Rachel Gilmore is a mom and author of The Complete Leader’s Guide to Christian Retreats. Rachel has been planning and leading retreats for youth groups and women’s groups, both religious and secular, for the past 20 years.

Do Your Homework
The best way to get good results from your marketing efforts is to research the sites you’re considering. Look for websites that are aimed at your target market, that have premium ad placements and that are willing to share their traffic statistics, number of subscribers, etc.

Be Bold
Statistics show that the bigger the ad, the higher the response. Double Click, a digital marketing firm, did a study in 2006 that showed a “strong correlation between the size of ads and their clickthrough performance.” So, whenever possible, choose a banner size larger than the standard 468 x 60. It may be pricier, but the results should be worth the extra expense.

Think fresh
Try to find innovative ways to reach your market. Consider trying a rich media campaign that includes a video advertisement, banners formatted in Flash, and other interactive ads. By finding new ways to present your business or product, you’ll catch the eye of viewers who might not normally have noticed your advertisement.

Be personal
The potential customers who view your ads want you to connect with them. They want to know how your product or service will make a difference in their lives. Write your ad copy in such a way that it brings the viewers need for your product to their attention.

Another way to make your advertising more personal is to use images – especially real-life photographs. You can find royalty free photos

Be Unique
Make your ad stand out by creating something different and unique – something that represents your company well. Diana Ennen, a publicist and president of VirtualWordPublishing.com states, “With so much competition out there today, it’s important to make your ad stand out and speak directly to your target audience. No one knows your business and clients better than you, so create the an ad that tells everyone why they should buy from you.”

Repeat
The number of times a potential customer views your advertisement has a direct link to their perception of your product/brand. Look for websites with a high volume of traffic and don’t be afraid to ask for any traffic statistics or click-thru statistics that they can provide.

Finding effective ways to market your business can seem overwhelming. By following these simple tips, you can get the best possible results for your advertising efforts. Remember that your customers form opinions about your products based on the information you provide, so make sure that your ads are the best they can be.

About the Author:

Jill Hart is the founder of Christian Work at Home Moms, CWAHM.com. This site is dedicated to providing work at home moms with opportunities to promote their businesses while at the same time providing them spiritual encouragement and articles. Visit CWAHM.com for additional information. Listen to Jill’s internet radio show, The CWAHM Network! Find Jill’s book reviews on RadiantLit.com. This article is free for re-print as long as the author’s bio is included.

1. What is your passion?

Answer this question with the first thing that comes to mind: If money were no object and you could do anything, what would you do? You might have answered “be a writer”, “speak at conferences”, “bring my product idea to life” or any number of things. Whatever your answer, this most likely is your passion. I challenge you to take the time to ponder this and see if there is a way to bring your dream to fruition.

2. What types of things did you like to do as a child?

Many times the toys and games we loved as children give us a glimpse into who we have become as adults. If you loved climbing trees, you may now be an “outdoorsy” type of person. Think about how this might be incorporated into your business. For instance, you might enjoy setting up outdoor birthday parties for children or selling herbs from your backyard garden.

3. What type of products would you be interested in representing?

If you’re looking in the direction of direct sales, whether that be your own product or an established home-based business option, you need to think through what types of products you’d be comfortable presenting to your customers. Take the time to do some research and find a product that truly excites you. Your customers will see your sincerity and that can sell a product just as easily as a fancy presentation.

4. What skills and experience do you bring to the table?

If you’ve left the corporate world in favor of working at home, you’ve undoubtedly brought with you a set of skills. There may be a way to market those skills in a new way and turn them into a profitable business. For instance, if you were an executive assistant you may be able to type 80 words or more per minute. You could set up shop as a Virtual Assistant and help other business owners in processing orders, transcribing documents and much more.

5. Are you thinking outside of the box?

Most of us have a fear of the unknown. We many times assume that if we haven’t done something before, it is simply out of reach. This carries over to the business world as well. We take our products or services and market them in the same way that we see other business owners using. However, it can be much more effective to find new and innovative ways to market. One home-based business owner I know sells stuffable toy kits. Instead of using the usual home parties and birthday party events, she works almost exclusively with children’s hospitals doing fundraisers. She makes a great living and helps not only the hospitals, but the children as well. She is a great example of unique marketing and overcoming the mundane marketing methods that so many business owners resign themselves to.

Your home-based business should be unique to you. It should make you want to get up each morning excited about the possibilities of the day ahead. Take the time to thoroughly think through the questions above and you’ll be on your way to making a great, well thought out decision that has your name written all over it!

About the Author:
Jill Hart is the founder of Christian Work at Home Moms, CWAHM.com. Jill is a co-author of the upcoming book So You Want To Be a Work-at-Home Mom (Beacon Hill, Sept. 2009). Jill welcomes work-at-home questions at http://AskJill.cwahm.com.

