Every link is another opportunity for clients and connections to find you and your business!  Links also help build your website’s authority, credibility and search engine positions.

So are you looking for ways to get more links to your website? Of course you are.

Here are 10 ways you can get more links to your website:

1. Get listed in search engines.
Search engines are the starting point for most searches online so you definitely want to get your website listed in them.

Most search engines will find you if you’ve got links to your website from other sites. If you really want to submit directly you can visit each site and find the submission page, or use a website like www.addme.com I’ve found the quickest way to get Google to notice a new page on my site is to share it on Twitter.

You’ll also want to get listed in local search engines if you do any local sales/services.

2. Get listed in directories.
There are general directories like DMOZ as well as niche directories like EcoFirms (for earth friendly companies) and Technorati (for blogs). ÊFind the ones that fit well with the audience you want to reach and submit your website.

Here are some free directories you might consider submitting to. Some offer upgraded options so it’s up to you to decide if it’s worth it. I haven’t paid for any directory listings but would consider it.

General Directories
www.dmoz.org
www.joeant.com
www.jayde.com

Local Directories
www.yelp.com
www.brownbook.net
www.merchantcircle.com
www.insiderpages.com

Blog Directories
www.technorati.com
www.blogcatalog.com
blogs.botw.org
www.blogged.com
www.blogflux.com

Green, Earth-Friendly Directories
www.fairgreengrade.com
www.greenopia.com
www.greenmaven.com
www.ecobusinesslinks.com
www.bestgreenblogs.com (only free for non-commercial)

Crafters and Artists
www.bust.com/Girl-Wide-Web
www.artzee.net/accounts.php
www.youcraft.org/
www.byhand.me/create-new-item.html
www.votehandmade.com/submit
www.craftsitedirectory.com/addlinksform.html
www.creativity-portal.com/bc/molly.childers/creative-careers.html
www.craftytips.com/psubmitting-a-site.html
www.artscollab.com/main/submit_profile.php

3. Comment on blogs.
It’s great for building links, traffic, and most importantly relationships!

Do follow blogs especially help you. And watch for ones who have the Comment Luv plugin. They’ll give you two links: one to your website and one to your latest blog post.

4. Exchange links with other websites.
You can swap links with other website owners. Exchange blog roll links, links on your resources page, or whatever works for you.

5. Be active on social networking websites.
Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and other social networks are an excellent way to build more links to your site.

If you’re a blogger, visit this post for suggestions on how to automate sending your content out to the networks: Blogging Like a Clover: Syndication.

6. Submit articles to article directories and other information portals.
A nice percentage of my traffic comes from articles that I’ve written and submitted to sites like EzineArticles.com, SelfGrowth.com, and WAHM-Articles.com.

EzineArticles & WAHM Articles are among a large group of ‘article directory sites’ where you can submit an article you’ve written and give permission for others to republish it. For example, I’ve submitted articles to these sites that ended up on sites like CWAHM.com.

I also submit articles directly to some websites, like Frugal Fun. Here’s one I’ve published there: Setting Up Your Home Office on a Shoestring Budget. SocialBrandWagon is another site I’ve submitted content directly to.

Many sites accept direct submissions and that can be a great way to get your content in front of the readers you’re looking to connect with.

You can also check out sites like HubPages.com and Squidoo.com to share your content and build links.

The benefit for you is that you’re getting your content to a wider audience. The benefit for the directories and other web sites who publish your articles is that they’re getting quality content free.

I’ll be blogging more about article marketing later this month since it was a requested topic when I asked you want you want to read about. If you’re in a hurry, I’ve got a guide to article marketing here.

7. Use social bookmarking websites.
My personal favorite is StumbleUpon. You can also check Digg, delicious, and others. I notice that StumbleUpon can generate a significant amount of traffic, but it comes with a high bounce rate. Still, if 100 people click to visit and only two stick around to subscribe then then 2 seconds it took to bookmark on SumbleUpon was worth it.

If you want to follow me on StumbleUpon, here’s my page: http://www.stumbleupon.com/stumbler/MichelleShaeffer/?grid.

8. Guest blog post for other blogs.
This is one of my favorite strategies for getting in front of the audience I want to bring here. Since I work with work at home entrepreneurs I look for opportunities to post on sites that have that audience like Solo-E.com, CWAHM.com, WAHM-Articles.com, RaisingCEOKids.com, and similar sites.

Guest blogging benefits you in several ways:

• you’re reaching a wider audience to share your expertise
• you’re building links back to your website
• you’re establishing credibility

It also benefits the blogs you visit because in addition to getting your content they’re getting your promotion and visits from your audience. When I’ve had guest bloggers featured here on my site, traffic spikes as they share their guest blog posts and their followers stop by to visit.

So it’s really a win-win for both the blogger and the blog.

If you’re interested in guest blogging and want a step by step plan to follow, you’ll like my guide: Become a Web Celebrity with Guest Blogging.

9. Write and submit press releases.
Press releases can help you get media attention (obviously, right?) but they can also help you build links! Many online press submission websites are free and when you submit your press release you get a link back to your website.

Here are some sites you can submit press releases to (these offered free options last time I checked, but most require you to setup an account and will offer upsells so you’ll need to decide if that’s a good idea for the specific release you’re submitting):

www.prlog.org
www.free-press-release.com
www.free-press-release.info
www.pr-inside.com
www.theopenpress.com
www.clickpress.com
www.newswiretoday.com
www.1888pressrelease.com
www.24-7pressreleases.com
www.free-press-release-center.info
www.pressmethod.com
www.express-press-release.net

You can also submit your press releases directly to news websites (like NPR.org) but please be sure they’re really newsworthy with an interesting angle before you do that. You’ll get more bites from the press by developing your own media list of contacts specific to your niche and/or local area, or going after interviews/quotes through a service like Help a Reporter. But the online press release directories can be a good way to build links to your site and get some press attention.

