance in order to reach long term goals. The TRUTH is that initially, you might have to give up something that you LIKE in order to obtain something significant for someone you LOVE. This applies in ALL areas of life. I didn't just show up at college and say, "Ok. I'm here. Give me my degree and I'll be on my way." (I wish!). It took years of hard work and sacrifice to get that education. Why would we expect a business to be any different? Even though my children were small when I started, I sat down when them and my husband to explain WHY mommy was going to be working from home and what I needed/expected from them. As my children have gotten older, I've used a rewards system to elicit their cooperation. (a trip to the dollar store, a family vacation, 30 minutes extra TV at bed time, etc.) After all, mine is a FAMILY business and it can't be done successfully without my entire family's support.

4. Success leaves clues. The TRUTH is, the BEST way to be SUCCESSFUL is to watch and learn from someone who is ALREADY doing what you want to do. Then, do what THEY do! If you're merely curious, keep on dreaming of success. If you're SERIOUS, let's TEAM UP and MAKE it happen! May you obtain ALL you work for...

Edie McRae--WAHM of 2
www.BringMomHomeNow.com
I'm just an ORDINARY mom with EXTRAORDINARY ambition!

A Must Read- The Tipping Point

2007-06-05T07:41:00.000-07:00

I have recently finished the national bestseller The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell. Through years of research, he explains how one small event can change a business or concept to make it explode! He uses company examples such as Gore, Airwalk, and Hush Puppies to demonstrate how a small event can change the course of a business. He shows how overcoming small obstacles in crime can change an entire city, like NYC and Baltimore. Each of these events were dramatically changed by a small happening: some kids started wearing a particular pair of shoes, a small advertising company created a big concept, one city official decided to remove the graffiti from the subway system.

The whole basis of the book is that little things can make a big difference. I look at the work at home mom trend that is developing in the United States as a tipping point. For years through the womans lib movement, woman have wanted to be in the workplace. Now there is a strong movement towards women continuing to work, but working in non traditional forms- at home, telecommuting, for themselves in a small home based business.

I strongly recommend you picking up a copy of The Tipping Point. It is a relatively cheap paperback with tons of great information on what makes society change.

If you want to read another great idea from the book to explain why dad's cannot remember everything you have told them 100 times, read the post in our 4fabmmoms blog.

If you are interested in joining the Work At Home mom revolution, we can help. Join our newsletter and we will help you get some great information to make your decision.

Blogtipping Day

2007-06-01T18:33:00.000-07:00

I am joining in with other work at home mom blogs to blogtip other blogs.
I learned about this from Bev's Easy Craft Site.

Blogtipping Definition: Blogtipping is where you publish a blog post in which you link to three unsuspecting blogs and offer three compliments and/or one helpful tip to each blogger. (Or adapt those numbers to your own preferences; the principle of selflessness is what matters most here.) Blogtipping is a refreshing and useful surprise that can start a blogger’s month with a huge smile!

It is great to find other blogs that have wonderful information and to encourage others to view your blog. If you would like to participate July 1, visit our Smart Mom forum for more information. I will post the blogs I tip from this blog here, but check out the other two blogs, 4fabmoms and The Day of A Mom to see who I tipped too!

1. Stefani's Mom's Traffic Tips has a lot of great tips for increasing traffic to your website. She has a wide selection of other blogs for you to look at also.
2. Bev's Bits (from the author of the link above for craft tips) is a day to day blog of a mom with a child with an illness. She does have a great blond joke.
3. Cooking 101- some great recipe tips for cooking with Watkins ingredients. I am glad I visited, since I thought this company was all beauty products- boy I was confused!

More Thoughts...

2007-06-01T11:15:00.000-07:00

Several days ago I blogged about what to look for in a network marketing business and while I covered some key areas, after blogging I got thinking of some other points to highlight!

