Facebook in 15 Minutes a Day

by Donna Gunter

Online Business Manager and Online Business Coach Donna Gunter helps independent service professionals learn how to automate their businesses, leverage their expertise on the Internet, and get more clients online. To claim your FREE gift, TurboCharge Your Online Marketing Toolkit, visit her site at OnlineBizU.com. Follow Donna on Twitter.

Excuse Me Did You Leave Money on the Table? Networking Events

by Jaynine Howard

Coach Jaynine ensures small business owners and determined individuals turn their Dreams into Reality. She coaches small business owners on the necessary systems and strategies that are needed to turn their business into an asset instead of a liability through the use of assessments, self empowerment, and client specific action steps via the telephone and internet. Her clients increase their productivity and earning power while living life on their terms. Experience what Coaching can do for you by downloading your complimentary Productivity Tracker at http://www.dreamcatcher-lifecoaching.com

How to Become a Good Networker (Even If You Don’t Like Networking!)

by Katrina Sawa

For many entrepreneurs networking is a must to build your contact list the fastest way possible. After all, networking is one of the least expensive, most effective forms of marketing that you can do!

Besides if you have no customers yet and nothing to do – you have to do something! Networking is also the best way to build relationships; no other form of marketing or advertising can do this for you. People buy from people they like and connect with.

I’ve been self employed for five years and I’m still networking; I’m just more selective now on where and who I network with. When I first started out I joined four local chambers, a women’s organization and a leads group and I was at every event all the time.

As my business started picking up, I reduced the number of groups I was involved in and remained in only those that were the best fit for me and that brought me the most clients. I was extremely active in those that I stayed in so that I would be well known; basically I became the Go-to-Gal for my industry and associations.

This is what you want. You want for others to see you as the expert in your field. The key is though to be selfless, generous and knowledgeable in the process.

These days I’m networking even online through various social networking sites like Myspace, business networking sites like LinkedIn and FastPitch and other membership sites that I belong to too but this all takes time and finesse as well.

Rarely do I see very many really good networkers though so I urge you to learn more, practice your skills, focus on giving to others and really work at becoming the best networker you can because it will pay off with more customers and bigger profits.

Here are a few habits that a good networker typically exudes; they will:

Go with a goal

Be prepared, mentally and with materials

Arrive early and stay late

Work the room

Master their ‘commercials’ and alter them as needed

Introduce others around

Pass people off nicely and move on

Ask questions of the other person

Know to listen more than they talk

Take notes on cards

Quickly and repeatedly follow up

So, how to you match up? What are you doing?

One thing I want to remind you of is that no matter which ones you are doing if you are NOT doing the very last one listed – the FOLLOW UP – then I can tell you right now that you are absolutely wasting your time (and money) doing the networking in the first place!!

I can’t stress to you enough that if you find yourself not being able to get your follow up done – then figure out someone to delegate this to. It’s worth whatever it costs to pay someone to do this for you because it could mean the difference between one sale and fourteen sales!

Furthermore, if you want help developing your networking plan, I would suggest signing up for my JumpStart Your Marketing 1 Hour Business Brainstorm Session! You can find out what those entail and how they will benefit you on the products page of my website at www.JumpStartYourMarketing.com!

Katrina Sawa is known as The JumpStart Your Biz Coach because she literally kicks her clients and their businesses into high gear. She works with highly motivated women entrepreneurs that want to maximize and fast-track their business to make more money and enjoy more free time. Katrina uses online and offline Relationship Marketing Systems & Strategies to leverage your resources, contacts and your expertise; plus she kicks you in the butt to implement it all too! Get her Free Tips, Free Audio & Free Report online at http://www.JumpStartYourMarketing.com!

Hooking Up on the Internet

by Alice Seba

No, I’m not talking about THAT kind of hooking up…this is a business article, for goodness sakes! I’m talking about building mutually beneficial relationships with other online business owners. That’s the kind of hooking up that will propel your business to long-term success.

Many people get online and think that the more people they meet online, the bigger customer base they can get. To some degree that is true, but in this marketing mama’s humble opinion, it’s not where you should focus your efforts.

Nearly, four years ago, I started my online business. I was just a mom who desperately didn’t want to return to work after maternity leave. I had NO CLUE what I was doing. None at all, but one thing I did do is meet people, but I didn’t try to make these people my customers.

What, you may ask? Didn’t I want to get any customers?