Want to learn more about press releases? Sign up for my free ecourse here: http://michelleshaeffer.com/resources-2/press-release-power/

10. Post link bait on your website like great freebies, tipsheets, lists, and other resources.
A few weeks ago I wrote about self care and linked to a free massage guide. I’ve also linked to other freebies and giveaways. Creating valuable content that you give away (either free with opt-in or just free to download) encourages others to share your site and link to you.

What can you create? Here are some examples of what I could create from the 10 Ways to Get Links post (the one you’re reading right now):

• a PDF version of this post as a ‘special report’
• a 10 day ecourse where each day I offer one strategy with tips on how to make it work
• an audio version where I read this posts and turn it into an MP3
• a YouTube video with a slide for each strategy and either voice over of me talking or just background music
• a slideshare presentation with a slide for each strategy
• an article that’s free to reprint (with credit to me)
• an action guide that offers each tip with space to make notes and check it off as it’s done
• a checklist of directories to submit to, adding check boxes

See how easy that is? These are just 8 ideas off the top of my head that could be done from two blog posts.

You’ve probably already got content you can turn into a cool piece of link bait!  Make it happen.

About the Author:
Michelle Shaeffer has been a work at home mom for more than 10 years and loves to share the tips and strategies she’s learned to help other home based business owners balance, manage, and market their businesses. Connect with her at http://www.michelleshaeffer.com.

Once you’ve got your domain name chosen the next step is to get your website hosting setup. What is website hosting?

How Can You Choose the Right Website Host?

Finding the right company to host your website can be overwhelming. Where should you begin?

Let’s start with the basics. A website is ‘hosted’ on a server. A server is the computer that holds the files for your website. When a web surfer wants to view your website rhe server sends the web surfer’s computer your website page and their computer displays it in their browser.

What Do You Need in a Server?

• Do you need a gigabyte of storage space?
• What IS a gigabyte, anyway?
• Do you need add-on domains?
• A shopping cart?
• Multiple email addresses?

Don’t base your decision on price or features alone. Reliability and support are important, too. So many
things to consider!

You need to know what you need and what to look for before you start shopping. The information that follows will help you become an informed shopper!

Server Uptime

A cheap host won’t be worth the price if your website goes down frequently. Check with friends, family, or colleagues and find out if their website hosts have been reliable. Ask other customers to see if they’ve had issues with downtime.

Server Speed

Overloaded servers or servers without adequate connections to the internet will be s-l-o-w. This means your site will not load quickly and you will lose visitors (and sales). How can you check a host’s server speed? First, don’t judge a company by it’s own website because many hosts have their main site hosted on a different server for good reason (if their own servers go down, their website will still be available so their clients can contact them for support and updates). Instead, you need to check their client sites. Most hosts will be happy to provide references if they aren’t listed on their website already.

Price and Payment Options

A good, reliable host can be found for a reasonable price. It will vary depending on your exact needs, but expect anywhere from $5 to $25/month.

What options are available for payments? Do you want to pay by credit card, paypal, or another method?

Look for a company who offers 24/7 access to billing online. This will make your life easier in case you want to pay your bill at 3 am or need to update your information on the weekend.

Storage Space

How much storage space do you really need? The majority of small business websites take less than 100 MB of storage space. If you have your website already designed, you can add up the file sizes of the files to see how much space it will take. Remember to consider that you need additional space for email storage and more files as your site grows.

Bandwidth

Bandwidth is how much data transfer or traffic hits your website. You can get a rough idea of how much you’ll need like this:

• Average page size of 5 kb plus 10 kb of graphics.
• You expect 100 visitors per day.
• Each visitor views 4 pages of your website.
• 15 kb total per page (5 kb + 10 kb) * 100 visitors * 4 pages * 30 days in a month =180 MB of bandwidth per month

Find out what the procedure is if you go over your storage space limit or bandwidth limit. There should be an easy way to add more of either to your account for an additional fee.

Basic Features

Here are some of the basic features to look for in a website host:

• An Online Control Panel (CPanel is a very popular control panel with extensive support documentation available, and includes Fantastico) so you can manage your site and email
• FTP Access to Upload Your Files
• Email Accounts and Email Forwarding Features
• Web based email system and POP mail available
• A Reliable Backup System (more on this below)

If you plan to build your own website you might also look for a host that includes site builder software bunded with their hosting packages. If it’s included you can save some money on your initial website costs.

Advanced Features

Depending on your needs, you might also look for the following features:

• Multiple Domain Names: Many hosts are setup to allow you to host multiple domains under one hosting package. You can either point additional domains to your main website, or you can set up additional websites at additional domain names. If you plan to purchase more than one domain name this feature can save you money since you won’t have to purchase additional hosting packages for each domain.
• Secure Server: If you will be accepting payments online, you’ll likely need a secured server (the exception being if you use a payment processor like PayPal). Most hosts offer what’s called a “shared SSL certificate” at no additional charge. This works well for businesses just getting started. But be sure to also check if you can later upgrade to your own unique IP address with your own SSL certficate, and what the charges are for it. Expect to pay a few dollars more a month for a unique IP, and anywhere
  from $30 to $300 or more for an SSL certificate.
• MySQL Databases with phpMyAdmin access: If you plan to run an ecommerce shopping cart, newsletter, or forum on your site, youÕll most likely need a host who supports these features.