1. Leverage
Suppose you saw a great movie, recommended it to some friends and family and then a couple of weeks later you received a "thank you" check from the movie theater...wouldn't that be nice! Well, that is literally what you are doing with your network marketing business. Every time you refer someone to your business and they buy the products, the company sends you a thank you check. And what if you brought some others on your team to help spread the word? Just imagine what your check would be like if you and three others were spreading the word each and every day and you were being paid for everyone's efforts. If you like this scenario, then you'll like network marketing. This industry allows you leverage your time and money while helping others at the same time. This is truly one of the best business concepts!

2. Global Office
Imagine how convenient it would be to work wherever you wanted. Perhaps it would be on your couch or sitting outside with your kids or even working while traveling. Thankfully with the modern convenience of the internet and cell phone, you can work your networking business virtually anywhere. The requirements of working from an office are long gone and this is very appealing to many people! So, who can you think of today that would like to leave their 9-5 behind and start working from home?

3. It's A Networking Business
Let's face it, if you want anything in life, you have to work for it. It's just the same way with any business venture that you enter into. Whether you find the perfect network marketing business or not, it will require a lot of time, effort and some money. You should realize up front that in order to be successful with this business you will have to step out of your comfort zone and work harder than you even thought possible. Of course the payoff can be very nice, but don't be surprised if you aren't getting those large checks right away. It could take months, even years, to get to the highest level in your chosen company. But don't be discouraged, if you decide that you want it, you can achieve it!

4. Keep Learning
Starting your own networking marketing business is like going back to school. In order to be successful, you have to be willing to learn and stretch yourself. You should be reading everything you can about the industry and about your company. And most importantly, you need to be working on yourself. Self motivation is crucial in this business. Therefore, read books to help you in this area. Become the best person you can be and others will naturally gravitate to you!

Hopefully these thoughts will help you on your path to finding the right business. Again, if you would like help in finding a good business fit for you, please visit the Smart Moms teach at our website: http://www.smartmoms~smartbusiness.com/. We are here to help and we also have a wealth of knowledge to help you become successful!

Good or Bad Habits Always Deliver Results!

2007-05-31T15:19:00.000-07:00

Your habits determine your outcomes. Successful people don't just drift to the top. Getting there requires focused attention, personal discipline, and lots of energy every day to make things happen. The habits you develop from this day forward will ultimately determine how your future unfolds.

One of the problems for people with poor habits is that the results of their bad habits usually don't show up until much later in life. When you develop a chronic bad habit, life will eventually give you consequences. You may not like the consequences, but life will still deliver them. The fact is, if you keep on doing things a certain way, you will always get a predictable result. Negative habit breed negative consequences. Positive habits create positive consequences.

Make it a goal to change one bad habit a week in a years time, your life will look drastically different.

Seriously, check it out...

2007-05-30T19:32:00.000-07:00

I am getting ready to go on vacation this Friday and, as always, there is more to do than time! I was looking over my long "to-do" list and calendar and noticed quite a few people that I've been meaning to contact or who's birthday is coming up in June that I'd like to remember. Now, I don't know about you, but I love getting good mail - not junk mail. It's wonderful when someone has been thoughtful enough to send correspondence that you can hold and put on the fridge. :) Don't get me wrong, email is great but sometimes a card says it best. Well, since I am a Smart Mom, I have a shortcut; a way to email actual cards that come to people's home mailbox. So...tonight I've been having a great time, with my computer, sending cards that will arrive in all my contacts and friends mailboxes while I'm on vacation! Rebekah posted about staying in touch with people a while back but I wanted to encourage everyone again to check it out for themselves and have a free card on us!

Whether you are an MLMer or in a traditional business – you have clients and friends that would love a card from you. If you send holiday cards every year, this will save you time and money, be attractive, personalized and unique. Not to mention FUN! Now I send cards to people “just because” and I don’t have to drive to the drugstore and post office to do it!

Seriously, check it out.

Choosing the Right Company

2007-05-29T09:46:00.000-07:00

If you are considering starting a home based business, it can be a very overwhelming process. Just taking a look at all of the various companies could send someone over the edge! In order to help you with this process, I have outlined several key areas that you should evaluate in a company before joining.

