The shift to working from home, sometimes called telecommuting, is causing a big stir in the corporate world and allowing many workers more flexibility in their lives. It is providing moms a chance to further their careers, contribute to their family’s income and do something they love while staying home with their children. With all of the great things about being a work at home mom, it takes a lot of hard work to make it a success. Some moms find it difficult to strike a harmonious balance between working at home and maintaining family time. However, it can be done and many moms are successfully blending their work and family lives together. Here are a few tips to help you ensure that you are a successful work at home mom.

When working with children at home, interruptions are bound to happen. Try to set up a schedule and plan out your day every day. Post it where everyone in the family can see it. Since this sets up a routine for your day, something that children thrive on, it helps you stay more organized and focused rather than running around not knowing what to do next. Block out not only the time you need to work, but also any time that involves your children – activities they are involved in, the time they are in school, even when they wake up, take naps, and go to bed. It can also be helpful to block out meals, snacks, breaks and, more importantly, time for yourself.

Making a to-do list also helps keep the day structured and organized. Include not only the tasks you need to do for work, but also include tasks for your children and spouse. This lets them see exactly what they can do to help you out around the house while you are working. Make sure to cross off each task as it gets done. Also, set up a rewards system for your children to give them motivation to do the tasks and praise for a job well done.

Create space in the house that is just for you to work. Set it up as you would any other office – include your computer, a phone, fax and any other equipment and supplies you may need during the day. Some moms have “work stations” set up around the house to allow them flexibility to be with their families while they work. For example, I have my office set up, but I also have a spot in the family room where I can take my laptop to check email or complete a quick task while my daughter plays. That way, you can keep an eye on your children and still be with them wherever they are.

Have special areas in your office for your children to play while you work. For older children, have special toys or activities that are kept only in your office. That way, they will be more inclined to play with them and stay busy while you are working. For infants, having a swing or bouncy seat with a mobile and toys can keep them occupied and provide them with a place to nap during the day.

While most of the focus of working at home is with your children, don’t neglect your spouse. Make sure not to take your spouse’s help for granted – don’t immediately ask your spouse to watch the kids as soon as they walk in the door. Set aside time to be a family and time to be a couple. You’ll find that your spouse will continue to support you and your business even more and be willing to help out as much as possible to ensure that your business is a success.

Above all, when working from home, never be afraid to ask for help. So many of us moms want to be supermoms and do it all, but knowing your limits and asking for help is the true sign of a supermom. Help can come in the form of a housekeeper taking care of keeping the house clean, finding a sitter to watch the kids so you can focus on work or even hiring your own assistant to help take care of any work overload. Whatever the solution is for you, know that it will help keep a good balance between your work and family lives.

Working from home is truly the best job in the world and one that, although it takes a lot of hard work, you can be successful in. Many companies are taking a hard look at telecommuting to cut down on costs and increase productivity. If you are interested in working from home, I recommend talking to your employer to see what your options are. If telecommuting for your current job is not an option, but you still would like to stay home with your children, there are hundreds of businesses that you can start and run from home. I suggest coming up with a few things that you enjoy doing to see if a business can be built from one of them, or even seeing if you can perform your current job as a freelancer. Whatever your choice, choosing to work from home is a rewarding opportunity that you will not regret.

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Then life happened.

Whether it was a spouse’s job change, family crisis, health concerns – whatever the case, you need to head back out into the corporate world to find a job. You try to avoid it at all costs by pushing yourself to get more and more clients, but it’s not happening fast enough. Luckily, you are able to find employment but want to make sure it’s as temporary as possible to get back to your business full-time. But how do you keep going with your business when you’re working 40 hours or more a week for someone else and taking care of a family?

It’s doable – very doable in fact. But you need to be prepared for some seriously hard work and long hours.

The first thing you absolutely need to make sure you do is take care of yourself. Yes, you are going to be putting in some very long days and most likely working quite a bit on weekends as well. However, you need to make sure you are still getting some sleep each night and making time for your family. Be aware of how you are feeling each day and take some time for yourself when you begin to feel stressed and overwhelmed. It’s okay to take a day off for yourself now and then to rest and re-energize – it will help keep you healthy and motivated. It’s not easy to work long hours to set up a business when you are sick and not feeling well!