There are many other advanced features. So just be sure that if you’re planning to use some specific shopping cart or editing software (such as Front Page) that you verify it will work with the host you are considering.

Backup Procedures

Industry standard is to make nightly backups. This way if a server or hard drive fails, or if you accidentally delete your entire website, your host can restore a recent copy. Do NOT host somewhere without nightly backups.

You may also ask your host if you can request a backup restore, as well as if backups are enabled for you to make and save your own. Some hosts disable complete backups so you aren’t able to run one to keep a copy of everything safely on your home computer.

Keep in mind that as with any computer equipment, hardware failure is not a question of IF, it’s a question of WHEN (all hardware will eventually fail). Is the host you’re considering prepared for this event? See if the host you’re considering has RAID enabled on their servers. RAID stands for “redundant array of independent disks.” In a RAID configuration, all files on the server are mirrored. This means there’s a real-time second copy of everything. If one drive crashes, no data is lost and it takes only minutes to get back online.

Support Options

One of the most important things to research about a potential website host is their support system. What options do you have when you need help?

Look for self-help options like flash (video) tutorials that walk you through basic tasks like creating an email address, and for an online knowledgebase that you can search for help.

Check to see what type of support system they offer when you need to contact a tech for help. Do you send an email or is there a trouble-ticket system? A trouble ticket system is a better option since it reduces the chances of lost email, and allows you to track responses online in case your email is down or blocking mail from reaching you.

Also look to see what the general response time is. You don’t want to spend 48 hours waiting for a response from support if something goes wrong with your website. Send a test message through the hosts support system and see how quickly they reply.

Does the host offer an off-server emergency site? If your website is down, that means the company’s server is down. If their website (and email, and support system) are hosted on the same server as yours, you won’t be able to contact them when it matters.

Customer Testimonials and Experience

New hosting companies pop up daily on the internet. Some are fantastic. Others aren’t so fantastic. Look for a company with a good track record. Take time to read the testimonials offered on their website (and find out how long those customers have been with the host). Or, better yet, if you’ve got a friend or colleague who’s online, ask if they’re happy with their host. Find out how quick
and helpful support responses are, and whether they’ve had extensive down time or any other problems. A reliable host will have satisfied customers.

These 10 points will help you make an informed decision when shopping for a website host.

Michelle Shaeffer has been a work at home mom for more than 10 years and loves to share the tips and strategies she’s learned to help other home based business owners balance, manage, and market their businesses. Connect with her at http://www.michelleshaeffer.com.

Picture yourself driving down the road in your car. You’ve got so many things to focus on at once. Kids in your car. Other drivers on the road. Your rear view mirror. Your side view mirrors. The speedometer, the gas gauge, the check engine light. The traffic lights. Road signs. Your destination. If you’re unfamiliar with the territory you’ve got to get in the right lane for the right exit. Feeling anxious at the thoughts? For most of us, driving is not a stressful experience. We’ve learned to juggle everything that needs our attention so we can successfully and safely drive our cars from point A to point B.

Running your business is a little like driving a car. At times it might seem hectic and overwhelming, especially for new business owners, but just give yourself some time and you’ll find your groove. Once you get your systems down it gets easier.

Let’s take this little car metaphor and apply it to your business focus. There are twelve “focus checkers” listed below.

Where did you begin your journey?

Take a few moments to remember where you began. When did you start your business? Why did you start your business? What was your dream?

What are you driving in? Got your bumper stickers?

The car we drive makes a statement. So must our businesses! Your business has got to have it’s brand. It should be recognizable and plastered everywhere. Bumper stickers, door magnets, window clings. Build your brand and then surround yourself with it.

Who else is in your car?

Sometimes we forget that in building a business we’re not the only ones affected. Our spouses and our children are in this ride along with us. Remember them. Take time to stop and evaluate the way the business is affecting your family. Make changes if you need to. The journey should be fun and rewarding for everyone involved.

Are you wearing your seat belt? Carrying proper insurance?

Do you have a safety plan for your business? Just knowing what will happen when you’re sick or have a family emergency can relieve stress in your day to day operations. Even if your back up plan is as simple as finding out how to setup an auto-responder for incoming email to let people know you’ll be out of the office for a day or two, put some sort of plan together. Then put it in writing so someone else can care of this for you if you have an emergency situation.

Checking the rear view mirror?

Where have you been? Evaluate your last year. Did your business grow? Did it grow in the direction you wanted it to? Or did it overwhelm you? Look at what you did right. Look at what you wish you could change. Consider it all a learning experience and allow it to help you guide your business in the coming year.

Looking at your side mirrors?

Who else is on the road you’re on? Who are your surrounding yourself with? Be careful who your friends are. You need to surround yourself with people who will inspire and encourage you!

Do you have gas in your car?

Is the gas tank full? Or is it empty? When was the last time you took a few minutes for you. Just for you. Every day you need time to recharge. You cannot give what you do not have. All work at home parents understand the “running on empty” feeling. I encourage you to plan time into your day, even if it’s only 5 minutes, to step back and relax. Be thankful. Appreciate the good things in your life. And focus on one day at a time.

Check your speedometer!

Working from home can take over your life. It can become a 24/7 obsession. Stop. Yes, it’s great to be passionate about your business. But remember who else is in that car and if you need to slow down, then slow down. Of course on the opposite end, if you’re not moving, then get that car moving! No one else is going to build your business for you if you aren’t working.

Is your check engine light on?