1. Cutting-Edge Consumable Products
This is one of the most important factors to considered...what does the company sell? Look for a company that offers consumable products ~ items that people will buy over and over again (i.e. skin care, cosmetics, vitamins, weight loss, internet downloads, etc.) . If the company is selling a high quality, in demand product, then your customers will consistently buy from you, thus creating a steady stream of income.
It is also important that you personally use and truly like the products. You will be a walking testimony and people will expect your honest opinion!

2. Timing and Trends
If a company was selling records in our current market, they would quickly go out of business. Consider this same concept when evaluating companies. It is estimated that the health, wellness and anti-aging industry will be a 1 Trillion dollar empire by 2010. If you would like just a small percentage of this growth, then find a company that offers health, wellness, and anti-aging product(s)! Another big trend is the Internet, more specifically, downloadable content. More and more people are downloading music, movies, video games, ring tones and list continues. Finding a company that embraces this trend is like hopping on the money train. You just can't go wrong!

3. Leadership and Commitment
When looking at a company be sure to evaluate their growth as well as their leadership. Growth will give a good indication if their products are selling and if they are embracing current trends and the leadership will show if the company can support such growth. Leadership can often be a key component that is overlooked, so be sure to do your homework. Often times you will hear that an older company is a solid, more reliable company. Although this is often true, be sure not to discount a newer company that offers a revolutionary concept. If a newer company offers a product that is embracing modern trends, then getting on when it's young might prove to be a wise investment!

4. Large, Expanding Target Market
Where are the products sold? Are they only in the United States or are they also available in foreign countries? If they are sold over-seas, how does the company help you in reaching those markets (internet access, marketing materials, etc.).

5. Internet, Support and Marketing
How are the products sold and distributed? Can the products be purchased on the internet? What is their return policy? What is their retention rate (meaning how many people continue to buy over and over again)? Does the company have an appealing, high tech website? What type of training do they offer (this is a crucial area where a lot of companies lack)? What types of marketing materials do they offer? Are you impressed with what you see? These questions just scratch the surface of important things to consider, but will give you a solid start when researching.

In conclusion, the company you choose must be a good fit. You have to be confident about the products, have faith in the company and know that you will be equipped with the right training and knowledge to actually make money!

If you would like additional information or would like to speak personally with an expert in the field of home based businesses, please contact us at info@smartmoms~smartbusiness.com. We are here to help and would happily assist you in your efforts!

Home Business Record Keeping

2007-05-28T20:07:00.000-07:00

Spring is the time for cleaning out and cleaning up! This can really apply to your business, especially if you work from home. Record keeping is important to the integrity and foundation of your business so here are a few things to check off your list as you get organized this spring!

1 - Separate Checking Account - Establish a separate checking account and use the account for business transactions ONLY. This is the account you should deposit your business checks into each month and pay bills from, such as your business credit card bills. Transfer funds from your business checking to your personal accounts as needed.

2 - Small Business Credit Card - Establish a small business credit card and use it ONLY for business transactions. Find a card with bonus points or frequent flyer and reap the rewards for buying business supplies and items you would be purchasing anyway. If you reserve this card for business transactions only then accounting at the end of the year will be much simpler.

3 - Scheduling Calendar - This will be one of the most important documents you have. The calendar is the basis for daily scheduling, logs for documentation of business activity and tracking the business use of your automobile. Maintaining your calendar on a daily basis will enhance your ability to keep your business organized.

4 - Expense Documentation - The definition for allowable business expenses is that they be "necessary and ordinary in the course of running your business." The key to documentation is that you collect the documents as you go through the year. Then it won't be overwhelming come tax time. Make a file system and as you have expenses, save the paperwork and/or receipts to show as proof of the expense. Remember, the IRS cannot read your mind and they need to see why the expense was "necessary and ordinary." To cover your bases, don't just rely on the credit card statements as proof. Note the event, lunch, meeting, trip, mileage in your calendar and save any documentation (schedule of events from a conference etc.)