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Here are a few life lessons that work-at-home moms can glean from this lovely lady in Scripture:

1. Strive to Be a Women of Noble character
“A wife of noble character … is worth far more than rubies.” (v. 10)

It doesn’t necessarily sound like much to be of “noble character” (actually, it sounds rather snooty), but Merriam-Webster defines noble as meaning, “possessing outstanding qualities.” Can you think of someone in your life that fits that description, someone who has “outstanding qualities?” Chances are, this is a person that you love to spend time with and that’s definitely the type of woman I’d like to become.
2. How to Have a Happy Husband
“Her husband has full confidence in her” (v. 11)

While this may not give us an exact formula for a happy husband, it certainly is true that husbands are more relaxed when their household is calm. If we are looking out for our husbands best interests, putting them before ourselves, how could we help but develop our spouse’s “full confidence” in us?

3. Work Hard
“She … works with eager hands” (v. 13)

Being a work-at-home mom is not an easy task. Everything about it takes work. However, if you’re at home with your kids, following you dream, building a business, hopefully you wake up each morning (or at least most mornings) eager to get started and see what the new day brings.

4. Live a Disciplined Life
“She gets up while it is still dark” (v. 15)

Early morning hours, naptime “jam sessions” and late night work time are all generally part of a mom’s life. The more disciplined we are throughout the day, and especially during work times, the more we can accomplish. The Proverbs 31 woman recognized this and started her days before the sun rose.

5. Take Chances
“She considers a field and buys it; out of her earnings she plants a vineyard.” (v. 16)
“She makes linen garments and sells them, and supplies the merchants with sashes.” (v. 24)

What a creative woman. She brings in some extra money to help pay the bills – no wonder her husband has “full confidence in her” even when she is taking a risk. Consider this: there was no online ordering system when Proverbs was written. This gal made the garments and sashes ahead of time, hoping they would sell. She bought land hoping to create a successful vineyard. She stepped out of her comfort zone because she saw a market for the products she would be creating.

6. Make Prudent Decisions
“She sees that her trading is profitable, and her lamp does not go out at night.” (v. 18)

This woman took time to think through each decision she made – she bought the fields with vineyards in mind; she made the garments and sashes with customers mind; she made sure that her provisions were in place for her family and servants (v. 15). We would do well to learn from this – look honestly at whether our “trading is profitable” and we can make wise decisions.

7. Be Generous
“She opens her arms to the poor and extends her hands to the needy.” (v. 20)

This woman knew that in God’s system priorities tend to be the opposite of what we find in society. She recognized that in order to truly be successful in God’s eyes she needed to tend to what matters to Him – His children. By reaching out and helping those less fortunate than herself, the woman of Proverbs showed her thankfulness for all that God had given her.

8. Get Organized
“She can laugh at the days to come.” (v. 25)

Why can she laugh at the days to come? Look back through the verses above (or better yet, read entire passage HERE) and you’ll see that she is not worried about the future for two reasons: 1) She trusts God and knows that He will care for her; 2) She knows that she has done all she can to prepare for whatever lies ahead.

9. Seek Wisdom
“She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue.” (v. 26)

How do we gain wisdom? The book of Proverbs is full of sayings about wisdom and how to attain it. It all boils down to this: “For the LORD gives wisdom, and from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.” (Prov. 2:6) Seek the Lord, ask Him for godly wisdom.

10. Strive to Please God
“A woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.” (v. 30)

Above all else, what sets the Proverbs 31 woman apart is that she loves the Lord. Our goal in every area of our life – personal, family, business – should be to glorify God.

About the Author:
Jill Hart is the founder of Christian Work at Home Moms, CWAHM.com. Jill is a co-author of the upcoming book So You Want To Be a Work-at-Home Mom (Beacon Hill, Sept. 2009). Jill welcomes work-at-home questions at http://AskJill.cwahm.com.

My children are four and two years old and they are more challenging than most (not as in spoiled, but as in needing more time than the average kid). Your thoughts would be greatly appreciated!

My main advice would be to cut yourself some slack. Things will get easier and more manageable as your kids get older.

My practical advice is this:

1. Plan out menus each week.

I literally spend about two minutes on this. I have a small magnetic dry-erase board that I keep on my refrigerator. Each Sunday, I write out the days of the week and what we’ll have for supper that day. (Lunches almost always consist of sandwiches or something easy like that since it’s just me and the kids.)

This makes grocery shopping a breeze because I know just what ingredients I need. It also alleviates the nagging thoughts of “what are we going to eat tonight?” If possible, have one or both of your kids help you decide what to put. You’ll be surprised at how much they like having a say in what goes on that board!

2. Set a day for everything.

My days look something like this:

• Mondays – Housework and laundry (and business tasks as time allows)
• Tuesdays – Grocery shopping and business tasks (this used to be during naptime, but is now during preschool time)
• Wednesdays – Bible study and lunch with hubby (and business tasks as time allows)
• Thursdays – Business tasks as much as possible with playtime in between
• Friday – Take it Easy Day (and business tasks as time allows)
• Saturdays – Laundry
• Sunday – Church and a good, long nap

It seems a little boring on paper, but I can’t tell you how much this little schedule has saved my sanity. I know when I get up in the morning what I have ahead of me and it is broken into manageable segments. You’ll find that scheduling things amongst these “main” schedule items will get easier and easier as you get used to the schedule.