Have you heard the saying, “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail?” If your businesses doesn’t have a solid plan behind it, it’s going to sputter, it’s going to choke, and it’s going to be a constant struggle. It doesn’t have to be! Check what’s “under the hood” of your business. Get a business plan together. It doesn’t have to be long or complicated.

The traffic lights are everywhere.

Stay open to the signs around you. To grow your business and be successful you need to be in tune with the stop, go, and wait signals. There are times it’s important to slow down. Other times you may see a new market or a need of your niche that you can pursue. Don’t be afraid to go when it’s green!

Watch the road signs along the way.

Do you know what road signs you are looking for? You need measurable goals. Not just “I need to survive until next month.” You need to THRIVE, not just survive. Write down one goal for your business or personal/family life this month. Make it realistic. That’s the road sign you’re watching for next.

Are you at your destination?

I encourage you to rethink this concept completely. Life is not in reaching the destination, it’s in the journey. Your business should be something that you are passionate about and that you enjoy. So focus on your journey. One step at a time. Breathe.

About the Author:
Michelle Shaeffer, The Small Business Muse, publishes The Muses Brainstorm, a weekly ezine with tips to help you balance, manage, and market your home based business. With your subscription you’ll also receive access to free gifts including 101+ Free/Cheap Ways to Market Your Business, 119 Things You Can Outsource, and more. If you’re ready for inspirational guidance and bright ideas sign up free at www.thesmallbusinessmuse.com.
Article Source: http://www.wahm-articles.com

One of the most difficult things to deal with is being accused of spamming. It can cause all sorts of frustrations.

If you use a newsletter script hosted on your own website it can result in your IP being blacklisted and then you’ll have trouble getting your regular business email delivered (not just your newsletter).

If you use a third party hosting service, your domain email won’t get blacklisted, but your newsletters won’t reach your subscribers.

You don’t want either of these things to happen!

How can you avoid it? Some people will click the “Spam” reporting button instead of unsubscribing, no matter how easy you make it, and then you’ll need to deal with getting de-listed, but there are some ways to protect yourself from being accused of spamming.

1) Don’t Send Spam

This sounds obvious, I know, but many small businesses don’t realize exactly what spam is. Spam isn’t just the ads you get for stocks, medicines, or winning international lotteries. It’s any unsolicited commercial email. Unsolicited means you sent it to someone who didn’t specifically request it.

What does this mean for you? Don’t take your entire contact list of emails and add them to your newsletter! Do not add anyone who has not requested specifically to receive sales related emails from you. If at all possible, you need an IP address and timestamp proving they requested it (third party newsletter hosts will track and keep this information for you).

In addition, you MUST comply with the CAN-SPAM act by providing an unsubscribe link in every newsletter you send, as well as your complete postal mailing address. If someone requests removal you need to remove them promptly and be sure they stay removed from your list.

2) Double Opt-In Only

Always require double opt-in. This means after the person gives you their email address, a verification email is sent that they must respond to (usually by clicking a link or replying to the message) in order to be added to your list. This ensures that the email address is correct and current. It also means you’ve got two methods to prove to a service provider who thinks you’re spamming that the email address did want to receive your newsletter.

3) Ask Your Subscribers to Whitelist You

The process varies depending on what email service your subscribers are using, but include a note at the top of your newsletters asking your subscribers to please whitelist your email address or add you to their friends list. If they take this step you’re much more likely to end up in their inbox instead of their junk mail folder. You could use something like, “So we can be sure you continue receiving great tips from us to help you run your business each week, please take a few seconds to add yournewsletteraddress@yourdomain.com to your whitelist or friends list. Thank you!”

4) Include a Permission Reminder and Note About Unsubscriptions

Sometimes people forget that they’ve subscribed to a newsletter (be sure you send out regularly so your subscribers don’t forget you!). To help jog their memory, you can include a permission reminder somewhere near the top of your newsletter. “This newsletter is only sent with permission to those who’ve requested it at our website www.yoursite.com but if you’d like to change your address or unsubscribe just scroll to the bottom of this email and click the link.” If it’s easy to see where/how to unsubscribe, people will be more likely to use that feature instead of reporting you as a spammer.

5) Run Your Newsletter Through a Spam Checker Before Sending

Once you’ve completed writing your newsletter, take time to run it through a reliable spam checker. Some services (like GetResponse and Aweber) have this feature built-in. If your sending service doesn’t, here are two good free ones:

spamcheck.sitesell.com — This site will give you a “Spam Score” and recommendations on how to reduce it.

programmersheaven.com/webtools/Spam-Checker/spamchecker.aspx — This tool checks based on SpamAssassin and SpamBayes rules.

6) Keep Tabs on Your IP and it’s Blacklist Status

There are lots of different blacklists out there that your IP address may get added to if you are accused of spamming. Your IP address is sort of the numerical version of your domain name, except it’s not always unique to you and is probably shared with other sites hosted by your website host, unless you have an SSL certificate or other reason for your own unique IP. You don’t need to worry about this with a third-party hosted newsletter service because they monitor their IPs, but if you’re hosting your own newsletter, then check your IP status at the following websites:

mxtoolbox.com/blacklists.aspx
mail-abuse.com/lookup.html
rbls.org/index.html

What can you do if you’re blocked for spamming and stuck on a black list? If you get placed on a blacklist you’ll need to request removal. It sounds a little intimidating, but it’s really not a scary process. When you receive a bounce notice that assumes your newsletter was spam, look closely to find the service provider who bounced you. Start at their website and do a search to see what you can find about their spam list and removal process. If you can’t find how to remove yourself from their blacklist, a phone call to their customer service department should help. Your website host may also be able to guide you through getting your IP de-listed.