5 - Establish a home office - Having a place to work is necessary to running a successful business and it is an allowable deduction for tax purposes, however, the IRS has specific requirements. It must be an area of your home that is used exclusively for business purposes. It cannot be your kitchen table with a laptop. The tax benefit can be as much as $1500 to $3000 a year in deduction from your business income. That translates into $450 to $900 in actual tax savings. So set up a specific space with definite boundaries and no other use, and use it for your business!
Then, calculate the ratio of the square footage of your home to “office” and apply it to overall expenses required to maintain your home.

6 – Estimated Tax Payments – It’s not all yours! You need to realize from the beginning that as a business owner of a home based business, the income from your business does not all belong to you. It is your responsibility to either set aside money in a savings account to pay your taxes or make quarterly payments to the IRS. Talk to your CPA or Tax Attorney for more specific information relating to your situation. If you are in the state of Florida (like me) my husband is a tax attorney practicing in the areas of trusts, estates and business planning. His email is freemanlaw@bellsouth.net.

7 – Employing Family Members – If you have children under the age of 21 you can hire them to work for you. You can pay then up to $4750 a year and they will not pay taxes on that income. The requirement is that they service they provide is necessary to your business (filing, shipping, deliveries, organizing etc). The key is to set up a checking account for them and issue them a check from your business. Of course, they must be old enough to actually provide a service to your business!

Business is Booming

2007-05-26T16:32:00.000-07:00

Right now the direct sales industry is BOOMING in areas such as Canada, Pureto Rico and Australia. Around the world people are being inspired to go for their dreams and build their own business instead of being leveraged by someone else. Imagine building a sales network around the globe. If you are interested in learning how to build a business not only in the states but in those areas as well, drop us a line.

Contest!

2007-05-24T11:51:00.000-07:00

We are holding a contest on our forum and wanted to share it with the blogging world! To build our membership on our forum, we are challenging anyone who joins or is a current member to bring a friend to the forum. Whoever successfully invites a new member before May 27th will win a prize! It's not hard and the prize will be well worth it!!!

Feel free to drop in and check us out!!!
Smart Mom Forum

Work At Home Opportunities

2007-05-24T10:52:00.000-07:00

The four of us are on a few different forums for work at home moms (but the best one is our Smart Moms forum!)and there have been many questions about people looking to work from home but don't know what to do or how much money they will have to spend. Some have even asked for free things to start. With our vast amount of learning we have encountered over the past few months, we have compiled a free report to give to anyone looking to start a home based business. We have ideas for working in direct sales, increasing your business in direct sales, internet based businesses (not direct sales) with you own website, and internet businesses with someone else's website you utilize. This report is almost in the final stage (as of today- if you are reading this in later days, I hope it is done!) and we want to share it with anyone looking to start or do better in a home based business. Subscribe for our newsletter (on the sidebar of this post) and we will send this free report to you as soon as it is finalized, within the next few days. You will not want to lose out on this MONEY MAKING report- plus it is free!

Are you an MLMer?

2007-05-23T18:07:00.000-07:00

I've been in the network marketing industry for over 2 years now and I am amazed at how much I still have to learn about building a successful MLM business. Don't get me wrong, the first company I joined had and still has TONS of tools to learn about what they do, lessons on "working on yourself more than you work on your business" and encouraging your successline.

That's all well and good, but what about after that!? Recently, myself and the rest of the smart mom's team came across a powerful resource call MLM Traffic. It is teaching us how to capitalize on the growing internet wave that is coming across the business world. ANY network marketer out there who want's to learn how to cross over into the online business world and start getting serious traffic into their business should look into this course. It will teach you how to effectively use the internet via blogs, articles, Google Adwords and search engines to generate leads that turn into profits for your business. Check it out!

Network Marketing has come a long way, baby!

Articles

2007-05-22T10:51:00.000-07:00

Through our studies we have learned the importance of articles. Not only do they add content to your website, but they can also be a great source for additional traffic. By using different article submissions sites, you can expose your articles to literally thousands of people. Just imagine if only a handful of those people read your article and clicked onto your site? Your traffic would increase overnight...with just a little bit of effort!

