Guest post by Michelle Strassburg co-founder of oak flooring sellers Wood and Beyond and a very busy mom herself.

The prospect of marketing your new business online can often look daunting at first. There are many online channels to market your business and some are more suitable for your precise product or service than others. The idea behind taking baby steps is to experiment with a particular channel, stick with it or move on to avoid disappointment. Here are couple of online marketing channels which are suitable for new businesses.

1. Register your business with Google Local – This free listing service from Google is very powerful for many businesses who depend on local web traffic such as a local electrician. When a user performs a search in Google together with a location keywords, the search engine will display results from its local listing next to all the normal results. It’s free and effective so register your business today.

2. Become an authoritative brand – This type of long term objective will transform your business from yet another brand to the leading brand, where users turn to and other businesses seek to copy. Although this post is titled ‘baby steps’ if you want to become an authority in your industry work starts from the day you go live. How you ask? start by offering something your competitors haven’t such as guides and tips. Consider turning your business into a hub of information and set the benchmark on the quality of your products or services.

3. Build a reward system from day one – Recommendations are a powerful tool which has the potential to grow your customer base without costing you a single penny. A rewards system which encourages recommendations is a type of loyalty program where customers are rewarded for referring others. By actively communicating its benefits and rewarding further referrals, new businesses are able to intelligently grow existing customer base.

4. Find another similar size business for joint marketing – Join marketing will give you the possibility to communicate your marketing messages to the customer base of a closely related site, and allow this site to do the same with your customer base. For example, you could look to exchange banners, exchange product promotions and even launch a competition together. To avoid disappointment look for another business which is similar in size and has closely related customer profile.

5. Harness the power of bigger sites – For most businesses the key is to reach as many customers as possible on the smallest budget possible. Side by side with having a functional website you should consider using the likes of eBay, Amazon and even Etsy to reach a broader audience. These sites already have huge numbers of quality web traffic and by harnessing their power you could grow your new business. Look for 3rd party sites which require low investment both financially and in terms of your time.

Last week was probably one of the longest weeks I’ve had in a long time. By the time Friday came around I was ready for it. After a long day, tons of traffic, I found a special box at my door step.

I’ll follow up with a review of this gorgeous bag soon! Happy Wordless Wednesday.

Mom Entrepreneur: Kimberly Reddington
Business: Cereus Women
Website: www.cereuswomen.com

Cereus Women offers resources and coaching to moms to help them turn their strengths, talents and dreams into a successful home based service business.

After studying the struggles and successes of many entrepreneurs, I created the 5 Step Moms in Business Success Formula, which I use to guide my clients down a successful and passionate business path. The Formula will help you jumpstart your business using your skills and talents and take the guesswork out of what to do next.

I place a strong emphasis on guiding moms to find and follow their passion and on the marketing of their business, since those are two of the most important areas of growing a business, yet also cause the most challenges and struggles.

I have been an entrepreneur and a mother since 1995 involved with 3 businesses, and I even sold Avon when I was in High School. I have always been an entrepreneur at heart, and I just love helping other women to achieve the same level of success in their life as I have experienced.

What inspired you to start your business?
I was looking for a career change. I thought a lot about my previous career and what I liked about it and what I felt it was lacking. I really felt I had no support system as a computer consultant working in a male-dominated field. I decided that I really wanted to work with women, moms, people like myself that I could relate to. I wanted to work with other moms who were juggling children and a business as I was.

I also felt that I wasn’t making a difference in the world with what I was doing. I wanted my work to make a difference to someone.

I decided that I wanted to be able to help other moms to live a lifestyle that I had been living for years. So many moms want to work from home so they can be there for their children, but they have no idea how to get started or what to do. I am here to help those moms figure it all out, learn the steps they need to take and to take action on those steps.

How long have you been in business?
I launched Cereus Women in Nov 2008; however I have been a mompreneur since 1995. Before Cereus Women I owned my own freelance computer consulting business. My clients were primarily startup businesses looking to provide a web application on the internet. I designed and developed the web applications.

What did you do in your past work life?
I did work in the corporate world for about 3 years and hated almost every minute of it. Since being an entrepreneur I have learned to love work and to feel energized by it.

I also am part owner of another business called Cardvio.com where I was a developer and marketer on the team.

Describe your ideal workday.
This has varied over the years as my children have grown. It also varies by the day. I do have set hours that I generaly work and set hours that I spend with my family. Setting hours does help everyone around me to know what to expect. However, I allow myself to have flexibility in my day. Things come up that are unexpected, and I allow my schedule to follow suit.

