Awhile back when I first started I opened a Facebook account for public relation purposes to promote my eBay store, blogs, virtual assistant business as well as Shoppes.  I’d heard that it was advantageous to use for PR and social networking purposes.

It took me quite some time to put together a page, understand the mechanics of how it worked; join groups and make friends.  However, I didn’t visit it very often.  When I did log on one day I found my account was disabled.  At that point I was so exasperated, I decided not to bother with it any longer.  Apparently what happens is if one doesn’t log into their Facebook account often enough, it will become disabled.

However, the more I networked online, dropped Entrecards and saw that many of my Twitter friends were on Facbook, I decided to create another account.

Commentary now shows that President-Elect Obama ran a successful campaign by using Facbook.

We hear about people creating Facebook pages and that someone found someone else on Facebook. But what exactly is Facebook all about and does it have any benefits for us?

Read on to find out about Facebook and if it indeed does something more than enhance your social life.

Facebook is one of the top ten Web 2.0 applications and social networking sites in the world. Started as a social experiment, Facebook was originally designed as a way for friends to keep in touch and create interesting profiles and pages for others to look at.

Many kids and college students latched on to Facebook. My two daughters are constantly on FB, keeping up with their friends from high school and college.  Members can upload pictures, leave messages on the profiles of others, and search for friends who have profiles. The problem with Facebook was the type of information people were uploading. College students uploading inappropriate videos at wild parties and such have caught on virally. This spoke to the poor judgment of the students as those videos would still be around when they grew out of the drinking phase and realized that it was no longer the “cool” thing to do.

Facebook is not just for the young teenagers and college students however. It is also a networking tool for business owners. It’s a great way to connect with other business owners and targeted potential customers. A plus for new businesses is that becoming a Facebook member is free. Every registered member gets a home page where they can then create a profile and add applications to their page for friends and other trusted users they designate to use.

If you work at home or are a WAHM or entrepreneur, you can use your Facebook profile to tell others all about yourself. Many times, businesses never really have a chance for potential clients to learn more about the person or people who run the business. More focus is put on advertising, growing the business and promoting its products or services. With a social networking page on social sites like Facebook, customers and other business associates get a chance to find out about the person behind the business.

Anyone can join or create a group on Facebook. These groups bring together like minded people according to business, personal, or other social factors. Groups talk to one another; share business tips and create a useful connection in many different ways.

Businesses use Facebook pages to showcase products or give customers a place to ask questions and record comments about the products they have used. They can talk to each other and compare notes. Big businesses with famous brand names use Facebook to gain insights into consumer trends.  As an example, the RSS feed from my blogs postings, Twitter account and eBay store is uploaded right to my Facebook page.

Facebook can be useful for communities trying to create a closer knit group of families. Homeschooling parents can create a network of support for each other and their kids. Facebook has a variety of uses both for business and personal reasons. So, now that you know more concerning Facebook, what will your page be about?

If you have an existing page, or will be creating a new page, don’t forget to friend request me here!

Mommy Ranks is new and improved ~ come see the new face lift!

If you’d like Free Advertising and see increased traffic to your blog, add your blog posts to Mommy Ranks.  It’s similar to Stumble Upon or Digg.

Mommy Ranks is described (from it’s About page) as:

…web application that allows you to submit an article that will be reviewed by all and will be promoted, based on popularity, to the main page. When a user submits a news article it will be placed in the “unpublished” area until it gains sufficient votes to be promoted to the main page.

You’ll even be able to create your own profile page.

If you do see any of my posts for Moomettesgram’s Musings, the screenshot is captured by Shrink The Web, and is picking up my Shoppes image rather than this blog image.  Hopefully that will be corrected.

Now who doesn’t like more exposure for their blog?  Visit at http://mommyranks.com

Twitter is not for the faint of heart. That being said, can Twitter be useful for business? It depends.

One of the newest social networking sites is Twitter. It sounds like a movement birds make. In fact it is a quick way to send messages to your favorite people via the Internet. Due to its popularity with people all over the world, many entrepreneurs wonder if Twitter can actually help them grow their business.

