Here are four tactics to help entrepreneur moms achieve that:

Be consistent. People generally like to know what to expect, particularly when it comes to frequency of blog posts. If you commit to posting every day, then find a way to make it happen even with the busy schedules that entrepreneur moms have to juggle.

People create habits around their blog reading and if you’re not there for a couple days with a new post, you could lose readers – they get out of the habit of reading your posts.

Stay Focused. Your blog is presumably about a niche topic, it’s important to stay on topic. It’s easy to want to expand your ideas, particularly when you’re running out of ideas to write on. Stay on topic and you’ll keep your readers coming back because they’ll consistently find information that they like and can use. Your expertise will shine through in what you’re presenting to them. And if you use content that is keyword rich, search engines will direct traffic to your blog.

Acknowledge comments and facilitate a discussion. One of the most rewarding aspects of owning a blog is when you’re able to create a meaningful discussion with your readers. This discussion starts with intriguing posts, comments you acknowledge with a thank you and a question. This gets the ball rolling. If you’re struggling with this just ask your readers questions. Their feedback will give you new ideas to write on as well as build those relationships that you want in your community because you’ll know what’s on their minds.

Keep it interesting. Eye-catching blog post titles pull them in and interesting content will keep them reading. Find your voice and be funny, be provocative, be controversial, be valuable, be something and do it well. Remember to be of service to your community and they’ll value what you have to share.

Building a loyal blog following is the key to generating profits and creating a name for yourself as an expert in your industry. To learn more about how entrepreneurs can capture the attention of your audience and to keep them hooked checkout my free video: 7 Mistakes Most Common Blogging Mistakes and How to Avoid Them.

Entrepreneurs want to be of service to their community, but at the same time you need to be generating an income.  Have you considered getting some money rolling in quickly by creating an information product? Are you thinking about creating one of your own? How can you tell if your information product will truly appeal to your community and generate revenue?

Here’s a checklist of 6 things you need to ask yourself BEFORE creating your own information product:

Is your product excellent?

People become loyal, repeat customers if they like your product.  However, if they’re not happy, they won’t buy from you again, and they’ll discourage their network from doing so. Selling an inferior product may make you money in the short-term, but it will damage your online reputation and lose you customers in the long run.

Do people need it?  Is there enough demand?

You can have a superb quality product, but if there is no demand you still won’t make any sales.  If you can create a product that people really need, your sales effort will be much easier.

How will it generate sales?

Rather than selling a one-time information product, design one that is suitable for follow-up products and updates that you can offer to your existing customers for a reduced rate.  If the original product is of a high enough quality and really benefits your customers, they are almost guaranteed to buy the follow up product.

Does it look like a professional product?

Presentation is at least as important as content in establishing the credibility of your product, if not more so.  A great logo, clear graphics and a professional high impact front cover will all help to increase your sales and gain the loyalty of your customers.   A few well-chosen pictures can really lift your product and make it look more professional.  Photographs are available for reasonable prices from various image sites on the web.

Did you follow legal requirements?

Entrepreneurs want to avoid infringing copyright or trademark laws when creating an information product.  Online software is available to check your content for plagiarism, and your title and logo for trademark violations.  This will save you a lot of hassle and expense further down the line.

What can make your product stand out as different?

Including personal anecdotes and stories, if appropriate, can add a human-interest element that makes it easier to read or listen to your product.  You may also want to add a list of resources in your product – organizations, websites and other online resources that might be useful to your customers – that can really enhance its perceived value.

Here are some potential outsourcing mistakes every online business owner should be aware of so you can avoid making them:

Interview Thoroughly

Most business owners who outsource will tell you the biggest benefit of doing so is the fact that their assistants work remotely. The number one problem when it comes to outsourcing, though, is not thoroughly checking out the contractor or company who will be performing the work. Keep in mind that sometimes this independence can work in the opposite direction if not taken seriously. Make it a point to carefully interview the people you are considering working with before assigning a task or project to them. The person or company should be someone you can trust to represent your business.