What have been some of your major successes?
I was able to thrive and have a wonderful business making six figures working part-time in a field where almost everyone else was working full time. I had to find ways to stay ahead without using up more of my time.

Being able to keep a successful business running while raising 3 children. I started as an entrepreneur when my first child was about 15 mths old.

What have been some of your major challenges?
Wow. So many challenges. Learning how to get clients. learning how to juggle all the many hats I wear. Learning what to say to clients when you need to change plans because you are putting your children first. Learning to put systems into place to allow me to get more work done in less time.

At one point in my life I was overwhelmed with everything I needed to do, I felt like I was drowning. I needed to find a way to pull myself afloat. I needed to learn how to remove things from my plate that were already there without making anyone upset or angry. I learned what my tipping point was and no longer let myself get to that point of overwhelm.

On those impossible days, what motivates you to keep going?
My love for my business. My love of being my own boss and setting my own rules. My family depends on my income and there’s no way I will work for someone else. I love being able to help other moms feel the same way about their life and their business. I love the feeling when I’m working with a client and things just start to click for them. They start to find clarity and can figure out what to do next. It’s a great feeling to know that I was a part of helping them to get there.

If there was one piece of advice you could give your children about running a successful business, what would it be?
Follow your passion, build the business using your strengths and learn how to make a difference in the world. It’s not about the money; it’s all about what you are doing for those you are helping.

What is your balancing secret in managing a business and family?
I could talk about this forever. The main thing I would mention is that you need to set your priorites. Follow the priorities that you set and don’t let lower priorities eat up all your time.

You need to create a to do list. Follow the list. It will help you to stay focused. If something unpredictable happens, let it happen. Don’t let it stress you out. Adjust your priorities as required. We are only human and we are mothers, remember that it’s important to take time to heal and regroup when you need to and always put your family first.

Do you have a favorite business tool and/or resource?
The Mom Entrepreneur Support group is my absolute favorite forum on the internet. This group is very supportive and active and is full of people of various stages in their business. Some are more successful than I am, and some are just starting, and others are all in between.

What is next for your business?
My goal is to help as many moms as possible reach their lifestyle dreams. Starting a home based business is a journey, and I want to share in those journeys.

Your two cents sales pitch?
I strongly believe that passion is the foundation to any successful business. Passion is like the metal structure holding up a building. If you forget to put that in, the building, or your business, will collapse.

But, it’s not enough to just find your passion. You must build your entire business around your passion, your skills, your unique talents and your goals and dreams. Your business is a reflection of yourself, and only if you are following who you really are can you be a success. Your passions and talents must be reflected at each stage of building your business.

From starting with your business idea,
to your niche and unique message that you are telling to your special target audience,
to the offerings that you provide to your clients,
to the methods and models that you use to market your business.

What makes up YOU, should be the focal point of all that encompasses your business.

I have been both a mom and an entrepreneur since 1995. It has worked great for me, my family and my family’s finances. I learned how to do it all by learning the right knowledge, finding the right tools, and taking the proper action. I have learned through trial and error over the years about what works and what doesn’t work. What works for my family and what doesn’t work. I have read and re-read many books and listened to many entrepreneurs talk about their successes and failures. Let me share with you everything that I know, so that you are able to jumpstart your business and take years off of your learning curve and possible avoid many of the failures that I experienced throughout my own journey.

Discover “4 Lifesaving Keys to a Successful Service Business for Mothers” by visiting http://www.cereuswomen.com/freereport.html

Are you a bizzie mom entrepreneur? Would you like to be featured and show off your product or service. Fill out our mom entrepreneur questionnaire and email 411 at bizziemommy dot com any images you would like to use in your post. Interviews are posted every Tuesday.

It’s almost sad to say most of my day is spent on the computer, but I guess that’s what happens when your businesses are online. But everyone uses a computer for different reasons, some people spend most of their time networking on Facebook, some like to read the news, and others may just want to watch the latest movies.

How do you use your computer. Take the poll on LifetimeMoms.com and enter to win $100.

Vote, Comment and Win! Take Our Digital Poll Presented by HP

My plan was to get this shot today, however my son started running a fever last night and wasn’t really up to jumping around and my daughter was busy with one of her friends. So I never really got my chance to get the kids jumping. I was lucky enough to find a shot taken of Bizzie Princess last year in November.

*** UPDATED
Bizzie Boy was feeling a little better today so I thought I would try the jump shot just for fun. I have to say the lens make a HUGE difference, these two shots are sharp even when the kids are in motion. I’m loving my Sigma 30mm 1.4 lens.