Sure I did, but I realized something much more valuable. The other online business owners that I met online weren’t necessarily my target market and they had something much more valuable to offer me than a few dollars in my pocket from an Internet sale. They had knowledge, experience and ideas…and I had my own to share too. So, this is what I did…

I made friends and now I run a 6-figure per year business.

Yup, good old-fashioned friends with a common interest in online business. I share my experience and knowledge and they shared theirs. We discovered where we could collaborate on projects and build lifetime partnerships together. In other words, I gained a lifetime of value from these friends…not just another “Notification of Payment Received” email from PayPal.

Through these relationships, I have found:

- A number of partners on numerous profitable projects that we continue to produce and promote.
- Marketing advice from:

- A copywriter who has written million-dollar sales copy for numerous clients

- A guy who works from Florida and makes millions yearly from his online business ventures; and a bunch more. These are people that have made VITAL differences to the future of my online business.

- Someone who has orchestrated 6 and 7-figure product launches for his friends and clients.

- And a bunch of others too numerous to mention, but I am so grateful for every day of my life.

- Indispensable and trustworthy assistants that keep me inline when my mind wanders or I just can’t get all the little things done in my business.

…and a whole bunch more. It doesn’t really matter, what I gained. It’s time to ask yourself what you want to gain…and if you’re in it for the long haul. If you decide you are indeed in it for the long haul, it’s time to start building those relationships.

How to Attract The Right People to Your Network

If you are already networking online, through message boards or other means, you’re already on the way. Here’s some tips on how to make the right kind of friends through your network.

- Scrutinize your networking list. If you belong to a bunch of email groups and even more message boards, it’s time to start cutting out the fat. Your time is valuable, so choose just a few quality groups and boards where people are serious about online business. Forget about the ones where people are out to get rich quick or where you simply post for “Ad Mondays”.

- Don’t be too eager. Don’t start out by telling the world, you want to “partner” on a project or anything like that. Take it slow, get to know people and give your input where you can. I emphasize the “where you can” because if you don’t have any experience on a subject, just keep quiet. But don’t worry, if you feel you really don’t have a lot of experience, you can still be a valuable community member by giving support and encouragement to your fellow online business owners. The experience will come with time.

- Share your experiences. Expanding on the previous point, do share on the subjects in which you have some experience. The more freely you share your information, the more willing people will be to share with you. We all have our own experience and expertise. We can cut our learning curves tremendously by learning from others.

- Make personal connections. If you have something you’d like to discuss privately with a member, contact them. It may be to discuss a particular idea you have for their business or you may want to interview them for your newsletter. When you do make these connections, always keep in mind what value it has for your networking partner. If you have nothing of value to offer them, save your personal contact for later.

- View your competitors as partners. There’s nothing worse than the sometimes catty world of online business where people see competitors as the enemy. The Internet marketplace is so vast, there truly is room for everybody. People who reach the same target market are your potential partners for products, free ebooks, co-promotion and more. Don’t limit yourself.

Bottom Line is…

Stop thinking about yourself. Think about how you can help other people and it truly comes back to you.

Alice Seba is a solo online entrepreneur who has increased her profits and reduced her working hours by working with virtual assistants. For more Internet marketing tips to help you earn more while working less, sign up for her Internet Marketing Prescriptions mailing list at www.AliceSeba.com

11 Ideas for Service Businesses

11 Ideas for Service Businesses
by Carrie Wilkerson

Women don’t realize that the same tactics they use for personal relationships are the very same skills they need for business networking, which is far more than making a few phone calls or handing out business cards. Networking, plain and simple, is about building relationships and that’s what we do best.

Women tend not to see social contacts as potential business generators. We often think that if we’re making pleasant conversation, we’re not doing business. Just because you’ve made a friend out of a colleague doesn’t mean he or she still can’t provide business opportunities for you. And you might just make a colleague out of a friend. Many leads can be generated from family and friends whom you thought were only social contacts.

Of course, we’re not all social butterflies with a long list of friends. But if you want your home-based business to succeed, you’re going to have to make an effort to get out there and make yourself known. Here are some ideas about where you can do a little networking – and make new friends in the process!

Local and National Organizations

Local business organizations are a great place to start. In addition to the chamber of commerce, most communities have business organizations or clubs where potential clients might be found.

National organizations are a valuable resource, such as the National Women’s Business Council found online at www.nwbc.gov. Their mission is “to promote bold initiatives, policies and programs designed to support women’s business enterprises at all stages of development in the public and private sector marketplaces — from start-up to success to significance.” Their website offers links to mentoring programs and resources across the country as well as events and seminars, which brings us to our next networking resource.

