Are you considering working from home. I have been self-teaching myself what it takes for over 5 years. Learn from my mistakes so you don't have to make them yourself. Tips include, web marketing online, customer service, balancing time, family and more.

1. Remember the importance of a schedule and staying focused. Keeping on task is difficult when working online.

2. Schedule promotions.

3. Plan and make a task schedule for project ideas.

4. Schedule purchases -- (don't buy on impulse, the offer will still be there in a day or so!)

5. Schedule time -- (remember to schedule time for family members as well :o) schedule breaks from the computer -- (not just physical breaks, take your mind of your business and have some fun, you'll be more fresh and productive when you go back to work!)

6. The importance and value of keeping good records:

----Financial

----Promotional

----Backing Up Files

----Affiliate Information

----Passwords Contacts

7. Don't try and run an online business with AOL. I personally have nothing against AOL It is a great service for the computer illiterate newbie. However, once you get the basics down, you can be much more productive with a different ISP. AOL does not allow you to filter email the way it needs to be filtered. When I was doing my business through AOL, I sometimes would be dealing with over 500 emails a day. No way to send them to different folders as in Outlook Express, Eudora or many other email programs.

Unless they have drastically changed things in the newest version, it is one of the few that doesn't work with third party email programs. This just leads to wasted time and frustration.Speaking of wasted time.

8. Get a DSL hook up.The extra cost is worth it in the matter of time saved. Instantaneous downloads.

Web pages that come in as fast as the click of a mouse.It means more productive time spent on the computer. More productivity means more money.

Learn what a great tool Yahoo can be. I have read good comments and bad, about Yahoo. All I know is from my own experience. When I first started online, I exchanged a review for a copy of FrontPage 2002.

7. Take the time to learn how to use E-bay. Even if your plan doesn't entail becoming a powerseller, by putting up a few auctions, you can direct traffic to your site and increase sales. You can learn everything you need and more from the ebook offered at this site:Best Ebay resource I have Read you can find here: http://lauriemeade.com/ss

I had wanted to learn Ebay but kept putting it off. To many other things to do. Because of a planned move, I started researching the ebooks I had about how to go about putting up an auction.

8. Don't be afraid to do a press release. I had read many articles about how they could bring you big traffic. I also read how difficult they were to get read. I worried about too much publicity, invading my privacy.

I researched and studied how to do it, and took the plunge. It worked. The very first time. I got my press released published at PRWeb.com

9. Write it down when you think about it. Too often, I have written an article in my mind. Then it never seems to make it to paper. Being a single mom of three, I am busy. I have found by talking into a digital recorder or tape recorder, I can be more productive. Use that waiting time. This article was generated in my mind while waiting at a bus stop with my almost 2 year old. (He was strapped safely in his stroller with a snack, of course :o)

This article promised 8 tips--- I gave you 11. Below are my bonus tips.

10. Always give more than you promise. Everyone loves freebies. Put something for free on your site. It will generate more traffic. Then incorporate that freebie to generate sales. Writing articles is a great way to do this.

11. Promote free articles. After you have written several on the same topic, you can create a free ebook. Offer it as a tool for webmasters to customize and give away for free. You can offer this customization for free or charge a fee for it. Put affiliate links in your ebook articles to promote backend sales.

If I had known all these things 6 months ago, my business would be bringing in more sales everyday. Learn from my mistakes so you can profit faster.

About The Author Laurie Meade has experience has an Online Ezine Editor. She was Editor in Journalism in college, with an Associate of Arts Degree. Currently she is a WAHMhttp://www.lauriemeade.com Check out her Blog for more great info and follow the progress she makes toward her dreams.http://lauriemeade.blogspot.com Subscribe to her ezine by sending a blank email to: mailto:subscribe@lauriemeade.com'subject=TRAeza