What is Affiliate Marketing?

Although I remain an ignorant "Newbie", I am attempting to give you a break down on what is expected of you, should you wish to enter the online world of Affiliate Marketing.

Firstly, there seems to be a need for large online businesses to outsource their advertising.  That is where the Affiliate Marketer comes in.

The Internet has become the no.1 advertising agent for online businesses, who are desperately needing their companies to be promoted.  So you research a company, decided whether or not it is worth promoting, write up a short promotional ad and post it to as many search engines as possible, thereby increasing the company's exposure.

You get paid for any sales your ad may have secured, however their is a method for success - so I would recommend you sign up for an online tutorial to get you started.  Knowing which business to promote can be tricky because you want to find the ones that pay their affiliates well.  Fortunately there are sites which list the most popular businesses to support and this is where you will find an array of businesses looking for promoters.

Oh so weary!

I am simply expressing the joys of motherhood to those who may sympathise with the perils of having sick children near by.  I have been vomited on more times than I care to remember. My youngest has almost mastered the art of projectile vomiting, which sends his older brothers leaping out of the way and running outside as fast as their little legs will carry them. My one consolation is that I, then, only have to deal with one little critter.

So, I now live with a delightful tangled mess of vomit infused hair on my head, I have several multi-coloured t-shirts with similar off white stains.  I wake up every hour or so to try and clean up, or at least try to salvage some kind of normal!  But when all is said and done, that little smile on that little face can still melt my heart, albeit for a split second before another bought of vomiting takes over.

Thank God - he gave us a sense of humour to cope!

The Entrepreneurial Spirit

Have you ever heard the comment that those people who can't actually do anything properly themselves decide to become teachers instead?  I am afraid I fall into that category, I became a business teacher in the hope of inspiring young minds to go out there and make something of themselves...........

Twelve years down the line and I haven't really attempted that good old thing called entrepreneurship yet.  Well that isn't strictly true, I have had limited success at flea markets, I did well at a book keeping course, but never actually got a business off the ground - mainly because I became terrified of causing some poor unfortunate soul to lose millions, through some fault of mine.  And, to top it all, I am no Domestic Goddess either!  However, one thing is in my favour: my ability to remain positive.

And so with that in mind I would like to inspire you with some great ideas for businesses, things to start at home.  Such as starting a Day Care, hundreds of parents need good, solid home-based care for their children and are prepared to pay top dollar for the service.  A parents peace of mind is priceless.

Or you could turn your love for crafts into a business and offer lessons from home, scrapbooking is a great way to meet and mingle with other mums, so why not make a little money while you are at it?

On the other hand if you have a love for cooking why not start your own catering company, and turn your passion into a thriving business.

Remember good entrepreneurs often start with what they know, then what they love and then create a masterpiece..............you'll never know until you try.

Making money on the Internet

I have a sneaking suspicion that there is an unbelievable amount of money to be made on the internet!  However, I also suspect that the key to the coffers is well and truly guarded!  Now don't get me wrong I understand that to succeed one needs to put in the time and effort and learn the ropes, which I am more than happy to do.  I must confess though, it would be nice to have a little internet faerie appear and guide me through the maze of madness.
Since that is unlikely to happen I will try and offer some good starting points to those who are following the same course of action as I am - desperate to create a little income from home.  Here are some useful websites, which offer good training to the mere mortal:

1. My-Data-Team Global Data Entry & Traditional Data Entry
2. Profit Articles - Work-from-Home Article Typing
3. Web Colleagues Real Type at Home Data Entry Partnerships

I will keep looking for good sites to follow up on.

Playing the Stock Market

I know nothing about playing the stock market.  I know there is a bull market and a bear market and one is good to buy in and the other is good to sell in, but don't really know which one applies to which.  I know there is a global recession - which many claim is actually over, but I am yet to see the evidence of this.  I also know groceries are costing more and more, basic amenities are costing more and finding an alternative source of energy has become paramount.

So, besides trying to make ends meet, trying to get one's monthly income to stretch as far as possible and trying to do one's share in saving the planet - can the Stock Market still deliver a little bonus?

