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

As a small internet business owner, I’m always looking for ways to maximize my exposure on the web. Recently I came across Network Solutions. This is a company that specializes in helping small businesses start and market their businesses on the Web. In addition to domain name registration, they offer Web site design and hosting, e-commerce solutions, online security products, and search engine marketing and optimization.

Through Webinars and Seminars, Network Solutions explores issues such as pay-per-click and search engine optimization techniques, and provides practical knowledge about strategies, tactics, and solutions for marketing online. Network Solutions has designed all of these resources to lead, guide, and teach small business customers how to succeed online.

Network Solutions also offers ideas to small business owners for improving business practices in ways many may not have even thought or known possible. The events also provide opportunities for small business owners to network with one another and learn from each other.

If you’ve been downsized or outsourced, you might be interested in network solutions jobs. etwork Solutions is looking for bright, talented team players! They’re looking hard to locate talented, passionate, and dedicated people who want to build and grow their careers with a company like Network Solutions®. Perks include a comprehensive health and welfare benefits program, Matching 401K program as well as Flexible Spending Accounts.

Check them out ~ Network Solutions is there to help you any way they can!

VOTE FOR ME ~ KEEP ME ON TOP ~ I’M A TOP MOMMA ~

Click the Button to Keep Me On Top!

As many of you know, I’m dedicated to trying to retire from my day FT job to work at home full time and also to try to take care of the grandkiddos. I came across what I consider to be some very useful information that I’m going to share with you. I found it to be extremely helpful, and hope you do too.

5 Simple Techniques to Work at Home Forever

Copyright © 2003, Sylvie Charrier
Author of “You Can Work in Your PJs”
http://www.inyourpjs.com

If you’ve spent any time online, you will already know that there are lots of scams out there! You might have even begun to doubt that there are any work-at-home positions available for serious jobseekers. If this sounds like you, you aren’t alone!

Believe me, there are real home based jobs, but what most of the work at home sites omit in their information packages is that it takes work to get work. Finding a telecommuting job can be a full time job in itself, but if you don’t have all the facts, you will be spinning your wheels trying to get somewhere or you will probably give up within a few weeks. That would be a shame, because there aren’t enough high quality telecommuters as it is!

Look, I know you’re skeptical. So was I, a few short years ago. That was before I started implementing some very unique strategies that allowed me to generate so much work from my small home office, that I needed to hire extra staff just to keep up with it all!

The strategies I used are actually very simple, and you can duplicate these ideas to become a very successful telecommuter. In fact, I want you to copy my techniques, even if it means I create my own competition! Why? Because every time a new person starts to work from home more successfully and efficiently, that means one more employer is happy with the concept of hiring homeworkers! That means everyone gets more jobs, and more opportunities to do what we all love to do…working at home in our pyjamas!

So, let’s cover the top 5 simple techniques you can use to work at home forever, shall we?

1. Never pay for any job! There is never a good reason to pay for work, and I am amazed at how many jobseekers waste precious time and money chasing after schemes that will never pay. It wastes a lot of time you could better spend targeting your jobsearch to legitimate and valid work.

2. Get your materials ready! You are going to need to be ready before you start looking for work. You will need a specialized telecommuter’s resume, an excellent cover letter template, and an online portfolio that showcases samples of your work. Without these things in place ahead of time, you will not be ready for rapid response when an employer needs to see your stuff.

3. Make sure you have all the equipment and software you’re going to need! Depending on your skill set, you’re probably going to need special software and equipment to do your job right. Don’t expect an employer to pay for these things. A prospective employer is more likely to hire the next person who is properly equipped, rather than hire you if you expect the employer to pay for what you need to do your job.

4. Know what you do for a living! This is an absolute necessity if you want to work from home. You may think that you want to do “typing at home”, but if that’s all you can think of, then you’re wasting time. Think about how your typing skills will be useful to your employer, come up with creative applications of that skill, set up samples to show what your service looks like, and plan ahead on how much you will charge for that service. Be willing to tell prospective employers exactly what you do and how much you charge for it.

5. Change your strategy! Instead of looking for jobs that have already been posted online, and have already been taken, look for companies that are well suited for your talents. Create your own work by contacting companies that have not yet posted jobs online, and eliminate the competition. But, make sure you know exactly what service you plan to offer that company, and why it is useful to them. Don’t bother contacting companies by sending vague resumes. That technique never works! Contact targeted companies with specific services in mind, and let them know you are open to alternate suggestions.

These techniques work extremely well, and using them allowed me to build my home based service company from scratch, without spending a dime on advertising. I was broke when I started working from home, and I didn’t have a computer. Using these techniques, I was able to slowly build my business and develop a client base that has consistently earned me more money than if I was working onsite. You can do it too!

This article is excerpted from “You Can Work in Your PJs”, a real world guide to telecommuting. Sylvie Charrier works from home full time and wrote this book to share her unique techniques with others. You can download your copy of “You Can Work in Your PJs” by visiting http://www.inyourpjs.com

Hi everyone. I have a little Freebie for you all today!

I had a fabulous collection of eBooks that I was selling out of my eBay Store, Moomette’s Magnificents.