To support all of the hard working moms, we have added a Article section on our forum. Feel free to stop by and submit your articles. You never know who will take your article and post it on their website or ezine!! http://smartmoms.freeforums.org/viewforum.php?f=23

Looking forward to reading all of your great content!!

Wisdom from Grandpa

2007-05-21T20:09:00.000-07:00

My Grandpa is a great man. He's a hard worker, intelligent, loving and kind person. Over the years I've heard many crazy stories about his growing up in Mt. Airy, NC and all the adventures and experiences he's had. He's given me tips and advice from time to time and unfortunately I can't remember them all but there is one that I will never forget. He told me the key to being happy in your work is to find a hobby that you love and make money at it. As a child this seemed a simple thought - doesn't everyone do that? Isn't that how you decide what to be when you grow up? Obviously, as an adult it's not that simple, or is it? I wonder what this world would look like if more people pursued what they loved or even liked as a career/business and were less concerned with amassing wealth. We really need far less than we have so let's try to have fun with what we do! Life is too short to spend it on things you don't really need and doing things you don't like to buy them. I for one am thinking of ways to embrace simplicity in what I have and what I do.

Build Your Business With Traffic

2007-05-20T19:20:00.001-07:00

Being fairly new to the internet commerce business plan, I am always learning more about how to increase traffic to our wonderful work at home mom site that we have created and the wonderful ones that are in the works. Without traffic, your site/blog/store is worthless. If it looks great, but no one is looking, what would be the point in working so hard at it?

First, we have found THE GREATEST web page designing program called Site Build It. We looked at this at the beginning of our internet venture and did not consider it because we did not want to spend the money so soon. Our mistake. Site Build It completely teaches us all of the things we needed to know earlier! We could have saved so much time and possibly earned so much more. The action plan is laid out for you with brainstorming features and even a way to choose a great domain. Click here for some work at home mom testimonials. Don't be like us and choose the cheap route- do what works first!

Second, we have joined forums with other work at home moms that are so helpful in offering information to help others. In her blog, Andrea has written a great post on getting traffic to your site. Check out her ideas.

We have a source for information for you! First you can go to the sidebar and subscribe to our ezine. We will send you tips and information to improve your traffic and your business. We also have a great new forum for Smart Moms. Come on over and join us!

Imagine what and extra $400 a month can do.

2007-05-18T06:20:00.000-07:00

Most people start a home a home based business because they need some extra income. What if you looked past the strain of where you are and look to where you will be if you start going to work on it now. Do some imagining and see on the conservative side what making $400 a month could do for you and your family long term. The key is making your money work for you consistently over time. You need to commit to keeping your expenses the same, consistant marketing of your business and stay on a budget and then put your home business income to work for you. What if you put that money every month into a Money Market Account at around 5.5% interest for one year.? Find an amortization calculator see what you would have. Then keep it there and as your business grows, keep putting the $400 a month into your account. Set it up automatically. Don't even think about it and in 5 years time you will be amazed at the beauty of compound daily interest. It is a beautiful thing. If you begin to look long term at what your business could do for you, you are much more likely to do what it takes to learn how to be successful and stay in the game.

Increase Traffic Through Forums

2007-05-17T06:49:00.000-07:00

Recently the Smart Moms Team has been on a mission to learn how to increase traffic to our site (www.SmartMoms~SmartBusiness.com). Of course there are many options, some free and others that require lots of money. We decided that we would focus our efforts on the "free" first and track our numbers.

We agreed to combine our efforts and join several forums and made a commitment to contribute at least 2 times a week. We started our efforts just last week and in the past 3 days have had 187 unique visits to our site. We are very excited about this traffic, especially since we did it for free!

If you're looking to drive traffic to your site, feel free to join our Smart Moms forum (http://smartmoms.freeforums.org). It's a great way to get started especially since you won't feel like a number. Everyone is very helpful and you will learn tons to help you in your business! See you on the forum!