In order to answer that question we first need to find out what exactly Twitter is? It is a social networking site which allows people to keep in touch with friends, family, and others. Through a series of short posts, important information is sent to a person’s followers. Those short posts are called “tweets.”

Twitter has been used by people to send messages to their friends. The posts can be 140 characters long at most, which allows for quick, precise exchanges of information. If you wanted to let your family know that the reunion this year is in New England, and they needed to volunteer to do something, it would be easy to send them all a tweet at one time. When someone logs into their Twitter account or views your Twitter profile page, they would then see the message. They can then respond to you by posting a tweet of their own.

Twitter is real time communication for people who need to contact others right away. Some wondered if Twitter was just a fancy way of texting someone on the computer. Send a tweet to your husband to say dinner is moved to 7:30. Tell a friend you’ve just bought that blouse you saw last week. If you only want to allow certain people to see the messages you are sending, you can easily mark your profile and updates as private.

Although many use Twitter as a more personal way to communicate, even more treat it as a virtual water cooler to connect with all types of people the world over. It seems as if tweeting would get boring after a while. Not so. With talkative friends you could be tweeted to death in a matter of days. Many actually find themselves losing precious time in their day chit-chatting with those with similar interests.

For the skeptical folks who want to know if tweeting will eventually tank, businesses have found a use for the social network that can increase their utilization and visibility on the Internet. First, let’s say that you have an office of fifty employees. Sending a memo every time there is a big announcement creates a lot of paper to file or leave for the trash man.

Businesses can now use protected Twitter messages to keep employees updated on departmental changes as well as company wide agendas. Employees can subscribe to the company feed set up on Twitter. Whenever there is something important posted, they will be notified.

The same goes for small one-owner and Internet businesses and their customers. Customers can subscribe to the company feed to learn about new products and other useful information. I use it frequently to announce new listings for my eBay store. New businesses can create interesting tweets that produce interest and can be re-posted by others to help get the business or owner noticed.

However, keep in mind that while the majority of Tweeters are pleasant, some can be downright snarky and catty. Having an unmanageable amount of followers takes away from building relationships. Therefore some unfollowing is necessary. Many followers take offense at being unfollowed and will then Tweet not-so-nice comments. Other Tweeters will try to undermine your Tweets and links by saying your link contains a Trojan. Rather than comment on your blog post and leave their name, some will blatantly Tweet a nasty remark. At times it takes all the joy out of Twitter.

Twitter fills a niche in the social networking sector and is here to stay. Businesses have found a way to make Twitter work to their advantage, whether they are work at home moms longing for adult interaction or reaching out to a broader audience to increase profit.

Is it for you? It’s up to you to decide.

Wow ~ it’s been one full year since I started this blog!  I still intend to get a Blogoversary post up, but had some WordPress technical issues the night before the actual date ~ of all things!

In that year’s time, I’ve learned so much about promoting my eBay business from the Community Boards, Forums and all the various social networking sites I’ve joined and participated in.  I was formerly a Moderator on eBay Coach Free Forum.  If you check my archives, you’ll find that some I’ve dropped out of for various reasons, and also that I’ve joined new ones.  The new ones are very different than the ones I’ve first joined, and for that reason ~ I’ve become very active in them.

Social Media Networking is no longer a buzz word, but an Internet phenomenon. It represents a way for people to interact without traveling half way around the globe or even leaving their home’s comfort. Read on to find out exactly what social networking is and its potential to enhance your life.

Think of it like this. We all have at least one friend. To keep in touch with that friend we call, write, and meet face to face. Through our jobs we meet other friends. The more interactions we have with people, the more chances we have of meeting more folks.

Social networking sites provide the platform for getting to know more “friends.” It is like our job or school or church. They supply the venue and we mingle to find people who have similar interests. Someone had the bright idea to package this not unfamiliar social concept into a cyberspace platform. Now, people can meet others they already know but have lost contact with and new people.

Social networking took off among the younger generation first. They found a way to talk to their friends when they weren’t within sight of each other. For guys, it meant meeting girls in a non-threatening social situation. For girls, the feeling was mutual.

My daughters graduated high school in 2001 and 2005, but while they were both in high school they were on AIM Instant Messenger night and day.  We only had one computer at the time, and it was impossible for me to coerce them to give up AIM so I could go online.

