How to Become An Affiliate Blogger

Are you one of thousands of people looking for a way to make money in a home-based business?  Have you considered the possibility of becoming an affiliate blogger and learning how to make money from home using this fast growing online advertising and marketing strategy?

If you came across this blog, it is likely that you are considering how to make money blogging as a home-based business option.  After all, your computer is the most available and valuable tool for leveraging your time and energy.  A study by the  Readers Digest suggested that Americans spend an average of 5 hours of every day at their computers...and this does not include computer time at work!  Also recent studies have shown that 40% of gross sales from the top 50 retail companies are from online sales.

Affiliate blogging has created an advertising and marketing revolution that is only destined to grow. So how do you take advantage of this shift and become an affiliate blogger?

Level One Network is one of the best and the most affordable blogging systems on the market today.   With an easy to use proprietary SEO WYSIWIG, Gateway Pages, PDF system, Level One You-Tube, and Master Training Program you will learn to write blogs that will be buoyed to the top results of all major search engines. 

This may surprise you, but one of the very effective ways to make money as an affiliate blogger is to teach others how to do it!  

Level One Network is so committed to providing affiliate bloggers with the necessary tools and resources, they have also made Level One an affiliate blogger program!  That’s right, you can use it for your own business and help family, friends and clients to do the same…and receive 100% commissions!  It doesn't get much sweeter than that!

In this growing and still vastly under-served market, there is room for everyone.  All you have to do is join Level One Network, order the premier products, set up your own authority site blog, go through the easy to follow Master Training Program and you are in business!

The easy to use SEO scope is built on exacting guidelines based on the established algorithms of Google and other major search engines.  As a Level One Network affiliate blogger, you input the keywords and start blogging! The Level One blogging system will tell you when your blog is perfectly optimized and the easy to use built-in linking system allows you to create an inner web that is perfect for the spiders!

Your articles will be buoyed to the top of first page results in Google and other major search engines in relatively short time when you keep use this easy to use system!  Also the PDF system allows you to make product brochures for niche market customers!

If it has to do with blogging the Level One Network has created what you need.  It is easy, affordable and with time can make you a professional income right from your home! 

If you want more information contact me at HelenGraceGibsonLifeCoaching@gmail.com
I work with women to empower them to create and manage their lives, their wealth and their dreams!

Science Tests : Scores Improve with STEAM!

After years of teaching primarily STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics ) educational programs, the scores on science tests have not improved precipitously.   Teachers and educational researchers realized that by adding an "A" --for ART-- student learning would pick up STEAM!   By adding Art and project-based learning back into the mix, scores on science tests, as well as math tests, have shown marked improvement.

Stem had been founded and funded as a way to increase SAT and ACT scores in science and mathematics; and to provide the foundational skills necessary to get teacher accreditation in these modalities. 

But, not all ideas are perfect at inception...some of them need a bit of tweaking! Funding for STEM programs was a step in the right direction, and making sure teachers are up to speed in the ever-changing worlds of technology and engineering, is also a great idea; however, the scores on math and science tests did not reflect the additional skill level they were intended to produce.

That is why math and science education is under review again, and why programs like Crafternoon Delights are gaining momentum. The two main questions being asked are, " Why are these curricula being viewed as exclusive of other modalities?" and   "Why have so many schools dropped Arts education from their curriculum?"

Under the STEM philosophy,  Art and Science education were viewed as separate disciplines that demanded different teaching methods.  However, as we have delved deeper into the ways in which we learn, it has become clear that Science and Art, as well as Math and Music are intrinsically related!

Crafternoon Delights was founded upon the philosophy that teaching through project-based learning that used Art and Craft as the basis for demonstrating STEM principles would create a greater understanding of core concepts.

Educational researchers now recognize the importance of integrated education and that project based learning that has a foothold in Art, is the perfect compliment to higher level thinking. Art puts the STEAM in STEM! Using project based integrated education curriculum, students are able to see how the knowledge they garner in  science education is important to all aspects of everyday life. The whole basis of integrated education is to teach real-world application of the math and science education principles. 

Form and function are the guiding principles in integrated education that uses Art as the glue.  Art is now being recognized as more than decorative or illustrative, but that it also represents an essential part of the process of inquiry, such as problem finding, problem solving, and communication.  The elements of design in art are applicable to life and all the modalities of education.

The impetus that propels people to excel at mathematics and science education or engineering and art education are generally the same..the desire to discover the deeper intricacies in the world.  The integration of Art into technologies such as engineering has always been recognized in the “form and function” debate. Does form follow function or does function follow form?  Either way, Engineering and Art are fundamentally linked. Take cars as an example:  From the Model-T  to the newest concept car,  the evolution of technology is as much about the aesthetic and design (form) of the car as it is about functionality.

The fundamental concepts of form and function are primarily the same.   Line, shape, color, structure/function as well as sequencing, motion, and patterning are terms of language in science education and art education. Students who are taught in integrated education project-based learning programs  develop a clearer understanding of the underpinnings of science and how these principles can be extrapolated to solve existing and future problems. Educators are now seeing that students who previously had difficulty in STEM classes are quickly picking up STEAM!

Further resources:
Crafternoon Delights: Integrated Education Is Picking Up Steam!
Science Education and Art Education:The Perfect Pair 

Community Involvement : Great Tools and Resources for Homeschooling Parents

I grew up in an entrepreneurial family. My father was a Chef who specialized in opening new restaurants, or giving an existing restaurant's menu a "face lift."  I always said I learned my math costing out menus!