These six tips will help you keep your newsletter successfully able to reach the inboxes of the people who’ve subscribed.

About the Author:
Work at home mom extraordinaire Michelle Shaeffer publishes The Muses Brainstorm, a weekly ezine with tips to help you balance, manage, and market your home based business. If you’re ready for inspirational guidance and bright ideas sign up free at www.thesmallbusinessmuse.com. Article Source: http://www.wahm-articles.com

Summer time means we’re usually outside more, away from the computer, and getting some sunshine. That can make it difficult to stick with some of the marketing plans that rely heavily on the internet. Not sure what to do to stay active with your marketing while busy enjoying summer with your family? Here are a few low-tech and off-line ways you can get in some business marketing while you’re off to the beach or park.

Write Thank You Notes: Real, old-fashioned pen and paper note cards are still available at your local stores. Pick up a few packages and some stamps. Then write a few while you’re watching your kiddos play outside in the yard. You could send them to your top customers, the ones who’ve been with you the longest, vendors who make it easy to work with them, or even bloggers who you enjoy following online. A hand written thank you note can go a long way towards building a relationship with key clients or those you want to connect with.

Carry Your Business Cards & Let Them Out of Your Purse: Keep your business cards ready so you can hand them out when you meet someone who could use your products or services, or who knows someone who could. Business cards are a very inexpensive marketing tool. I like Overnight Prints. Vista Print is also very popular.

Advertise on Your Taxi: Do you feel like a taxi driver hauling your kids around to all those summer activities? Get a nice decal or magnet to stick on your vehicle and get some extra benefit from all that extra mileage. Check out the options from Vista Print here.

Use Your Products: If you sell a product, keep it with you and use it creatively while you’re out and about. Sell Tupperware? Use it for the kid’s snacks when you go to the park. Sew your own hand bags, diaper bags, clothing, or baby carriers? Make sure you’ve got a nice visible logo and website URL on the item and then wear it proudly while you’re away from home.

Make Targeted Donations: Keeping in mind who your ideal client is, choose things to donate to that reach that client and involve your children. For example, most little league type summer activities are always open to donations of items or sponsorships.

Wear Your Logo: Websites like Cafe Press make it easy to custom design t-shirts, baseball caps and more with your designs. Create one for you or your kids with your logo or an appropriate slogan, quote or funny line and your website URL.

About the Author:

And now, let me give you access to some great free resources for small businesses including 101 Free/Cheap Ways to Market Your Business, 119 Things You Can Outsource, and more at MichelleShaeffer.com

Michelle Shaeffer has been a work at home mom for more than 10 years and loves to share the tips and strategies she’s learned to help other home based business owners balance, manage, and market their businesses.

Picture yourself driving down the road in your car. You’ve got so many things to focus on at once. Kids in your car. Other drivers on the road. Your rear view mirror. Your side view mirrors. The speedometer, the gas gauge, the check engine light. The traffic lights. Road signs. Your destination. If you’re unfamiliar with the territory you’ve got to get in the right lane for the right exit. Feeling anxious at the thoughts? For most of us, driving is not a stressful experience. We’ve learned to juggle everything that needs our attention so we can successfully and safely drive our cars from point A to point B.

Running your business is a little like driving a car. At times it might seem hectic and overwhelming, especially for new business owners, but just give yourself some time and you’ll find your groove. Once you get your systems down it gets easier.

Let’s take this little car metaphor and apply it to your business focus. There are twelve “focus checkers” listed below.

Where did you begin your journey?

Take a few moments to remember where you began. When did you start your business? Why did you start your business? What was your dream?

What are you driving in? Got your bumper stickers?

The car we drive makes a statement. So must our businesses! Your business has got to have it’s brand. It should be recognizable and plastered everywhere. Bumper stickers, door magnets, window clings. Build your brand and then surround yourself with it.

Who else is in your car?

Sometimes we forget that in building a business we’re not the only ones affected. Our spouses and our children are in this ride along with us. Remember them. Take time to stop and evaluate the way the business is affecting your family. Make changes if you need to. The journey should be fun and rewarding for everyone involved.

Are you wearing your seat belt? Carrying proper insurance?

Do you have a safety plan for your business? Just knowing what will happen when you’re sick or have a family emergency can relieve stress in your day to day operations. Even if your back up plan is as simple as finding out how to setup an auto-responder for incoming email to let people know you’ll be out of the office for a day or two, put some sort of plan together. Then put it in writing so someone else can care of this for you if you have an emergency situation.

Checking the rear view mirror?

Where have you been? Evaluate your last year. Did your business grow? Did it grow in the direction you wanted it to? Or did it overwhelm you? Look at what you did right. Look at what you wish you could change. Consider it all a learning experience and allow it to help you guide your business in the coming year.

Looking at your side mirrors?

Who else is on the road you’re on? Who are your surrounding yourself with? Be careful who your friends are. You need to surround yourself with people who will inspire and encourage you!

Do you have gas in your car?

Is the gas tank full? Or is it empty? When was the last time you took a few minutes for you. Just for you. Every day you need time to recharge. You cannot give what you do not have. All work at home parents understand the “running on empty” feeling. I encourage you to plan time into your day, even if it’s only 5 minutes, to step back and relax. Be thankful. Appreciate the good things in your life. And focus on one day at a time.

Check your speedometer!

