UNEMPLOYED FOR A LIVING

Women who take advantage of a stay at home moms business opportunity have a clear cut advantage over their male counterparts. As a stay at home mom earning passive income on the internet, you are already way ahead of the pack for several reasons.

1. Stay At Home Moms are trustworthy. The Internet is already a very treacherous place. While the majority of business opportunities on the web are legitimate and run by upstanding entrepreneurs like you and me, the web does have its fair share of “bad guys.” It is much easier for a woman to gain the trust of a stranger - especially if that woman is also a Mom. While corporate American may still put a glass ceiling on a woman’s potential income, the Internet has no ceiling and women with a stay at home moms business opportunity are earning just as much, and in many cases WAY MORE than their male counterparts.

2. Stay At Home Moms are protective. As a mother your instinct is to protect. Protect your family, protect your household, and protect your finances. That’s probably the exact reason you went searching for a stay at home moms business opportunity in the first place. As a protector, moms do much more research and make much more calculated decisions before they act on an opportunity. Moms make sure they know what they are doing before making a decision for their family and, as a result, they will be able to answer questions and explain opportunities to their clients and customers.

3. Stay At Home Moms know other Moms. Women have much larger networks than men. This is especially true of moms. Stay at home moms know lots of other moms from play groups, daycare, community and club pools, after school programs, PTA, and from just hanging around the neighborhood. In fact, the typical mom has three times the available contacts of the typical working man. That means your list of potential clients for a stay at home moms business opportunity is three times as big and your potential for making money is three times greater!

4. Stay At Home Moms are Persistent. Ask any woman who has potty trained a two-year old or tried to wean a toddler off a pacifier what the secret to success is. They will say “persistence.” When introducing new food into my toddler’s diet my wife always tells me “It takes ten tries before they will eat it.” As a man, I would give in after 4 or 5. Moms, however, know that the key to success is to keep at it!

5. Stay At Home Moms don’t take no for an answer. Mom always knows what’s best, right? Well, then if a mom tells you to try something or if a mom tells you it’s for your own good then you better believe her. The same is true in the business world. Campbell’s Chunky Soup doesn’t just recruit famous athletes to endorse their hearty products. They also get their moms.

For women in the corporate world it is still tough to get a fair shake. The glass ceiling does exist and women often have to work harder than men to get just as far. But on the Internet, a stay at home moms business opportunity has no ceiling. You can make money online at an equal rate and often faster than men can. An online passive income opportunity can be a true success story for any stay at home mom.

Mark Kaye is the author of Unemployed for a Living: The Inspiring True Stories of The Rich and Jobless

“What do you mean you don’t have a website?” I couldn’t believe I was saying those words to someone but it was true. Who in this day and age has a business and does not have a website? Or, I guess I should say, who in this day and age expects to have a successful business and does not have a website.

Because of the Internet and cell phones and the free flow of information, more and more people are starting their own businesses. Here are ten things you MUST have to succeed when starting a small business:

1. Website: I can’t even believe I have to write this down. If you have a business you MUST have a website. It’s like a phone number. You wouldn’t dream of opening up shop without a phone number, would you? Websites are inexpensive to set-up and maintain. Odds are you can access and update it yourself with an appropriate template. If you require little or no updates to your site, that’s even better. Put up your business name, your phone number and an e-mail address. Voila you have a presence on the web.

2. Cell Phone: You always hear people say “cell phones are disruptive. I don’t want to hear other people yammering away on their cell phone.” But I am more annoyed by people who don’t have cell phones than I am by people who do. If you have employees, customers, or both…you must have a cell phone. It is the single best way to keep in touch with your business.

3. Voicemail: Have a personal voicemail box and check it regularly. Make sure you call people back. Also, keep it cleaned out. You don’t want to miss an important message because your “mailbox was full.” Be courteous on your greeting and let people know that you will be back in touch with them. Then, get back to them. (Preferably on your cell phone.)

4. Business cards: You must have business cards. They must be good business cards. They should have all the necessary information on them. Name, address, what you do, telephone number, e-mail, fax, cell phone number, and website. In this digital world people still cling to a little 5-inch piece of cardboard. Handing someone your business card is the best way to make them a client.

5. Florist: Set up an account with a local florist. Make sure he or she is reliable. Use your florist to show clients appreciation. Most florists these days can handle more than just flowers. They can handle gift baskets, wine, balloons, cologne, you name it. Thank people who help you get business and they will get you even more business.

