I hang out with the other mommies. No, I am not a "Mister Mom" or a "Househusband". I do have one enviable situation, though. I work from home and I have the flexibility to say, "This morning I am going to spend with my daughters. I can play with them. I can sing with them. I can laugh with them. I can clean up their ice cream that drips all over me."
Or I can say, "This morning I am taking my daughters to the play center, where they can play with other children, sing with other children, laugh with other children and spill ice cream on other children instead of on me."
So I hang out with the other mommies.
Ive noticed that many mommies want to start a home daycare. The reasoning seams to go like this.

Im at home within my own children anyway.
So far I have remained relatively unscathed, with few permanent injuries.
How much trouble can a few extra children running around spilling ice cream on the rug cause
Lets tempt fate.

I have two children, a toddler and a baby. They are enough of a handful, and the baby cant even climb on counters...yet.
Before setting up your own home daycare, consider this: how many more inspiring diaper-changing hours do you want to spend each day Little Lady is on her sixth month of perpetual toilet-training. If there is a purgatory, this is it. Too old to just carry her treasures in her quick-change diapers, too young to just go on her own, stuck in the middle in a high-maintenance waiting room of sorts. Little Sister has a nickname: Poopasaurus, because...oh wait just a minute. I have to go clean up a mess. Another mess.
Ive already written about the challenges of dressing a toddler while shes running bounding over the couch at record-shattering speeds: http://www.thehappyguy.com/toddler-dress.html
Then there is the atmosphere. Now that Little Lady doesnt nap anymore, she can get mighty cranky. I know the feeling. It doesnt take much to get a good wail going. And she has lungs. Or she might break a few rules or a few toys. Or she might just disobey. It doesnt take long for a parent to lose patience.
Crying. Stress. Babies sense it, and Little Sister can get cranky, too. Its a whole wailing chorus. Before long, the tension in our house can get so thick you could almost cut it with a chainsaw. Almost.
Does it get any better in a daycare Yes. You can take in only children who are completely toilet trained. Unfortunately, those children can climb counters. And chairs. And tables. And balconies.
If you still want to tempt fate and see how many children it takes to cause irreparable damage to your house, your car and your body, here are four tips:

Keep all sharp objects, cleansers and medications in a safe place...like another town.
Laminate your couch. And your carpets. And your clothes. And your ceiling. And your food.
Get a good pair of industrial strength earplugs

Arguments arent always bad things. Sometimes Theyre used to convince someone of an important point they may not yet realize.

Youve probably used arguments in this way most of your life in fact!

Maybe you wanted to go somewhere and had to convince your parents that is was a good idea to let you go. So you argued your position with them.

Maybe you wanted to buy a big ticket item and had to argue the value of buying it with your spouse!

Arguments dont necessarily have to be shouting matches. They can simply be a device used to convince someone of something that you feel is important.

Its funny then, how so few sales people use the art of arguing to sell their products. Wouldnt a person who wants someone to buy something from them want to try and convince that one that itd be a good idea

Maybe its because its not such a good idea

Could be why so many sales pitches are designed to connive potential customers into buying rather than giving them a convincing argument instead.

Lets face it . . .

Whod want to argue a losing point

After all, if a product is of little value, who in their right mind would want to take the position of trying to convince someone it had value

Maybe thats why so few try to convince rather than connive!

But what is the difference between convincing and conniving anyway

A conniver is like the person in a movie or TV show thats holding something they probably shouldnt be. Suddenly, a cop pulls up and he quickly passes the object to the person next to him with the words, "Here, take this quick!"

The poor unsuspecting by-stander is "left holding the bag", and doesnt know what hit him as hes dragged off to the pokey.

So, to put it simply . . .

A conniver is the person who tries to get you to do something without thinking about it. He creates a sense of urgency and force feeds it to you before you can say no.

Now a convincer is quite the opposite. He wants you to know what youre getting into and is willing to spend the time going over it with you. He has a valid argument and has no qualms about letting you hear it.

So, by the time he hands you the "bag", you know exactly whats in it, and youve been able to make a rational decision about whether you want to "hold" it or not.

This leaves us with two important questions . . .

If youre searching the Internet looking for product to buy, who would you rather run into

If youre trying to sell valuable products on the Internet, which of the above two do you think you should be

Hopefully, the argument is clear!