Budget Wisely

In order for outsourcing to work properly, you’ll need to keep track of what you are spending for the work being done. While some projects will require single payments to your assistant, others may involve recurring or retainer payments and you will more than likely have some type of contract or agreement that binds you. Some of your assistants may charge by the hour while others may invoice by project or expect payment based on a commission of some sort. Take the time to figure out how much money you can afford to spend on certain tasks and budget appropriately.

Utilize Your Contractors & All Their Resources

When you choose to outsource certain tasks, make certain you are using your assistant to their fullest capabilities and not just outsourcing for the sake of outsourcing or splitting up work between two assistants when it makes more sense to have one handle both jobs. Sometimes you can find freelancers who are willing to work on a recurring basis or who will complete larger projects at a reduced rate in order to get and keep your business. Don’t be afraid to ask potential contractors if they have room for more than just one or two jobs.

Making yourself aware of possible problems that can occur in the outsourcing relationship can prevent problems down the road. Coming up, I’ll share some ideas on how to properly communicate with those you outsource to.

For more great information on creating your outsourcing dream team, check out Outsource Weekly.

When you started your business, was your goal to provide a great product or service to our community? That was certainly my goal.  But, who knew there would be so many technical tasks involved in running an online business? Maybe you’re not comfortable doing all of them or maybe you just don’t know how to do all of them.

A few other tasks to consider outsourcing are:

Website Design

If you are running an online business, you need to put as much time and effort into your website as you would a brick and mortar store. Getting an attractive, easy-to-use website takes skill. This is something that is well worth the money spent. When left in the hands of an expert, you’ll be able to trust that your website design is attractive and easy to navigate, which is always a plus for converting visitors into buyers.

Search Engine Optimization

As a website owner, you want organic traffic to come to your site. That is those people that don’t know you but are drawn to you because of your content. There is a whole behind-the-scenes world of Google analytics, algorithms and keywords that allows that to happen. And,  that world is constantly changing. Optimizing your site for the search engines is one key to generating additional website traffic. In order to rank high for your keywords and phrases, hiring a search engine optimization expert can increase the traffic to your website and open what you do up to a new market of people.

Customer Support

Our customers are the reason we’re in business, and it’s imperative that they’re treated well. This goes for both those that are paying and those that are prospective customers. When you’re selling a product or service it’s likely that there will be questions to answer or payment issues to deal with. Having a third party support you with this task will make the most out of your time and ensure that your customers get the most out of their products.

As you put together your team of one or your team of many, I’ll be sharing some of the mistakes you can avoid making.

Because online business calls for a wide variety of skills and talents, it only makes sense that no one person can or should tackle them all on their own. There are several tasks that can easily and, more importantly, beneficially be outsourced elsewhere.

Here are just two of them (I’ll be sharing more later on):

Writing

For many people, writing is not a strong point in their business. Therefore, putting well written, action-provoking content on their website is a difficult task. However, this is NOT an area to be skimped on when it comes to online business. The content you share on your website affects how people view you and what you do as well as your search engine rankings. Neglected copy will affect your bottom line. If you find it difficult to get the results you want with your writing, consider hiring a copywriter. There are many freelancers who can help you create the content you want, so you can generate more sales.

Blogging

If you’ve been online for any amount of time, you already know that Web 2.0 and all that goes with it are important parts of your business. One way to add value to your business is to create a blog. You can easily find a qualified contractor to help you update your blog and provide ghostwritten blog posts for you. Blogs are a great way to keep in touch with customers, clients and others interested in your business. Outsourcing your blog tasks will keep you from overextending yourself.

Outsourcing can help any business to be more successful. Put the work in the hands of the experts and you can focus on the things that you enjoy and come easier to you.

Here are some areas of concern:

Communication between Owner and Assistant

Whether you are outsourcing tech support, writing, web design or something else, there is a great deal of effort needed in order to keep the lines of communication open. If you allow your workers to do work for you without communicating your goals and what it is that you need, you will find that the work will not be done as you’d hoped. Everyone will be frustrated.

