Back in the day, if you were a Mom that wanted to figure out how to stay home with your children, and you told someone you were going to try to figure out a way to make money on-line, you would get one of two responses. One, friends and family (especially family) would have told you that everything on-line is a scam; and two your family’s response would probably be, “Go get a J.O.B.!”

Take another example – if you told someone you were going to become a Mommy Blogger and make money blogging; you would either get a confused response of…“What? You’re going to make money logging?” alternatively, again your family’s response would be, “There’s no way you will ever make money doing that!”

Well, now making money online with an online business is no longer a myth.  If you do it right, the dream can be real and it can be yours, Mom.

For example, take The Work At Home Wife and Founder of ASN Virtual Services, Angie Nelson.  She started her online business in 2007 and after a few short months was making enough money to be able to stay at home and work.  Grab a cup of Joe and read her story here:

Freelancemom.com: Why did you decide to start an online business?

WAHW: I had worked as an administrative assistant at the same company for almost 11 years.  The environment had changed over time and I was no longer happy.  I spent several months interviewing with other local companies, but I didn’t find anywhere that I felt I wanted to spend the next 30 years.  It was then that my husband suggested I look into working from home or starting my own business.

Feelancemom.com: How long did it take before you made an income?

WAHW: I started researching in April 2007, I believe.  It wasn’t until November of that year that I was confident I could quickly make the transition into a full-time income.  I had already made some connections online and off for personal clients.  I also knew that companies were actively recruiting customer service agents for the holiday season.  I kept reading about “having more than one egg” in work at home forums, so I knew I likely needed a backup plan.

Within two weeks of quitting my job I was working full-time between personal clients and independent contractor positions.

Freelancemom.com: How long until you made a sustainable income?

WAHW: Though it was initially a step back in pay, I was able to replace my income within three or four months.

As my skills and service offerings have evolved, so has my income.  As I approach five years online, I not only make a good hourly rate but I also have passive income avenues in place, such as affiliate marketing, eBooks, etc.

Freelancemom.com:  How many hours did it take per week to get your online business started?

WAHW: I would estimate that I was spending 10 to 15 hours per week in the beginning marketing and seeking out potential clients.  I was networking online.  I was submitting quotes in response to RFPs.  I was contacting offline businesses.  I still spend a lot of time networking and marketing, but I consider it more maintenance now.

Freelancemom.com How did you find your niche?

WAHW: My niche has evolved over time.  I did a lot of customer service and lead generation by phone when I first started.  I knew this was a service that wasn’t being offered in abundance, yet I saw potential clients requesting this service week after week. There was not a lot of competition, so I ran with that opportunity.

As my business has evolved and I have picked up new skills along the way, my service offerings have reflected that. Blogging, affiliate marketing and passive income are a big part of my business portfolio right now.  Those are also some of my main service offerings today.

Freelancemom.com: What advice would you give other Moms who want to follow in your footsteps?

WAHW: Get started today but don’t expect to wake up rich tomorrow.  There is no easy money.  You will likely only get out of your business what you put into it, so create a plan (and a Plan B) and stick with it.

Freelancemom.com: What is your most challenging issue about having an online business?

WAHW: Things are constantly changing.  If you aren’t paying attention, eventually you are going to wake up one morning and wonder what happened.  Even if you ARE paying attention, that sometimes happens.

Freelancemom.com:  What are your favorite tools to use for your business?

WAHW:  My favorite online tools for new or aspiring virtual assistants are HootSuite for managing social media profiles, Google Reader for following business blogs and monitoring your brand with Google Alerts, VANetworking for learning more about the industry and QuickBooks for online accounting and invoicing.

Freelancemom.com: What is the most rewarding thing about having an online business?

WAHW: It’s mine! That may sound silly, but I get a lot of gratification out of knowing my success is something I created and I control.  There will be hiccups along the way, but inevitably you control the outcome.  You can let it hold you back, or you can use it as a catalyst into something better.

The Work at Home Wife, Angie Nelson can be found here: http://asnvirtualservices.com

A Mother’s Day Special – A Mom Biz Retreat

As moms and entrepreneurs, we run across all types of products and services that may help us with our business and personal life.  We also run across many events and conferences that may be worth attending that could help us take our business to the next level or connect with just the right person to work with on a specific goal.  I ran across an event that I think all mom entrepreneurs should consider, plus wine, chocolate and pampering are all a part of it (and as moms we always need more of that).