But, social networking is not just for the tweens or teens. Adults enjoy social networking as well. The first social networking sites we all heard about were Facebook and MySpace. This was mostly due to controversy surrounding what some Generation X kids were posting, but it made parents aware of the social networking craze.

Adults use social networking for a number of reasons. First, it is personal. We reconnect with busy friends and family. If you can’t reach Aunt Pookey because she’s always off around the world on one adventure or another, post new pictures of the kids on your MySpace page. Auntie can view them when she comes down from Mount Kilimanjaro.

Social networking gurus discovered that while finding old friends, business owners could form valuable alliances through their associations on social networking websites. Now, social networking has become valuable to anyone wanting to develop a website presence for their business. Social networking for business is akin to going door to door and telling people about your product. Create a compelling business profile and draw in the people you know by joining social groups with similar interests.

Social networking has a place in the life of both young and old alike. Use it to meet new people, make business contacts, stay in touch with family, or just to beef up your Internet presence. The wave of the future is social networking. Makes you want to join, doesn’t it?

Keep in mind though, that if you join too many, it can become overwhelming and time consuming.  The key is to focus on those forums you can actively participate in and develop a camaraderie with like-minded individuals.

Yes, this Baby Boomer is a social net-worker now.  You can find me at Mom Bloggers Club and Twittermoms as well as many others listed on my sidebar.

Long before I started both of my blogs,  opened my eBay Store and established my Virtual Assistant business,  my sister-in-law was a work-at-home mom.  Always marching to the tune of a different drummer, SIL completed her undergraduate degree in her 30s; then her Master’s, and became a self-employed Graphic Designer.

My sister-in-law’s graphic design business became very successful, and she worked virtually 24-hours a day, and well into the wee hours of the morning.  It was very common for family members and friends to feel it was OK to call her at any time, as she was “usually home.”  It wasn’t until I started working at home that I realized how important it was to convey the message to family and friends that “working at home” is actually just that…Work.  The setting may not be a traditional office setting, but nonetheless, one is still working.  Therefore, it’s important to keep in mind several factors to keep yourself focused rather than distracted.

No matter what type of online business you are in, or how you communicate, you will find there are a number of reasons that you will need to use a telephone. You may need to soothe clients who need to hear a real human voice or you might need to find a way to communicate with your colleagues that is more immediate than that of a simple e-mail or chat session. The problem is, however, that phone use, whether it is through a landline or through a cell phone, can cause you plenty of problems, especially if you let it get out of control.

For many of us, nothing is more simple or instinctive than calling someone up to chat. While we may want to keep it professional, there is a good chance that we will spend a lot longer on the phone than we thought we would, and before we know it, the day has sped by and our efficiency is shot. The work we intended (our intentions are always good in the beginning aren’t they?) to get done is being put off until later. Have you ever experienced this? This may be a sign that you need to think about your phone use and how it is affecting the bottom line in your business.

There are many tell tale signs that your phone calls are distracting you from your real work. One way to determine just how much affect phone usage has on the productivity of your business is to time your phone calls. How long are you spending on the phone? Keep in mind that when you get on the phone, you are breaking up your work. Once you finish the call and head back to the task at hand, time is also spent refocusing on what you were doing prior to the phone call. Put together all the time that is devoted to your phone calls during the course of the day, from getting the number, to talking on the phone, to getting back to work. The time that you spend “on the phone” just might surprise you.

Next, think about how often you actually take calls. Do you feel as though the number of calls that you are taking detracts from your ability to work, or do you feel as though it contributes? You may find that other phones ringing is enough to distract you, or that if the phone stays silent for too long that you get nervous or antsy. Any of these symptoms might be a sign that you need to form a plan to get out of this productivity killing dilemma.

All hope is not lost however, even if you live with your phone what seems like attached at your ear. In order to combat the time wasting telephone and start making your phone calls and in turn your other tasks productive for your business, try putting this practice into place.

Begin by setting up a rough call time limit based on your average call time. You will need to find out just how much time you spend on the phone using the steps mentioned above beforehand.
Next, make sure that you know what topics need to be discussed before you call anyone. This is an important way to make sure that your call is not out of control and lasting longer than it should. This step alone will make planning your time better and get more done during your work time.