Assistants are not mind-readers and do need guidance. Take some time to make sure that you and your team clearly understand your expectations. Give them plenty of examples so that they can do the work in a manner that reflects your style, personality and work ethic. This is an important part of making sure that you get what you need.

Understanding Your Role as the Outsourcer

As the one doing the outsourcing, you need to understand your role. In order for the relationship between business owner and assistant to flourish, you’ll want to keep the lines of communication not only open, but clear as well. Be detailed in what you expect from your help. Also keep in mind that you are probably not their only client and as much as you would love to have them all to yourself, that probably isn’t the case. Be respectful of their time and give feedback on their work. This will help them do a better job and respect your time in return.

Outsourcing is vital for the growth of your business. To “get it done” you really need to learn how to reach out to people with the right resources. Did you know that Tapping into Your Resourcefulness and the Power of Delegation is Step 3 of my Ready Set Resultz System? Watch this video where I explain why knowing WHAT needs to be done, is more important than HOW to get it done.

But if you want your business to grow, if you want to build relationships that lead to customers who love and buy what you have to offer, and if you want to start generating the revenue that you’ve always dreamed of then the answer is yes – you do need a blog.

A blog is uniquely able to do these things for your business:

• Connect with your readers
• Optimize your website
• Profit from affiliate or ad sales
• Embrace personality marketing
• Establish yourself as an expert
• Increase awareness and exposure
• Educate, inform, and provide value to your target audience

In fact a blog can be used quite easily instead of a website. WordPress blog templates can be made to look like a ‘regular’ website with static pages, forms, advertising, and a customizable header and so on. An entrepreneur can get a blog up and running easily in just one day with Wordpress.

And because blogs are so much easier to use, they’re often the best option for someone who’s a new entrepreneur. That being said, experienced entrepreneurs also use blogs as their main website because the search engines love them. I love the way that my blog so easily connects me with my community. It’s what’s helped me to grow my business so much faster and larger than I had envisioned.

So do you need a blog?  No, not really. Will a blog help you grow your business faster?  Most definitely. Download my brand new free video, “7 Most Common Blogging Mistakes and How to Avoid Them” to get a jump ahead in the game. It’s always best to learn from others mistakes and I’m happy to spare you from some I’ve made.

Let me share a few simple rules:

1.    Naming for success.  How to choose your blog domain name.

If you can choose a separate URL for your blog.  The domain name should include the primary keyword you want to optimize your blog to.  If you can’t get your keyword in a domain name, you can include it in a sub domain.

==============================================

Example:

Keyword = babynames

Main Domain – www.babynames.com

Sub Domain – www.parenting.com/babynames

==============================================

2.    Navigating for success.

Make your blog easy to navigate.  Set your blog up so that it is easy for search engine spiders to navigate.  Your navigation bar should be displayed on all pages, and your archives and previous posts should be accessible from each page so that the spiders can read them easily.

3.    Tagging for success.

Optimize your post titles and blog header tags.  Using your primary key phrase in your blog header tags and post titles will increase your search engine ranking for that keyword.  Your blogging software will take the keyword in your posts titles and use them in the permalink posts it creates. As an example, I am speaking about optimizing your blog for the search engines in this post so I have incorporated those words into my title and this is my permalink: http://metromom.com/MetromomBlog/2010/08/20/how-to-optimize-your-blog-for-the-search-engines/

4.    Keywords for success.

The key to getting your business found is to know exactly what your customers search for, and that means doing keyword research. Keywords are simply the words or phrases a customer types into Google or another search engine to find the service or product they need. Knowing what these words and phrases are and using them appropriately in your online content is the trick to getting your site in front of more potential customers.

Include keywords in anchor text of links.  What this means in layman’s terms is to hyperlink your keywords or keyword phrases to other related content making for a richer content experience for the reader. Keywords in links have more impact on your search engine ranking than keywords in simple text.  For example if I say “it’s helpful to be of service” that’s not as impactful as if I hyperlink “it’s helpful to be of service” to another article. Try to include both primary and secondary keywords in your links to other blog posts or pages of your main site.