Working from home can take over your life. It can become a 24/7 obsession. Stop. Yes, it’s great to be passionate about your business. But remember who else is in that car and if you need to slow down, then slow down. Of course on the opposite end, if you’re not moving, then get that car moving! No one else is going to build your business for you if you aren’t working.

Is your check engine light on?

Have you heard the saying, “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail?” If your businesses doesn’t have a solid plan behind it, it’s going to sputter, it’s going to choke, and it’s going to be a constant struggle. It doesn’t have to be! Check what’s “under the hood” of your business. Get a business plan together. It doesn’t have to be long or complicated.

The traffic lights are everywhere.

Stay open to the signs around you. To grow your business and be successful you need to be in tune with the stop, go, and wait signals. There are times it’s important to slow down. Other times you may see a new market or a need of your niche that you can pursue. Don’t be afraid to go when it’s green!

Watch the road signs along the way.

Do you know what road signs you are looking for? You need measurable goals. Not just “I need to survive until next month.” You need to THRIVE, not just survive. Write down one goal for your business or personal/family life this month. Make it realistic. That’s the road sign you’re watching for next.

Are you at your destination?

I encourage you to rethink this concept completely. Life is not in reaching the destination, it’s in the journey. Your business should be something that you are passionate about and that you enjoy. So focus on your journey. One step at a time. Breathe.

Michelle Shaeffer, The Small Business Muse, publishes The Muses Brainstorm, a weekly ezine with tips to help you balance, manage, and market your home based business. With your subscription you’ll also receive access to free gifts including 101+ Free/Cheap Ways to Market Your Business, 119 Things You Can Outsource, and more. If you’re ready for inspirational guidance and bright ideas sign up free at http://www.thesmallbusinessmuse.com.

Article Source: http://www.wahm-articles.com

Running your business is a little like driving a car. At times it might seem hectic and overwhelming, especially for new business owners, but just give yourself some time and you’ll find your groove. Once you get your systems down it gets easier.

Let’s take this little car metaphor and apply it to your business focus. There are twelve “focus checkers” listed below.

Where did you begin your journey?

Take a few moments to remember where you began. When did you start your business? Why did you start your business? What was your dream?

What are you driving in? Got your bumper stickers?

The car we drive makes a statement. So must our businesses! Your business has got to have it’s brand. It should be recognizable and plastered everywhere. Bumper stickers, door magnets, window clings. Build your brand and then surround yourself with it.

Who else is in your car?

Sometimes we forget that in building a business we’re not the only ones affected. Our spouses and our children are in this ride along with us. Remember them. Take time to stop and evaluate the way the business is affecting your family. Make changes if you need to. The journey should be fun and rewarding for everyone involved.

Are you wearing your seat belt? Carrying proper insurance?

Do you have a safety plan for your business? Just knowing what will happen when you’re sick or have a family emergency can relieve stress in your day to day operations. Even if your back up plan is as simple as finding out how to setup an auto-responder for incoming email to let people know you’ll be out of the office for a day or two, put some sort of plan together. Then put it in writing so someone else can care of this for you if you have an emergency situation.

Checking the rear view mirror?

Where have you been? Evaluate your last year. Did your business grow? Did it grow in the direction you wanted it to? Or did it overwhelm you? Look at what you did right. Look at what you wish you could change. Consider it all a learning experience and allow it to help you guide your business in the coming year.

Looking at your side mirrors?

Who else is on the road you’re on? Who are your surrounding yourself with? Be careful who your friends are. You need to surround yourself with people who will inspire and encourage you!

Do you have gas in your car?

Is the gas tank full? Or is it empty? When was the last time you took a few minutes for you. Just for you. Every day you need time to recharge. You cannot give what you do not have. All work at home parents understand the “running on empty” feeling. I encourage you to plan time into your day, even if it’s only 5 minutes, to step back and relax. Be thankful. Appreciate the good things in your life. And focus on one day at a time.

Check your speedometer!

Working from home can take over your life. It can become a 24/7 obsession. Stop. Yes, it’s great to be passionate about your business. But remember who else is in that car and if you need to slow down, then slow down. Of course on the opposite end, if you’re not moving, then get that car moving! No one else is going to build your business for you if you aren’t working.

Is your check engine light on?

Have you heard the saying, “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail?” If your businesses doesn’t have a solid plan behind it, it’s going to sputter, it’s going to choke, and it’s going to be a constant struggle. It doesn’t have to be! Check what’s “under the hood” of your business. Get a business plan together. It doesn’t have to be long or complicated.

The traffic lights are everywhere.

Stay open to the signs around you. To grow your business and be successful you need to be in tune with the stop, go, and wait signals. There are times it’s important to slow down. Other times you may see a new market or a need of your niche that you can pursue. Don’t be afraid to go when it’s green!

Watch the road signs along the way.

Do you know what road signs you are looking for? You need measurable goals. Not just “I need to survive until next month.” You need to THRIVE, not just survive. Write down one goal for your business or personal/family life this month. Make it realistic. That’s the road sign you’re watching for next.

Are you at your destination?

I encourage you to rethink this concept completely. Life is not in reaching the destination, it’s in the journey. Your business should be something that you are passionate about and that you enjoy. So focus on your journey. One step at a time. Breathe.

