Are you a Work-at-Home mom who’s trying to start a Blog or promote your online business? Perhaps you’re trying to develop a second income to help with the finances in this challenging economy, but don’t know where to start.  Maybe you have an idea for a particular niche, and are just looking for some ideas to expand on.

Content is always in high demand. Right now the focus seems to be on Private Label Rights (or PLR) articles. PLR articles are pre-written and sold in packages to online businesses looking for content. The big selling points of PLR articles are that you may edit the articles and that there is no author bio required (so they don’t have any outbound links).

Compare PLR articles to free reprint articles. Free reprint articles from places like ezinearticles.com or freeaffiliatearticles.com are written by people who have something they’d like to share. (Or, they are sometimes written by people just publishing junk, in the hopes that they’ll get some incoming links. But, good article directories will delete those, so we’ll focus on the good ones here.)

So, which is better? Honestly, each has its place. Sometimes you’ll find an excellent free reprint article that you’ll want to share with your readers and you won’t mind a bit having an outbound link, especially if there is an affiliate program associated with it. The free reprint article added value to your readers, and you didn’t have to write the article. That’s what free reprint articles are all about.

Other times you’ll already have an idea in mind for a topic and you’ll just want a boost getting that section of your website done. If you run across a high quality PLR package on that niche, you’re set to go.

So, how do you know which PLR service or membership to choose? Here are some guidelines to follow:

1. Some PLR sites offer a monthly membership where you receive a grab-bag of articles – on any topic. If you already know what you need, this may be a waste of money. Other PLR sites will list topics and you can buy the articles in a shopping cart. That ensures you receive the articles you need when you need them.

2. Are the articles written by professional writers with experience? Or are they outsourced to the cheapest overseas help they can find – no matter the quality? If the articles are going to be a reflection of your business, you’ll want to ensure that the articles are well-written.

3. Who’s running this thing? Is the PLR site run by someone who knows about content or someone who thinks they can ride the content wave and make a quick buck? Make sure you’re hitching your wagon to someone who knows what they’re doing.

Those are just a few tips to keep you from wasting money on a PLR site that you can’t use. Continue to use free reprint articles, but look into PLR articles as well. They can both benefit your website and your business.

Nicole Dean invites you to check out EasyPLR.com – where you’ll find high-quality PLR articles on niches sold in very limited quantities.

I, personally, recommend this site for all your PLR article needs.

Hurry now to qualify for this Limited Time Special: ** Buy $25 or more and save 10% **
It’s automatic in the shopping cart. No code is required.

As those who follow me or have read my Press Release or bio know, I’ve been a Paralegal for over 30 years.  I received an e-mail the other day from the Managing Editor of the Connecticut Law Tribune and was interviewed for a story that they’re putting together about  Virtual Legal Assistants.  I can’t wait to see it when it goes to press.  Unfortunately, I had to pass on the photo op because of time constraints ~ not to mention a serious need for concealer after all the excitement of becoming a new Gram again!

In anticipation of my Baby Boomer retirement, I established another online ebiz,  CT Paralegal Virtual Assistant Services to continue to put my skills to use (keep the brain cells active, too) and earn a supplemental income. Here’s an article that all work-at-home moms might find helpful!

If you currently use a VA, please comment and share your experiences!

I’m a Work at Home Mom; Do I Need a Virtual Assistant?by Debra Nail

The term “Virtual Assistant” is becoming more and more common every day. Small businesses utilize VAs for administrative tasks such as data entry, research and many other related tasks.

But, you might say, I’m a work at home mom, how can a virtual assistant help me? I’m glad you asked!

First, for a definition—a virtual assistant is someone who works from their own home-based office to perform tasks pertaining to their client’s business. The VA pays their own insurance, taxes and social security, saving the client’s company money. A virtual assistant is a business owner and works hard every day to build their practice.

There are many ways a virtual assistant can help the work at home mom community. For those just starting out, it could be creating a business image with logos, business cards and forms, etc, all done through desktop publishing by a virtual assistant.

Once your business is off and running, you need customers. The best way to get customers—advertising. Online or offline, your VA can put together a marketing package tailored to your specifications such as banner creation and placement, advertising through classifieds, etc.