5.    SEO for success.

Include secondary keywords in the content of your posts.  You don’t want to overdo the secondary keywords in your blog posts as they will sound forced to your readers.  However, using secondary keywords where appropriate throughout your posts, including titles, will increase your search engine ranking.

6.    Update for success.

Adding new content on a regular basis will ensure frequent visits form search engine spiders and increase your search engine ranking. I recommend committing to posting at least 3 times per week. This not only improves your search engine ranking but allows you to develop a presence for your community.

7.    Consistency for success.

Keep the same domain.  Once you have set up a blog you should keep the same domain and host where possible.  You might lose your search engine ranking, traffic and customers if you move around too often.

8.    Submit and link for success.

Get links from other websites.  Encouraging other sites to link to your blog will do wonders for your search engine ranking.  The best way to do this is to submit your blog to search engines and directories.

Much of what I learned was from my amazing search engine specialist, Ty Downing. If you know of other suggestions, please share them here so we can all benefit from your knowledge.

If you’re ready to use your blog as profitable marketing tool check out Blogging ABCs (Attract, Build, Connect). In this product  I breakdown all the steps to creating a blog  so you can create a loyal following of a targeted market who love you and are ready to BUY!

Outsourcing benefits your business in two very important ways:

It Makes Expansion Possible

When you outsource, you are in a place to get more involved in the parts of your business that bring you joy and money. Outsourcing frees you up to learn more as well as try new things with your business. If you’re like me you have tons of ideas to get out to your clients but just don’t have the time for all of them. Outsourcing gives you the space to get done what matters to you.

It Provides Accountability, Keeping You on Track

When you outsource, you have a commitment with the person you’re working with. By having someone else who is depending on work from you, you are more apt to stay ahead of the game by planning better and making sure that you’re tasks are getting completed as well.

When you first begin implementing outsourcing techniques within your business, you’ll find out those boring or repetitive tasks can easily be handed off to someone who enjoys doing them. This will allow you, as the business owner, to free up more time to concentrate on more important aspects of your business such as product creation, advertising, networking and other marketing so you can profitably growing your business.

Have you heard about the Tina Forsyth’s Thrive Hiring system? She’s committed to giving business owners the tools and connections to get their projects done.

Which specific tasks do you wish you could get off your plate?

One of the biggest reasons that entrepreneurs don’t get done all they want, is that they feel they have to do everything themselves in order for things to go smoothly in their business. This couldn’t be farther from the truth! Outsourcing can save you time and make you money.

Here are 3 ways outsourcing can help your business grow.

1. It allows for better use of your valuable time

When you own an online business, one of the most important things to remember is how much your time is really worth. When you think about the dull or repetitive tasks that you are doing, you’ll find this work is not worth your high per hour price tag! When you outsource, you’ll pay someone else to take care of those responsibilities, which frees you up for the more important revenue generating projects.

2. It saves your resources

Think about everything that goes into the tasks that you would outsource. Not only is it your time, but there’s the cost of  internet and software. After awhile all of these costs add up. For instance, if you were to purchase graphics software(and teach yourself to do what a graphic designer can do) that can get quite expensive. When you outsource, you get someone who specializes in areas of your business that you don’t know how to do or have no desire to learn. More than likely these people already have the tools needed to complete their assignment. Depending on the project, this might save you money and learning time.

3. It connects you with the experts

The tasks you are outsourcing might be ones that you have no desire to learn about, whether they are troubleshooting, manufacturing, taking orders, website design and maintenance, or something else. By handing the work over to an expert who enjoys and makes it their business to know the latest details, you’ll be able to take advantage of their knowledge in the area without having to learn it yourself. Their expertise will save you time and also will give your customers or clients more than you could possibly give them yourself.

Are you tired of doing it all yourself and do you feel like a slave to your online business? (I know I have when I don’t have the right people in place) Check out a great resource I discovered called Outsourcing Weekly, I love this step-by-step guide to outsourcing. Stay tuned this week, I’ll be sharing some more info about outsourcing.