In my WAHM tips, I frequently speak of how I belong to many social networking sites and forums. I’m a Moderator on eBay Coach Free Forum, and always send out an introductory ‘Welcome to the Group’ e-mail. In it, I ask that the first stop be the “Introduction” thread…to give a little bit of background about one’s self, and how they found the forum.

Oftentimes Newbies head straight for making a post. But really, take a moment to introduce yourself to the group…it really is important for everyone to get to know you, and say hello. Read on to see why!

The Forgotten Forum Introduction
By: S McIntyre

Hello, my name is Sophia and I’m from Beautiful BC, Canada and home to the 2010 Winter Olympics. I started working in late 2002 in various online endeavors. I own a work at home website, a health blog and moderate three work at home forums. I’m looking forward to contributing and getting to know you all better.

How hard was that? Not hard at all and it only took me about…oh…30 seconds if that, to let everyone know who I am and what I do. Forum introductions are an integral step and is just as important as reading the forum rules. Don’t short change yourself by posting an “empty” introduction. Remember, first impressions always counts.

As a forum owner, I’m well aware of how many people “forget” this all important step. While many forums have a free section for members to promote their businesses, how beneficial is it to make your first post a “post and run”? I can honestly say if a forum requires an introduction your ad just met the delete button and even if they don’t, it’s simply forum etiquette. Forums are invaluable tools and it should be utilized to its fullest potential.

How many people who are looking to join a home business or looking for a specific product would seek out a member who only posts in the advertising forum? It’s not many to my knowledge. Would you enter a room full of prospects only to pass out your business card and leave? I don’t think so.

If you made your introduction and then secluded yourself to only one section of the forum it doesn’t mean your job is done. In fact, that is just as bad as not introducing yourself, in my opinion. The next step is to read the forum and join in various discussions, share your knowledge or expertise. Post quality replies to topics of your interests. Now you’re actively networking and it is proven to be more effective in creating sales for yourself. People are more likely to buy from people they know and trust.

Taking full advantage of forums and what they offer goes beyond articles that tell you how you can increase sales and how to drive more traffic to your site. As an active forum member you are getting yourself out there, building trust and networking with potential people who may become your new and returning customers. They are also your word-of-mouth. You have now created your own viral marketing and it’s far more effective than being a “post and run” poster.

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S McIntyre has been working online since 2002 in various online endeavors. She owns Work At Home Space, a free work at home resource offering telecommuting jobs, job leads, articles, tips, information and other work at home related issues.

You can also visit her at her blog Healthy Perspectives, featuring an array of health topics, nutrition, fitness and recipes for maintaining a healthy and well-balanced lifestyle.

A new highlight of my Blog will be featuring and offering site reviews of WAHM (Work-At-Home Mom) eBiz ventures. I would like to try to offer a “Best Of WAHM Site Award” Banner to a WAHM who’s site has been featured.

It’s great to see so many young women taking the plunge and becoming business owners and self-employed. This was essentially not an option when I was younger!

I’d like to start out by letting you know about a young, WAHM who is venturing into the Virtual Assistant services field.

Erin Hall has recently launched her EH Virtual Assistant Services website. Proud mom of a toddler daughter, Erin and her husband are expecting their second child . Describing herself as a team player and Varsity College Lacrosse Letter Winner, Erin’s drive and determination are certain to assure this mompreneur success in whatever she sets out to accomplish!

A Virtual Assistant (or simply VA), is an independent contractor providing administrative, technical, or sometimes creative assistance to clients …Wikpedia

Erin holds a B.S. in Communication, concentrating in Advertising and Marketing, with a Minor in Business Administration. Erin is experienced in all aspects of the sales and marketing area, with extensive experience in the Advertising and Pharmaceutical fields.

A sampling of the services that EH Virtual Assistant Services is able to offer are:

- Marketing/Advertising /Cold Calling/Mailings

- Business Promotion/Event Promotion & Conference Planning

- Advertising Copy and Articles

- Press Releases

- Creation of Training Materials

- Consulting Services

- Travel Arrangements

As each business has a different budget and need, one can request a free initial consultation.

Please take a moment to visit Erin’s site and see what areas she may be able to assist you with in your business!

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If you would like the opportunity to be a featured WAHM on my blog, please drop me a note or comment to have your WAHM site or Blog reviewed and be considered for an Award Banner!

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

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Cindi Matthews
Company Name: Moomette’s Magnificents Olde Towne Shoppes
Telephone Number: (unlisted)
Email Address: moomettesmagnificents06@yahoo.com
Web site address: www.moomettesmagnificents.com

BABY BOOMER HELPS OTHERS IN TRANSITIONING FROM COMMUTER TO eBIZ OWNER

CONNECTICUT – April 15, 2008 – Cindi Matthews is taking the internet business by storm. After 30 years as a paralegal in the business community, Cindi is looking forward to expanding the baby boomers knowledge and abilities focusing on technology.

Cindi’s passion started with her grandmother, who was born in 1901 and lived to be over 100 years old. Cindi’s passion was generated by her grandmothers appreciation for fine things and sharing her knowledge with Cindi. Many of her vintage items where inherited from her grandmother. Cindi took this opportunity to incorporate her love of vintage items from her grandmother with her love for shopping. Even as a baby boomer she wasn’t about to leave herself without the knowledge of the growing ecommerce business.