Conferences, Seminars and Shows

Conferences, seminars, and trade shows are a wealth of networking opportunities. If you can’t afford the registration fee, you could offer to volunteer, putting yourself in contact with new people and saving money at the same time.

Online Potential

We have the technology. Use it. Online forums are a great way to make new contacts and spread the word about your business. Don’t make the mistake of becoming too impersonal, though. A virtual relationship can be just as fruitful as a fact-to-face encounter. Take the time to become familiar with online environments. Check out bulletin boards, discussion lists and chat rooms. When using online forums, be sure to include a signature with your message that explains what services you have to offer. Keep an eye on posts that might be connected to your business goals, and send them a friendly, introductory email. But don’t try to make a sale with your first email since it might cause you to be banned from the forum. Plain old email is also an effective way to introduce yourself and request a short meeting to explain your business. Just call the office first to make sure you’re sending it to the right person.

Scout the Next Opportunity

Keep an eye out for opportunities. Even if you’re just driving to the post office or grocery store, look around and take notice of any new businesses that might benefit from your services. Read your local newspapers and magazines to keep up with new developments in the community and new networking opportunities.

Any one of these tactics on their own will probably not be effective. It usually takes about five contacts to see any results. Persistence is the key. As women know, building relationships takes a lot of commitment and hard work but we’re more than up to the challenge.

Carrie Wilkerson is the voice of experience. From corporate life to teaching high school to direct sales, she has ‘been there and done that’ professionally and personally. An ‘overnight mom’ to 2 toddlers through adoption, her priorities instantly changed and so did her workplace. She’s now built several businesses and coached others to do the same while overcoming extreme debt, losing 110lbs and having 2 more children, for a total of 4 children, ages infant through 12! As ‘The Barefoot Executive’, Carrie and her network of experts have quickly become the definite resource for helping women achieve extra income and career goals while working from home. Visit: barefoot-executive.com

Small Business Networking Groups for Women

Networking is the key to success when you are a small business owner. Below are a list of small business networking groups for women that are online and offline to help you to get started.

• Black Business Women Online – Networking community of African American Entrepreneurs, Business Owners and WAHM’s.
• Business Entrepreneur Network – Network with women and men in business across the globe.
• Chamber of Commerce – Provides great networking opportunities for women in business. Click here to locate your local chapter.
• Classy Chic N’ Elite Business Women – Network with women in business and share ideas on how to improve upon your business in the areas of recruiting, networking, advertising and marketing, team management, customer service, direct sales and more.
• Connecting Black – A network community for black business owners.
• CWAHM - Networking forum where Christian Work at Home Moms discuss business and the Lord.
• Digital Women - An International online community for women in business, businesswomen, and all women around the world.
• eWomen Network – Connecting and promoting women and their businesses.
• Home Party Plan Network – Network forum to help women succeed in their direct sales businesses.
• Idea Cafe – This site is not only for women but has great resources for starting your own business, marketing, business plans and much more.
• International Virtual Women’s Chamber of Commerce – Network with businesswomen online and offline. News, information, resources workshops and classes for businesswomen.
• Internet Based Moms – Network with moms in business. Good source for marketing information and resources.
• Meet Up – Join or start your own networking group in your area.
• MLM Black Woman- Online networking for women of color in network marketing or direct sales.
• Mommy Enterprises – Networking forum where you can network with other Work at Home Moms.
• Mom to Mom Chat Discussion Board – Grab a cup of coffee or tea and discuss the joys of being a woman and a mom.
• Mom Pack – Moms working together to promote each others businesses.
• MyMommyBiz Ideas for Work at Home Moms – Provides networking message boards, books, advice, ideas, resources and eBooks for moms who want to work from home.
• MySpace – You will find alot of women networking successfully at this online social community.
• Ning - Start your own social network or join one.
• Ryze – Network with business owners in a variety of fields. Free networking homepage.
• SBA’s Online Women’s Business Center – Providing resources, information, financing, training, workshops and networking for the small businesswoman.
• Shout Life – Christian networking community.
• Sisters4Sisters Network, Inc – Maryland based networking organization where women help women to connect.
• Sister Woman – Connect with women nationwide to celebrate girlfriendships.
• Squidoo – Social networking community on a variety of topics they call “lenses”. Build your own lens and start networking today.
• The WAHM Shack – Networking forum exclusively for Work-At-Home-MOMS and Grandmas.
• WAHM Announce – Networking forum for Work-at-Home Moms to discuss home business networking, business promotion and work at home opportunities.
• WAHM Forums – Network with other work at home moms at this forum which discusses a variety of business topics.
• WAHM.com – Great place to network with moms in business and to find resources for working at home.
• Women Business Owners – Network with women business owners and learn how to build your business. Full of information on networking, marketing, online classes and much more.

