With our current economy, you’ve probably been hearing a lot of bad news lately. Well, I want to share some good news with you. Women entrepreneurs, especially moms, are harnessing the power and flexibility of internet marketing to design businesses and lifestyles on their own terms. They’re making millions of dollars working-at-home on their own schedule.

Take a look at a recent article in Time magazine about our changing times, “At no other time in recent history has it been easier or cheaper to start a new kind of company.” The article goes on to discuss the advantages of Web-based businesses that cost almost nothing to get off the ground and can turn into great moneymakers.

Whether you want to get a new business off the ground or just want to use the Internet to expand your current business income, you need more than great ideas. Basically, there are the three things you must know in order to grow your business and maximize your time and energy.

• You need to know which internet marketing strategies will work best for your business.
• You need to be building your team because you can’t go it alone.
• You need to start implementing proven systems that will get the money pouring in.

If you’re serious about taking your business to the next level I hope you’ll join me for on May 1st & 2nd for the F^REE Metromom Online Success Telesummit. It really is F^REE to listen to 18 online marketing experts (like Nancy Marmolejo, Shannon Cherry, Beth Schneider, Michele PW, Alicia Forest) share the latest techniques and creative ways to build your business and thrive in this new economy.  During the Summit you can listen to what you want, when you want (completely around your schedule) so there isn’t a single reason why you shouldn’t check it out.  #mtmm09

While connecting is clearly one of my intentions in all that I do, I’ve discovered that not everyone understands its intrinsic value. Are connections important? How many do you need? This week’s podcast examines the value of connection.

 

 Networking and the Value of Connection - Quality vs. Quantity [Metromom Podcast] [9:23m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

According to a recent article in Time magazine men make up 82% of the recession’s job losses, which means a lot more women are looking for work to make up for the lost paycheck. The problem is there are not a lot of jobs to be found… so more than ever women want and need ideas on how to start their own profitable business.

Thankfully the internet gives us options! There are five steps you MUST know in order to grow your business online AND maximize your time and energy:

-How to Create Effective Design & Motivating Content
-How to Increase Visibility, Buzz, and Revenue
-How to Streamline Your Digital Back Office
-How to Put It All Together With the Right Mindset
-How to Get the Support You Need to Keep Moving Forward

A lot of us are feeling pressure to generate the income we need but we’re not sure the best way to go about it. On Tuesday April 21st, my business girlfriend Laura West and I will be sharing how to use the internet to take control of your income and how to do it quickly during their one-time-only FREE teleseminar!

"Take Charge of Your Economy – 5 Steps on How to Use the Internet to Prosper and Profit," will be April 21st at 2 PM Eastern. All you need is a phone. Reserve your space here.

This is a FREE preview call for the Metromom Online Success Telesummit, taking place May 1st and 2nd.  #mtmm09

In this podcast, I share some reflections on lessons learned over the past year as I’ve launched my business, Metromom.com. A key lesson…the need to stay open to what’s possible.

 

 Open Up to What’s Possible in Business and in Life [Metromom Podcast] [6:40m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

An interactive website encourages your website visitor to stick around so they get to know you. Since  blogs are very interactive, they give you the opportunity to authentically communicate who you are and what you have to offer so you can attract the right customers.

Let me tell you a story about how my blog helped me interact…. Last week I was at sitting in the waiting room at one of those less-than-fun (but necessary) appointments and I decided to re-read The Go-Giver: A Little Story About a Powerful Business Idea. It’s a beautiful parable by Bob Burg that I’ve enjoyed several times and each time I’m reminded of key lessons that serve as the foundation for my business.

Fast forward a couple days…I had an hour’s break while carpooling my kids one afternoon and took advantage of a few quiet moments waiting in the car with my laptop and wrote a blog post about The Go-Giver and the key lessons I’ve learned from it. When I got home I uploaded it to my blog and within a few hours Bob Burg (best-selling author) had added me as a friend on Facebook and a follower on Twitter and was promoting me to his list. This was amazing to me and certainly the kind of interaction I thrive on!

Blogs are also easy and inexpensive to set-up and manage. Don’t have a blog? At my upcoming Metromom Online Success Tele-Summit, #mtmm09,  Wendy Maynard will share steps to creating a blog for the first time quickly and without spending any money.

A blog is a fantastic way to start forming a bond with your visitor by letting your individual style and approach to business shine through. Blogs are also great for busy work-at-home moms because they’re very flexible-you can blog daily or weekly, you can post long or short blogs, you can be have informational posts or entertaining ones.

You can also make your blog interactive by inviting the reader to leave a comment or ask for their opinion on a hot-topic. This is a great way to start a dialogue with your customers, find out what they’re thinking and start establishing relationships. Ideally, you should provide your blog readers additional ways to connect with you. On your “side bar” you can provide links to your website, Facebook and Twitter pages or newsletter sign-up.

Sometimes we hesitate to move forward with our business because we’re afraid that we just don’t have enough experience or skills to implement our ideas. What I’ve learned is that if you know WHAT needs to be done, you can always get help on HOW to get it done.

I’m experiencing the truth of this as I put together the Metromom Online Success Telesummit #mtmm09 that’s coming on May 1st and 2nd. It’s a BIG, multi-faceted event – like nothing I’ve ever done before – so I have little hands-on experience, but I’m loving every minute of it.

Here are the things that help me as I navigate through this new experience:

• Benefiting from the confidence, excitement and support from my team and mastermind friends.
• Utilizing of past experiences that relate to organizing information, content and people.
• Focusing on my end goal of providing women the online information they’re looking for based on my survey results.
• Not worrying about perfection, but more importantly taking action.
• Thrilled at the quality of people who are agreeing to participate.