However, recently this year, eBay decided against allowing Store Owners to sell digitally delivered eBooks.

Therefore, I’ve moved all of my eBooks to my Olde Towne Shoppes site.

I’m sure many of you are trying to explore different ways to work at home, and earn a little extra money for your family or to put in your gas tank in today’s economy.  Have you been looking for information on how to become a Mystery Shopper ? Look no further ~ CLICK HERE.  This is even a great idea for many Baby Boomers or Seniors who are on fixed incomes, retired or like to shop!

I’m giving away a copy of Myrna Marshall’s Mystery Shopping Secrets to any of my readers who’d like more information.

Simply leave a comment on this post, or send me an e-mail with “Mystery Shopper” in the Reference. I’ll e-mail you the link code for a free Immediate Download. The book is in PDF format, so you’ll need Adobe Reader, which you can get for free here.

More eBooks in all categories available in my Shoppes Site!

Back in the beginning when I started my blog, I mentioned how I have an eBay Store where I’m a Power Seller. I am a Vintage Antique Collector, but branched out into other areas as a result of the forums I belong to. I’m a Moderator on eBay Coach Free Forum, and have met many knowledgeable eBay Sellers on there. You can’t beat Suzanne Wells, the eBay Coach, for all the free excellent advice she’s always dishing out.

Just because I’m successful on my eBay site doesn’t mean that there still isn’t a need to re-access the market and go with the flow of the financial economy ~ see what works for you, and what doesn’t. Change is inevitable ~ eBay changes their marketing tactics; the economy changes; and so do my family needs, time constraints and interests. The challenge is still on to reinvent myself and find my niche.

In keeping with my original mantra to keep my readers updated on my progress (or lack of it) towards retirement - I started this blog. As you all know, I have expanded and opened Moomette’s Magnificents Olde Towne Shoppes where I sell hand-crafted items and more. I’ve also found that I love blogging, am putting a great deal of effort and time into it, and enjoy the many new friendships it has afforded me.

I recently posted on my Mama Mentor Blog that I took a little R & R junket to Lake Keuka, one of the Finger Lakes in Upstate New York to visit my brother. That junket actually turned into an Antique Shopping Spree.

When I flew up - all I brought was a carry-on. Since 4 boxes of Vintage Collectibles wouldn’t fit under my plane seat ~ my brother ending up shipping them back to me (graciously, at his expense!) (Snicker-Yippee!)

So, I had a massive auction liquidation of certain lines in my eBay Store, and am increasing my line of Vintage items, in both my eBay Store and my boutique Shoppes site.

Stay tuned for other posts on how things are going with my affiliate marketing ~ that’s a whole ‘nother area I’m re-assessing.

In my continuing quest to retire, I’ve recently become an Independent Consultant for Seriesse International.

This time I think I got it right. Seriesse International was established by Jennifer Flavin-Stallone, who is featured on HSN. Even though I’m a Baby Boomer, I’ve been using the Serious Skin Care products for years and years, and I can’t say enough about them! It doesn’t hurt that I’ve been blessed with pretty good skin genes… you should have seen my grandmother who lived to be 101. You would have thought she was in her 70s. These products will benefit people of all ages.

This is not a paid post. This is my honest opinion. I came across a banner on a WAHM forum that I belong to, and recognized Jennifer’s picture. Once I saw that there was an opportunity to become associated with her products, I jumped at the chance!

I have my own website, and now I can get my favorite products at a discount! The launch is recent, and from what I hear and understand, it is supposed to be B-I-G!

I’m glad I got in on the ground floor!

Visit today to see how to become an independent consultant and what it’s all about!

When my DD was pregnant with ‘Lil Moomette, she developed preeclampsia and was relegated to bed rest for the remainder of her term. Now, mind you, when this child was 2, I purchased the book entitled “The Difficult Child” for my easy reading pleasure. To envision her on total bed rest doing puzzles or watching TV…I have to say I’m glad she was finally induced.

I belong to several networking forums, and one of the gals indicated she is somewhat of a shut-in and recovering from surgery, on bed rest and is looking for a way to pass time. Forum members wished her a speedy recovery and mentioned that we’ll be looking forward to her posts on her progress. I suggested she start a blog or ezine to promote her eBay business!

Why The Most Popular Home Based Business Opportunity These Days Involves A Blog

by Carael Knight

Today more than ever, chances are that if you have found a successful home based business opportunity, then most likely it involves either the heavy use of a high traffic blog or two or alternatively you’re making use of some effective classified ads to generate your targeted traffic.

It is no secret that popular search engines love blogs because of the fresh and constantly updated content found in plenty in this amazing new medium. Most bloggers have no problem enthusiastically updating their content daily or on a regular basis because they love their blogs since they give them “a voice” and a unique chance to publish their views and comments on a subject that they are usually crazy about. This powerful combination of factors has ensured that blogs have grown in leaps and bounds. The result has been the emergence of a powerful and effective medium that is by far the best for promoting any home based business opportunity.

In actual fact what happens is that the blogger uses the blog to work their home based business opportunity by directing some of the huge traffic to appropriate affiliate programs they have already signed up for. They mostly do this by making good use of affiliate links pasted at prominent and very visible positions all over the blog site.