How to Choose a Professional Womens Mentoring Group for Your Business

Professional Women Mentoring groups, sometimes known as mastermind groups, are a great way to help kick start or improve upon your business. These groups are comprised of business women from a variety of business backgrounds who all have common goals in mind. The particular goals can vary, but the point of most professional womens mentoring groups is to bring women business owners together to help them grow their business.

Here are some of the things to look for when searching for a professional mentoring group for your woman owned business.

1. Look for women with interests the same as yours.

2. Find a group that offers resources to help you in your business.

3. Look for groups who are constantly updating their resources and not just posting old resources.

4. Research various groups and ask members of different groups about what the group has to offer.

5. Find members who have “grown” since joining the group. This will prove that success is a possibility.

6. Look for members who are willing to share their thoughts, criticisms, and knowledge willingly. You don’t want a group of mentors who refuse to help newer members. Remember it’s called mentoring for a reason.

7. Find a membership that fits in your budget, but remember that price isn’t everything.

8. Look for groups that offers lifetime membership. You may find that after a certain amount of time or after you’ve completed certain steps you will be offered a discounted or possibly even free membership.

9. Find a mentoring group whose schedule fits yours.

10. Look for a group who not only allows members to ask questions, but encourages it. However, don’t expect the mentors to always just give you the answers you need, they should also be encouraging you to think for yourself.

If you can’t find a mentoring group you feel is right for you or that fits your budget just yet, try following one or two people in your business market that you can learn from. Study and more importantly, implement the things you learn from them and ask questions when you have them.

More information on Professional Womens Mentoring Groups

Top 3 Things to Do to Succeed Online

Many clients have asked me where to start right after they have established their online business. What are the first few things they need to implement to begin effectively promoting their business online?

Here are the first three must-haves for successful online business promotion.

1. Professional Web Site, Including Your Own Domain Name and Web Hosting.

With domains now available for less then $8/year, and hosting available at under $10/month, there is absolutely no excuse not to have your own domain and professional hosting. Your own business domain makes your business web site address memorable and brandable.

It is also crucial for any serious business owner to have a professionally designed business web site. Your web site is your online place of business and you only have a few seconds to make a positive impression on potential customers. If they like your web site, they will continue browsing it, learning about your business, products and services. However, if your web site does not look professional, your web site visitors will leave it, and you will lose the chance of doing business with them.

2. Reliable Lead Generating Techniques and Ability To Keep In Touch With Your Leads.

No business can function without having new leads to work with every single day. A good lead for your business is someone who is in your target market, can use your products and services, but is not ready to buy yet. You should have the ability to capture these leads and keep in touch with them on a regular basis.

Many of my clients use their newsletters and blogs to capture and keep in touch with leads. To start generating leads, create a newsletter for your business that is of interest to your target market. Make a commitment to sending it out on a regular basis, and add a reminder to your schedule.

Strive to publish good content in your newsletter. People register for a newsletter to read useful information, not just ads. Make sure you provide interesting and valuable information that your subscribers can use.

3. Reliable Sales Generating Techniques.

No business can survive unless it is generating sales. You need to have a plan for using online marketing techniques – article marketing, search engine optimization, business blogging and others to generate sales for your business.

If using all of the techniques seems overwhelming in the beginning, start with just one of the techniques. Learn how to use it and start using it to generate sales. Once you master a particular technique, move on to learning about the next technique, but continue using the first one to generate online sales.

Make sure that you have a professional web site, as well as ways to generate leads and sales for your business. Without these three pillars of online marketing, you will not be able to succeed with your business online.

About the author:

Biana Babinsky is the online business coach, expert and author who has taught many solopreneurs how to become better known online, get more clients and make more money. Learn all of her online marketing secrets in the Complete Step by Step Online Marketing Course at avocadoconsulting

Networking with MySpace

If you are not using MySpace as a means of networking, you are missing a huge opportunity.