Even after customers have committed to doing business with you, there are lots of other tasks your va can perform from sending out direct mailings of specials and promotions to ghostwriting and submitting articles pertaining to your target customer.

A virtual assistant can be your right-hand person to make your business succeed.

About the author: Debra Nail is the owner of WAHM Virtual Helper, a virtual assistance service for work at home moms. You can visit her website at http://www.wahmvirtualhelper.com
Article Source: WAHM Articles

Many of you are aware that the birth of Slugger, my No-Name-Yet-Until-It’s-Time-To-Fill-Out-The-Birth-Certificate grandson is drawing closer. I’ll be blogging about a birth announcement soon! My 21 mo. old granddaughter, ‘Lil Moomette, is certainly going to be in for a rude awakening. Up until now, she’s been everyone’s darling, and enjoys being the center of attention. Slugger is going to be the first grandson for Charming Son-In-Law’s parents.

Charming Son-In-Law is a twin, and originally from Vermont. However, CSIL and the “Bonus” son-in-law have both moved away from Vermont, much to the consternation of their Dad. So when Slugger pays his first visit to the Green Mountain State to visit his grandparents, I’m sure he’s going to get a good, hearty, Yankee welcome!

Here’s an article that I’m recommending to my DD to ease the transition for ‘Lil Moomette. You can find other valuable information like this at Moms United in Business. Join Today!

Preparing Your Older Child for the Birth of a Sibling
By Jennifer Rogers, Founder and Owner Moms United in Business, LLC

One of my biggest concerns while pregnant with my second baby was how to prepare my nine year old daughter for the birth of her sister. She had been my one and only for so long. I wanted her to feel a part of the whole experience and not feel abandoned or replaced.

I set out on a mission. I was determined to find out how I could prepare her for life with a baby sister. I searched for any information that could help me make this transition easier for both my first born and for the family as a whole. I was disappointed to find that most books and articles focused more on younger children who were closer together in age.

I was on my own. However, by taking the following steps I was able to help my oldest daughter made the transition more smoothly. She has taken an active interest in her new sister without resentment or extreme jealousy.

Steps to Prepare Your Older Child for the Birth of a Sibling

1. From the very beginning talk with your child about the upcoming birth. Initiate conversations often, answering questions and concerns honestly. Allow your child to express his or her feelings without judgment.

2. Allow your child to attend at least one doctor’s appointment. By hearing the baby’s heartbeat or seeing the baby on the ultrasound monitor your older child will feel a part of the experience and the baby will become more of a reality to him or her.

3. Make the most of the time you have left. Is there a special place you have been meaning to go? A favorite activity your child enjoys? Go to the library, a local museum, the park or a movie. Play a game together. Bake some homemade cookies. It does not matter what you do, it is the time you spend together one on one that counts. It is equally important to continue these activities after the new baby’s birth.

4. Write a love letter to your child and mail it. Children love getting their own mail! Be specific. Let your child know why you love them, what makes him or her so special. Praise any recent accomplishments, such as a good grade on a spelling test, or hitting a home run at a ballgame. Leaving random notes in lunch boxes and around the house are another sure way to make your child feel special.

5. Take a stroll down memory lane. Pull out photo albums, videos, scrapbooks and any other mementos you may have from your child’s babyhood.

6. When decorating your baby’s nursery, make some changes to your older child’s room as well. It could be anything from rearranging the furniture, adding some new posters or pictures on the wall, to redoing the room all together.

7. If you have a baby shower, have a couple of gifts for your older child to open. My daughter loved the “Big Sister” t-shirt she received and could not wait to put it on. Do not forget to keep a gift for him or her to open on the baby’s “birth” day as well.

8. Do not cancel. If your child is involved in sports, extracurricular activities or if there is a special event coming up, enlist the help of others. This is especially important once the baby arrives. Keep your older child’s schedule as normal as possible and make his or her activities a priority, even if you are unavailable.