About The Author

Ken Nadreau is the author of "Power Suits for Online Marketers." A free report that explains the three most important aspects of sales, and how using them, turns the average marketer into a legitimate, "well dressed" professional.

http://taoenterprises.com/powersuit/index.html

krnadreau@taoenterprises.com

So you want to start a business on the Internet

What kind of business

Where do you start

What do you intend to do

Have you a product that you would like to sell

Or have you a service to provide

What experience do you have

These are just the basic questions you must ask yourself before you even think about starting a business.

The vast majority of web businesses are started by people who have no business experience whatsoever. They are under the impression that all that you have to do is to set up a website, put a couple of adverts in a few ezines, then sit back and wait for the money to start pouring in.

Life is never that easy.

This brings us to the question, "How do you start a business using the Internet" which can be answered in a number of ways. All of them quite legitimate. Ask a dozen successful internet entrepreneurs how they got started and you will probably get a dozen different answers.

This does not mean that if they were starting from scratch right now that they would follow the same path. They will all have learned from the mistakes that they made on the way up.

I know that I have.

How would they do it now Remember that the Internet is constantly changing. What worked a couple of years ago is not necessarily the best way to go now.

How would I do it

To get the money coming in as quickly as possible, building a website would have to wait. The first thing is to have something to sell.

Ideally, something that can be delivered electronically. Something like an instruction book.

There are hundreds of sites that will sell you the rights to one or more of their existing stock of books. You can then sell it as often as you can and keep all of the profits.

How do you sell it

You need a system that allows your customers to download your book. You will also need a method of collecting the money.

You will then need a method of collecting the email addresses of your customers so that you can make them a further offer at a later date.

If you are new to the internet this willrequire a certain amount of expertise.

There is an alternative way of doing it. Sign up to an affiliate program, the owners of the program will do all that is necessary regarding the downloading and seeing that you get your just rewards. All you have to do is to sell it.

The best affiliate programs come with a lot of backup with hints and tips on how to promote and sell their product.

You must realise that if you dont make money, neither do they.

The downside is that you don

Not that long ago, freelancing was something people did mainly in larger metropolitan areas where work for writers, artists, and other creative types was plentiful and easily accessible. Today, however, the freelance landscape has dramatically changed.
For one, you can live practically anywhere in the world and still be able to maintain a successful freelance career. Not to mention that the creative fields arent the only areas where freelancing is popular any more.
Today, accountants, trainers, computer technicians, etc. are all able to earn a living as freelancers. Regardless of the freelancing field you are interested in, there are some important things you should know that will help you get started and get successful.
Before we discuss those, however, we need to talk briefly about the pros and the cons of being a freelancer. You need to know both sides before you make your decision so you truly understand what youre getting into.
Freelancer Pros
1. You set your own schedule
As a freelancer, you get to determine what time you get out of bed and what time you turn in at night. You get to decide how much vacation time you can afford to take this year and you can elect to skip work one afternoon to spend time with your children.
2. You dont work for a boss
Even though you are answerable to your clients, they dont wield the same power over your life that a boss does. Yes, they can fire you, but you can also quit working for them if things get too difficult.
3. You determine how much you earn
While a conventional job pays a set amount of money regardless of how hard you work and in some cases how long you work, freelancing allows you to make practically any amount of money that you wish because you determine how much your services cost and how many jobs you take on at one time.
4. You are able to work from your own office
Whether you prefer working in a home office or renting space somewhere to do your business, you are in charge of designing and maintaining your own comfortable office. You get to pick the people you work with. You get to pick the type of computer, post-it notes, and bottled water that you use on a daily basis also.
Freelancers Cons
1. You can become overworked quickly
When you start working steadily as a freelancer, it becomes nearly impossible for you to truly take a vacation. You have projects and clients that need your constant attention, so being gone or getting sick even for a day can put you behind schedule.
2. You have to deal with clients who can be more difficult than bosses
Most of the clients freelancers work with are genuinely good people, but there are others out there that are not. Every freelancer has probably been ripped off by a client at one time or another, even if they take steps to protect themselves.
3. You dont have a steady income
Unless you have one or two truly constant streams of work, you can expect your income to fluctuate dramatically. Some months you may feel like you struck the lottery while others may make you think youre heading for the food stamp line, especially when you are starting out.
4. You dont have a way to separate work from home life
If you have a home office, you may find it difficult to recognize the difference between being at home and being at work which means that while your watching television or eating dinner you may begin to feel like youre actually still on the job.
As you can see, each positive has a negative aspect as well. However, many of these negatives can be easily handled once you have experience as a freelancer, but to get to that point, you need to know how to get started.
Find Something You Enjoy Doing
This is critical to your success. If you dont already have something in mind to do as a freelancer, you need to be sure that you pick an activity that you truly love. Remember, you will be doing this type of work every day. Also, the more you enjoy your work, the more passionate you are about it. Potential clients will spot that passion and will be more inclined to work with you.
Save Some Money
Most freelancers actually start out as conventional 9-5 workers. In fact, many of them maintain their full-time jobs in addition to their freelance work for the sake of a stable income, health insurance, or other benefits. If you choose to go freelance full-time, however, you need to be sure to have a comfortable nest egg in the bank. Most experts agree that you should have enough money in your savings to cover six months worth of your basic necessities. If that sounds impossible, then try juggling some freelance work with your regular job for awhile. Save up all of the money you earn from your freelance work and use that as your nest egg.
Start Finding Clients Today
One mistake that freelancers often make is that think they can only start networking and marketing their services after theyve gotten started. The truth is that if youre considering becoming a freelancer, now is the time to start networking and marketing. Let people know that you are thinking about going solo and get their reactions. Start building a database of possible job leads. In fact, you may want to line up some work beforehand so you can be sure of having an income initially.
Be Prepared
Most potential clients will want to see references and/or samples of your work before they give you a project. You need to have these prepared in advance. Dont wait until someone calls to possibly offer you a project to get your portfolio in order or to line up some qualified references. Have those ready to dispatch as soon as you get off the phone or finish the email.
Find an Accountant
The most difficult part of freelancing can be the handling the financial aspects: tracking invoices, staying on top of bills, figuring your yearly taxes, etc. Unless you are already skilled in accounting, you need to find someone to help you out with this from the beginning. It makes it much simpler for you and for the accountant.
Start a Web Site
Use the Internet to your advantage. Create a professional-looking but simple web site advertising your experience and your services, then place it on the Internet. Its one of the best ways of attracting new clients.
These suggestions will help you start your freelancing career on the right foot, but the most important key to your success will be your perseverance. If you give up easily or dont follow through with things, you may never truly make it as a freelancer. You must be able to take rejection. You must be self-motivated, and you must be persistent. Only then will you be able to experience firsthand all of the benefits of being a modern freelancer.
Useful sites:

