That’s when we started the Featured Home Business Page on WAHI. There were quite a few small business owners that took advantage of the (limited) exposure to their endeavours to highlight their business and let people know what they were all about.

That was a little over three years ago and although it never really ended, there has not been anyone else added since September 2008. I think it may be time to remedy that, but I’ll leave it up to you.

You can see the original introduction post here or just take a gander at the Featured Home Business page to get an idea of what it’s all about.

Let me know what you think because I am really thinking about kickstarting this at the beginning of April.

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Cataluña Designs by Brooke and Angie!

My friend (Angie) and I are making unique hair pieces and jewelry for little girls.  We have a web site up and a store at www.etsy.com.  (www.etsy.com/shop/catalunadesigns) The whole thing is very exciting and we are having a great time.  We have told all of our friends and relatives and we are headed to our first networking event on Wednesday.  I just can’t believe it!

At this time orders are great – but so are referrals and honest feedback.

We have been thinking about different ways to market our site – and so far we are thinking internet.  Etsy.com, Ebay, Craig’s List, Amazon, Linked In…what else?  Are these good ideas?  Should we do them all?  Should we start a blog?  Personally I am thinking networking is the best way – but we REALLY want some opinions (be nice) about this.

Thanks for your time and help!  Wish us luck!

Brooke has been a part of the WAHI family since March 2009 writing articles for the WAHM Wisdom section. She has had her own business since 1997, – Cataluña – web sites redesigned from scratch. She also creates web sites, e-newsletters, blogs, e-commerce sites etc. as well as print collateral including logos.

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So, let me introduce Debra Shapira, Mom and Graphic Designer. Here is her story…

Empowerment isn’t what you thought it was.

Being a product of the 1970’s, my career choice was clear, “Whatever I want to be”. Nothing could stop me but myself. Skin color, religion and gender were no longer issues. (Thank you feminists, Martin Luther King, and others that battled for those equalities.)
Feminists fought hard for the rights of every woman to be equal to a man in the work place, meaning working like a man. In hi-tech, and many other corporate companies, that means a 10 or more hour day, starting as early as 8:00am and finishing as late as 10:00pm. And like most, I was frequently at the office working, when I should have been in bed.

It wasn’t long until I decided the New York City life wasn’t for me. Being a designer, NY technically was ideal for my career. But I wanted a place where work wasn’t the only thing of importance in my life. I wanted a career, but was also getting the urge to settle down. There had to be a place where there was a balance.

At the age of 27 I moved overseas to Israel. Israel’s founding fathers were socialists. They believed in working hard, but not living for work. Quality of life and importance of family was crucial to them, and therefore put family priority into law.

Work days are legally eight hours, and any work over that time should be paid as over time. Women are given 3 month maternity leave and 75% of their salary. When maternity leave ends, women return to work with a seven month shortened work day of seven hours. The first year the returning mother is given double sick days, so she can tend to her baby during that critical time when babies are developing their immunity. If a woman returns to work after giving birth, and within eight months finds continuing her prior position is not working out, she can quit and receive all the benefits of unemployment and compensation.

Upon arrival, I was immensely impressed with the Israeli approach to family in general. Everyone seemed to live close to mom and dad. Brothers, sisters, and parents call each other at least twice a week, if not more. It’s normal to have dinner with your family on the weekends. There was no question, family values preceded work here.

I found employment immediately at a mid-sized hi-tech company designing websites. At this job, and all others I have held in Israel, there were never disagreements about leaving early or missing work for weddings, births, deaths or holiday preparations. People are very supportive, even though these events happen frequently. Despite working 10 hours or more per day, it was clear to me that Israeli companies would be supportive and flexible once I started a family.

The laws are laws, but reality is another story. For one, hi-tech companies avoid paying over time by contracting employees under a “global salary”. No matter how much you work, same pay. Employers don’t hide the fact that you’ll work more hours, not less.

When it comes to babies, a a mother you find you miss work and/or leave early about once a week. This is why many Israelis live down the street from their parents, cheap reliable assistance. But what if you don’t have Grandma around? It isn’t long before your employer starts getting frustrated from the absences. Many mothers fill in hours by working from home and at night, that is if you have a lenient boss and position. I found other mothers have a spouse with a very flexible work schedule. Last option is paying for a nanny when no one else can help, if you have the money.

Unfortunately for me, I did not have any of these options. After three months back at work, I was cursing my new role as a mother because it was ruining my career. I went online to find out why “everyone” seemed to get back to work, except me. It was then that I discovered that 30% of all new mothers stop working, or change their career within the first year. None of those 1970’s feminists had prepared me for that!

It became clear to me that any salary position would have the same kinds of time requirements. The only way to take care of my child and make my boss happy was to be the boss. My husband and I put together a plan, and a target date. Within a year, I was going to freelance from home. I could still put in my 10 hour days, but around my child’s needs.

It was a difficult decision, and a scary one at that. We understood that it would take approximately a full year until I’d make enough money. But being therefore my child was worth having a few less items in our closet.

About four months after I started freelancing, we visited my family in New York. My sister is a very successful business woman working in Manhattan and living in Long Island. She has two kids and a nanny. Her husband has a flexible work schedule, so when she has to stay late he can rearrange his day. She is living the “American Dream” and doing it as a successful working mother.

During our visit she took a day off to be with us and her kids. Her older son, age 2, was going down for his nap and wanted his favorite blanket. My sister looked confused. “Blanket? He has a favorite blanket?” she choked. The nanny yelled from the kitchen, while feeding the baby, “His blanket is in the play room. It’s blue.” My husband and I just looked at each other without saying a word. We thought the same thing. We were very happy with our risky decision.