Set up a schedule and daily to-do list for yourself. Include not only the hours you work at your job, but also the times you are going to work on your business and even write in time to spend with family and relaxing. Many VAs’ schedules revolve around their families, which means they work during children’s naps, after everyone is in bed and before everyone else gets up in the morning. Getting yourself organized each day, right down to scheduling what item on your to-do list is completed when, will ensure you are much more productive while you are working on your business.

Also, make sure that you do not quit your job before you are truly ready. Make sure that you have a good-sized safety net in place for just in case (many recommend at least three months’ worth of your current salary) and wait until you have a few definite clients in place to take the leap. After all, you are going back to work because you need the income; you don’t want to find yourself in this situation all over again after another few months. Making sure all your ducks are in a row before you quit will ensure that you do not find yourself struggling and needing to find a new job yet again in the near future.

Most importantly, do not be hard on yourself. You have not failed as a business owner, as it can be sometimes easy to think. It is simply a temporary setback in plans, and it has happened to many VAs and other business owners. There is absolutely nothing wrong with needing to find employment while you are working on your business. Things come up in life that are unavoidable and not finding a way to support your family would be worse than getting a job. The important thing is to make the most out of the opportunities you are given and learn from this experience. You will not only come out stronger, but you will appreciate your future business success that much more.

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One of the best ways to get traffic to your site is to write articles. Articles are good for your target market. You can help them solve problems, learn how to do things, or help them do something that they wanted to do. When you continue to submit articles on a regular basis, you will build trust with your target market.

Writing articles can be difficult for some people to do, while it can be easy for others. Don’t let the difficulty factor scare you away. Don’t be afraid to write an article and have a friend or family member read it for you. To get ideas to write about, go to your favorite article directory and find a topic that is of interest to you.

You want your article full of content and you want it be aimed at your target market. The best type of article to write is one that will help your target market solve a problem. Think about the problems that your target market has and then write about how you can help them with the solution. Remember you don’t want your article to sound like an ad.

Once you find the topic you want to write about you need to start the article writing process. You may find it easier to write an article when you have an outline. So start with the major points you want to cover in your article. The major points are the meat of your article. Without them you won’t have a good one.

Once you have those points figured out, you are ready to start writing. I suggest you start with each of those points and write out what you want to say. You can write the beginning and the end after these are written.

In the beginning of the article you need to explain what you are going to talk about and how you can help your target market solve a problem or show them that they need to do what you are explaining to them.

I find it easier to write the ending after the main portion of the article is written because I like to generalize what I talked about in the article. I highlight each point or briefly mention them and then reiterate the reasons why they need to take action.

When your article is complete, you need to add a title to it. Most article directories allow 100 characters for your title. You need your title to include your keywords and you need it to be very descriptive.

At the end of your article, you need to add your bio. A bio is a brief description that explains who you are and what you do. You need to include one but not more than two links to websites. Your bio should be no more than approximately 75 words.

So there you have it. Writing articles for your business is so important. Not only does it give you free advertising, but it also helps you build trust with your target market. They will read your articles and feel better about purchasing from you or using your services. Make sure to write consistently and use good quality content and you will be well on your way to article marketing success.

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Hiring a ghostwriter to write your articles is a huge benefit when you don’t know how to write, don’t have time to write, or don’t want to write. Do you know what to do with the articles after they are written? There are a number of ways you can use these articles to your advantage. One way is to post them on your blog or you can rewrite them so they are different, but fit in your blog. Another option is to submit them to article directories.
 
Article directories are sites that contain only articles from a large number of authors. They have categories that authors submit their articles to that match the content of their articles. Each directory is a little different, but they contain the same basic categories. Some are geared to specific target markets while others have a broad range of target markets that they hit.
 