Maximum Impact

2007-05-16T13:12:00.000-07:00

I love reading business and self-help books! They really give you the opportunity to work on yourself which is always good for business. Recently, I attended a leadership event with author and leadership expert, John Maxwell. He has written TONS of wonderful books on leadership and I would recommend picking a title that jumps out to you and start there. He hasn't written a bad one yet. However, if reading isn't your thing, you can still get leadership training from Maxwell on a monthly basis or even for free via his podcasts and newsletters. After hearing his leadership seminar I subscribed to the Maximum Impact club. I receive an audio CD with workbook every month and a binder to organize and store everything. The first CD came yesterday so I will give it a listen and share more later but check it out for yourself and keep growing!!

:)

Keeping In Touch With Your Clients

2007-05-16T10:56:00.000-07:00

In any business, keeping in touch with your clients is important. It is especially important if you are in a service or product related company. In order to get repeat order, referrals, and increase customer loyalty, the customer needs to remember your name and needs to know how to find you.

Ways to Follow Up
You can also follow up in many different ways. Phone calls, personal mail, flyers via email or real mail, and regular email correspondence are all effective ways to follow up with a client. You want to have a good balance between all areas. Try to use all the methods to keep in contact. You cannot call everyone all the time and you should not email everyone all the time. Email is cheap, but can easily be ignored. Phone calls are direct, but can become annoying. Real mail is effective, but can be costly. There are positives and negatives to each option. Balance each type to be effective.

Why Follow Up
What are the reasons for following up? You may find more benefits than just repeat sales. Nothing is better for business than customer loyalty. The endless referrals, sales, and word of mouth advertising are priceless. You may also want to contact a client to show your appreciation and to give them a special promotion. The more you follow up, the better name recognition your client will have with you. You may also want to follow up to provide more product knowledge. This will expand the types of products or services the client is exposed to within your company. By sending your client information about your products, services, and company, the client is not only building a relationship with you but also building a relationship with your company. They may become one of your prospects!

The Smart Moms have found a great online system for following up with your clients. You can send a real card with a real stamp right from your computer. Getting real mail is such a novelty these days with so many businesses using email. If you would like to try this system out, fill out your information here and someone contact you for your free trail.

A Family Affair!

2007-05-15T07:53:00.000-07:00

If you are new at network marketing or are an old pro, you probably can identify with the guilt that accompanies your business. More than likely you are a full-time mom who wanted to find a simple way to add a little extra income to your family. Of course a home base business is a viable and excellent place to start, however, there is always a learning curve and in order to be successful, you have to devote a great deal of work and time to your "business."

Because of this learning curve, often you have to spend some time away from the kids. This can be taxing on both you and the family. In order to bridge the gap, you can include your family in your business! Over the years I have heard of some great ideas on how you can include your family in your efforts. I personally think it's crucial to have them involved in what you're doing. You need them on your side for support and motivation. And why not start teaching them at an early age all about the business world!

1. Family Goals~
Gather the troops together and have a little heart to heart. Explain to them what you are doing and ask them for their support. Ask them what they would like to do if you meet X goal. Would it be a trip to a theme park, a weekend at the beach or just going to the movies. Choose whatever type of award that is appropriate for the goal. The bottom line, though, is to get your family excited and on board to help and support you in your efforts to attain your goal!
2. Dream Board~
A dream board is a visual symbol of your goals. You can use a cork board, a poster or anything else that is big and can hang on the way. Choose a prominent location so everyone can look at it on a daily basis. Once you have established the rewards for meeting your goals, ask the family to look through magazines to find pictures of those goals. For instance, if your goal was to visit Disney World, have the kids look through magazines until they find a picture of the Magic Kingdom or something that would visually describe the your trip. Then place the clippings on the board for everyone to see!
3. Accountability Chart~
Your kids have a great way of keeping you accountable. That is why it's a wonderful idea to ask them for their help. Create a chart that has all the task you need to complete in order to meet your goal (i.e. number of calls per week, number of presentations/parties, number of sales, etc.). Create a checklist to show what you have accomplished for either the day or week. To include your kids, ask them to hold you accountable by requiring you to fill in the checklist. Have them ask you daily/weekly if you've done the necessary requirements to meet your goal. Of course you won't want to let them down because all of you know what's in store when you meet your goal! Sometimes knowing that you will let your kids down will push you to make just one more call!
4. President of Operations~
Give your children specific tasks that they can do to help you with your business. Perhaps it's putting labels on envelopes, filling gift baskets or dropping items off to customers. Whatever the task, make sure to include them. Whenever we have ownership in something, we want to do our best! It's the same way with kids. Plus, you'll be teaching them valuable lessons along the way!

