Let’s Talk About Children

Let’s talk about children for a minute.

I personally think everyone should do what they are best at and what they are called to do. I also LOVE and ADORE babies!

I’ve had 10 all together. 7 are living, 3 are in heaven.

When we leave this world, God is not going to ask us how much money we made or did we have a great time. He’s going to ask, “What did you do for Me?”

I personally think one of the best things a woman can do is have a bunch of kids. It keeps you young, you learn a lot and if you do a good job of raising them when they are little, they are so much fun when they are teens!

Then they have babies and you get to enjoy grandchildren! (I have 2 coming soon!)

Men don’t have a clue what an honor and privilege it is to have a baby.

I know this isn’t a popular opinion these days, but who cares?

I tend to do what I feel led to do by my God and by that small still voice that speaks to me. It either grants me peace during the day or it keeps me from going to sleep at night.

I don’t live my life based on what others think and I want to challenge each of you to do the same.

Do what you feel is right for you. The influences in this world may tell you one thing but you don’t have to obey. You don’t have to keep up with the Jones if you don’t want to.

I don’t. I live my life so the Jones want to keep up with me! Ha! And I want to encourage you to do the same.

Make a list of the elements you want to have in your life. If you’re married, ask your partner what he wants and needs.

Then make a plan and work actively on making your life look like what you’ve described. Pray about it and you’ll be surprised how things sort of fall into place for you.

When my husband and I decided we wanted to live in the country, we made two lists. One had things we needed, the other listed things we wanted.

It took us two years of searching to find, but we finally bought a 3600 sq. ft. log house in the middle of 44 acres with 2 creeks, woods, pastures and a view to die for.

We’ve since added a top floor that is 40 ft of Lego room.

That wouldn’t have happened if we hadn’t made a few decisions.

Too many people let life push them along. They just drift through life doing what they are told and living mindlessly from day to day. Eventually, they become miserable enough to complain or do something to fix it. Or they just die with their song still in them.

There is more to life than making money. There is more to life than having a career.

Focusing on creating and maintaining great relationships is key and some of the best relationships you’ll ever have will be with your kids.

So I encourage you to have as many children as you can. If you are unable to have kids, adopt some.

The biggest impact you will ever have in this world will be on the people you pour your self into. And if you do a great job raising a few kids, you’ll have fun learning to make money with them and you’ll be thrilled with what you have accomplished.

And God will be thrilled with you, too.

So many books, so little time…

Rhea!
who is convinced that children are more valuable than money

Meet my incredible son Drew in Atlanta on August 24-26 at our annual home business conference where you can even bring your teens!
He teaches real estate investors how to sell houses on eBay.

Learn more here:
http://www.EntrepreneurDays.com

From The Mail Bag: What Is RSS?

Wow! Only the first week we’ve gone live and there are questions already? You ladies are serious! And that’s great. From the mail bag this week, Michelle asks,

Q: How does RSS feeds work? How do you use RSS feeds and if I want to add this feature to my exiting online site – how do I go about it?

A: Michelle, that is a great question. RSS is not only every where these days but it’s also maturing which means there are many, many more opportunities for us to use it in business. You’re in luck because I have a download-able PDF document that answers your question in more detailed form.

It will tell you what it is exactly, what’s the big deal about it, how to use it in your business and how to utilize it on your web site. It also have a list of clickable resources for you to explore the topic further.

Download here ==> Right click this and “Save As” to your computer.

You’ll require Adobe Acrobat Reader to open and read it, which you can get here.

P.S. Do you have questions? Click here to ask.

Have You Tried eBay before?

A few days ago, I received a question from a mom who had tried selling on eBay for 5 months and only lost money because of all the fees associated with eBay and Paypal. She wants to know how I have managed to build my business with all the fees… unfortunately, I get this question a lot. Many have tried eBay and given up because they weren’t profitable… here are some thoughts on this issue…

There are a few ways to build a business with eBay. You can sell for profit… and/or you can USE eBay to send traffic to your other businesses. I’ll be discussing both of these options over the next few weeks – but, first I would like to share 3 tips for listing auctions for the highest profit.