It’s called the Mom Biz Retreat.  So you might ask, what is the Mother’s Day Special?  The facilitators of this event are offering $75 off for Freelancemom.com friends.

What is this Mom Biz Retreat all about?

The Mom Biz Retreat is one part business boot camp and one part weekend getaway for mom-entrepreneurs. With the skills, teaching and empowering tools of entrepreneurial experts Lara Galloway and Shelagh Cummins, you’ll roll up your sleeves and learn how to:

• write/update a business plan
• create an effective marketing strategy
• develop a time map to put work in its place and enjoy your family more
• craft the perfect elevator pitch
• determine the best product funnel for your business
• figure out how to make more money with what you’re already doing
• build the foundations of your business in a group of supportive, amazing women
• Join the MomBizRetreat family – and receive ongoing support from all alumni

If you are on the fence or need more information, Shelagh Cummins and Lara Galloway are always happy to answer any questions you have about the specifics of the retreat and how this retreat can help your specific business and life goals. 

How do I find out more and sign up?

Click here – To learn more about the Mom Biz Retreat

Use promo code Denver75 when you register to make sure you get the discount.

{Top Photo Credit}

Grant Money

I know one of the hardest things to attain as you are running your business is money!  Let’s see,  $12,500, plus mentoring.  Does that sound like something you could use?  There is a grant available for companies that fit the criteria that Eileen Fisher is looking for as she selects candidates for her grant program.  Looks like a great opportunity for women to apply to, for not just financial reasons, but for the experience and learning that comes with it.  Check it out here.

Promotion – Inspire other Mom Entrepreneurs

Want to be featured in the Huffington Post alongside other successful and innovative mom entrepreneurs?

Want to share your success and challenges as a mom entrepreneur so you can inspire others?

Here is your chance. The Story Exchange is a network of women who encourages other women to start their own business.  They accomplish this through inspirational videos, news, blogs and expert advice. I looked at quite a few of the videos and I walked away inspired and touched.  They will select four women to blog about and your story can touch many other women internationally.

Want to start sharing?  Start here.

Let’s continue the discussion at the Freelance Mom Forums.

Whether you’re a busy working mom or a busy stay-at-home mom, there’s never enough time in the day to get all of your errands and chores done then spend some quality time with your family. Moms have earned the name “super mom” by balancing all of the family’s daily events, helping the kids with homework, getting everyone to their doctor’s appointments on time, and still managing to make a hearty meal for dinner.

Smart phone apps can be a super mom’s biggest ally by helping her look even more super while making life a bit more manageable. All you need it to download a few onto your favorite smart phone or mobile device, add a data plan, and voila, you’ll be able to organize a play date or whip up a nutritious collection of bagged lunches faster than you can say, “Get that finger out of your mouth”!

Here are some smart phone apps to help keep my own family organized:

1. Put Things Off ($1.99 – for iPhone)

Note-taking apps, like Put Things Off, will help a busy mom stay organized with daily to-do lists, shopping lists, and tasks for carting the kids around to hockey practice and dentist appointments, and themselves to PTA meetings.  Every time you have a new chore or errand, simply create a new note, and assign the note a due date, which the app will organize in the central calendar tool. Users can view notes by day or week and see all of the assigned due dates.

2. Intuition: Mom’s Personal Assistant (Free – for iPhone)

I always thought life would be a lot easier if I had a clone to help me with chores and errands, but the Intuition: Mom’s Personal Assistant app is even better! This app is ideal for a mom like me (let’s say a little disorganized) who needs to keep track of the entire family’s social schedule. The app organizes everything from soccer matches to bake sales with built in features—such as to-do lists, shopping lists, calendars, and more!

3. AllRecipes.com Dinner Spinner (Free – for Android)

Let’s be honest, dinner can get a little bland when the same person is responsible for it every single night—that’s how we ended up with spaghetti Tuesday in my household—because we just run out of ideas. But AllRecipes.com is the app to help you bring some fresh ideas to the supper table. This app features a huge database of user-generated recipe sites on the web. You can browse by type of meal (breakfast, lunch, dinner, snack, or desert), or search by main ingredient (such as chicken or fish). AllRecipies will instantly serve up a hot selection of recipes that fit your dining desires.