Although it’s not always easy to determine when someone else will call, you can implement these same strategies for calls you receive. Screening calls will also help reduce or even diminish wasted talk time. Remember that your time is valuable and your business is important, so don’t let the telephone distract you anymore than you have to.

If you’re a work at home mom like me, you may also have struggled with finding reliable web hosting. Well, over the years (and many headaches later), I’ve come up with a checklist of essentials that your web host must have before you even consider working with them.

1. Excellent Reliability.
There is nothing more frustrating than finding out your website is down, and has been for hours. Although no time is a good time to have your site down, the timing can be just terrible. That sinking feeling when you’ve purchased advertising and you know the ad is about to be sent out and you go to your website for last minute touches and … it’s down.

That is not cool. That is not acceptable. You must make sure that the web host you select not only has good reliability, but superior reliability. This is your business on the line, not some hobby site. Treat it as such and get hosting that works for you when you need it. But, you can’t just trust a website that says they are reliable. Make sure they can prove it.

2. Superior Customer Support.
When you do need help, make sure that your hosting will provide it. One thing I recommend is to contact support to ask a simple question about the hosting, before buying. That will give you an idea of what the customer service is like before you make a commitment. Yes, customer service has a difficult job – making sure they do not confuse less-experienced customers, yet, at the same time, also making sure not to talk down to the geek types. However, you should never feel like you are a “bother” or that your question is not as important as anyone else’s.. or worse, dumb. You should find a web host with superior customer support.

3. The Stats You Need.
Several of the most popular hosts do not offer the web stats that every online business needs. You may not think that you need stats, but, how else are you going to know what is working – and what is not? You need stats that tell you where your visitors are coming from, how long they are staying, and which pages they are coming in and going from. Does your web host offer that? If they have a CPanel as their control panel, they do. Find a web host that uses a standard CPanel.

4. Affordable.
Why spend more if you don’t have to? When looking for a web host, price is always a factor. So, shop around and make sure that the web host you decide upon offers a great price.

5. Room to Grow.
The web host you choose should offer unlimited hosting. This means, that, if you add more websites to your package down the road, the price does not increase drastically for each one. Many online businesses start with one site and grow over time. Can your host grow with you?

6. Bandwidth and Disk Space.
Also, make sure that the host you choose is in the ballpark for bandwidth and disk space. Most programs offer approximately the same amount, but, especially if you plan to add a lot of audio or video, be sure to look into this, as well.

7. A History of Happy Customers.
New hosting companies are popping up daily. Some are being run by a couple of teenagers in their garage. Obviously, that’s not who I want to entrust my business to. Do you? I want to know that the company I’m choosing has been around a few years, and has a history of happy customers to show for it. I don’t think that’s too much to ask, and you shouldn’t either.

Those are the key features that any web host should offer before you consider doing business with them. Choosing a web host can be more important than any other decision you make in your online business – if you choose wrong. So, take the time and find a web host that will work with you, and help you to succeed.

Nicole Dean is co-owner of Mom Webs Hosting -  where you’ll find the host that offers everything a work at home mom needs – reliability, unlimited hosting, and customer service that never makes you feel intimidated — all at a price you can afford.

Reporting on my work-at-home experience, I can say I’ve finally become more comfortable using Twitter.  I’ve made many friends, developed a sizable following, and have received a Twitter Grade of 97 from Twitter Grader!

Micro-blogging is a good thing and using Twitter makes it even better. However, Twitter will never take the place of a blog. The bottom line is that Twitter is not a full fledge blog. It is simply a way for you to get your words out to the masses in a more expedient manner. Let’s take a look at some of the reasons Twitter will never replace a blog.

The number one reason why Twitter can never replace a blog is because you can only post up to 140 characters at any one time. There’s just no way to squeeze 1,000 words into such a small space. Not to mention, trying to send 7.14 tweets back to back, will not go over well with your followers. There is nothing like a person who tweets excessively. Doing so will cause you to lose followers and your goal with Twitter is to gain a friends not turn people away. You want Twitter to be tool that leads to your platform – your blog – the place where you share your story, product, or business.