1. Watch your inventory costs

As a mom, you have access to free inventory! Your kids closets! Even if the items you have are not in demand on eBay, you can trade up at consignment stores for items that will sell for a nice profit. If you poke around eBay for a bit you will start noticing trends and learn the brands and items that are selling for the most (ie., Hanna Andersson, Baby Gap, Air Jordan, Tommy Hilfiger, etc.)… these are the brands to trade up to at consignment shops.

I look for items that I can make at least $10 profit on. To do this, I only pick up items that I can turn around for $15-20+ on ebay. That may not sound like much – but, considering that it takes me about 10 minutes to get an item listed… at $10 a listing – that is $50-60 an hour!

2. Don’t pay eBay more than you have to

eBay charges for everything… they will nickel and dime you to death if you aren’t careful. One of the biggest way to throw away your profits is to post all of your pictures on eBay – many sellers don’t realize that you don’t have to do this. I don’t even know what eBay charges for this anymore… last I had checked, they were charging 10 cents for every image that you posted for your listing (after the first free picture). If you have 5 pictures for every item, you are throwing away 40 cents on every listing. That may not sound like much, but it can add up very quickly! There are many places you can host images for free – check out your ISP, do a google search, or even pay for an auction management service like www.sellersourcebook.com where image hosting is included in your monthly fee.

3. List like items at the same time

You can increase your bids by listing like items at the same time. For example, if you are selling size 3 clothing – list is all during the same week… then announce on your listings that you have more of the same size in other listings. To learn more about how to do this effectively, check out my free ecourse, The Magic Window of Opportunity Hiding On Ebay at www.jennihunt.com.

There really is so much that goes into listing successful auctions – these tips will get you started… but, if you have any questions, please feel free to ask away!

Happy eBaying!

Jenni

Feed My Ears

I fell in love with internet audio years ago and it’s a love affair that is as hot and heavy as ever. I consume hours of audio on the internet every day, mostly right here at my home office desk but also through my little ipod nano and through CDs that I burn to listen to in my car.

It’s an insatiable hunger for content that I can consume while doing something else.

Audio and multitasking go hand in hand. I listen while I check and respond to email, surf forums and read blogs. I listen while I work on my websites and create graphics. I listen while I plot and plan projects. The only time I don’t listen to some kind of spoken content is when I’m talking with someone or I’m writing.

Yep, people and writing both require and deserve my undivided attention.

It’s not always easy to turn off the ‘multi-channel’ processes that I enjoy so much. When I sit down to write an article or report or to write for a product I found that I can focus better if I listen to instrumental music. It keeps me centered on my work and prevents my ears from hungering for something else.

As many great podcasts as I have subscribed to, I still come to a point in my week where I run out of fresh audio and I have to go searching through the podcast directories trying to find something new and interesting to hear and enjoy.

As much as is out there I don’t usually get my fill – and I hear the same from the moms I talk to on the web. There just aren’t enough choices yet. We hunger for content that will entertain and equip us through our days and weeks.

If you have been dreaming about starting a podcast… wake up and get it started already!

Feed My Ears!

Hello Internet Based Moms!

Hello fellow Internet Based Moms! My name is Sharon Odom Fling and I’ve been on the Internet since 1995, and making a full-time living online since 2002. I come from a corporate background, first as an engineer, then a systems analyst. But I was always a maverick who bucked the trend, walked to the beat of my own drum, wanted to do my own thing.

Luckily, the Vice President I worked for at The Walt Disney Company was also a maverick, and after I discovered and fell in love with the Internet, allowed me the freedom to rewrite my job description. I started developing database driven websites for our department, which led to developing even larger applications for Disney’s Intranet.

After I gave birth to triplets (2 girls and 1 boy) in 1997, my manager allowed me to telecommute 2 days a week so I could be near my children, although I did have a nanny. It was a dream job and a great situation.