After a 20-year break from when Cindi first started college, Cindi received her first B.S degree in Business Administration with a minor in Sociology through accredited online studies, while in her 40s. Cindi went on to complete another Associate of Science degree in Paralegal studies, graduating Magna Cum Laude, all while working full-time and raising a family. With this education, Cindi was able to expand her internet and computer knowledge and develop it in to a passion with her shopping and vintage items.

Cindi has spent years developing her eBiz skills and knowledge. Experienced in all aspects of the retail industry, Cindi was inspired by and assisted her late mother-in-law, who as a female business women, owned a brick and mortar Gourmet Cheese store. Cindi has tried it all from Ebay Power Seller, independent consultant, to Ebay moderator, to blogger, to shoppes site owner. Cindi’s interest in eBiz skills started with an interest in Vintage Collectibles and Shopping. Deciding to incorporate her two passions together, Cindi opened an Ebay store, Moomette’s Magnificents, named after her granddaughter, and became a power seller within 6 months. This was Cindi’s first ecommerce experience.

Cindi’s Ebay store is an eclectic focus with new and EUC upscale clothing, vintage collectibles and other items. With her quick power seller status, Cindi became an Ebay Coach Free Forum moderator. In addition to Cindi’s ebay experience and store, which is still a funds generating program for Cindi, Cindi has worked as an independent consultant. Cindi’s worked for terrific companies such as, Tupperware, Mineral Makeup, and Unique Gift ideas. After Cindi’s experience has an independent consultant Cindi decided to try her skill at eBiz with her own Shoppes website.

Cindi’s Shoppes site includes Upscale handcrafted Artisan products made by cottage-industry crafters, offering childrens & baby clothing, accessories, handbags, handcrafted Artisan unique gifts, home décor, mineral makeup, natural spa products, sea glass candles, and scents.

Cindi mentions, “after being employed in the business community for many years as a Paralegal, I’m looking forward to being a Work-at-Home Grandma and sharing tips with all my fellow Baby Boomers on how to successfully transition from commuter to eBiz Owner!”

In addition to the many eBiz ownerships Cindi has been involved in, she is now the author of a blog, Moomettesgram’s Musings Blog, located at http://moomettesmagnificents.com/blog. Cindi’s blog focuses on WAHM, eBay, ebiz tips, networking tips, the benefits of online education and recipes, just to name a few.

In addition, to the current items and services offered on Moomette’s Magnificents Shoppes Site, Cindi is working to offer Virtual Assistant Paralegal services as well as general Virtual Assistant services. There’s no stopping the success that this grandma will face in the coming years. Cindi is hoping her drive and ambition will help other baby boomers to launch into the eBiz industry and inspire them to go the extra mile and incorporate their hobbies and interests into money making opportunities all through the internet.

Moomette’s Magnificents Olde Towne Shoppes was established in 2007. Realizing the benefits of telecommuting, being one of the first to utilize the Internet when online education was in its infancy, and the benefits of a global economy, an e-business seemed a logical choice when reinventing herself to establish a second career. At Moomette’s Magnificents Olde Towne Shoppes, you’ll find unique gifts specifically chosen to reflect what New England is known for ~ its spectacular mountains and nautical maritime history.

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Now that I’ve teased you with thinking about either starting or going back to college to finish up your degree, let me tell you a little bit about how and why I did it this way.

I switched jobs from the private sector to the public sector, and worked for a brilliant, personable female attorney about my age who soon became my mentor. I realized that unless I finished up, my career would be dead-ended. Another reason I wanted to go back to college was to set an example for my two young daughters. I wanted them to see how important it was to pursue higher education in order to succeed.

After obtaining my Associates Degree at Charter Oak State College, I discovered Regents College, in Albany New York. Regents has now become Excelsior College. I can’t say enough about the programs that Excelsior offers, including majors in Business, Nursing and more, all obtainable online. I was also able to take correspondence courses from University of Wisconsin, and CLEP & DSST testing, all of which transferred to Excelsior. My degree was granted through the University of the State of New York.

I’ll talk more about accredited correspondence courses as well as CLEP & DANTES testing in my next posts.

Visit ClassesAndCareers.com to learn more about online education, distance learning, and on-campus continuing education.

Start exploring!

Hi & Welcome to my new Blog!
I’m Cindi - and Grandmom to one granddaughter (aka Moomette) and another on the way in 2008. I named my store after her. You can read more on my About Me page! I’m a Baby Boomer, and looking forward to retirement - not soon enough!
I opened Moomette’s*Magnificents on eBay where I specialize in Upscale New & EUC Womens, Childrens, Mens Clothing, Accessories, eBooks, Mugs, Vintage Collectibles & Hard-to-Find Cosmetics, in advance of that date to get it up and running so that I will be able to Work-At-Home ~ my retirement dream!
I enjoy shopping (both buying & selling) and eBay fulfills both.
As a Boomer, and being somewhat computer savy - the Internet has always facinated me. After a gap of many years, I took advantage of the Internet and took several online courses to finish and completed my B.S. in Business & Sociology in my 40s while working full time with a house & kids. It can be done!
So it’s just a natural for me to open up my eBay store ~ Moomette’s*Magnificents.
I hope through this blog to encourage other Boomers and SAHMs how to go about opening up a store, create support networks and overcome any obstacles you’ll encounter along the way.
And of course….you’ll hear me brag about ‘lil Moomette’s accomplishments along the way!