4. SitOrSquat: Bathroom Finder (Free – for iPhone)

If you’re a mom you probably hear this as soon as you leave the house, “Mom, I have to go to the bathroom”! The SitOrSquat app is ideal for families—especially if they still have potty-training toddlers onboard. Simply, launch the app to find the nearest public restroom location. And because cleanliness is important, there are photos and user reviews available as well.

5. Sleep Machine ($1.99 – for iPhone)

Every mom could use a few more hours of sleep a night! After a busy day carting the family around and worrying about their needs, the Sleep Machine app will help take care of yours. Moms can select from over 90 pre-recorded peaceful sound scapes to help them rest and rejuvenate after a hard day.  Create a blissful atmosphere with ocean sounds, bird tweets, or waterfalls. Plus, the app features a clock, sleep timer, and an alarm to help you get back to reality.

Bio: Jane Johnson is a writer for GoingCellular, a popular site that provides cell phone related news, commentary, reviews on popular providers like T-Mobile.

I have found women entrepreneurs to be a generous and helpful group.  They are savvy company to keep and we all can genuinely relate to each other which is precious because working from home can be isolating.

Here is a great list of women who both blog and are on Twitter that I have found to be approachable, particularly insightful or creative, or just plain fun to be around:

@MyMessyParadise – A Coffee-addicted SAHM to 2 girls shares her life to an avid following over at My Messy Paradise. Latest Post: 97 Years Young

@RootsandFlowers – Annica is a writer, mother, herbalist, gardener, and homeschooler who loves animals and growing & using herbs. Her blog, Roots & Flowers contains herbal articles, recipes and tips on growing and using herbs. Latest Post: Making Herbal Vinegars

@confidentmom – Susan describes herself as a coffee lovin’ runnin’ mom of 3 who loves GOD & Hubby,empowering Moms, strengthening families and reviving the Art of Home & Family Managment.  You can find her blogging at her website, The Confident Mom. Latest Post: Your Roll as “Keeper of the Home”

@mombizcoach – Lara is a mompreneur coach who helps moms create businesses they (& their families) truly love! Forbes included her in their list of the Top 30 Women Entrepreneurs to Follow on Twitter. Lara blogs on her website over at Mom Biz Coach. Latest Post: One of Those Mompreneur Days

@AllTheJonesMen - A mom blogger who aspires to be a photographer.  Her blog is And All The Jones Men where she journals about her life as a wife and mom of two boys. Latest Post: Do-Over

@PpcMom – Jennifer is a mother, entrepreneur, Internet Marketer, and blogger over at PPCMom where she writes about affiliate marketing, PPC, social media, seo and life.  Latest Post: Can You Learn Internet Marketing?

@sharonmostyn – Sharon is a marketing management professional who blogs about internet and affiliate marketing and blogging about it all over at SharonMostyn.com. Latest Post: Putting the Social Back in Social Media

@HeathAll - Helping mom entrepreneurs build a business w/out breaking the bank or their spirit, Heather shares her inspiration over at MogulMom. Latest Post: 8 Ways To Work Smarter and Be Happier

@kellidaisy – Kelli is a Mom, blogger, home business owner, wife, and runner.  Kelli blogs with honesty over at the Yummy Mummy Club on pop culture. Latest Post: Grace under Pressure

@FireMom - A freelance writer & editor and part-time photographer.  She has a lively blog over at Stop, Drop and Blog where she writes candidly about her life.  Latest Post: Hope Yet. Maybe.

@CarlaYoung – Carla is a Mompreneur who founded MOMeoCommunity.com & is Publisher of MOMeo Magazine.com.  Latest Post: Weekend Warrior: Once in a Lifetime Olympic Experience

@kimreddington – Kim’s work involves teaching mothers to turn their skills and talents into a successful home-based service business. She blogs about running a business over at Blog Cereus Women. Latest Post: Business Baby Shower and Partnerships

@SimplifyHome – Selena is co-owner of Simplify Home Solutions, Silicon Valley home concierge. She is a mom of 2 interested in work-life balance, time management, outsourcing, organizing, and parenting.  Here Home and Lifestyle blog is over at Ready to Simplify.  Latest Post: Caring for Your Elderly Parents, What They Need from You

@nugglemama – Mom to 5, photographer and seamstress. This high tech Mama with old school values blogs her thoughts over at Nuggle Mama’s Handful. Latest Post: Rare Disease Day