Another reason why you can never replace your blog with simple tweets is because you just don’t have the same control to customize. Sure you can create a profile that says something about you but not the way you can with your blog. For example, here’s my About Me page where I go into detail about who I am, and why I blog. With a blog you can also customize the whole kit and caboodle. You can add tools, plug-ins, and even more networking opportunities through your blog.   I have links to the various forums and social networking sites I can be found participating on ~ Mom Bloggers Club, Twittermoms, Mom Masterminds, etc.  You can’t do all that with Twitter alone.

Then we have the website name issue. You can’t attach a domain to twitter. My domain is Moomettesgram’s Musings. I also try to use Moomettesgram as the moniker for all the forums in which I participate.

On Twitter you will always be www.twitter.com/whateveryournameis and that is it. Your username or extension is how people will recognize you on Twitter, but it’s not the same as a domain name for an entire website. In essence, Twitter owns your profile, not you.  But your domain name – now that’s all yours.

If you’re an affiliate marketer or belong to many of the wonderful websites that offer coaching resources, you want to talk about what you are promoting and, as was stated earlier, you only have 140 characters to say what you really want to say. That’s not as effective as a blog post or blog series that can send the message more effectively. That’s just one more reason Twitter can never replace a blog.

Don’t try to replace your own blog or website with twittering. Instead, learn to use Twitter as an effective tool that makes people want to learn more about you. Your blog is where you get down to the nitty-gritty and allow people to become more knowledgeable about your life, your product, service or whatever it is you are promoting.

Want to know what I’m doing?  Follow me on Twitter at http://twitter.com/moomettesgram

By now you’ve either decided to sign up for Twitter, or you may still be on the fence.  I would say ~ Go For It!  I actually came across this valuable information by being referred from a Tweet, and thought, I must share.  It’s the most succinct set of guidelines that I have seen yet.  Don’t forget to Follow Me on Twitter ~ Moomettesgram ~

Be a Model Twitizen: A Twitter How-To

by LaSara Firefox, MPNLP, www.lasarafirefox.com
(Follow me: http://www.twitter.com/Yoga_Mama)

I was skeptical at first, but now Twitter is my golden city. As a busy mom and entrepreneur, I can take a few minutes and digest a handful of posts from my favorite Twitter friends, or post a bite-sized delight about my own day – all condensed to 140 characters or less. Who doesn’t have time for that?

Yes, often those posts will contain a link that may lead to an off-site exploratory mission, but so far it’s the most organic and dynamic way I’ve found to keep to my finger on the quick-beating pulse of the magical and diverse interwebs, and at the same time keep a constant stream of interest in what I have to offer.

If you’re new to Twitter, or have yet to join the chorus, here are a few ground rules that will help you to make your tweets harmonious.

1. Follow me, and I’ll follow you…and vice-versa:
If I follow you, please do the community-oriented thing and follow me, too. That way it becomes a conversation, a collaboration, a community. For us dedicated tweeters, Twitter is about building relationships. Build one with me!

Most of us don’t tweet to hear the sound of our own voice. No one wants to be shouting into a well. Consider my follow an invitation into my world, as well as a tip of the hat to your skill in presenting a doorway into yours.

2. Write a good bio:
In the beginning, this tiny bio is all we know about each other. 160 characters of character. The bio is often an under-utilized aspect of Twitter. I’m encouraging a bio revival! Make me want to know you. (It’s great practice for your elevator pitch, too, right?)

I encourage you to include something about your openness to new followers, or the reason you’re on Twitter. I put “Follow me, I’ll follow you,” in my bio. If you only want people you already know to follow you, you can protect your updates. In addition, you could say “I only follow people I know.” This little step will save both of us time, energy, and pride.

In addition to the bio, there’s a spot for a url. Add a link to a place where I can find out more about you; your blog, your website, an article you’ve written, your facebook profile.