There are moments of stress (and waking up in the middle of the  night wondering about details I might have missed) but I’m really enjoying the process. We all have doubts about our lack of experience running a business or expanding in some way. And, while experience is important, resourcefulness has a BIGGER impact on your long-term success.

I really want you to benefit from all of my resources and learn how to get the MOST out of your time and energy with a knock-out internet marketing strategy. Please sign up for the Metromom Online Success Tele-summit for F.R.E.E.! #mtmm09

p.s. – a great thing that’s come out of this is that I’m chronicling all my learning through this telesummit process into an information product to share with others about all the steps involved. Stay tuned…

I read a really interesting article in the New York Times entitled “Direct Sales as a Recession Fallback.” According to this article many direct sales companies report rising numbers of sellers signing up. The spokeswoman for the Direct Selling Association said that’s typical in recessionary years. Why?

The article said people use their earnings to pay off debts or as a way to bring in cash while they — or their spouses — look for jobs. Also, if you want to start a home-based business, the start-up costs for direct sales are usually fairly minimal.

I believe direct sales to be a smart option in ANY economy. Here are the five reasons I see women drawn to direct sales as a career option:

1. MONEY – Direct sales gives us the ability to meet and establish our own financial goals – whether that’s a few hundred dollars a month or a more substantial income.

2. CONTROL – Direct sales allows us to control our careers. Instead of just a JOB, we enjoy something more meaningful. You can also work around your family’s schedule.

3. FUN – There are over 30 industries represented in direct sales, so there is certainly something to fit your interests – from books, to finances, to travel, to gourmet food, to wellness products, to scrapbooking… Many of us also love the chance to share our products through “parties” and gatherings.

4. BEING OF SERVICE – As women when we find a solution to a problem we naturally want to share it with others and direct sales helps us to do that while we make a profit.

5. PRODUCTS – Direct sales allows us to get our products at a reduced price and/or make a commission for sharing something we’d happily buy anyway. (Here’s an extra perk, products moved through direct sales, like jewelry, cosmetics or home décor items, are often considered recession-resistant because most are priced under $50.)

Why should you care about your reasons? Knowing what motivates you is a key factor in your success. Read more in my article Unique Home-Based Business Opportunity in Direct Sales.

Women in direct sales – please share what you DO and DON’T like about direct sales. Also, what impact on your direct sales business have you seen by the economic slowdown?

I received so much great feedback on my last article about How to be an Authentic Entrepreneur that I chose to continue on the theme of authenticity and how it relates to online social networking. I think this is really valuable to women working from home because we need to form authentic relationships, both online and offline.

 

 Creating Authentic Online Relationships [Metromom Podcast] [8:08m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

A couple of weeks ago I had a great opportunity to be interviewed by my local news station here New Haven, CT (WTNH). I talked about three common myths that entrepreneurial moms think they must do to be successful.

Here are the three myths that sound sensible but can ultimately hurt your business:

Myth 1 – “Do it Yourself and Save Money.”
Surprising Secret – Delegate and Make Money

Myth 2 – “You Must Multi-Task to Get Things Done.”
Surprising Secret – Never Multi-Task if You Want to Be Truly Productive

Myth 3 – “Take Care of Your Family and Business First.”
Surprising Secret – Take Care of Yourself First!

Click here to watch the brief interview online.

There are two more myths I didn’t get to share in the interview. To find out what they are and get real life tips, checkout my free report “5 Surprising Secrets Every Mom Entrepreneur Must Know.”

In my last blog I spoke about the first step in creating a website that sells – figuring out your target audience and putting yourself in their shoes. Once you’ve done this homework you can use the next two steps to communicate effectively on your website.

Step Two – Develop a rapport.

The internet is impersonal by nature so there is an even greater need for rapport when you’re selling a product or service online. Here are a few suggestions that will help you establish that rapport with potential customers:

· Make the person reading your copy feel as if you are writing directly to them. You can do this my using the words “you” and “I”.

· Focus on them. Instead of describing the ins-and-outs of your product or service, talk about how they will benefit from it.

· Be authentic and sincere. Don’t be afraid to let your personality shine through. People do business with those they relate to.

Step Three – Have a clear call to action.

What do you want your reader to do? If you’re not sure the reader won’t be either. Do you want them to call or e-mail you for more information? Order a copy of your product? Schedule a free consultation? Sign-up for your tele-seminar?

It may seem obvious but people need to be told what to do, clearly and specifically, and they’ll be far more likely to do it. Make it as easy for them as possible – they shouldn’t have to jump through hoops to figure out how to "order now".

However, your objective shouldn’t necessarily always be to close a financial sale. A long-term strategy is to entice them to sign-up for your newsletter or download your free report. This allows you to begin building a relationship with them and convert them into buyers. We’ll discuss more of these strategies in an upcoming Online Success Tips.

So remember the three steps on how to make your website work (and sell) for you:

1. Determine your target audience.

2. Develop a rapport.

3. Have a clear call to action.

These three steps will work effectively whether you have a high-tech, sophisticated website or a very simple website. Remember, business is all about marketing and marketing is all about communicating! Read more tips by Wendy Maynard, the Marketing Maven, on how to turn your website into a super selling machine.

(If you would like more in-depth training on any of the tools I’ve mentioned in this article make sure to  check out the additional learning at the Metromom Online Success Telesummit #mtmm09.).

This blog is the final part of a series of online success tips.