Meanwhile, I started freelancing, helping small business owners get their business online. It became obvious early on that most small business owners didn’t have a clue about the power of the Internet, and had no idea how much it could help their business. Unfortunately, that has not changed all that much in the past 7 years!

In 2000 I left Disney but returned as a consultant for my old department, working totally from home (I still had to have a nanny!) After Sept 11th, consulting funds dried up and I decided not to look for another job — I was officially an entrepreneur. I wrote my first book “How to Promote Your Local Business on the Internet” in 2002, and have never looked back.

I created www.GeoLocal.com, a site devoted to local internet marketing, and teamed up with SiteSell.com to publish “The Local Business Masters Course” in 2006. More recently I partnered with internet marketing expert Terry Dean to create a 6 CD audio course titled “Next Generation Marketing Magic”, a local internet marketing primer and resource guide.

My focus is on lead generation and local online advertising, which is an area that has been largely ignored by most online marketers. From mobile local to local lead generation, the possibilities are endless for those who will reach out and grab them.

I’m very excited to be a part of this fantastic group of women, and look forward to sharing information and experiences with all of you!

Sharon Odom Fling

P.S. Click here to ask Sharon a question!

I Challenge You

I often wonder why there aren’t more financially successful people in America. 

The poverty level is around $19,000.

The mean income in America is about $46,000.

Business owners generally net about $400,000. 

Now, I’m not the sharpest knife in the drawer but it looks to me like owning a business is more lucrative than working for someone else. Yet most of us haven’t been trained or encouraged to have our own businesses. 

I personally believe God created each of us to do a particular task. And I’m not so sure that all of us are supposed to be employees working for someone else. 

That’s just what we’ve been taught in the last few decades. But that’s not the way it has to be. That’s not the way it was in early America. The Puritans didn’t get off the boat looking for the nearest Wal-Mart where they could submit their resumes! 

I see way too many educated folks living too close to the poverty line these days. 

Robert Kiyosaki paraphrased Buckminster Fuller in Rich Dad, Poor Dad when he said, “Poverty has nothing to do with money. Money does not produce wealth. Wealth is what a person knows and the more people know, the richer they will feel.” 

Our problem in America is that we are uneducated. 

We have not been steered toward knowledge of how to create our own businesses so that we can do what we love and direct our own lives. 

I agree with Thomas Edison who said, “If we did all the things we’re capable of doing …we would literally astonish ourselves.”

I am dedicated to helping people discover who they are and what they were put on this earth to accomplish. 

I am dedicated to helping teens develop an entrepreneurial mindset doing what they love so they don’t spend their lives wandering through the pinball machine of life looking for the way out. 

If you are one of the thousands who are struggling with life, know this: there is hope. There is more than what you’ve seen. There is more to experience in this life. 

I’ve seen it and I want to encourage you. 

I challenge you to do something amazing with your life so that when you leave this place, the world breathes a sigh as if something marvelous just happened. 

Go for it!

 So many books, so little time… 

Rhea!

who can’t imagine living in the box

Meet Charlie “Tremendous” Jones at our Home Business conference this August! http://www.EntrepreneurDays.com

 P.S. Click here to ask Rhea a question!

Excited to Be Here!

I’m so excited that Mila has invited me to be a guest blogger here at Internet Based Moms. It’s great to see all the wonderful new things Mila is doing with the site and even though I have moved on as the owner, I can still hang around a little bit. ;-)

I look forward to sharing tips with you to help you make more money without so much darned hard work. No, I’m not saying you can click your mouse and the cash comes rolling in, but when you set things up right…the work you do today will serve you long into the future.

A lot of what I’ll share with you will be based on the Internet Marketing Sweetie Philosophy that I teach on my own website. As women and mothers, I know that we tend to build businesses around the idea of HELPING people.