3. Building your “Twitterverse”:
The way to build your network is to follow people. Yet, you ideally want a good balance between following and followers. So there’s a rhythm to building your twitterverse. Here’s how mine goes:
a. Find prospective Twitter friends (see step 4 on some tips on that), and follow them.
b. Allow a few days for the prospective community member to follow me in return.
c. If they follow me back, I make personal contact through a direct message (aka, “dm”, see section 6 for more info) and all is good. If they don’t, I evaluate whether they’re worthwhile to follow without the benefit of a two-way conversation. If they are, I keep them on. If not, I unfollow them.

4. Finding your twitter-posse:
You want to follow people you find interesting. You want to be followed by people who will find you interesting. Whether this is for work, fun, community building, or all of the above, your skill in creating your personal Twitterverse predicts how rewarding your Twitter experience will be.

There are worlds of possibility in every moment, but even more so in Twitter. Bloggers, and moms, and marketers, oh my! Really, you can find followers and followees from all walks of life, and with interests that run the gamut. These people are going to be getting into your head, and introducing you to new worlds day by day. Choose accordingly!

First off, click on the Find People tab on your home page (upper right, see it? good!) you might want to follow your irl (in real life) friends. You can search them by name or e-mail address. You can also invite them to join twitter, if you think they’d enjoy the experience.

Next, you’ll want to choose a few terms that indicate shared interests. For me, those terms were mom, mommy, mama, momma, and the dad variations, too. Then yoga. You can either search by terms at http://search.twitter.com/, or you can use the Find People tab again.

When you search your terms, the search will bring up profiles that list terms in the Twitter user name, in a tweeter’s bio, or even sometimes in a tweeter’s tweets. I found pages and pages of members listed on most of the terms I searched.

I chose selectively from the tweeters listed. Some of the parameters I used to decide whether I should follow someone or not were;
* The date they last tweeted - if someone hasn’t been on in months, what are the chances they’ll respond to a follow alert from a stranger?
* What their most recent tweet said; for example, if the tweet said “Why the hell are all these strangers following me? Creepy!?!”, that member is not a likely candidate for community building!
* Their bio, and whether it sounded like we’d be a good match.

Most often I would choose not to follow people with protected updates, but in rare cases I’d risk it and request permission to follow. I recommend that you judge that one on a case-by-case basis.

Another way to find like-minded tweeters is to go to a like-minded tweeters page, and follow the tweeters they follow, and those who follow them. You can see bios by placing your cursor over a tweeter’s name.

I would follow as many tweeters as I felt inspired to in one fell swoop (I think my “following” list got up to around 2000 once), and see who followed back. After a few days, I’d go back check out which tweeters had responded, and go through the evaluation of whether I would keep following tweeters who had followed back, or not.

Through this strategy, I built my list of followers up to over 700 in a matter of days.

5. Ethics for business (and personal) networking:
Some disagree with me on this, but I believe that even - or perhaps especially - if “you” are a business, you should follow in return. Yes, Twitter is free advertising, and it’s SMART advertising – JetBlue, Zappos, Vans and thousands of entrepreneurs can’t be wrong!

But, as always, there needs to be some buy-in. In this case, imnsho (in my not so humble opinion), the buy-in is this; I’ll pay attention to your posts, but I expect you to pay attention to mine, too. It’s a give and take, baby!

Besides, think of the marketing information you’ll be able to gather. Two-way communication with your demographic is just plain smart business sense.

Also, it’s not good manners to follow me, and then turn around and unfollow me when you think I’m not looking. I will come back and check from time to time, to see if those I follow are following me. (I do the same for those who are following me, too. I go and check my followers and make sure I’ve returned the follow.)

Not only that, there are tons of third party systems coming into being that are created to augment the Twitter experience. One of these even helps twitterers keep track of their follower activity. And, there are sure to be more of them as time goes by, and Twitter’s popularity continues to soar to new heights.

There are a few exceptions to the rule, but I generally don’t follow those who aren’t willing to follow me in return. I cast a line out, and if you grab hold I’ll hang on too. However, if there’s no resultant tug on the rope, I’ll reel it back in and cast in another direction.

If you have something amazing to say, and I just can’t live without your voice, I’ll stick around. But I tell you, it’s so much more fun when we can all sing out together!

6. A few easy commands that will be useful to know:
@username: this creates an automatic link to a tweeter’s profile, and alerts the user that you have sent a public post that cites them. If you’re replying to a tweet, including @username (like @yoga_mama) is great. It both promotes the tweeter, and creates a connection between you and the tweeter in question.