To be honest I have no idea, but here are some interesting reads on investing and the secrets to success, if you've been hoping to get into the market, but have been unsure how to start then maybe there is something for you here:

PENNY STOCKS
TRADING PRO
RICK THOMAS'S 30 DAY WEALTH PROGRAM
FOREX SET AND FORGET TRADE

Making Mum's life easier

I am moving away from my normal search for the perfect online job, and taking a look at methods of managing the mayhem.  My husband works away from home quite regularly, so it has become essential for me to be organised.  I am, unfortunately, not.

Certainly, when it comes to meal times I give it little thought, my main criteria for which I measure a successful meal, is whether or not my boys come back 5 minutes later to say they are hungry!  And horror of horrors, I have been known to serve up a boiled egg with frozen vegies on the side - even I cringe at the thought........

So I have looked up some useful ideas to get the boys eating good wholesome food, and saving me time in the process.  This is what I found:

Frugal Mum's Guide to Once a Month Cooking

Kids approved Breakfasts and Lunch

2o Cookbooks for $20

So here's hoping they help inspire us to get our lives organised!

101 Ways to make money

I have been looking at all sorts of options on the internet that could best serve me as a stay at home mum, and you would be surprised how many options are available to the novice.  There really are 101 ways to make money from home, using the internet. 

I have listed a couple of links below which would offer some help in getting you started should you be interested:

Freelance Writing
Moms income
Sell Photos
Secretarial Work from Home

These are just a few of the options I have found and promise to keep looking for interesting developments.

A word to the disheartened

I am a stay-at-home mum, I go for a power walk in the mornings with other stay-at-home mums, I bake for school fundraisers, I support my children at various sports meetings and I breastfeed my baby inbetween. However, I am now trying my hand at  little income spinners, preferably things I can do from home. And this is where it has led me......
I have entered the World of Internet Marketing, a bit as an ostrich would, when things get a bit overwhelming I put my head in the sand and hope someone will come along a fix my failures!  I am certainly not going to make a million in my first few months!  You may think I lack the drive and determination, quite the contrary, I simply lack the time! And quite possibly the brain capacity, but rest assured I am full of determination - provided the powers that be don't give up on me.

I have been intending to take the world of Affiliate Marketing by storm, but have discovered what everyone in the industry already knows - I am not only a "Newbie", I am a green one at that!  I have signed up for things I can't remember, I get approximately 150 e-mails a day from people in the same line of business (only more successful) with great deals, once in a lifetime offers, secrets of success and usually delete them all for fear of catching some deadly computer virus, while simply trying to find the time to learn the ropes.  I suspect I am experiencing "the affiliate's blues"!

A word to the disheartened:   do not be put off, you know what they say:  "If at first you don't succeed - you probably need to change tack!"  So look into the options and read the instructions carefully, and you are sure to survive!  It can't be harder than raising a family!

Finding a little sanity

I am a mother to three boys, my eldest is 8, middle is 5 and latest is 5 months. (I know, I know,  what was I thinking????)

Just over a year ago I found myself overcome with broodiness, I would look at babies clothes, ooh and aah over those tiny little bundles of joy and wonder about having another of my own.  My husband and I decided to give it another go and see what happened - well we should have known what would happen, what with being well versed in the birds and the bees, flowers, trees: you know the drill.

Needless to say, 9 months later, our darling third son was born and he truly is a joy to us all.  However, nothing could have ever prepared me for the fat that got fatter, the flab that got flabbier and the brain that went on long leave to the Bahamas.  I walk around in an odd haze of uncertainty, I can't remember a single thing about the first two boys as babies. Did they pooh as often? Did they eat quite as much?  Should babies sleep so little?  How many grey hairs have appeared today? What is my purpose? Where am I going too?  blah, blah, blah.........

So, in one of these mad moments of insanity, I decided to give myself a break and a purpose and search the internet for ways to make millions, while bouncing a baby on one knee, and calming down to a mild panic at the same time.

Don't go away things have only just gotten started, who knows what can of worms I may have opened!