Hello – All the WAHMs of the world! We know your out there, with your  super successful at home businesses. If your a true WAHM? If  your a REAL WAHM entrepreneur or have a successful direct sales business and would like you to contribute to our site, please do!  Tell us about your home based business success story! Would you like to share your story to help other women? Other ladies would benefit from learning about your success stories! Which types of home based businesses have you found worked for family? Which ones are you personally having a great success with, as a  home business? Which ones have you tried which have been flops in the end?  Women often ask us which ones are great ones to take a chance on.  We feel in this economy, if we as women can help each other. WE should when we CAN! Other women would like to hear your thoughts on the topic of home based businesses. Please share your ideas and your personal secrets to success as WAHM. The dream of many women is to have what YOU have, a successful home based business while raising a family. Please help the future WAHMs of the world by sharing!

Please share your ideas, thoughts and comments.

Once you get going with the day to day of your business,  you loose the direction you once had. All the plans you initially had in your head will be  gone.  You don’t think so, but it happens, write everything down in a notebook or or better yet out it in a  spread sheet.  Believe me once you start doing the actual business part each day,  you’ll  never remember all the creative things you thought of in the beginning. I recently found a piece of paper with some of my early ideas.  I was amazed how great my early ideas were!

It so important to have many things in place before your up and running. You will not have time later!

1. First, Research and read up on what your thinking of doing. Learn everything so there are no surprises.

2. Do a business market analysis of your area or on the net,  for what your planning on doing. Make sure there are not too many others doing the same thing.

3. Get all the tax, business name,  checking accounts, credit accounts, permits, licenses,  etc. all set up and taken care of early.

4.  Set up social networking sites. Start making new contacts and advertise for free your new business.

5.  Set up a Business plan.

6.  Set up a  Marketing plan.

7. Get good business lawyer. Look  some offer great deals!

8. Get an accountant to give you advice,  you’ll need to know for you taxes later.

9.  Make a business check list to follow.

10. Find the vendors you’ll need and who are you going to sell to?

11. Find the materials you’ll need to run you business?

12. Funding where is it coming from?

13. Think about getting an business advisor!

14. Insurance you may need some.

15. How about copyrights, trademarks or patents with your business?

16. Buy a computer, phone, scanner, etc.

17. Domain name purchase, hosting and  website development  all needs to be done.

18. Software which ones to use?

19. To much to list and the list goes on, but this a start!

Write your business plan very early on with goals – 1 yr, 2 yr, 5yr, 10yr etc.  Really think about and develop you marketing plan,  so you can really get started.

Make lots of “to do lists”,  so you don’t miss anything. I even color code mine to importance, OCD like, but hey it works, right! Do not skip ahead in steps. Figure out the order of events and how they need to be done.  Some things can be done much later and some have to be done first to build the other steps on.

As a mom take small baby steps each day towards your goal. Slow and steady gets were you want to be just fine.

I recently had a interesting conversation about just this.  We talked about how a business can grow too fast and become out of control fast. You don’t want to have hire people right away, just in case do you have some informal help? You also don’t want to forced to  sell the business you have worked hard to develop, because it’s bigger than what you can now handle.

Slow growth is important, believe it or not. You can control the business growth yourself!

If I missed something just let me know,  I’ll add it to the list. This list is just to get you thinking and planning for your future. You can be a mom and run a business, I know many who do successfully. It’s all a matter of time management and putting out the big fires first.

Perseverance is needed,  but we have this quality,  we’re Moms!

Good Luck and happy brainstorming for you new adventure!

For Internet entrepreneurs and home-based business owners, forum networking is quickly becoming one of the most popular ways to build online business connections. It makes sense – a business is built on relationships, and online forums are the best places on the Web to meet people, share your knowledge, and ask your questions.

But before you log on to the first forum you find and start promoting your new business opportunity, take a moment to brush up on your forum etiquette. Like any other social activity, forum networking has its own mores and guidelines. Follow these seven steps to become a savvy forum networker.

1.    Read the rules before you play the game. Most forums have threads that explain how they work. Look for threads titled Forum Rules and FAQ and read them before you make your first post.

2.    Get a feel for the forum by reading previous posts before you jump in. This will help you find the right place to invest your valuable time.

Who are the members? Do they discuss issues that interest you? As a writer and a mother, I look for forums that discuss writing and the challenges of being a work at home mom.

Do you have the answers they’re looking for? If you have the expertise that the members need, you can make a valuable contribution to the community and build your reputation as an expert in your field.

Forum networking is also one of the best ways to learn about your ideal client. Join some of the forums your target market frequents and you’ll learn what’s really on their minds.

3.    Once you’ve found a forum you like, take the time to introduce yourself. Look for an Introduce Yourself thread, or something similar. Share who you are and what you do. Let the other members know you’ve joined their group and that you look forward to getting to know them.

4.    Don’t mistake “telling them what you do” for “advertise your business.” Ads are not welcome in any your forum posts, and they make a particularly bad impression in your introduction. Look for a thread called Ads and save your promotional material for that thread only.

5.    No ad you post will ever be as persuasive as engaging in meaningful conversation with the other forum members. Let others get to know you through your friendly and informative posts, and you will win their trust and loyalty for your business.

6.    Place a link to your website in your signature and add your signature to the end of each of your posts. Here is where you get to advertise your newsletter, describe your latest business opportunity, brag about your newest e-book. If you’ve made an interesting and helpful comment, other forum members will be tempted to click on the link and learn more about your business.

7.    Spend some time every day visiting each of the forums you participate in.  Create a folder of forums in your browser’s Favorites folder to help you keep track. It’s a good personal goal to submit an informative post and welcome a few new members each time you visit.

Combine your informative posts and signature with regular visits, and you’ll be well on your way to building your network and making friends online.

Denise Willms,a homeschooling mother of two, helps work-at-home-moms get targeted traffic to their websites through copywriting, article writing, and press releases. Subscribe to her newsletter, WAHM-Articles Ezine, and receive 105 Power Tips to Get Your Online Business Noticed and Profiting.

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