Thanks to the rising costs of daycare and transportation and the desire to have a parent home with the children, today many moms choose to work from home. This arrangement is sometimes called “telecommuting”, and it allows parents the opportunity to set up a workspace in their homes to earn a living instead of having to leave the home daily.

They might also choose to start their own businesses, instead of working for another company. Working from home is rising popularity and the Internet is offering many different types of careers and business opportunities to moms. And for proof that the work at home dream is possible, be sure to check out the success tips from moms just like you in the Full Time WAHM eBook.

So how can you start a work at home career? This is a frequently asked question that can lead to a lot of confusion about on where to start. Here are just some of the work from home careers currently available to moms:

· Party Consultant (beauty, health, jewelry, home decor, adult, etc.) We all know about companies like Avon and Tupperware, but there are so many more opportunities for moms and they are still a popular way to earn an income. From home and garden products, to jewelry and makeup and even adult novelties, home party plans are great ways for moms to work from home. Earnings vary by company and commission schedule.

· Virtual Office Service. Are you a people person who likes to do customer service and to provide other office services? Then a client service job might be perfect for you. Many large firms are hiring Mom’s to work from home answering customer calls and providing other office support virtually. These jobs can pay between $8-12+ an hour. You can also start you own business providing customer service directly to clients and increase the amount you charge per hour.

· Selling on Auction Sites or Craft Boards. Many Moms sell their unwanted items on auction sites like eBay.com or sell their crafts on boards like Etsy.com for a source of income. If you are a creative person who enjoys making beautiful things or you want to earn a little extra money for the clothes your kids outgrow, why not sell them!

· Starting on Online Business. The Internet offers the chance for you to create just about any type of business they desire. Whether it’s creating an information-packed website that helps others (and earns money through advertising and selling products for commissions), creating your own products or selling products at wholesale, the choice is yours.

There are any number of opportunities just waiting to be tried by enterprising Moms looking for fulfillment and extra money.

Recommended Additional Resource:

Working from home doesn’t come without it’s challenges. Learn from 21 moms just like you have been there, done that. Full Time WAHM provides practical mom-to-mom advice on who to balance work & home and how to turn into a work at home success.

So many moms I know are looking for a way to make extra money.  But they also don’t want to overcommit themselves to some sort of full-time position or even a business that will force them to work 80 hours a week.

I think one of the coolest businesses I’ve seen that can really give a mom a jump start to making some extra money is starting a Santa Letter Business.

It’s basically an online business that, for a fee, allows people to order Letters From Santa for their kids.  The business owner creates the letter based on a questionnaire, throws in some special extras and mails the letter to the child.

Even though it’s a business that is focused on Christmas, it’s also a business that can be expanded to other times of the year and childhood milestones, like Birthdays,  losing teeth, new baby, etc.

The gals at Just Add Sweat just released a complete ‘how-to’ guide to starting a Santa Letter Business and for the $20 that they charge for it, it’s a neat way to dip your toe in the swimming pool of online business.  They offer a guarantee so it’s a pretty good deal.

I know my kids would love a personalized letter from Santa so I may just get the guide to have the complete set of letter templates at my disposal. Click Here to Get your How to Start a Santa Letter Business Now.

Do you ever feel like you’re working so hard in your online business, but the outcome isn’t changing to match all that effort?

It might just be time for some serious clean up.

It happens to all of us. We build and build and build, and then suddenly we’ve got all this virtual real estate out there. Problem is, we aren’t quite sure what to do with it all or how to leverage our hard work for maximum profitability.

Thankfully, Alice Seba (one of my favorite Internet marketing teachers) has come up with the perfect solution and it’s called: “Spring Cleaning to Maximize the Profitability of Your Online Business.”

This isn’t some flimsy ebook or 10-minute video, but rather a 6-week intensive step-by-step coaching program. It’s designed to help you clean out all the extra stuff that you’ve accumulated, identify and make the most of what’s working in your business and planning for long-term success. You’ll get to work directly with Alice week-by-week and apply these strategies directly to your own unique business. We’re not just talking theory here. You’re going to roll up your sleeves and get your hands dirty, but in a very good way!

See, I’m really excited about this because Alice is the real-deal. She speaks from true experience in her own successful online business. Just the other day, a lady named Rhonda, left an impromptu comment on her blog stating:

“I simply love Alice Seba. I love the way she runs her business. I love her ideas and most of all I love her being my mentor to how I want my business to run. Thank you Alice for your hard work. Can’t wait to keep getting your emails!”

That’s exactly what you get when you work with Alice. If you could use some hands-on help with your Internet Marketing Spring Cleaning, get over to the coaching information page right away. Alice is only accepting 50 students and registration closes on Sunday, April 1 – whichever comes first.

Find out more and claim your spot now, just Click Here.

Here’s a great freebie that I just heard about and wanted to be sure to pass on to you. If you’re looking to have a more focused, profitable and stress-free 2009 (it’s closer than you think), hurry on over to download it.

It’s put together by Alice Seba, my go to gal when it comes to running an efficient and profitable online business. She has put together a printable planning calendar that shows you exactly how she plans out her year to keep a steady income without breaking her back.

Interestingly, she calls it a “Planning Calendar”, but what she’s giving away really is a full planner system that you can print out and adapt to your own unique business. It’s a definite must-have and I’ve already grabbed mine.

Get yours with no opt-ins or strings attached: Just Click Here.

Do you love to cook? Are you looking for an internet based business idea? Combine the two!