You should submit every article you write to at least one article directory. Depending on what your articles are about, I recommend ezinearticles.com for your articles. There are a large number of directories that you can submit to and you can use Google to search for them. I recommend that you submit your articles to at least 15 to 20 directories. This will help you get the word out about your articles and you will reach to others that may not see your articles on another directory.

Some people feel that each article that is submitted should be changed in some way when it’s submitted to each directory. Some other people feel changing the title is enough. Unfortunately, there is no right or wrong answer to this, so you will need to decide or you can ask your VA for her opinion.
 
Submitting your articles can be tedious work for sure. That’s why it’s a good idea to hire a Virtual Assistant to do this for you. Your VA knows how to do searches for directories that are a perfect fit for you and she will know how to submit them in a way that won’t take as long and they will be approved. You might check with your ghostwriter as well because she may offer this service as well.
 
Because article marketing is such an important piece of the marketing puzzle, it’s crucial that all business owners do it on a monthly basis. Outsourcing your article submission needs is a great way to get it done in a timely manner and it’s a great way for you to have time to dedicate to the tasks that will grow your business directly.

Hiring a Virtual Assistant is a great way to manage your article submitting needs without doing it yourself. VA’s don’t charge a lot for this service, so it will be affordable. Plus, you never know, you might just find other things that your VA can do to help you out even further.

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Shop garage sales and resale shops

Often people who recently did a remodel will sell their items inexpensively at a yard sale or donate them to a resale shop or second hand store. Sometimes you may be able to find quality items for a lot less than you would in a retail store.

Rearrange for a fresh new look

Recently, I had my daughter come over, who is very organized, and help me declutter my house. We spent the day getting rid of the stuff we never use and then rearranged the furniture and other items in the house.

• Move pictures around from room to room
• Move furniture around for a whole new look and feel
• Adding fresh flowers in a vase will spruce up a table or countertop
• Get out a table cloth or other linens that you haven’t used in a while
• Clean out your closets: you may find some old treasures in there that will give your home a fresh, new feeling.

Paint the walls for a whole new look

Paint is relatively inexpensive for the added quality it will give your home. A can of paint usually runs about $20 to $25, so for about $50 you can completely change the look and feel of a room. You can budget to do one room each pay period and in a few weeks your whole house will feel new again.

Choose colors that are up to date, but won’t require you to go out and buy new furniture to match.

Inexpensive ways to update flooring

If you have linoleum floors that need help, but can’t afford new flooring, use decorative throw rugs. You can purchase them fairly inexpensively at Wal-Mart, Home Depot or Lowe’s. If you have a kitchen table, place an area rug underneath it. You can also place one in front of your stove and sink for added padding while cooking or doing the dishes. Not only will throw rugs help spruce up your linoleum floors, they will also give you some added comfort.

If you have wood floors that need updating, strip them and give them a fresh coat of stain or finish. It will take some work, but wood flooring is “in” and can look contemporary, rustic or traditional depending on what color of stain or finish you get.

With a little imagination and some effort you can inexpensively update your home using the tips and suggestions above. You don’t have to spend a fortune to get the look and feel you desire in your home. You can also use these ideas as a temporary “fix” until you can save up money for the more costly updates.

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Blog readers want to be able to type in the address bar of their browser a name that is easy to remember and will get them where they want to go. They don’t want to have to search for your site in order to find your niche blog. As a matter of fact, if they do a search and you’re not at the top of the search engine rankings, they will probably find another blog in your niche. The best way to avoid that is to choose a domain name that is right for your niche blog.

The domain name needs to have the following factors:

• Easy to remember
• Easy to type
• Should be dot com as opposed to dot net or dot org
• Needs to contain the main keyword of your niche
• Do not use hyphens, underscores or any other symbols that aren’t easy to remember.

With these factors in mind, start thinking of what you’d search for if you were looking for your site. Come up with 10 different possible domain names. If you come up with some that are long, look for catchy ways to shorten them. Use an acronym that’s easy to remember if needed.

After coming up with a handful of possible names, run them through a domain checker to see which ones are available. If any are, go ahead and purchase them through a domain registrar so they don’t get bought by someone else. Also, if the dot org, dot net or dot info is available with the same keyword name, purchase them as well, so others can’t. This helps prevent sending someone to another site accidentally.