@MomSpark – Amy is a blogger, social media maven & founder of MomSpark.net and MomMadeThat.com. Latest Post: A Great FREE Hosting Deal for Moms

@QuirkyMommaSite – Mom to three pre-schoolers, Rachel blogs on tips for moms and activities for kids at Quirky Momma.  Latest Post: Fantastic Friday: Babies, Time Capsules, Car seats & Slings

@techmama – Beth is a social media strategist and founder of Techmamas.com, where she discusses technology and gadgets for families.  Latest Post: A Disturbing New Term: CyberBlackmail

@onemomsworld – Jen is a Mom, Wife & Social Media Geek! She works for BabyCenter.com and blogs about life as a mom over at One Moms World.  Latest Post: Spring Looks and Giveaway from Children’s Place

I couldn’t possibly name all the wonderful women I’ve interacted with via social media, but you can find more on my twitter list of Mom Bloggers or Mompreneurs.

Have fun!

One of the things that causes me the most stress I have discovered is telling the kids every gosh darn step they need to do to get ready. “Go get your teeth brushed. Did you put on underwear? Those socks don’t match. You still need to brush your hair. Did you pack your homework?” You know the drill.

Now that my daughter is going to preschool I have not just one extra person to get ready, but two – because I actually have to get out of the car and walk into the school. Yikes!

So this Monday morning I became determined was going to mark the last stressful morning I had. One thing that I have learned over the years is that it isn’t enough to have an idea, however good, unless you implement it! So I needed to take some action steps. Hopefully some of these ideas will help you too!

1. I decided the kids needed a list. Why wouldn’t they? I know I need lists! So I did a quick Google search and found these great little chore charts. I brought them into photoshop and edited them a bit because what I wanted was a list that broke down responsibilities in the morning, after school, and before bed.

2. I vowed to myself that I would get back into the habit of laying out the children’s clothes before going to bed.  I did in fact follow up on that last night and cannot tell you how much I loved myself for having done it this morning!

3. Where else does a Mom turn when she needs help but to other Moms? So I sent out a quick twitter to my list and waited with bated breath for their advice.  Happily it came!

4. @MyGOMOM to the rescue! MyGOMOM founder Molly Gold was kind enough to let me know about this absolutely fabulous website she’s been working for 10 years now to help Moms that were in just my particular state of mind!  The website, GOMOMinc, is filled with organizational tips, free checklists to download and the website features what looks to be a lovely little DIY (Do it yourself) planner.

5. @JenPowter advised Moms to plan their meals ahead! Jen shared that she plans her meal menu for the week on Saturday night and does her grocery shopping Sunday morning.  Not for long mind you because she’s going to be getting her groceries delievered!  Imagine the time that will save!  Jen also prepares her meals in the morning and cooks what she can then before her busy day takes off.  Really smart tips – I’m at least going to try the menu planning this weekend.

6. Pack Lunch Ahead of Time! @Thien-Kim of I’m Not The Nanny shared that her sanity saving tip which was to have the kids lunches packed and ready to go the night before.  That way the kids can just ‘Grab and Go’ in the morning.  Another terrific tip!

When the kids came home from school and discovered their ‘Responsibility Charts’ hung on our freshly decluttered fridge they were really excited.  I’ve never seen the family room get cleaned up so quickly with so little resistance!  Homework was done (and packed into their backpacks) before any games could be played and  bed time was a pleasure as we all joined forces to put 10 minutes into cleaning their bedrooms.

They loved checking the items off their list – especially the ‘Hug Mom and Dad’ item :-)

This morning was also a breeze as they referred to their list instead of me chasing them around with a multitude of orders.  We actually had 10 minutes to spare!

I’m all about systems that work in 2010 and replacing old habits that don’t serve us with new ones that bring some ease to our very busy lives.  So PLEASE – feel welcome to share your sanity saving tips in the comments below!

Follow Up: Here’s a website that has valuable tips on how to get organized :-)

This article is a guide to proper forum etiquette so that you don’t waste your own and many other peoples time.

The first thing you need to know is that forum owners deal with a ton of spam. I could easily spend an hour a day cleaning up spammy posts in the forum and deleting and banning members that don’t abide by forum rules. It’s unnerving to have to waste my time doing that rather then engaging in conversations on the forum and providing my members with useful information.