9. Make holidays extra special during your pregnancy. This will be the last holidays you celebrate with your firstborn. Make homemade cookies and Christmas ornaments. Attend holiday programs together in your community. Go caroling. Go on a picnic to celebrate Independence Day. Attend an Easter Egg Hunt. Do something, anything, you and your child have never done before. In the process you will make memories that last a lifetime.

10. If you have a blended family, have your first born spend one on one time with his or her step parent. My oldest daughter was upset that the baby was going to live with both her mom and dad. Be sure to address these issues from the beginning. She was also afraid that that her step dad would love the new baby more. By spending quality time with her step dad she was assured of his love for her and that she was not being replaced by his “real” child. Again, this is especially important after your baby’s birth.

Preparing your older child for the birth of a sibling will not only benefit him or her, but will also help make the transition smoother for the entire family. This is a new experience for both of you, and there will be many challenges along the way. Be patient with yourself and your child. It may take time, but before you know it your child will be an eager participant in caring for the new baby!

Jennifer Rogers is the Founder and Owner of Moms United in Business, LLC. MUIB is an organization dedicated to supporting you as a Mom and Business Professional. To learn more about MUIB visit www.MomsUnitedInBusiness.com.
Article Source: MUIB Article Directory, http://muib-article-directory.blogspot.com
Sponsored By: Moms United in Business, http://www.momsunitedinbusiness.com

‘Contest! Prize Package worth OVER $2000.00′ ~ Mom’s United in Business

Mom’s United in Business is holding a contest!

Contest Deadline: Friday August 15, 2008 11:59pm EST
Winner will be chosen via random drawing and announced Monday August 18, 2008

Prizes have been generously donated by members of Moms United in Business.

The super Prize Package is worth over $2,000.00 !

We are not merely a business community, promoting women and their businesses. We are an organization of motivated and energetic women offering inspiration and support not only as a wife, mother, sister, daughter, and/or friend, but as a woman in your own right!

We believe that by following our own dreams, listening to the whispers of our hearts and by nurturing ourselves we are then able to give more abundantly to our families and our businesses.

We are dedicated to supporting you as both a Mom and a Business Professional. As we all know, the key to a successful business is networking and to a successful life is balance!

If you’re serious about your business ~ Join MUIB today!  It’s FREE!

The most awsome, popular social networking site SK*RT has changed it’s name to KIRTSY!

Get there as fast as you can to check out all the fab information available! I love the banners that say “For Women ~ And the Men that want to Get In Their Heads.”

You’ll find information on Arts & Entertainment; Designs & Crafts; Parenting & Family; Fashion & Style; Food & Home; Internet & Technology; Mind, Body & Spirit and Travel & Leisure.  So sign up now!

Bloggers - upload your latest posts for all of us to see!

What more can a dame ask for? ~ Plus, a chance to enter some fab contests!

One of the goals of this blog is to provide credible information to WAHMs. I consistently see questions crop up frequently on several of the social networking sites and forums that I belong to from members asking where to find affordable, cheap web hosting for their home based businesses.

As a WAHG, I originally started out selling on eBay with a store, where I quickly became a Power Seller. I then decided to open my own boutique online ebiz to sell handcrafted items and vintage collectibles. Finding an affordable web host with tech support, load time and bandwith was very important to me.

I’d like to tell all Moms, Dads, and Grams who are considering opening their own online ecommerce sites about this site discussing  cheap web hosting which provides all the reference points you need to know, as well as information about web hosting specifications and tutorials concerning finding affordable, cheap web hosting.

After perusing the site, I think you’ll find that you’ll have a good background to determine what’s right for your needs. Additionally, you can comparison shop for web host information at Web Hosting Rating. Check it all out.

I’m delighted to announce that Kim, from What’s That Smell, has won my first Moomette’s Best WAHM Site Award!

Kim is one terrific gal, and I happened on her blog one day through Entrecard dropping. This mommy really has it together, and has only recently begun to blog.

Kim is actually part of a duo - as the URL is “Accidental Mommies,” but further goes on to describe the blog as:

We call ourselves “accidental” mommies because neither of us are typical mommy material. In fact, many years ago we used to joke that there were 2 kinds of women - “real girls” and “not real girls”. We fit into the “not real girls” category and were quite proud of it. As fairly successful women in a male dominated career field, we wore slacks instead of skirts, we shunned make-up and chick-flicks and were in many ways grown up tom-boys.