As mentioned somewhat in the opening paragraph, the domain name and the title of your niche blog can be the same, and as good practice should be. It’s the easiest way for your readers to remember your blog. Not only will they remember the title of your blog, but they will then also remember the domain name easier, sending them right to your blog.

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Let’s see what’s new this year for the fall season. From some fashion designers it seems the colors of the season are the colors of the season. With forest greens, bronzed leaves, shades of gray, blue, slate, purple and winter white the outfits for the up coming fall season are all about the colors of nature and fall is full of beautiful vibrant colors.

The past few seasons have been all about solid colors for the legs but this fall heralds in the return of prints from the waist down. Many of these prints will be inspired by the colors and images of the season with leaves and designs along those lines taking the foreground in the next bout of fall fashions.

Leather is almost a constant favorite for the cooler seasons and this year will be no different. How do we wear it this year? Leather pencil skirts are once again back as are the belted sweaters and leather leggings. Slimming pants in leather make you look thinner and taller and add a sense of adventure to you wardrobe.

As with the color of the leaves falling to the ground, the hues and colors of the season will mimic them. Jeweled tones of bronze, burgundy, teal and gold will dominate this fall season bringing unexpected life into your wardrobe. Contrasting these colors with blues for either a softer or darker look will bring the whole thing into focus setting your look for the season.

A normal warm weather combination, black and white, will make a surprise showing this year. Black and white worn together is almost always a winning look because the black hides the parts of your body you want to hide while the white garments bring everyone’s attention to those areas you want to highlight.

Forget all about the maxi and the mini, the knee length skirt is where you want your hemline to be. Knee length fashions are, and always have been, easier to wear than the mini or maxi skirts and women all over the world know this. By knee length we mean those skirts, which fall one to two inches above the knee or just below the knee.

Vests are making a comeback this season, not only for their ability to completely change the overall look of an outfit but for its slimming properties as well. Vests are well known to give a slimming look to almost any outfit and you would be crazy not to get in on that action this season.

Keep your eye out for new and updated fashion looks for this fall season and you won’t be left out in the cold, fashion speaking of course.

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Health insurance is something everyone one should make a point of having at all times. It is a form of protection incase something should go wrong health wise and if you have a family with children, the threat of this happening triples. We just never know when something will strike us and it is imperative to be protected if it does.

So as an unemployed person with a family, how do you afford medical coverage? There are options such as COBRA (Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act) but this option is so expensive in cost that most people cannot afford to take on this coverage.

There are other options besides COBRA, one being Short Term Medical insurance. This is a great alternative to COBRA and a perfect fit for the family on a budget. In its simplest form, this health insurance is rented out to you for a short period of time. The time frame is usually 6 months with an option to renew at the end of the term.

Short Term Medical insurance policies are more affordable to the unemployed and families that are struggling in the current economy. Insurance companies know that circumstances happen and this is their way of trying to help the rising costs we all face. The cost of the policies are often more affordable because of the short-term feature they offer.

There are some downsides to this coverage as it may run out during treatment for a medical condition you developed during the term of the policy. In that case, you could opt to renew as long as you don’t let the policy lapse between and getting sick during that time. If this happens, most insurance companies won’t renew the policy since the condition may be considered pre-existing.

There are also tons of loopholes. Some conditions may not even be covered on the short-term plan coverage. It is important to read all of the literature on the policy before deciding to go with this plan.

If this option sounds a little too scary for you, you could always go with private health insurance. This is a more secure option, as it will never run out as long as the premiums are being paid.  You will need to take into consideration these premiums and what the plan covers. Health insurance is mainly for the big medical issues we face in life, so having to pay co-pays and prescriptions costs shouldn’t be your basis in choosing an affordable health care policy.

The downsides of not having insurance are just too huge to ignore. You need to have insurance to protect you and your family from whatever may come. Be wise and choose the affordable coverage that is right for your family and rest assured that you will be in good hands should an emergency arise.

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