So from the forum owner perspective, spam is a very bad thing. On the other hand, to help out forum participants and to try to deter them from spamming every forum in the message boards, most forum owners will provide an advertising section of some sort where you can post an ad.

If all you are planning to do is post ads on forums, then look for this particular section of a message board. Especially don’t post an ad in the introduction section of a forum.

But here is the thing about ads. Nobody really reads them. Your time would be far better spent actually engaging in conversations on the forums you frequent. You will gain the trust and loyalty of the forum population if they get to know you. They will much more likely decide to sign up for a biz op under someone that they talk with in a trusted forum then from some fly by night forum spammers post. Doesn’t that make sense?

You’ll likely be taught that posting your website link on many forums will help to build your websites backlink popularity which will in turn increase your websites ranking in the search engine results. The truth is, your post is most likely going to be deleted as soon as the forum owner or moderators find it. All you really will have done is wasted your time.

How you can be certain that you will build your backlinks by forum posting is by putting your website link in your signature on a forum and including your signature in your quality posts. The website owner will be grateful to have you contributing content and in turn will be happy to allow you a small advertisement in your signature when posting.

Another trick you might not know is this. If there is a keyword phrase that you would like to rank well for in the search engines, use this as the ‘anchor text’ in your website link. That means if you want to rank well for a term such as ‘ameriplan business opportunity’ – then you would type that into your signature and have that link to your website.

Keep a folder of forums in your favorites on your browser and spend some time every day going to each of the forums. Make it a goal to leave at least one quality post and a few welcome posts to new members. It’s an easy thing to do while you enjoy a cup of tea in the morning and you’ll find that you are actually making friends and contacts that are genuinely fulfilling.

Informative and engaging comments, coupled with a well optimized signature will win you far more traffic and prospects in the long run. And you might even pick up a thing or two through your engagement on the forum.

The details are here. If you have other ideas for how writers might mutually benefit, I’d love to hear them.

I’ve considered ghost writers and will still consider it, but came to the conclusion that this plan provides more long term benefit to the ‘expert’ than a $10 or $15 payout for an article that you wouldn’t get credit for.

Please, give me your input. I’m really excited about the re-vamp of FreelanceMom and generating a larger community of contributors.

Freelance Virtual Assistant Jobs
Virtual Assistant
Tech Savvy Virtual Assistant
Virtual Assistant
Virtual Assistant
Virtual Assistant For Web Developer/Entrepreneur
Virtual Assistant
Virtual Assistant
Virtual Assistant – (home-based)
Virtual Assistant
General Virtual Assistant
Virtual Assistant – home based
PR Virtual Assistant
Virtual Assistant
Virtual Assistant
Administrative Services – Virtual
Real Estate Virtual Administrative Assistant – EXPERIENCED ONLY
Virtual Assistant with Top Producer/Cold Calling Experience in PST zone
Marketing and Virtual Assistant
Real Estate Virtual Assistant Familiar with the Asheville, NC area
Spanish Speaking Virtual Assistant
Assistant
Virtual Assistant For Web Developer/Entrepreneur
Virtual Sales Assistant
Marketing Assistant
VA for InfoProduct Website
Virtual Assistant
Need Virtual Assistant 9 – 6 Pacific Time
Virtual Assistant
Virtual Assistant – Web Based Tasks

Is fear of failure stopping you?

Have you failed before you have even begun your home business – simply because you are afraid you won’t succeed? Relax, you’re no different than almost every other entreprenuer. We’ve all felt overwhelmed or afraid at one point or another.

Fear is probably the main thing that actually holds people back from starting their home business or pursuing any number of dreams that they have for their life. Starting a home business takes guts. You may have to try several different ventures before you find one that you succeed at and that is a good fit for you.

Moms face some unique circumstances that most probably contribute quite a bit to our trepidation. We fear the impact a failure might have on our families and finances. If you don’t have the support of your spouse and family behind you, fear can be an even larger obstacle.

Listen, you aren’t alone. There is a large network of women who have inspiring stories of overcoming obstacles and succeeding. Seek out companions and colleagues that you can gain encouragement from, bounce ideas off of, and celebrate large and small victories with.

Join us in the FreelanceMom forum to talk about your business ideas and whatever obstacles you are facing. Chances are, one of us has been there before and will have some great advice for you.