About the Author: Jill Hart is the founder of Christian Work at Home Moms, CWAHM.com. Jill is a co-author of the upcoming book So You Want To Be a Work-at-Home Mom (Beacon Hill, Sept. 2009). Jill welcomes work-at-home questions at http://AskJill.cwahm.com.

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Kathy Danner is the author of EnJOY Freedom From Financial Stress: Helping Moms Fight The Joy Thief Of Financial Stress. She is also the creator of PBandJAHM.com.

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Chuck Black is the author of Sir Bentley and Holbrook Court. Chuck will help us address the importance of instilling a Biblical paradigm about marriage in your children

I don’t know how most people do it, but when I brush my teeth I like to rinse using a cup. I prefer the little dixie paper cups because I can toss it and there’s no mess. As a mom, I love disposable items – no washing necessary. Sounds harmless enough, right? I thought so, until recently when my husband began giving me little “hints” about throwing away so many paper cups. He finally won me over when he explained that he and the guys at work had been discussing what they could do to be more ‘green’ and this was one of the ways they’d come up with.

Now that I knew my husband and ‘the guys’ were discussing the topic at work, I knew it was something I needed to take more seriously. As I began to take a look at our lifestyle I found many things that I could change to make our home a more eco-friendly place. I also realized that overall, working from home may be one of the best eco-friendly decision one can make.

Less Gas – Other than the occasional errand running, telecommuters use their cars much less frequently than their counterparts in the workplace. This, of course translates into less gas usage, less fumes and smog produced, etc. Simply by staying home, they are making the world a cleaner, healthier place.

Less Paper – Businesses today make it very easy to save paper by allowing home-based workers to do most everything online. When my husband does work from home, he’s able to log in securely to his corporate email account, log his time and even download his pay stubs online. I’m fortunate that as a website owner, very rarely do I make use of paper. The occasional document needs printed, but other than that my work-life takes place entirely on my computer.

Less Grease – Home-based workers tend to eat more meals at home than than employees in the corporate world. My lunches usually consist of something simple and easy to make – fruit, a quick sandwich, etc. Compared to the fat and grease of a fast-food meal, a healthy meal at home goes a long way in becoming ‘green.’

More Choice – As the manager of my home, I have the ability to choose the products that are used throughout. Instead of being at the mercy of a large, cost-cutting corporation, I can choose products that are eco-friendly. As a result, our cleaning products are non-toxic; our laundry detergent is “free” from all dyes and colors; and yes, we even have a reusable cup in the bathroom now.

More Time – By avoiding the commute time, home-based workers save themselves a large amount of time. This extra time can be transferred into activities such as recycling – something that people avoid simply because of the time it takes. You may even have extra time for a nap – in which case you can turn the lights off and save electricity.

The St. Petersburg Times agrees. In a recent column titled, 5 things you can do to combat climate change, author Ann-Gayl Ellis notes five things ways that you can take action and become more eco-friendly. Ellis’ second action step states, “Leave the car at home one day and take public transportation instead. Walk or bike. If you need to drive, carpool. If you can, telecommute.”

Once you begin to look at the benefits of telecommuting, especially in a ‘green’ home, it becomes clear that is an eco-friendly choice. You have more control over each aspect of your life as well as the authority to purchase the necessary products. The additional benefit of living a green lifestyle as a home-based worker is the example set for your children. Our kids model what they hear and see. The healthier our lives, the better chance they’ll grow up to environmentally conscious as well.

About The Author:
Jill Hart is the founder of Christian Work at Home Moms, CWAHM.com. Jill is a contributing author in Laundry Tales, The Business Mom Guide Book, I’ll Be Home For Christmas and Faith Deployed: Daily Encouragement For Military Wives. Jill’s articles can be found across the internet and her articles have been featured on websites like DrLaura.com, ClubMom.com, and she is an expert author on EzineArticles.com. Jill is the host of the podcast, Christian Work at Home Moment and co-host of the LIVE internet radio show, MomCast LIVE. Jill is also the co-editor of RadiantLit.com. Jill and her husband, Allen of CWAHD.com (Christian Work at Home Dads) reside in Nebraska with their two children.

Maria Bailey, moms know her as Host of Mom Talk Radio, Author, Founder of BlueSuitMom.com, National TV Talk Show Host on Lifetime, and all-round spokeswoman for moms. Maria Bailey joins us to talk about what’s changing in marketing to moms.

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Annetta Dellinger, author joins us to talk about adoption and her book for children about adoption. Her book Adopted and Loved Forever assures children ages 4 and up that God chose them and that their parents chose them because they love them.

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Lisa T. Bergren will share with us about her upcoming novel, BREATHE.