In the beginning I signed up for every affiliate program under the sun. If someone sent it to me I signed up, but for some reason I never made it past that point. After working through my goals and direction for BizzieMommy.com I realized it would benefit me to select affiliate programs that related to the topics that I discussed. So I decided to do a reorganization of my affiliate marketing plan.

There are a few things I didn’t like about affiliate marketing.

1. I’m not a huge fan of banner ads. I don’t like them, they clutter up your site and they aren’t all that affective.
2. I was not interested in marketing product/services that didn’t relate to my interests, which eliminated many of the programs I initially set up.

So now that I’ve narrowed my focus of my blog, it was time to start getting serious. So I turned to Google and found a great article on Blogtrepreneur.com.

5 Tips for Adding Affiliate Links without Trashing Your Site

1. Keep in relevant – Your affiliate ads should enhance, not detract from your site.
2. Play favorites – Capitalize on a recommendation you would make anyway
3. Consider your audience – You have an idea of what your audience is looking for use it.
4. Less is more – avoid cluttering your site with too many ads.
5. Play the numbers – Check out the programs performance and rates.

Previously in Adventures in Affiliate Marketing

adventures in affiliate marketing – introductions

Next in Adventures in Affiliate Marketing

Adventures in affiliate marketing – Banner Ads

How do I inspire others? If you asked me this a few years ago, I don’t think I would have an answer for you? I never really set out to inspire others; I think it just happened by accident. I still don’t even feel comfortable wearing the title.

I think the first time I noticed that I was making a difference was when I ran into one of my blogging friends at an event, she said I inspired her and every time she complained about not having enough time she thought of all that I was doing. It was subtle and I actually brushed it off. Not her compliment but the first sign that I had inspired someone.

The second time was last year at BlogHer when people actually recognized me and told me they read my blog. I left the conference feeling a little bit more confident about what I was trying to do.

My goal as a writer is to not only encourage myself to continue down the path of entrepreneurship but to encourage other moms to do so as well. I write about the latest gadgets and tools for entrepreneurs, I conduct interviews on other entrepreneurs and share tips and advice that I’ve learned along the way.

Through my blog I discovered that I love writing and my goal is to encourage all moms who ever considered starting a business to just step out there and give it a try.

So where is all of this coming from, you ask?

Well www.iheartfaces.com is hosting a giveaway for one lucky photographer to win a spot at Amy Wenzel’s photography workshop and I’m stepping out on a limb and nominating myself for the spot. As I’m sure many of you know, photography has been monopolizing my blog a little bit as I have become completely engrossed in the craft. I have rediscovered a passion that was bottled up for several years and hope to expand my knowledge and grow. Do I want to venture into the business, I’m not sure yet, but I do want to learn all I can.

Last year I entered the Soar Scholarship with Mera Koh but kept it a secret from everyone and didn’t really have the time or energy to present the video that I really wanted. Last week another opportunity became available; Mera Koh was giving away a spot in her “Mom Running on Empty Confidence Workshop” in Orange County. Perfect right, only thing I suck at is talking about myself so I hinted to a few people, just in case they felt obliged. To my surprise they both nominated me.  Unfortunately something went wrong and neither of their submissions appeared on the blog. Another missed opportunity.

My sister sent me what she wrote and her words encouraged me to try again and enter this opportunity. I would include them here but it would put me over the word count!

Last year, I borrowed some money from my Dad and bought my first DSLR and really I haven’t put it down. It even sits by my bedside when I go to sleep. I think about what I can take pictures of next, I plan outings just for a photo ops with the kids.

Here are some recent shots…

So here am I am making another attempt, taking another leap of faith.  I’m not sure how I will get there coming from California but I’ll figure out something. This year for me is all about taking chances and following my dreams and passions. Without regrets.

How do I inspire others?

By following my dreams and passions and pushing through the tallest and thickest brick walls.

Thanks for the consideration.

Who knew laptops could be this stylish? Oh how I heart the HP Mini 210 Vivienne Tam Edition, it just screams style. It screams so loudly that I think I would have to invest in an entirely new wardrobe just to walk around with it. A new wardrobe and a new laptop who wouldn’t want that?

Starting at just 2.6 pounds and less than 1-inch thin, this mini laptop will easily fit into a purse or bag, which is perfect for work at home moms/ mom entrepreneurs. Get some work done during a play date, at the park, or why waiting in the car for your kids to get out of school.

The HP Mini 210 Vivienne Tam Edition will be available March 19th and starts at $599. You can purchase your Mini at www.hp.com/viviennetam or other retailers including Amazon.com or Best Buy.