I want to let you know about Just Add Sweat and a great eGuide they’ve released catering to people who are interested in cooking, recipes and making some money on the internet. How to Start a Recipe Blog.

JoAnne Wescott and Nicole Dean are two great business owners who are sick of the hype and just want to offer real information on making money using real business models. There’s a quote on their website that really does a great job of defining their whole concept:

“Genius is one per cent inspiration and ninety-nine per cent perspiration.” – Thomas A. Edison

After reviewing their ‘How to Start a Recipe Blog for Fun and Profit’ Guide I highly recommend it. It’s great for someone who’s interested in starting a business based on his or her love of cooking.

Of course, as with any JustAddSweat guide, the only thing you need to add is your own hard work and sweat!

What it covers:
· Definition of a blog.
· How you can make money blogging.
· How to choose your market and set up your blog.
· What to blog about.
· How to get traffic to your blog and make money.

There is real value in this product and for one great price you get a 35-page eGuide, a SweatStory Success interview, audio blog tips, bonus Time Management Guide and a 2007 Blogging Calendar.

Check it out for yourself, right here: How to Start A Recipe Blog.

By Aurelia Williams, author of Balancing Work and Family

The trend of moms working from home to be near their children has grown in the last couple of years. Now that they have found jobs or businesses to run, they’re starting to realize that working from home is not as easy as they thought it would be. The work they do is hard to separate form their personal lives, which makes it hard to schedule time for work responsibilities and home duties.

The workspace these moms use to do their jobs at ends up being a part of their household, so that makes dividing work and home life even more difficult to do – and one of the motivating reasons for creating my Balancing Work and Family guide. Imagine that your office is a part of the dining room, which also happens to be the room where you eat your meals as a family. How easy is it going to be for you to leave your work life to be with your family when the office is 5 feet away from the dinner table?

The realities of dividing work and personal life can get smudged for work at home moms. When that happens, one’s stress level is sure to rise, which could jeopardize one’s sanity. To prevent your sanity from leaving, you should find ways to ensure that separation takes place between your job/business and your family life.

Assess the current situation. Try to find an area, within your home, to have your office so that it won’t interfere with your family life. The home office needs a room with a door where you can be apart from the rest of the house. A den or a garage can be converted into office space that is exclusive to your business. Some people have resorted to placing their office in the laundry room, just because it has a door! When that is not an option, set up shop in your bedroom to keep it away from the family areas.

Organization is the next step. A messy desk can be a huge distraction when trying to work. Everything needs to have its place. If you worked in an office, your boss would not stand for a messy work space. There’s no difference when you’re office is at home and not at the worksite.

Use inexpensive organizing items, such as baskets with separate compartments to help organize the odds and ends on your desk. You can keep rubber stamps, letters, invoices, pens, pencils, and the like in here. Organization makes finding things much easier, which results in a more relaxed work day.

Keep your business phone separate from the family phone line. When using the same line, you run the risk of your children answering business calls or picking up the phone during a conference call. This causes your professionalism to fly right out the window and takes your customers or employers along with it.

The same goes for the computer. It’s best to keep your business computer separate from what the other family members use, but budgets don’t always allow for this. In that case, make sure that the business/job files and documents can’t be easily accessed by anyone but you. This will help prevent some of the stress that could be brought on by family members stumbling on a client’s important document and accidentally deleting them.

Be sure to use calendars or planners as they are very helpful when trying to keep track of business appointments or deadlines and family appointments. This will lessen the stress of setting up family appointments when you’ve forgotten about business deadlines you have.

Consider hiring a sitter on days you have a lot of work to do. Being a work at home mom gives you the benefit of controlling your own schedule. Having a sitter keeps the kids away from your office and gives you quiet time to focus on your work and gives your kids a chance to have fun without you feeling too guilty.

Mixing business with family in the home setting can be a major source of stress. Keeping the business side of your life organized and separate is crucial to success in keeping your stress levels down and your sanity intact.

Get More Help:

Working at home can be extremely rewarding, but it’s challenging. Get the help you need with Real Life Guidance to Balancing Work and Family. It’s your practical guide to tracking your time, setting priorities, learning to say no and achieving that balance you strive for.

photo credit: riot jane

Some days I wonder what my role is? Who am I? Am I the maid? Am I the Grocery purchaser? Am I the repiar Man? Am I the seamstris? Or am I the Laundry Lady, the cook, or the taxi driver. Plus our household needs my income so I have taken on the job and a WAHM also. I just thought I would share a few of my tips to help juggle all your secret idenities.

Figure out your works schedule. Make sure there’s flexibility just in case a situation may occur. If this is your first time working from home, it may be a little difficult at first. Your daily routine she be your main focus; always allow time to switch roles from mom to working mom. If you find yourself working some evenings make sure you put this sweet babies to bed first. Involve your children in your job no matter who small of a task you may have them doing they will love being able to work with mommy.

Keep updated on your childrens activity schedule. Don’t miss any important school functions, plays or games. Once the weekend rolls around put your work away and spend time with your family. Remember when you were young and your mom had to work. Use your own life experiances to model after, no matter what the circumstances were. The most important thing is I want you do is once your job is finished for the day put your work away and be done. Don’t let it slip into your home life. Keep them work and family seperate.

If all those roles sneak up on you and you become tired, crabby and grouchy, then you might notice that it starts doing the same thing to your children also. Put everything away and relax. Those jobs, roles and secret idenities will be there waiting for you tomorrow. Spend time with your family and enjoy life.