I belong to The Mom Pack, a terrific networking resource for WAHMs. Many of the Mom Packers have been inquiring about finding out information on working from home and doing Paid Surveys. (Kim said she’s applied to become a Mom Packer.)

What drew me to Kim’s blog intitially, was the fact that it had the most well-researched, credible series on Paid Surveys that I have seen. Here was a valuable list, and How-To, and surveys that an actual Mom had put together. She wasn’t attempting to get you hooked into anything, but rather, was laying out the groundwork for you to make your own decisions on the Survey for Profit process.

Additionally, Kim covers such topics as giveaways; funny stuff; mom resources; parenting; homeschooling; cooking and recipies - and just about anything else that you could want to know!

Please visit What’s That Smell ~ and I’m sure you’ll agree that this wonderful blog is well deserving of the Best WAHM Site Award as well as any awards that will be given to it!

I’ve been Tagged with a Meme by Kim, over at Accidental Mommies and What’s That Smell ! Kim is my new friend, and comments on my Mama Mentor Blog that she thinks she and I may be twins! I’ve often felt that way when I see other writers. I actually feel that way about Sue Reimer’s columns over at the Baltimore Sun. Sue is one of my all-time favorite columnists.

Tagging is a great way to network, meet new friends, and get acquainted with other bloggers!

So here goes on the tag:

Here are the rules:

1. The rules of the game get posted at the beginning.
2. Each player answers the questions about themselves.
3. At the end of the post, the player then tags 5-6 people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know they’ve been tagged and asking them to read your blog.
4. Let the person who tagged you know when you’ve posted your answer.

1 ) What was I doing 10 years ago?

* I was working full-time; raising my family; going to college part-time to finish my degrees;

2 ) What are five things on your to-do list for today?

• Clean my house (sorta done)
  

• List items for my eBay Store & Shoppes Site (not done, too busy blogging)

• Organize my Bookmarks folder so I can find things on my computer (another day)

• Continue to research ways to try to retire

• Remember to eat

3 ) What snacks do I enjoy?

• A real weakness for white pistachios, and of course, anything divinely chocolate!

4 ) Things I would do if I were a billionaire?

• Quit my Full-Time cubicle job (in a heart-beat)

• Pay of all my debt

• Buy a vacation Condo down South where it’s warm! - a definite subject of a post to come!

• Buy a vacation Condo up North in Vermont - for ourselves, DD & fam

• Get my DH the motorcycle he always wanted but I never would ever let him get (maybe another boat, too)

• Hire a house-cleaning person

• Travel, for real, and not vicariously this time

• Donate to several charities I’m grateful to and fond of

5 ) Three Bad Habits

Only 3…. ( agree with you here Kim, only 3?)

• Opinionated

• Slacker in my house cleaning (OK, so I don’t entertain as much as when I was younger)

• I still bite my nails and pay a fortune for gel tips

6 ) 5 places I have lived…
(this is a real joke)

• my home town in CT where I grew up & graduated high school

• Longmeadow, Massachusetts (when I was a Freshman in College, but then left to come home and continue college in CT

• my home town in CT where I grew up & graduated high school

• my home town in CT where I grew up & graduated high school

• my home town in CT where I grew up & graduated high school

7 ) 5 Jobs I have had

• Desk Clerk in a Dry-cleaners

• Farm Shop Ice Cream Fountain Waitress - scooped ice cream up to my elbows (armpits, I’m short)

• Lingerie Sales Clerk in a Major Department Store

• Paralegal in various Law Offices

• Chief pooper-scooper of the cat litter box (this one’s a freebie & thrown in for good measure)

• Wife, Mom, Grandmother

And the lucky people I’m tagging next are:
* Vicki at Simply Vicki

* Shera at A Frog in My Soup

* Rox at Roxiticus Desperate Housewives

* Lynne at Sewing Mom

* First Time Dad

* Tina at Mummie Diaries

* Christine at From Dates to Diapers and Beyond