http://www.elance.com/

http://www.guru.com/

http://www.allfreelance.com/

Copyright 2004 Vishal P. Rao

About The Author

For opportunities, ideas and resources to start a home based business, visit: http://www.home-based-business-opportunities.com
For more articles by the author, visit: http://www.home-based-business-opportunities.com/library/reprints.shtml

Case study into keywords reveals how a firm of Amsterdam-based copywriters achieved PR-3 listing in Google
This a shameless marketing article but were hard faced enough to take on the odds youre going to read it A-Z. It is the story of how we ended up in the top echelons of major search engines, a goal everybody wishes to achieve, so were surely forgiven for sharing it with you AND in whatever selfobsessed promotional style we choose.
And as well reveal later, its likely the most sturdy promotion well ever make on the basis of the baffling page rank in the foreseeable future.
The website in question is www.contentClix.com. Ours. We -the five of us- live together in a big, crooked house overlooking the lovely canals in Amsterdam and when we don

They say the eyes are are the gateway to the soul. When it was said, they were referring to us humans. But the truth is, it also refers to horses.
Many horse owners dont understand the importance and usefulness of the horses eyes while training. That being so, let me share with you some things you may find useful - some you may know...some you may not.
First, theres the eye which reveals a little about the character of the horse youre working with. It may have a kind eye. A kind eye indicates the horse will be agreeable to train and will readily respond to your aids while training.
One way to tell if the horse is nervous is by noting his eyes. Horses can be very expressive in their looks. And you can tell if a horse is a nervous horse by the eyes appearing sort of "worried like."
Obviously, this nervous horse would require more thoughtful handling than would a non-nervous horse.
I have a horse that would get mad after a while of riding. She used to get what I call mad eyes. Her expression was actually a sort of angry expression. Mostly, the expression came from her eyes. Here eyes would get red after a while.
Jesse Beery, a famous horse trainer from the 1800s, talked a lot about the eyes of the horse. Even those many years ago he knew about the horses eyes. Beery discovered there were four different disposition types of a horse. Certain characteristics of the eyes would tell you much about the horses personality and how much work it would be to train the horse.
Berrys classic disposition type 3 was most interesting. Beery said "Where type #2 will allow you to do all the work, type 3 will do all the work for you. You only need to control its movements."
In all my training experience and many things Ive read, I concur with Beerys discovery. The eyes play an enormous role in horse training.
To read more about Beery and his methods, you can go to this web address:

