If you have been online looking at your options to work at home, you have probably come across several sites, forums, and online bulletin boards where you can meet and talk with other women all over the world! When you work at home by yourself, this is a lifeline to learning and friendship. Networking online with other moms on message boards is very easy! Find a forum that you like, register an account and post an introduction message right away. Let the other moms know where you are from and what you want to accomplish with working at home. Everyone’s got different things they bring to the discussion. You’ll meet women who can provide you with advice on how to start a business, information on a wide variety of subjects, favorite resources, and they will be more than happy to lend an ear when you need to complain about a bad day. Most of these sites have somewhere that you can list your business and tell a little about what you do. Visit the different websites – eventually you will find a few work at home moms that have businesses similar to the type you would like to start. Most people would be glad to answer your questions…we all like to talk about what we enjoy and do! Keep reading and replying to posts regularly; you will find that people have questions about things you are an ‘expert’ in. By building relationships and establishing credibility, people will come to you when they have a need for the product or service you provide. Develop a little sign-off for your own posts, called a “sig file,” which gives a summary of what benefits or services you offer. Include your website URL if you have one so readers can find out more. This is a great benefit of networking online. Seek out the services of other home based moms when you need help with something. If you have done business with a certain mom, recommend her services to others when they need them! Your work at home friend will appreciate your help and will recommend your services to other people. Eventually, someone new to the work-at-home-mom community will seek you out and ask for your advice on how to get started. Take them under your wing and show them a few helpful pointers. You may not be able to pay back all of the mothers who have helped you with your business, but you can definitely pay it forward by helping others! The beauty of the internet is all the terrific people you can meet with common interests and even differences. It’s the tapestry of all the women that makes up the community and we all have a lot to learn from each other. Just because you work at home by yourself doesn’t mean you’re alone. There’s a rich resource pool out there waiting for you to tap into it, and to contribute. Take time this week to plug in! (c) 2007 Becki Maxson ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Becki Maxson has worked at home for over 20 years, including 10 years while homeschooling full time. She's the founder of KingdomWork.com, a free resource for Christian home based business owners, and is a Marketing Mentor for Advantage Conferences. Subscribe to the KingdomWork E-News today and receive your free $29.95 ebook, Slay Your Giant, the ebook by Tim Darnell that's transforming lives around the world! This article can be reprinted freely online, as long as the entire article and this resource box are included. |