Mom Entrepreneur: Rebecca Buscemi
Business: The Savvy Women’s Business Solution
Website: TSW-BusinessSolution.com

The Savvy Women’s Business Solution is dedicated to all things social media related to mom entrepreneurs and women in business. With my assistance, I help professional women:

• create clear cut social media strategies,
• understand how to create a personable, yet professional appearance across all social media platforms,
• help find ways to automate and streamline a personalized daily social media strategy,
• and so much more!

I provide a partnership, providing not only social media support, but administrative support, marketing ideas and focus for your business. All of these solutions are provided for you so you can focus less on your business and more on your family and your life!

What inspired you to start your business?
I started Creative Virtual Office when I was on bed rest with my second child. Finances were not good and I knew that it wouldn’t be long before my husband told me that I was going to have to go back to work after the baby was born. I knew there was no way I was going to let this happen so I decided to find some way to make money from home without leaving the house.

I started looking for freelance or virtual administration work. I got hired for a few jobs and realized that I could create a business around this if I wanted to. And Creative Virtual Office was born. After a year into my business assisting business professionals and other small businesses I discovered that I had an ideal client and I wanted to start building my business with just them in mind and my new business slowly started to take shape.

How long have you been in business?
I launched The Savvy Women’s Business Solution this month! My previous business Creative Virtual Office (http://www.creativevirtualoffice.net) has been in business since July 2008. I decided to re-vamp my business because I wanted a business, a website and a mission that spoke to my ideal clients – mom entrepreneurs.

What did you do in your past work life?
I have a Bachelors in Early Childhood Administration and will be working on my Masters in Internet Marketing this spring. In my past life I was an educator in various settings; children centers, head starts and my final job that I left after the birth of my son was a Pediatric Rehabilitation Hospital where I was the Therapy Center Specialist.

Describe your ideal workday.
I roll over in bed and check my emails on my iPod. This helps me get a head start on all of the emails that may need attention right away and the ones that I can delete right away. Depending on the day everything is different. Two days a week the kids are in daycare so on those days, I pack them off to go to daycare. These are days that are strictly client and business work days. Two other days of the week I have a babysitter that comes out and watches the kids for three hours. But if it’s a day without a babysitter or during the times that she is not here, I try not to do any client work.

What have been some of your major successes?
I have worked with so many mom entrepreneurs that I consider “famous” in the arena of mom entrepreneurs. Just this past weekend I was hired by two companies to be a Social Media professional speaker.

What have been some of your major challenges?
Learning to stick with my schedule. Believe it or not, I love working! But I never want my kids to think that I love my work more then them. So if they are not in daycare or the babysitter is not here, I try my hardest to give them my undivided attention. It was also really hard to to find a babysitter that was a perfect fit for my family, but after searching, I found her and she has been a great fit for our family.

On those impossible days, what motivates you to keep going?
Not going back to a job outside of the house!

Do you have a motivational quote?
I have so many! I try to post them on my fan page as I come across them. Here are three of my favorites…

“When we give cheerfully and accept gratefully, everyone is blessed.” ~

Maya Angelou

“Dream lofty dreams, and as you dream, so shall you become.”

-James Allen

“Faith is building on what you know is here so you can reach what you know is there”

-Cullen Hightower

What is your balancing secret in managing a business and family?
No longer being afraid to ask from help. I never knew that so many people were waiting for me to ask for help until I asked! It was so liberating!

If there was one piece of advice you could give your children about running a successful business, what would it be?
Do plenty of research before you jump in. It’s more work to re-brand and re-build an old business then to start a new one from scratch that is well researched and is built from your passions.

Do you have a favorite business tool and/or resource?
I love the support of The Mom Entrepreneur Support Group. They have been there though all of my ups and downs and I appreciate them so much! I also love socialoomph.com. I use this service to automate my business related tweets and fan page posts. That way, I can focus on the fun and personal part of social networking!

What is next for your business?
I am diving head first into professional speaking about Social Media! This is a very exciting time in my life and I am so happy. I am also growing my business across many venues on the Internet. I am creating and re-purposing a lot of what I speak about and what I do for my clients through the use of YouTube, blogging, SlideShare and other places. You never know where I might pop up!

Your two cents sales pitch?
The Savvy Women’s Business Solution creates a partnership, providing not only social media support, but administrative support, marketing ideas and focus for your business. All of these solutions are provided for you so you can focus less on your business and more on your family and your life!

Are you a bizzie mom entrepreneur? Would you like to be featured and show off your product or service. Fill out our mom entrepreneur questionnaire and email 411 at bizziemommy dot com any images you would like to use in your post. Interviews are posted every Tuesday.