Hopefully these tips will encourage you to include your kids in your business and make it a successful endeavour! Wishing you great success!

Ideas on Selling

2007-05-13T19:51:00.000-07:00

Suzy has some great thoughts on the idea of selling over at Her blog. Here is a little teaser. You can check the rest out there!

Here's an interesting thought: Everything comes back to selling. Think about that for a second. The world revolves around sales.... every business regardless of what they do, have to sell. Every person sells. You sell your favorite movies, favorite books, favorite restaurants, favorite shoes. You even sell yourself on ideas and thoughts.

Ask! Ask! Ask!

2007-05-13T10:51:00.000-07:00

In his best selling book, Success Principles, Jack Canfield discusses in Chapter 17 the importance of asking for what we want. Although one of the most important principles, asking happens to be one of the hardest to follow. Because a lack of asking is routed in fear, most times people will by-pass what they truly want in order to avoid the possibility of rejection.

Recently I was reminded of this chapter after hearing about my sister's courageous request. My sister, Amy, and her husband, Nathan, live in Denver Colorado where Nathan just finished his Masters Degree in Marriage and Family Counseling. They had just recently learned that they were going to have to move from their campus apartment once Nathan graduated which meant two moves in less than a year since they would be moving back to Florida in January.

Last weekend Nathan's family was hit with the devastating news that his brother, Matt, was killed in a hunting accident. While they were with Nathan's family, the president of his College called and said if there was anything he could do to please let him now. Without missing a beat, my sister quickly explained how being able to stay in their apartment would be a great help (since they hadn't found a new one yet). He said "done" and then she said, "until January" and he agreed immediately.

After hearing this story I couldn't believe how brave my sister was to make such a bold request. But now looking at it, what did she have to lose? If he had said "no" they would have been moving anyway. And now, they are blessed to stay in a safe environment where they have great friends who will support them through the grieving process. And...they don't have to move twice!

So, if there is something that you have been wanting, but are too afraid to ask for it, just remember to to be courageous like Amy! You just never know what could happen! And as Jack says, "you may have the capacity, but you also have to have the tenacity! To be successful, you have to ask, ask, ask, ask!

If you haven't read the book, Success Principles, I encourage to pick up a copy today. Just click on the link and the ordering process will be at your finger tips! This is truly a great book that will inspire you to take action in so many areas of your life!

Is Network Marketing a Scam?

2007-05-12T05:02:00.000-07:00

I used to be offended when some would ask me this question, or say "Oh it's pyramid" with utter disdain. Now I honestly laugh (inside of course) to this thought. If you take an honest critical look at what is going on in culture you will see that EVERYONE is building a web. That is they way I view direct sales or network marketing. Like a vast web of links and connections that allow the original connector the benefit of additional income for actually making those connections. We are paid to be educators or distributors of information firstly. It is that information that ultimately sells a product and adds new business partners.

Unfortunately, there has been way too much hype about the industry and some unscrupulous people giving this industry a bad name. It is a shame. But mark my words....you watch the next 5 years and see the serge in growth around the world in this underground business model. In fact, the DSA's numbers about the industry don't lie. There are some great books to read about the industry just to educate yourself as you pursue a business opportunity or grow your current work at home business.