So what happens is that the blogger has lots of fan blogging while at the same time working their home based business opportunity.

But blogging admittedly is not for everyone. And that is why there are those who use carefully selected effective classified ads to direct targeted traffic their home based business opportunity site.

Why just about anyone can make money online

Most people think that making money online is one of the most difficult things in the world and yet the reality is that anyone can make some serious money online. It really is easier than you think.

What makes it difficult is the attitude and the approach of most people. Many have plunged in blindly and inevitably the have failed. The net is full of these failures and they are constantly busy telling others that it cannot be done, just because they themselves failed.

Actually one of the biggest hindrances and obstacles to folks making money online is that most of us want to do it overnight and without having to learn anything first. This is a really strange mindset when you think about it because doctors train for years before they can be allowed to practice and commercial airline pilots also train for years before they can be allowed to fly passengers. So why should you expect to start an online business today and start making money tomorrow. Is that really realistic? Is it any wonder that so many people have failed in their efforts to make quick money online?

The big secret here that should not even be a secret is that anyone who takes a little time to learn the ropes and takes their minds off making money for a short time only will quickly find that they can earn much more than doctors and airline pilots after just a few months (instead of years) of learning. In other words anyone who is prepared to take the time to learn can make money online.

Carael Knight is a very aggressive Internet marketing expert.

MajorEnterprise is an Independent Internet Marketing And Advertising Company That Specializes In Boosting Website Sales.
Article Source: The WAHM Shack Article Directory

Where in the world would you like to go?

Recently in one of my posts, I mentioned that I am an Armchair Traveler and that I travel vicariously. It wasn’t always that way. As a typical teen, I carried the typical wanderlust gene.

Like many of my friends, I dreamed of a career as a stewardess flight attendant on any airline. If one took a plane to travel, it was a special occasion, and proper dress was always in order. So exciting! At the time, the position was only open to women, and there was a height requirement that you had to be 5’2”. When I “grew up,” I never qualified for the height requirement!

I did fulfill one goal, and one of my fondest memories was that as a young gal of 17 made my first and only trip abroad across the Pond to England in 1969 at the height of the “British Invasion” when the Beatles were popular. I stayed with an English family for 2 weeks and toured all the typical sites – Big Ben, Tower of London and Windsor Castle. It was an opportunity of a lifetime, for me, at least.

If you’ve been longing to book a flight to New York or any other favorite destinations, it’s easier than ever now to be on your way this summer. DialAFlight is a leading independent UK travel company offering flights, hotels & travel ideas worldwide. The website www.dialaflight.com is full of useful travel information for finding the holiday of your dreams. From here you can search for flights, hotels, car hire and many travel ideas including weekend breaks, beach holidays, spa holidays & much more.

To book with DialAFlight, clients just need to call and speak with one of the UK travel consultants, who will ensure that all requirements are fulfilled. By speaking on the phone with a DialAFlight representative, clients can be assured that their tailor-made holiday is exactly as they want 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

Many years ago, DH and I had the opportunity to see Carly Simon sing at ‘The Roof’ on Martha’s Vineyard. At the time, she owned the place out by the airport, and had her 2 young children there that night. I still get goose bumps remembering it, and have always been a fan of hers.

I’ve been doing quite a bit of inner reflection lately ~ so I’m coming around again. I’m discovering I like being a Boomer, and being able to say what I want to. We paved the way for our daughters. I’m so happy that they can be who they are today, because of what we pushed for. Happy Mother’s Day to our daughters and granddaughters. It’s our Boomer present to you ~ You Go Girl.

I’m still signing up trying to gain a little supplemental income by taking surveys. My opinions still matter. I will not give up in my attempts to retire. I’m a Boomer. We do not quit.

Strength In Numbers: Boomer Women
By Lauren Hobson

Yes, the Baby-Boomer generation has been influencing everything in our culture ever since someone first coined the phrase. From a marketing perspective, watching this generation get older has provided us with some fascinating information, including how powerful the “women-over-50” group has become.

Women in their 50s today are in their prime. They are healthier, wealthier, and carry more influence than any other generation of women in history. So from a marketing perspective, this is a very appealing demographic for many industries. These women have both money and the time to spend it!

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Boomer Women will increase an amazing 52% in the workforce over the next few years. By 2010, there will be about 10.1 million women age 55 and older in the workforce, up from 6.4 million in 2000. Now that’s a lot of purchasing power!

So as you continue to market your products and services, make sure you are including Boomer Women in your target groups. They play a huge part in almost every big-ticket market (travel, real estate, financial services, technology, automobiles, home improvement, etc.), and will continue to do so for the next two decades. Boomer Women today are healthy and vital, and you can keep your business that way too by paying attention to this very strong, very large group of influential consumers.

Lauren Hobson is the Editor of Biz Talk Newsletter, a free monthly publication designed to provide small businesses and non-profits with tips and techniques to help them make the most of their web sites and marketing efforts without spending a lot of money. Biz Talk is published by Five Sparrows, LLC.

Article Source: EzineArticles.com