About the Author
Michelle Shaeffer, The Small Business Muse, publishes The Muses Brainstorm, a weekly ezine with tips to help you balance, manage, and market your home based business. With your subscription you’ll also receive access to free gifts including 101+ Free/Cheap Ways to Market Your Business, 119 Things You Can Outsource, and more. If you’re ready for inspirational guidance and bright ideas sign up free at www.thesmallbusinessmuse.com.
Article Source: http://www.wahm-articles.com

It’s time to look at your business and embrace exactly what is unique about it. We’re going to walk through a series of questions to help you identify what’s special about your business. Just write down what comes to mind as you read each question. There are no right or wrong answers. This is just for you and it’s okay to be honest with yourself and accept your talents, your personality and your likes and dislikes. Fully accepting yourself for who you are and allowing that person to shine through your business and your marketing is one of the best ways to gain the attention and confidence of customers in your target market when you’re a solopreneur. When you are fully expressed you’ll find there’s a connection that happens between you and your customers and they feel like they know you, they like you, and they can trust you. So, with that in mind, let’s begin.

What is your business? (Include your business name and tag line or motto, if you have one.)

What products or services do you sell?

What is unique about your products or services? Special Features? Style? Customer Service? Order Process? Custom Options?

Look through your testimonials or comments from customers. What words or phrases stand out? What do they praise about your products or services?

What are your favorite products to make or your favorite services to provide? Why?

If you had to write a mission statement for your life or your business, what would it be?

What else comes to mind when you think about what makes you or your business unique? What qualities about yourself are your favorite (noses and ears don’t count here, we’re talking personality, ethics, that kind of thing)?

Do you see any themes running through your answers above? Spend a few minutes re-reading what you’ve written and then set it aside for a while so you have some time to think more about it.

About the Author
Michelle Shaeffer, The Small Business Muse, publishes The Muses Brainstorm, a weekly ezine with tips to help you balance, manage, and market your home based business. With your subscription you’ll also receive access to free gifts including 101+ Free/Cheap Ways to Market Your Business, 119 Things You Can Outsource, and more. If you’re ready for inspirational guidance and bright ideas sign up free at www.thesmallbusinessmuse.com.
Article Source: http://www.wahm-articles.com

To find these plugins, login to your WordPress administrative area, click “Plugins” on the left menu, then click “Add New.” You’ll see a page with a search box you can type the plugin name into and then install the plugin.

Akismet: Blog spam is out of control and can be overwhelming if you have to delete it all yourself. Let Akismet deal with it for you instead.

All in One SEO Pack: This is a great plugin to help make WordPress more search engine friendly. It gives you more control over various elements on your pages.

TinyMCE Advanced: The default editor in WordPress has an extremely annoying habit of removing line breaks and spaces. It also doesn’t allow an easy way to change the font. This plugin fixes those problems.

WP Security Scan: Make your WordPress site more secure with this plugin. It scans for common vulnerabilities and things you can change to keep your site safer from hackers.

Subscribe to Comments: Encourage your visitors who comment to come back and stay engaged in the discussion by giving them an option to receive an email when a new comment is posted after theirs.

Similar Posts: Help your readers find more information they’re interested in so they’ll stick around longer with this plugin. It will add a list of similar posts at the end of each of your blog posts. You can see how it works below (it’ll list 5 posts that are related to this one in case you want to read more of what I have to say about WordPress or plugins).

Social Bookmarking Plugin: There are lots to choose from, just be sure you’ve got one! You can use Sociable, Sexy Bookmarks, Share This, or others. Make it easy for your visitors to share your posts with their networks online.

Article Source: http://www.wahm-articles.com

Michelle Shaeffer, The Small Business Muse, publishes The Muses Brainstorm, a weekly ezine with tips to help you balance, manage, and market your home based business. With your subscription you’ll also receive access to free gifts including 101+ Free/Cheap Ways to Market Your Business, 119 Things You Can Outsource, and more. If you’re ready for inspirational guidance and bright ideas sign up free at www.thesmallbusinessmuse.com

This article may be reprinted for free so long as the author’s resource box is kept intact and all links remain live and clickable. The Article Source must also be included. All rights are reserved by the author.

1) Pick a Good, Reliable, Secure Website Host

Where you choose to host your WordPress website can make a difference in your security. Two important things to look for are server security and backups for restore.

Choose a host who offers you php5 and runs it in suEXEC mode. With suEXEC you are able to lockdown your files more tightly. You can find more technical (very technical) details in Wikipedia.

Also look for a host who offers a reliable backup system and will restore your site for you free in the event of being hacked. Most hosts offer weekly and monthly backups at a minimum. Some hosts also do nightly backups and incremental hourly backups. I’m hosted on a server with monthly, weekly, nightly, and incremental backups. This means that if my site were to be hacked I could easily roll back to what it looked like 3 or 4 hours ago. I wouldn’t loose much, if any, of my content or other files.

2) Use Fantastico to Install Your Blog (or Change Your Admin Username)

If you install yourself with FTP and cPanel, you’ll have a default username of “admin” which is very easy to guess. By using Fantastico, you will be given the choice to pick a username and password that are unique. Plus, it’s easier than an install with FTP and cPanel. Either way, don’t use “admin” for the admin username. And don’t EVER use “password” for your password.

3) Use a Secure Password

Hackers and bad people are constantly attempting to crack into our online accounts and access everything from our email to our online banking records. How can you stop them from easily accessing your accounts? One important step is to use SECURE passwords that aren’t easily guessed or cracked by their software.

Here are tips on how to create secure passwords:

• Don’t use names, dates, phone numbers, or addresses

• Don’t use common words from the dictionary

• Mix up letters and numbers

• Make it at least 8 characters long (longer is better)

• Change it often (for online banking or hosting accounts)

You may also want to use an online random password generator.

4) Stay on Top of WordPress News

Subscribe to the updates at the WordPress website so you’ll know immediately when the developers release an update or patch for any security issues.