http://www.horsetrainingandtips.com/Jesse_Beery_etips.htm

There is still more to know about the horses eyes.
For one, when you work with a horse, its advisable to look him in the eye a lot. Why Because horses an extremely observant animal and they study their surroundings. If youre in their surroundings they are studying you too. If they see you looking at them in the eye it sends a message to them about who is in control.
If youre working with a horse thats cunning and known to run over people then you rarely want to lose eye contact with this horse. Sometimes when you look away for just a second he knows its his chance to charge at you. But keeping eye contact helps minimize that possibility.
Although a horses ears are part of the plan. the eyes are how the horse interprets his world. The horse gladly desires to approach an object or person that has caused him pleasure. Likewise, he runs from objects or persons that cause him pain. Pain could be a number of things like work, misuse of aids such as spurs, being talked to in an abrasive manner, etc.
Lots of horse owners get discouraged with their horse because they develop bad habits. One particular habit is kicking. I once read a great book on horses and it said this about kicking:
If a horse kicks at a man and sees he inspired the man with fear and makes him draw back, he will remember this and kick any man who goes near him whom he fears or has the memory of displeasure with.
Note the author said "...and see he inspired the man with fear". The point is the horse "saw" the man was inspired with fear. The horse used one of his greatest tools...his eyes. If a man shows no fear and knows how to handle a kicker, the horse will "see" he cannot inspire fear in the man and be less apt to kick although, if confirmed in the habit of kicking, it may require several training sessions to eradicate this from the horses memory.
In short, the eyes are the mirror of the horses mind. Quiet eyes indicate quietness and sincerity. Quick and lively eye indicate vivacity. Restless eyes turning in all directions indicate suspicion and show the horse is studying all around him and may perhaps be preparing some freak of self will. Turbid eyes indicate fear or anger.
Theres a proverb that tells us not to trust the horse that shows the white of his eyes. Perhaps its because the white shows when hes looking sideways and hes intent on seizing the moment when no attention is being paid for escape or attack.
I could go on about the eyes but this hopefully gives you a great idea as to how important the horses eyes are. Make it a habit to continually watch the horses eyes. Learn what he is thinking by learning his eyes.

About The Author

Andy Curry is a nationally known horse trainer and author of several best selling horse training and horse care books. For information visit his website at www.horsetrainingandtips.com. He is also the leading expert on Jesse Beerys horse training methods which can be seen at www.horsetrainingandtips.com/Jesse_Beerya.htm.

1. You bought a video camera
2. You want to shoot sports of your kid
3. Here is how to do it
What a wonderful age of technology we live in. You can buy the greatest gadgets now days to record video and music and play them in all sorts of ways on other great technology gadgets from computers, DVD

There are many different types of light bulbs. Each has its own uses and requirements. Some can save you some extra money because they are energy efficient. There are also many different brands. You can also often find discount light bulbs to save some money. Learning the differences will help you choose what is right for you.
If you are looking for something that is brighter and produces a more powerful light, halogen light bulbs are the way to go. Fluorescent light bulbs do not burn as hot as others and are more energy efficient. These last much longer then halogen. Full spectrum light bulbs are just regular light bulbs that produce white light. They are not the most energy efficient on the market. LED light bulbs are the small indicator lights often found on remote controls and other sensor operated electronics.
While each type of light bulb has its uses, they are often made by several manufactures. Many of them are well known brands. Some include GE Light Bulbs, Phillips Light Bulbs, and Sylvania Light Bulbs. You can often find discount light bulbs as well in many discount department stores. You can find most of these light bulbs in any department store.
Whenever you need to purchase a light bulb, check the product you are currently using or the manufactures guide to make sure you purchase the correct one. Many have different watts or powers and buying ones that are too powerful can burn your appliance out or not work properly. Some bulbs get very hot, therefore cannot be used with plastics or fabrics that could melt or catch fire. Also, handle these bulbs carefully as they can cause serious burns.
Research the light bulbs you will be using before using them. Know their safety standards. Also know what to expect from them energy wise. Many can cause high expenses if used wrong. Doing these simple things can keep you and your loved ones safe.

About The Author
Mike Yeager
Publisher

http://www.a1-lighting-4u.com/

mjy610@hotmail.com

Home Business allows you more time to do what you want.

Home Business gives you more freedom i.e. no more 9-5 job.

Because a Home Business is well.... at Home, you dont have to travel far to get there.

Just come down stairs in your pajamas and get to work right there and then. Its so convenient.

What is this article about

Basically this is about starting a Home Business, whats involved, what options there are, how much it can cost etc.