Whether we help them improve their lives, decorate their homes or help them excel in their careers, we simply want to help. Problem is, just like with our personal lives, we often put other people’s needs ahead of our own.

That’s why you’re going to love the Sweetie Philosophy because it means you can continue to HELP people, but you can run a very PROFITABLE business at the same time. No more sacrificing your profitability in the name of helping people. You CAN do both!

I’ll be back soon and we’ll get started.

Alice

P.S. Click Here to ask Alice a question.

Welcome – My First Post

Welcome… I am very excited to be a part of this amazing community and look forward to sharing with you tips and tid-bits about selling on eBay successfully – actually, I hope to do more than that. I’ve learned (mostly from trial and error), little tricks to help me manage my eBay business and manage being a mother of 3. So, you won’t find hyped up recommendations – instead, I’ll be sharing quality techniques you can apply immediately to your eBay business.

I started selling on eBay right after my 2^nd child was born in 2002. My first auction I listed was a sit-and-stand stroller I bought at a yard sale for $15 – I sold it for over $100 and was HOOKED. I jumped in with both feet and have loved every minute of it! I am a stay at home mom who decided to leave my high-tech marketing position when my first child was born. Ever since then, like a lot of mom’s, I have been seeking out how to supplement our income so I could stay home with my children.

EBay is a wonderful opportunity for moms because you already have an inventory! Children’s items are a hot item – and with some guidance and a bit of effort, you can learn to sell on eBay as a home business too. I’m here to help and look forward to sharing with you from my years of experience.

Jenni

P.S. Click Here to send Jenni a question!

Hello Moms

Isn’t this whole blog just so exciting? I’ve been a member of Internet Based Moms almost from the very week it was first launched. Through all that time, so much has changed and what I’m most proud of is, moms are no longer afraid of technology. I remember posting in the forums here just few short years ago about using scripts, and introducing certain technologies like blogs, RSS and web conference rooms… let’s just say the response was not positive (and that’s putting it lightly).

But today, oh my! I see work at home moms not only using technology everywhere, they use it well and even seek it out. That makes me very happy because I have so much to share. Technology is (still) a very male-centric topic. Moms often see themselves as the ‘damsel in distress’, standing by the road side with a flat tire when it came to any kind of technology. But we aren’t. We’ve been using it every day for as long as one can remember. Think about the washing machine, the dish washers electric can openers and all sorts of other household technology. What would our lives be without those?

Similarly, we should apply technology in our business because it helps make light of our work or just makes us more efficient. On this blog, I’ll review, uncover and analyze the different technologies you can leverage for your business. There will be minimum to no geek speak and will make sure it’s all easily digested. So, don’t stay away! I look forward to talk to you.

P.S. Click here to ask Lynette a question!

A Welcome from Kelly McCausey

I can’t tell you how much I’m looking forward to writing for the new Experts Blogs on Internet Based Moms. Using audio online and specifically using podcasting as a business tool and as way to connect with others; these are both topics that I love and never grow tired of talking about.

I’ve said this many times and it’s completely true: Podcasting has changed my life.

When I started to work at home, more than five years ago now, I had no plans to make a a full time venture. I just wanted to make some extra money to make ends meet and pay off some bills. Even when I launched Work at Home Moms Talk Radio in late 2003, I still didn’t have any ideas about doing it full time. But a year or so into the adventure of hosting my own radio show, I started to imagine what life would be like if I could stay home full time. And, it happened, in January 2006 I tendered my resignation and asked my boss to find someone to replace me because my heart was at home in more ways than one.

I don’t believe this would ever have happened or even been possible if it weren’t for podcasting. Podcasting has opened doors that I didn’t know existed for me personally and for the work at home community at large. It’s a dream come true.

I can’t wait to cast vision with you for a future of dreams coming true for you as well. You can look forward to lots of great podcasting information and ideastarters, stories about successful podcasters and more. I welcome your questions and comments so don’t be shy.

Kelly McCausey

P.S. Click here to ask Kelly a question!

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