5) Keep Your WordPress Installation Up to Date

It’s critical to your security to keep WordPress up to date. The new versions of the script make that very easy and you can update in just a couple of clicks. It’s under “Tools” then “Upgrade” on the menu on the left of your admin pages.

6) Keep Your Plugins Up to Date

Anytime a plugin is updated, be sure to update the version on your site. You’ll know an update is available because when you login to your admin area, there will be a number in bright orange-red circle next to the “Plugins” link on the left. Click “Plugins” and it will show you which have an update available. You can follow the steps to automatically upgrade your plugin(s) as needed (backup your site before you upgrade anything, including plugins).

7) Install Security Plugins

Here are two security plugins I run on my WordPress websites and recommend installing:

• WP Security Scan: wordpress.org/extend/plugins/wp-security-scan/

• Secure WordPress: wordpress.org/extend/plugins/secure-wordpress/

With these seven steps you’ll have a more secure installation of WordPress.

Article Source: http://www.wahm-articles.com

Michelle Shaeffer, The Small Business Muse, publishes The Muses Brainstorm, a weekly ezine with tips to help you balance, manage, and market your home based business. With your subscription you’ll also receive access to free gifts including 101+ Free/Cheap Ways to Market Your Business, 119 Things You Can Outsource, and more. If you’re ready for inspirational guidance and bright ideas sign up free at www.thesmallbusinessmuse.com

This article may be reprinted for free so long as the author’s resource box is kept intact and all links remain live and clickable. The Article Source must also be included. All rights are reserved by the author.

A personal ad is designed to be a short, attention grabbing description of who you are and what you’re looking for. To work well, they’ve got to be honest and to the point.

Most start with a few key facts about the seeker (relationship status, ethnicity, gender, age, location) and who they’re seeking (relationship status, ethnicity, gender, age, location). Throw in some details about interests, hobbies, or general life experiences. State any specifics about who you definitely aren’t interested in. Add your contact information. You’ve got yourself a personal ad.

Just like a personal ad express who you are and who you’re looking for, your marketing should help you do the same. Not everyone is your ideal target. You’re not the ideal business to serve everyone. Acknowledge that, and you’ll be a step ahead on your marketing. It’s important to know who you *aren’t* looking for, as well as who you *are* looking for.

Now, It’s time to write a personal ad for your business!

1) Describe Your Business. Who is your business? What does your business offer? In 1 or 2 sentences describe what service you provide or products you sell.

2) Ideal Customer. Who is your ideal customer? Imagine the perfect customer in detail–gender, age, marital status, children, occupation, interests, etc. If you have trouble with this step, look over your customer/client list and think about the ones who were wonderful to work with or who gained the most from your services.

3) Get Specific, Succinctly. If you had to pick three of the top results customers/clients gain by doing business with you, what would they be? Think results, not features. A good place to look if you get stuck is to the testimonials and thank you notes customers/clients send. What do they mention most often about their experiences with your business?

4) Skip Me If… Some customers/clients can be better served by another business. Who are they? This isn’t necessarily something you want to mention in your advertising, but it’s something you definitely want to keep in mind so you don’t advertise or market in the wrong places.

5) Please Call. How can customers/clients make contact with you? Offer easy options to reach you for business!

One more thought–a common joke about personal ads is the exaggeration that often happens – while it’s okay to accentuate the positive, never over-promise or be dishonest when describing what you offer or the results you or your products help deliver. Focus on building long-term customer relationships so that customers not only purchase once (and leave disappointed like the blind date that just wasn’t what you expected) but become regulars who also refer friends and family.

When you’ve finished writing a “personal ad” for your business with these five steps you’ll have a short and sweet reminder that will help you focus your marketing efforts in the right places to get results and help more of the right people. Next time you aren’t sure if a marketing strategy or opportunity is right, read over your ad and see if you’re reaching the right people in the right place.

About the Author:
Find Michelle Shaeffer online at The Small Business Muse where she shares weekly tips and strategies for small businesses in The Muses Brainstorm. Stop by The Muses Guide for inspirational guides to help your small business grow. Article Source: http://www.wahm-articles.com

There are 3 important things to consider when choosing which affiliate programs to join.

1) Do you truly recommend the product and company? Never promote or endorse a product you aren’t confident is helpful and valuable. Never promote a product for a company that you aren’t sure is ethical or honest. If it’s an ebook, buy a copy before you become an affiliate—and read it! Once you’ve read or used a product or service and believe it’s great, you can promote it effectively and authentically.

2) Is it worth your time and effort to promote? How much is the commission? It’s probably not worth it to promote a product with a very low commission rate. If you’d only make pennies… you might want to keep looking. Find a product or service that will be worth your time.

3) Will it sell? If your market is designing websites for restaurants, there’s probably no good reason for you to promote a product about house breaking your puppy dog. But you might do well with products about marketing for food service companies, or even interior decorating if you can tie it into what your clientele is looking for. What problems or questions do your clients have? Find a product that offers the solution. See if it really works. If it does, sign up as an affiliate.

If the answer to all three of these questions is “Yes,” then go for it! If the answer to any one of the three is “No,” then keep looking until you find the programs you can answer “Yes” to. Otherwise you’re either compromising your time or your ethics. And you don’t want to do either of those.

About the Author:
Work at home mom extraordinaire Michelle Shaeffer publishes The Muses Brainstorm, a weekly ezine with tips to help you balance, manage, and market your home based business. If you’re ready for inspirational guidance and bright ideas sign up free at www.thesmallbusinessmuse.com.

Article Source: http://www.wahm-articles.com