#tag: (like #gratitude, #palin, #debate, etc.) makes it easy to search an item, and get all the tweets that are relevant. It’s also is an easy way to see relationships between tweets by multiple tweeters.

rt, or retweet: when you repost someone’s tweet, it’s proper to add “rt @username” and then the retweet. Basically, it’s a way to give credit where credit is due. And again, it promotes tweeters who are tweeting things you appreciate or agree with.

d username: direct messages are the way to send a private note to another tweeter. Remember, it’s “d(space)username(space)message”. You’re only able to “dm” tweeters who are following you.

In closing:
Twitter is a community. In some way more profoundly than any other networking site I’ve ever been part of, the tweeters I follow have worked their way into my heart.

Maybe it’s the often unguarded, haiku-like quality of the “microblogging” experience. Maybe it’s the frequency with which I see the words of a given tweeter. Maybe it’s the fact that the Twitter experience has the contour and context of a conversation drifting in through the kitchen window.

And this in a country (the USA) where we often don’t have a sister or best friend living next door, or a neighbor we could easily ask for advice on a moment’s notice. Much less, hundreds of neighbors, many of whom might send well wishes when you need them, and heartfelt advice when you ask for it. (Or, just like any family, sometimes even when you don’t!)

Twitter has brought us into one another’s living rooms. It’s allowed us to share our vacations, our kid’s Big Game, our successes and heartbreaks.

It’s opened a window into a community that never goes to sleep - tweeters live all over the world, as one tweeter tweets her last missive of the night, another wakes up to a brilliant new day. A community that is always willing to give a shout out, send a smile, talk about politics, and lift one another up in a challenging moment.

Remember this as you build your personal Twitterverse. You are creating a new world, from nothing. Build it, grow it, nurture it with intention and care. And you know, everything will be just right.

About the author:
LaSara FireFox, MPNLP, is a coach, trainer, and published author. LaSara helps clients find balance in their lives, and alignment with their personal and family-held values. She teaches and coaches internationally. She’s wife to an outstanding man, and mom to two brilliant girls.

You can find out more about LaSara at www.lasarafirefox.com. While you’re there, be sure to check out LaSara’s weekly conscious parenting podcast; Yoga Mama Satsangha.

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Continuing in my chronicles of trying to develop a work-at-home lifestyle in preparation for retirement, I’m going to address the issue of “getting your family on-board” and used to the idea that the dining room table is no longer for dining.  It has now become my “staging area.”

Years ago when we were young, childless and full of energy, I used to entertain quite frequently (and quite elegantly, I might add.)  Those days are over, and I now need my dining room for my eBay Store shipping area, as well as for all the items for my product reviews.  Convincing the family that I am indeed, quite serious about this venture, has been to say the least, challenging.

Taking on a home business venture is difficult enough. Getting your family to support you may be the difference between your business success and failure. From your family’s point of view, this working at home thing has both it’s good and bad points.

Your “too young for school” age children love having you at home because they like doing things with you, whether it’s baking cookies or playing in the sandbox.

Your school age children find it pretty handy having mom at home to drive them to their soccer games or have their friends over to play. They even like having you come to school to volunteer in their classroom.

Teenagers are a harder sell. They like that you can drive them to the mall or bring them to work. They however may not be really fond of the fact that you always seem to be around.

If, like me, you might be a Baby Boomer Grandma, working at home might seem like an open invitation to drop the grandkiddos off at a moment’s notice when a babysitter is needed.

Now your husband probably sees both sides. He loves that his wife is home taking care of the house and the kids and making a nice supper each evening. He’s even proud of what and says he supports you in what you are doing and may even be amazed at how you manage to pull it all off and make it seem easy.

He’s not as keen on the fact that your income has dropped if you used to have a “real” job and are not making the same amount of money as a WAHM. He probably is not too crazy about the idea of having to pitch in more in the evenings so that you can get some work done. You’re busier when he wants some attention and he has trouble understanding why, when you’re home all day, you need to work in the evening.

The hardest person to get on-board may be your husband. He may not be convinced that you’ll actually make any money with your venture.

