Dippin' Your Toe Into Web 2.0

Been reading some great blog posts lately and pushing the envelope of my Web 2.0 knowledge. It's a big world out there and I don't think I've even begun to scratch the tip of the surface. Reading materials written by other people is a great way to expand your knowledge and I've found a few jewels this week. The first is a great post from a blog called Scribbit. It's a motherhood topic blog but this particular post has some great organizational tidbits in it and some secrets that the author shares with her audience. If you are starting out with your own blog this is a great post to read and it lets you peek at some of what goes into a great blog. The next post I read that caught my eyes and ears was a post from Joel Therien. He does a great job of focusing on a subject near and dear to us internet marketers: How to avoid mistakes that cost you money with your web page copy and advertising. This will stick with me for awhile as I learned quite a bit from it that I will use when promoting my stuff. I did some "digging" into some stuff I found on Digg and a recommendation from a person I am following on Twitter. The Twitter lead actually pointed to an app for iPhone users but I was attracted because I use a MAC PC and thought it might be worth peeking at. I have found Digg to be a great tool for finding obscure material and often use it to find items of interest I can share with my subscribers. This weekend will find me doing even more research on getting better at using my Web 2.0 tools and doing a little shopping as well. I found a great deal on some kids shoes at the Payless Shoe Store at my personal shopping mall. It's great because I get a rebate on my own purchases there and get paid for people I refer to it. It's called the DHS Club and you can join it for free. If you are interested in making a little extra cash from home they have a great franchise opportunity you can check out while you are there. Believe me, I can use every penny I can scrape and getting cash back is a big deal to me. If you explore Facebook or MySpace this week be sure to add me as a friend. While you are there join our friends group at Robs Networkers on Facebook. They can both be addicting so be sure to set the timer before you explore, ok? See you all online, Elridge

Keeping Yourself Moving Forward: Some Techniques and Tips for Success in Your Home Business

Even though your home business means you are working at home, you are not alone. Lots of people do it and many more are looking for the promise of success and freedom a home business offers. The key is continuously building your business and moving forward with your personal development plan to be successful with it. Some tips:

1. Use networking and social networking sites to let people know who you are and to educate them about your business. I myself have a Facebook profile page and it has been useful in both making business contacts and attracting people to my business. But networking does not stop there. You should network offline too by handing business cards out to people you meet, making contacts in your community and places you meet other people. Online, tell people your personal story and reach out. Use forums and other sites to comment and engage people in a conversation and get to be well known in your business field.

2. Work on your personal success plan. Read and educate yourself and stay up on trends and current events. Even though business is about profit, you should work to be the most knowledgeable person in your business niche. This is what attracts people and will make you a success.

3. Strive for continuous improvement. Practice business presentations and get good at them. Find out how to get your customers and work to keep them happy. If writing is part of your business, find out how to dazzle your audience. Always try to set your mark higher and reach for the stars.

4. Don't reinvent the wheel. This is most important if your home business is a franchise or network marketing company. Duplication is the key word here so try to follow the template for success and stress it in your organization. If you follow the recipe for success, everyone else in your group will and it will have a domino effect.

The key to keeping yourself moving forward is to develop a plan for success and to keep on schedule with achieving what you want to achieve. Make a habit of reviewing and making adjustment when you need to your plan. Have a daily, weekly and monthly list of tasks to accomplish and stay on point. Doing all these things will be beneficial for you and your business in the long run.