Almost a year has passed since venturing out as a freelancer, and I have started making the same amount of money as I used too. People keep referring me, and past clients keep coming back. I am giving better service than I was able to provide working as a salary designer. Not only is the middle man gone, but my hours are any time my son doesn’t need me. A request sent at 5:00pm is usually addressed by the time my client opens his email the next morning.

If you ask me what I do today, I will proudly tell you that I am a mother and mention that I also am a freelance designer. Turning into a mother isn’t the end of your career, the opposite. Motherhood initiates self-empowerment and resourcefulness, exactly what one needs to get ahead in any situation. Perhaps that is the lesson our civil rights and feminist activists were pushing for back in the 70’s. “Given the chance, the sky is the limit.”

If you have the need for a really talented Graphic Designer, stop on over and give Debra a shout at Xira Internet Design for People.

And in case you are wondering, there are no strings attached. No unauthorized advertisements, linking, e-mail, spamming or anything underhanded at all. These are NOT Paid Endorsements. This is purely my attempt to help any Home Business Entrepreneur (including me) in any way I can through cooperative exposure.

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Something pretty important has basically drifted from my consciousness. Luckily, there really is a such thing as a Long Tail on the Internet. Sometimes we have to be reminded of what has worked both for the Blog, and more importantly, the Readers ’round here.

I got this in my e-mail this morning…

Dear Joe, I ran across your website and read that you do daily promotions of people working from home. I understand that you require an article. However, you mentioned “January” as if it were yesterday, and therefore I wanted to verify this was still applicable. If so, please let me know. I am a graphic
designer (web/flash) who just started freelancing from home in Israel (American born and raised). What subject would you recommend I address that would be most helpful?
Thank you in advance for your time.

(Name withheld pending permission)

Actually, the “January” mentioned in the e-mail was January 2007. That’s 19 months ago. (Talk about a Long Tail!) But, it really has been WAY too long since I have had any Featured Home Business posts to give some additional exposure to our Favorite Work at Home friends.

 To that end, I want to revive the Featured Home Business page to the prominence that it deserves. Rules will remain as before (especially, No Spam, No Exceptions).

So, Join in the Revival of the Featured Home Business Page, it may just be the little boost your business needs. And look for our newest additions to the Hall of Fame.

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I am publicly announcing on the Internet a Business I have run for a few years locally, M.C.B.S. Consulting. At this point I can expand a bit and accept additional consulting work, now that things have settled down on a personal and professional level. If you’re wondering what M.C.B.S. stands for it’s My Computer Back in Service (Thanks Liz)

So, Please Allow Me to Introduce Myself…

 My name is Joe Hauckes and I am the writer, editor and publisher of the Working at Home on the Internet Blog, Joe’s Freeware Finds and the Working at Home on the Internet Web Page. I have been Self-Employed for most of my working life. From running a Furniture Delivery Business right out of High School to Sub-Contracting doing Tree Work.

For 10 years I worked with computers from the ground up and ended up managing an Auto-Dialer Unit with 75 persons on the phones. I integrated 2 Main Frame Computers with the Auto-Dialer and was responsible for all reporting on activity and productivity within the unit.

Not too long ago, the self-employment bug bit again. I started my own company helping people set up and run their own computer systems. I also consulted for the replacement in my former position at the Old Corporation.

Online Experience

Since October of 2005, I have been learning and writing on my experiences trying to start, run and make a profit on the Internet. Along the way I have learned quite a bit about how to integrate various programs for use on the Internet. I have experimented with many Website and Blogging platforms, various browsers and web servers and learned how to adapt them to my needs.

I have also done a lot of hardware and software installations on Personal Computers both Onsite and Remotely. I have been using a program called CrossLink to access PC’s over an Internet connection. It is a very secure installation that can be easily downloaded and installed by anyone who has even limited experience.

From there the client has to give me a secure password which is encrypted and changes with every session. There is no way to access your computer without your knowledge and permission.

Services

• Online/Offline Problem Solving
• WordPress and Blogger Template Assistance
• Upload/Download and Install Programs for You (Remote Access Required)
• Adapt Programs to Your Specific Needs
• Walk You Through Offline Problems to get Your Computer Back Up
• Help You Install New Hardware Over the Phone

So, if you are having any problems with your computer, online or offline, I can help you solve them either over the telephone or by remote access. Please use the Form below to send me information about your problem and I will get back to you right away.

My Computer Back in Service

Powered by Wufoo

If it’s an Emergency, please call 610-931-3600 and I’ll be there to help right away.

Rates:

Phone consultation… $50 per hour

Remote access… $45 per hour

Onsite… $75 per hour plus expenses

Minimum 1/2 hour charge per consultation (all services charged in 15 minute increments)

No Charge if I can’t help you or put you on the Right Track.

Thanks for your indulgence. If you need my help and mention that you saw this post within two (2) weeks of publishing, the First Consultation (up to 2 hours) is FREE.

Sponsor:

The trend of making home business income is getting popular with the passage of time. Nowadays people tend to start work at home business rather than doing any other part time job. Consequently they have to retain online merchant account as well as maintain good relationship with banks to get latest investing tips. One can not only get business cards from customers service desk of any bank but also obtain mortgage rates of the day. Since the launch of the internet banking as well as credit cards such as visa credit card customers don’t need to search for bank locations and can have enough support online from their concerning bank.

[tags]MCBS,Work at Home,Consulting,Computer Help,My Computer Back in Service[/tags]

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