So how do you overcome your family’s objections to your working at home and get them on your side? Holding a family conference to discuss the issue is probably a good first step. During this conversation it’s important for everyone to have their say and to share their feelings. By hearing what your children and husband think and how they perceive your home business venture, you’ll know how best to explain your ideas.

Try to elicit a promise of your spouse’s support for at least a period of several months, so you will have some time to get up and running. If he is very much opposed to your venture at least try to arrive at a compromise with him. Perhaps suggest that if you’re not showing an income after a specified period of time, you’ll give it up, put it on hold for awhile, or go back to work.

Come to some mutual agreement that you can both live with. This is how it becomes a win/win situation. You’ll work even harder to prove you can do it and he’ll be happy knowing that there will be a resolution.

Your family needs to realize the benefits of you working at home rather than outside the home. Point out how much extra help you’d need and the extra chores they’d have to do if you weren’t working at home. This is usually a pretty persuasive argument when it comes to the kids and maybe even your husband too.

Talk about your feelings regarding having your own home business, whether you are considering a career as a real estate agent, eBay entrepreneur, boutique online store owner, or Etsy owner.  Discuss how important it is to you that they support you. The guilt card, when used properly, can be very effective.

Involve everyone in the decision about your venture. Listen to each and every family member and take their feelings into consideration and ask that they do the same for yours. You can even try offering rewards for their support. They don’t have to be monetary awards either, spending time together and showing them how readily available you can be to them when they need you will help you be on the way to getting and keeping your family squarely on your side.

If you’re one of my Twitter followers, you’ve probably seen my posts lately that my daughter went back to work since having her second child this past August.

Although I do still work full-time at my cubicle job, I’m also very much a work-at-home mom with my Virtual Assistant and other online businesses when I’m not at the office.  I’ve been doing a considerable amount of babysitting this summer for my daughter, and while I love my grandchildren dearly, the responsibility of caring for young children has impacted my ability to work at home during the daytime hours.

For young mommies considering a work-at-home option, the dilemma is even greater.

Working at home is similar to a two sided coin. On one side are the advantages while on the flip side of the coin are the disadvantages. Let’s look at a couple of the main factors that can affect work at home mothers.

One advantage of being a work at home mom is the amount of time you will have to devote to your home business. No time spent stuck in traffic commuting to and from work (unless of course you count the stop off at the coffee pot between the bedroom and the office every morning a traffic jam). You can say goodbye to the eight hour day that quickly turns into ten or more by the time you pick up the kids from daycare and rush home to make supper.

Yes, as a work at home mother you definitely have more time. You will be able to work at your own pace and set your own schedule. Want to go workout at the gym or spend time biking with your children? How about cleaning out that closet? But, wait a minute. What about your home business? Therein lays the potential problem. You DO have lots of time but you will need to manage this time to be able to effectively work from home.

Trying to run a successful business from the home is very time consuming because you generally have to do everything yourself. There’s no co-worker sitting at the desk beside you to confer with on a problem or pick up your slack if you’re just not feeling up to it or don’t understand something.

Another drawback is that because you’re at home, with so many other things clamoring for your attention, it may be difficult to have large blocks of uninterrupted time to spend on your business. There are always lots of things that need doing around the house to consume the time you planned to use for your home business venture.

The second factor that can be both an advantage and a disadvantage is money. Because you’re working at home, you will save money. There will be no need for an extensive wardrobe for work and you won’t have to pay for daily transportation. If your children are not old enough for school, you could save a bundle on daycare.

Of course, there is a downside to this. Because you don’t hold down a regular job in the traditional sense, you won’t have that steady paycheck to depend upon. Nor will you have a benefits package, unless your spouse has one at his place of employment. Until you get your home business going smoothly and more predictably, you probably won’t make much of an income. Even then, unless you can consistently dedicate a significant amount of time to actually working your home business, your income may be much less than what you made at your previous job.

Whether you’re considering starting a blog, opening an eBay store, or exploring any multitude of other business ventures, working at home, just like any other thing in life, has both it’s advantages and disadvantages. Only you can determine whether the benefits outweigh the drawbacks making it the right choice for you and your family.

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