I have already described the advantages of having a Home Based Business, so now we will discuss what is involved in starting one up.

When you start working for yourself there are several things you must take into consideration.

How much can I afford to spend on advertising, materials and other costs, can I afford to lose the money I am going to put into this business, where will I get finance from And a million other things.

So I will break this down into many small chunks which will make it much easier to digest.

How much money will I need to start this up

That is entirely dependant upon you and your goals. You should only invest as much money as you can afford to lose, this way, if everything goes wrong you can still live without too much interference.

That aside you must think how much you are going to spend on advertising. To work this out, you should take all of your costs and assign them a percentage of your finance which you will put into them. For example, if you had $10,000 to start your Business, you could assign 10% to advertising depending on how much everything else costs.

In my opinion you should work out your initial costs first, like rent and materials for example.

Then you can take whats left over and assign it to whatever else you want to spend the money on afterwards.

How can I tell if I can afford to lose the money I invest in my Business

Very simply estimate the most that the business will cost you and assume that it wont make any money at all for a month, obviously this will be a big loss, but it will give you an idea of what COULD happen if your very unlucky.

If it looks like way more than you can afford to lose, then dont do it until you are more prepared. But please remember that in business, there is no reward without risk. So if you dont risk your money, then you wont be rewarded.

Do I need finance And Where can I get it from

Do you have enough personal savings to start the business you want to If you dont then you will need external financing.

The place where most people will get there initial financing is the bank. But there are other places and people as well.

Bank:

Mortgage for premises

Loan

Venture capitalists

Grants

And many more, but the above are the main ones.

Im sure you know what mortgages and loans are, but chances are, you dont know what a venture capitalist is.

A venture capitalist is someone who contributes financing to a business in exchange for part ownership of the firm. This is ideal if you are starting an expensive business which you might not be able to afford, but expect high profits from.

But be careful, when you give up part ownership you give up some profits.

About The Author

Stephen Warren is the creator and webmaster of http://www.marketershandbook.com, a completely free business and marketing resource which anyone may use.

freeserve.net@swarren30.fsnet.co.uk

When a family decides to finish a basement space, there are so many factors to consider it can seem overwhelming. What does your family want to achieve within the new basement Are you looking for a play area, a family room, a work-out room, home theatre, bedroom, bathroom, kitchen, wet bar, etc Do you have the square footage required to accomplish what you want How do you get started and how long will it take How much will it cost and is it worth the money What if there is a huge beam in the center of you basement Do you have to have a building permit Do you have to remove the items you currently have stored in your basement
If these questions make your head swim, try this approach: look for the right team of design/build consultants to navigate you through these waters.
People often know they want their basement finished, but dont know how to put it all together, whether they have the necessary space, or even how to get started. Specialty design/build consultants are able to assess your needs and, after accurate measurements are taken, will design various blueprints to fit your requests. From these drawings you can choose the ideas that best suit your requirements and come up with a final blueprint. With this final blueprint in hand, your designer/builders will be able to determine what the cost of the basement finish will be, and provide a start-to-finish timeline on when the project will draw to a close.
When determining whether finishing your basement is going to be a worthwhile investment you should consider several variables. Are there comparable homes in your area with finished basements How long do you intend to live there Will the homes there increase in value, and if so, how fast With a little bit of research you will be able to answer these questions, and decide if finishing your basement is right for you.
Sometimes a basement has restrictions that need to be considered during the design process. Such limitations can include steel columns or I-beams, HVAC trunks, underground plumbing, water meters, sump pumps, window wells, furnaces, water heaters, the height of your ceiling, and the existing floor conditions. Your design/build consultants should be focused on making these restrictions disappear into the architectural design of your basement while accomplishing your goal for the space.
Safety is an important factor to consider when construction of any kind takes place. Ensure all necessary building permits, applications for variances, and building code inspections are complete. All building and fire safety codes should be strictly followed, without exception.
In order for construction to begin all items in the basement must be moved to another location such as the garage or a temporary storage facility. This allows construction to be completed without damage to your valuables or disturbance to the construction team.
After thoughtful consideration of these questions, youll be closer to determining your familys basement needs and how to fulfill them. Gathering all the information upfront will help you achieve those goals.

About The Author

Patrick Condon is the President and founder of Finished Basement Company Inc. Headquartered in Denver, CO, Finished Basement Company is a design/build firm specializing in basement finish. While designing/building over 2000 basements, Mr. Condon has handled every conceivable aspect of basement finish. He can be reached at his web site: http://www.finishedbasement.com