I remember the first time I heard about MySpace, it was from my kids, both teens at the time. Both of them had pages and were meeting new people regularly.

I then began meeting adults who were using MySpace. They were using MySpace to keep in touch with their kids at college. They were using MySpace to promote their books and they were using MySpace to network.

I am a strong supporter of true networking. I have always offered referrals to those I believe offer a great product or service or to those I believe can offer assistance to another person.

I decided to create my own MySpace page. What I learned was that I could meet thousands of people who were open to meeting someone new.

MySpace offers many different ways to meet others:

Browse -

You can browse through the MySpace membership directory and search for folks in a specific zip code, search for those that are either male or female or even search for those in a specific age range. Once you find the people you are searching for, you can then send them a personal email message or you can friend request them. I usually do both. I want to introduce myself and say hi to those I friend request.

Search -

You can search for very specific terms. For example, I love scrapbooking, so I searched profiles for others who also love scrapbooking. I found several friends this way. I sent a personal note introducing myself and talking about our common interest in scrapbooking.

Profiles -

I have seen so many beautiful, wonderful, unique, pretty, funny profiles on MySpace. About 75% of the time, I can find something in common with the person whose page I’ve landed on. I email them about that common ground and then friend request them.

Groups -

MySpace offers hundreds of thousands of groups. Groups are communities of folks that share something in common. I belong to a few groups, some on parenting, some on scrapbooking and some on the laws of attraction. You can find just about everything imaginable through MySpace groups. I have met many people through these groups.

Blogs -

MySpace allows every member to create blogs. You can create as many blogs as you want. You can then search blogs. Again, search for those terms that interest you. If you like vintage cars, then type “vintage cars” in the search box. Communicate with those who have a common interest with you.

These are 5 ways you can network with others on MySpace. For those who wish to network with me, you can friend request me at myspace.com/audreys_kitchen

Have fun on MySpace. Make some friends. Through networking, you’ll find that your sales will indeed increase.

About the Author

Audrey Okaneko has been working at home since 1983. She can be reached at audreyoka or visited at recipe-barn

Ghostwriting Career Tips for Stay at Home Moms

Stay at Home Moms: Turn Your Knowledge Into Extra Money

Did you know that internet marketers need your first-hand experience — and may be willing to pay you for writing simple articles about it?

That’s right. Other moms are earning money for writing about their favorite topics and their life experience. These moms are called ghostwriters. If you enjoy writing, you too can be paid to write from home, with your little ones right there beside you.

This brief glimpse into the world of ghostwriting will help you determine whether this home based career may be a good fit for you.

A Career for Moms, With or Without a Degree

The main requirement for being a great ghostwriter is that you enjoy writing. It doesn’t matter whether you’ve been paid to write in the past, and you do not need a degree.

You will, however, need some guidance to get started. An inexpensive guide to ghostwriting can walk you step by step into your new career. To help you earn money more quickly, be sure your course or guide includes a forum so you can have your questions answered by seasoned ghostwriters.

Internet Marketers Need Your Knowledge and Skills

Right now, there’s a huge market for great ghostwriters online. As more and more internet marketers set up shop online, the demand for great ghostwriters increases as well.

You see, internet marketers are happy to pay others to write for them. It saves them time and energy. It frees them up to work on other important projects, because you’re taking care of writing the content they need.

You may be asked to write articles, or even ebooks or reports. You can choose what you’re comfortable with.

Share Your Experience, and Get Paid For It

You can specialize in writing for a niche you may know and love. Actually, it’s more profitable for you if you specialize. This will make you a valuable writer. It will also allow you to price yourself well.

You may not realize it, but you are already an expert. As a stay at home mom, you specialize in children. Parenting. Getting kids to eat healthy (and enjoying it!) Family finance, because you’ve learned to get by on much less.

You may have gained special knowledge from personal challenges like attention deficit disorder, or how to stop other kids from bullying your kids. Any of these topics are likely near and dear to your heart.

Now it’s up to you to let your light shine — and be paid to share your gifts with those who need them.

About the Author

Do you want to learn more about ghostwriting as a home based business? I’ve put together a free report on ghostwriting for profit, ‘Ghostwriting as a Career for Introverts.’ You can pick it up at www.CreativeCareersForIntroverts.com/ghost Darlene Arechederra shares fun and unique career ideas with moms who want to earn extra money from home.

Click here for more Ghostwriting Career tips for Stay at Home Moms.

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