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Christian Work at Home Moms Blog |
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What Can RSS Do For ME?
If you have used the internet lately you have most likely heard of something called “RSS.” If you are anything like me I am sure that you have wondered what this “RSS stuff” is all about. I am going to try and answer that question as well as explain a little bit about how RSS can be useful. For the purpose of this article RSS stands for “Really Simple Syndication”. I started my RSS research by going to wikipedia.org and simply looking up the term ‘RSS’. The information in the article I found, (here), is informative, but if you are like me you don’t want to have to read a huge document to understand what something like RSS is all about. You want a simple, concise definition and a few example of what RSS might mean in your life. So, let me break the topic down in a way that we can all understand. I have been using RSS for about a year. I discovered a use for RSS soon after I started using Firefox, which is a browser alternative for Internet Explorer. (If you would like to know more about Firefox, visit http://getfirefox.com.) Many people in the technology field use Firefox - I even have my wife using it. One reason to use Firefox as your web browser is that it makes using RSS simple. Firefox makes it so that whenever you go to a webpage that uses RSS you will see a small orange symbol in the address bar. When you see this symbol, you can click on it and it will bring up an option to add a bookmark. This adds a bookmark that links directly to either a RSS file or an XML file. These files are a condensed version of the website that you were visiting when you clicked on the RSS symbol (sometimes they are referred to as “feeds’). Another great thing about Firefox is that you can read RSS files without the need for any other software. The feed will look like a folder with a collection of links that are the articles from the RSS Feed you subscribed to. But, to get some of the more advanced feed reading features you can get an ‘RSS reader’. Firefox includes an RSS reader extension that you can install called Sage. You can download it at https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/77/. (Note: My next article will be about Firefox and extensions so don’t worry if you don’t understand them at this point.) You can also use an online reader put out by Google here http://www.google.com/reader/things/intro. I prefer the browser interface and haven’t used any of these on-line readers. You will to experiment with both types of RSS viewers a little bit and see which works best for you. If you aren’t using Firefox and you still want to subscribe to an RSS feed the link will be a small orange button that says “RSS” or “XML.” These standard icons are usually used to make the RSS Feeds easier to find. RSS feeds are also used for Podcasts and Videocasts. A Podcast and/or Videocast is an internet radio/TV program that can be listened to on an iPod or other MP3 device. You subscribe to the RSS feed using iTunes and it will automatically download the audio file and put it on your iPod (or another type of MP3 player). If you don’t have an iPod you can still use these feeds with other audio programs like http://www.podfeeder.com/. You can also check out the CWAHD Podcast Directory at http://www.cwahd.com/podcasts.html. This directory is full of Christian Podcasts. I have a Video iPod and I love to watch Videocasts when I have some free time. I have even gone as far as mounting my iPod in my car so I can listen to audio podcasts on the way to work. I hope that you have been able to get at least a little bit of information about what RSS is and what it can do for you. I am really excited about RSS and have started a project to have CWAHM.com and CWAHD.com redesigned to incorporate RSS for all of the articles featured on both sites. I believe that RSS will change the way that you surf the internet in the near future. It is a quick way to get a lot of information from the internet in a simple, easy to read format.
Five Steps to Get Your Priorities Straight in Business and At Home
Operating a successful home-based business is a time-consuming endeavor. This is doubly true as work-at-home moms in that we are responsible not only for the success of our business, but for our family as well. We must be self-reliant, self-motivated, and discipline ourselves in order to attain success in both areas.
Working from Home: Creating your first website
Starting a home-based business is a huge undertaking. Creating an online presence for your business can be equally overwhelming. Where do you begin to learn the basics of creating your first website? It’s actually much simpler than you’d think. Listed below are a few tips and tricks to make your first website pain-free.
Five Ways to Market Using Email
There are many ways to market a home-based business. But one of the simplest ways is to use an every day business tool – email. By using these five easy tips you’ll see how easily your business can grow without much effort on your part.
Something All My Own
Owning my own business has taught me many things about myself. I’ve learned that I can make wise business decisions, I can manage the accounts and taxes for my company, and I can type with one hand while holding a sleeping 6 month old. All of these things have helped me develop into a much more confidant person. My business has also given me the freedom to test my limits and see what I can accomplish.
Marketing Offline Can Substantially Increase Your Online Business
The Internet can be a scary place for those looking for a home-based business opportunity. The fear of not connecting personally with others is one concern and many people have been “taken” by online scams in their search for a legitimate business and are fearful to take any more risks. One way to overcome fears such as these is to market your online business locally. By simply offering the person a contact that they can speak to and possibly even meet face to face you will making the statement that your business is legitimate and trustworthy.
Organizing Your Home Office
It can be a real challenge as a work at home parent to maintain an organized home office. Many times, the office or desktop is the last of our worries as we strive to raise our children, support our spouses and run our home-based business. However, keeping up with the clutter and chaos of your office may be just what you need to get you in a working mindset and help you to be more efficient while working.
Networking Online - Marketing Made Easy
Networking and making business contacts is one of the toughest aspects of running a home-based business, but also one of the most successful to develop your business. One must constantly find creative ways to meet new people and introduce them to your product. If you are working from home with small children around this becomes even more difficult. Networking online may be the answer.
Home-Based Business vs. Second Job -- The Choice is Yours
Many families today rely on two incomes to pay their bills not being able to make ends meet month to month. They face several options to secure that extra income they need, one being obtaining a part-time job and the other a home-based business. It’s a decision with advantages and disadvantages to each. I want to provide some suggestions to help you make the right choice.
Is It Possible To Work From Home?
Have you ever wished that you could work from home? According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, over 19 million people worked from home (either part-time or full-time) in 2001. It’s a growing trend in our society with the number steadily rising as many people are leaving the workplace in favor of a work-at-home career.
Don't Give up - Try Our Two Secrets to Success At Home
Working from home can be a very rewarding decision. There are so many benefits including freedom to create your own schedule, choosing the type of business that you want to represent, and being able to raise your children yourself. However, running a business can also become a very stressful situation. It takes time to build a successful business and many entrepreneurs become discouraged if they don’t achieve immediate results. Often times they give up too soon and regret it later. This doesn’t have to happen to you. Let us share with you what we found to be two top secrets to help you achieve success at home.
Why Blog?
It seems everyone these days is talking about blogging. Everywhere I go, I find articles and forums devoted to this craze. I also have heard from many moms who are trying to figure out what a blog is and how they can use one to their benefit.
Jumpstart Your Business
There are many ways to go about the task of increasing your business and recruiting. Take the time to make a list of strategies that you can implement to get your name out there. Also, think about what small changes you can make to increase customer loyalty, repeat business and other business aspects like these. |
 Jill Hart [email protected] 
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