Get honest for just a moment. If you were going to go get a 9-5, work for someone else job.... after you pay for child care, dry cleaning, meals and the cost of driving studies show that you make less than $5 an hour. So what if you could decrease the stress in your life, keep your home rhythm consistent and make more than $5 an hour working form home a few hours a week? Not to mention the many tax benefits you get from actually being a business owner. Why wouldn't you get educated about this industry, choose a winning team and be committed to learning how to make it work. For the 4 of us it has been life changing.

Forums For Work at Home Support

2007-05-11T17:15:00.000-07:00

I wanted to jump off of Betsy's last post. One helpful way to find support for building your home based business is to let your fingers do the walking. That is precisely why we started our forum so that we could nurture and encourage anyone and everyone who works at home. The 4 of us originally met in our first network marketing business. When we met, we knew it was for bigger reasons. Now we are learning so much about building our OWN business. The things we are learning are bigger than any one company. Stay tuned because we will definitely be able to help you establish yourself even if you are with another company. Trust me, there are TONS of ways to make an income from home and we are mastering them right now as you read this. Keep digging friends. We promise we will let you in on all of the "insider secrets".

Support System

2007-05-10T17:22:00.000-07:00

It is rare in life to find a friend who has your same passions, affirms your goals and encourages you to be your best. That is why I am in awe of my three friends and partners of the SmartMoms group. The other day Kim and I were talking about support and I realized that I truly depend on these women for support. Unfortunately my immediate environment isn't as supportive as I would like, nevertheless, I always know I can turn to these ladies to encourage me and lift me up.

If you are beginning to build your business, maybe you are finding that friends and family are questioning your decision to start a home based business. Perhaps they even make you doubt yourself and your decision. If this is the case, I encourage and challenge you to follow your heart. If you feel this is the right thing, then find someone who will support you and lift you up when times get tough. Possibly this is someone you don't know well...right now! Maybe it is your sponsor or your upline or maybe it's someone sidelined to you. Either way, be sure to find those people who will encourage you and support you in your endeavours. Stay clear of the dream stealer's and keep a steady focus on YOUR goals! Lean on your support team and you'll be amazed at what you can accomplish!

Thanks ladies!!!!

Creating a Mastermind Group

2007-05-09T17:55:00.000-07:00

A few months ago, the four of us decided to partner up and try to improve our businesses by utilizing our individual strengths into one large conglomerate. We created our mastermind group, just as Jack Canfield suggested in his book The Success Principles. Each of us have our area of expertise and contribute a different strength to our group. We are now formally a LLC (as of this week) and are now "legally" operating as one unit. Having a mastermind group is a great strategy that many choose not to pursue because it is hard working with another person, much less three or four other people. You do not have to join businesses together- each of us continue to operate separate businesses as well. A mastermind group is for bouncing off ideas, getting advice, and being accountable for moving forward in your business. I encourage each person reading this post to think of three or four others you can mastermind with to improve your business. Who can you turn to to find solutions to your problems and who can you help?

If you haven't read the book yet, The Success Principles is a terrific start to improving your business and your life. You can purchase it through our website Smart Moms - Smart Business or through our Amazon link. After you read it, come back and tell us what you thought and what you learned.

Who We Are!

2007-05-09T11:52:00.000-07:00

Thank you for taking the time to preview our blog. We are a group of moms who together have nearly a decade of experience in various home based businesses. We all have children and can relate to the working mom as well as to stay at home mom. Combined, we have backgrounds in education, real estate, corporate finance, fitness and nutrition, and early developmental learning.
Through our experiences in “Corporate America” as well as our personal home based businesses, we have learned methods and strategies for becoming successful. Knowing that it can be frustrating and daunting when first starting any type of business, we launched our site with a hope that we can share our knowledge and experience with all types of women at various stages of life. Whether you’re looking to make some extra spending money or you want to replace your current job with something more flexible, we know how to help you achieve your goals.
We encourage you to ask questions and visit our site at www.SmartMoms~SmartBusiness.com

The Smart Moms Team,

Amber Bishop, Betsy Canevari, Kim Freeman, and Rebekah Kogelschatz