6. Goof Kit: We all make mistakes. We all forget appointments, overbook, come down with the flu, and screw up orders. Have a plan in place for when these things happen. This is when the florist will come in handy. Also, try sending some Omaha Steaks or Ben and Jerry’s ice cream. It’s tough to be angry with someone when you have a mouth full of New York Double Fudge Chunk.

7. Domestic Help: There is only so much time in a day. Any time you spend away from your business is time that you could be making money. If you have to mow the lawn, subtract an hour. If you have to clean the house subtract two more. That’s three hours a week you could be working. If you make about $100 an hour at your business and you pay some neighborhood kid $25 bucks to mow your lawn, you still net $75. Spend your time taking care of your business. Let someone else take care of your grass.

8. Dependability: There are so many choices out there today that dependability is a MUST. You have to be there when you say you will. You have to do what you promise at the quoted price. Customer service is the most important thing you need, no matter what your business. Without customers, there is no money. People will often overlook a shabby office or a wrinkled suit if they know they are getting the best service. Think about when you go to a restaurant. Would you rather eat in a restaurant where the food was four star but the servers ignored you the entire time, or would you rather eat in a place with decent food, but where you were treated like royalty? That’s what I thought.

9. Marketing Plan: Don’t get this confused with an advertising budget, they are not the same things. Advertising is expensive and often ineffective. Marketing is free, for the most part, and much better for business. Marketing includes things like, a write-up in the local newspaper, a segment about your products and services on television, a radio interview with you as the expert guest, or a huge event that attracts media attention.

10. Confidence: Nobody ever succeeded without it. You must be confident when dealing with customers, vendors, and your employees. Confidence is a must when you start running up your credit card and taking out small business loans. You must be confident when a client asks, “Can you really do that for me?” After all, if you don’t have confidence in your own business, why should anybody else?

Mark Kaye is the author of Unemployed for a Living: The Inspiring True Stories of The Rich and Jobless

Millions of mothers all over the world would love to make money from home while looking after their young children. Everyday there is a new stay at home moms business opportunity that pops up on the Internet. The trick is figuring out which ones are legitimate, which ones are scams, and which ones will be the right fit for your skills, interests, and time.

When parents are searching for a stay at home moms business opportunity you can save yourself a lot of money and a lot of hassle with this helpful guide to online business opportunities.

1. Who’s In Charge? - You should never buy a product or enter into a business with a company that doesn’t list actual people on their website. Legitimate businesses will have a photo of the president or administrator right on the main page along with their name and email. If you come across a website that hides any of this info or uses a “Mister X” character on their sales page avoid it at all costs. Legitimate business folk are proud of what they do. They don’t hide. Feel free to call or email as well. If you can talk to a real person that is another clue that you are investigating a real stay at home moms business opportunity and not just another scam.

2. Is It Guaranteed? - Before you buy anything online you should check the return policy. Most legitimate businesses and opportunities online will offer a 30-90 money-back guarantee. I myself sell vitamins from a company that offers a 60-day “empty bottle” guarantee. That means that you can use the entire product and still get a refund. This is the type of thing you want to find out before you invest, not after. If a company offers no guarantee or if their policy on returns is unclear then they will probably take your money and run.

3. Google it! - This is self-explanatory. You should never invest in a business or opportunity without research. A stay at home moms business opportunity that has a strong track record will have lots of fans online. Consequently a stay at home moms business opportunity that is simply a scam will have even more detractors. Google will often have tons of reviews, videos, articles, and info on every online opportunity there is.

4. Does It make You Proud? - One of the most common complaints about many online businesses, especially multi-level-marketing companies is that the investor doesn’t feel “comfortable” selling to their friends, neighbors, and families. If your stay at home moms business opportunity is one that you feel ashamed of sharing with others or is something you don’t want your friends and family to get involved in then it is the wrong business. You should never sell something or do something that you don’t want your friends to know about. Find another stay at home moms business opportunity that makes you proud!

5. Can You Afford It? - I don’t just mean the financial cost. Any business has dedicated start-up costs. MLM’s and affiliate programs may require a fee or monthly subscription or both. However, there are great business that costs thousands of dollars to start and there are others that you can start for little or no cost. Figure out which one best suits your budget before you jump into something you can’t get out of. The goal is to make more money, not spend more. There is also a time commitment involved in starting an online business, and unlike money, you can’t get the time back. You chose to be a stay at home mom so you could be with your kids and enjoy their childhood. Make sure that the stay at home moms business opportunity that you take advantage of allows you to do just that.

Mark Kaye is the author of Unemployed for a Living: The Inspiring True Stories of The Rich and Jobless