My Grandfather was a contractor/builder and my Grandmother's family were retail merchandisers.
How does that relate to community involvement?  Well regardless of what business your family is in, there are great opportunities to not only teach business skills but to show how greater community involvement can mean a greater bottom line!

As an educator and business coach, I like to demonstrate how community involvement can help clients gain free publicity and often new customers, while improving the community they live and do business in.  A Win-Win situation!

Parents, especially homeschooling parents, can easily take advantage of these ideas.  As a side note, if you are thinking of starting a home-based business...which is something I highly recommend  to most homeschooling or stay-at-home moms...I 'd love to talk with you! For more information please visit my website  CEO-MOMS.net and lets talk soon!

But, back to community involvement.  Businesses that participate in community involvement programs distinguish themselves from their competitors in a positive way.  Current research shows that  82 percent of American consumers consider corporate social responsibility  when deciding which products or services to buy and where to shop.

Here are four things to consider when incorporating community service into your business and family plan.

•  Build relationships within your community. Look at your community to see what's important. For example, does the animal shelter need donations?  Businesses that host  "community impact" events, get media attention and can often enlist family and friends to help with the event.  If you have a business that has a slow day of the week or a slow season, use that time to sponsor events and drive up the bottom line on otherwise slow days!

• Get your employees on board.  When your employees feel they have a voice in the business, they do a better job. Giving employees an avenue to give back and be recognized for their good work is important to morale and builds a collaborative and inspired team,  Often these events uncover leadership opportunities for employees, which leads to increased staff performance and fulfillment and, ultimately, increased productivity and sales.

• Create a custom volunteer plan.  Business owners should evaluate their business and employee strengths and select volunteer activities that draw upon those strengths. For example, if you own an accounting firm, you could volunteer to help a nonprofit set up their accounting practices or do their taxes.  Similarly, if you own a restaurant, consider catering a church or community staff meeting...offer to match the tips for that event and to show your appreciation for your local leaders. It's tax deductible and philanthropic too!

•  Let customers know about your community involvement programs.Once you've implemented your strategy, let current and prospective customers know what you're doing by including this information on your website. Put a dollar amount of how much your donated time or services would normally cost next to the number of hours your employees have spent giving back so it's easy for customers to understand how much your company gives to the community.

If you are homeschooling your children let them participate in community involvement programs.  Even if you are not an entrepreneur, the business that you or your spouse works for may well have a community involvement program that would be appropriate for you and your child to participate in. If they don't have a community involvement event perhaps, you could brainstorm one and suggest it!  Business owners are always looking for ways to get more customers, free advertising and greater profits!

People love to see children engaged in these programs and it creates an integrated education learning situation for them too!  Using all the tools and resources that are at your disposal makes your job as a homeschooling teacher/mom easier, a lot more fun...and profitable!

Read, Read, Read!

Helen Grace

If you found this article helpful, you might want to read my blog on Crafternoon Delights.com.

Also read these articles:
Crafternoon Delights - An Education Website for Integrated Learning
Education Tools And Resources That Promote Literacy Learning
Crafternoon Delights Announces Grand Opening Of Integrated Education Website

Financial Literacy for Stay at Home Moms

Financial Literacy for Stay at Home Moms

"Every woman should have a feeling of control over her own destiny."

                                                                                                         ---Maya Angelou

Are you the CEO of your household?  Do you make many of the financial decisions on how the household’s money is spent? Do you have the financial literacy to make these decisions? Do you work long hours?  Do manage community involvement?  Are you proactive in your children's education...or perhaps, a home-schooling teacher/mom? Well, if you answered yes to any or most these questions you need to read this article!

If you are not up to speed and  tracking the possible financial outcomes of your situation, you may one day find yourself in a financially very difficult place.

Staying home to raise children and creating and managing an effective and pleasant household is a demanding, albeit admirable and personally rewarding job.  Unfortunately the new rules that govern credit, effect credit scores, and impact your eventual Social Security earnings have been stacked against the CEO Mom.
Since Social security was created, women's roles as the executives of their households and educator of their children have been largely ignored.  Apparently, if your efforts can't be quantified by the IRS than they must not be significant enough to be monetarily recognized or rewarded.

This factor and a woman's inability to earn equal wages in the marketplace, are two of the main reasons why poverty is a real issue for many elderly women.  According to the Social Security Administration almost 20% of elderly women live at or below the poverty line...that is 1 out of every 5.

Recently, stay at home moms have also been dealt an additional blow when the Federal Reserve declared last year that credit could only be extended based on your actual earnings...not your household earnings.  Therefore, a stay at home mom with no outside income has NO access to credit in her own name. This may not seem significant when you live in an equitable household and all is going well, but it can have devastating consequences for women if their spouse becomes ill, unemployed or abusive.

So what is the answer?  Financial literacy.  Women need to develop a personal economy of their own. Stay at home moms especially need to up their financial literacy and to understand not only how to spend money but how to save money and how to make money from home!

Financial Literacy 101

• How to Spend Money:  How you spend money is the easiest to address.  Don't spend money you don't have.  Credit cards should be for emergencies, or to build credit.  If you use credit cards, pay the balance off at the end of every month.  If that is not possible, make it a priority to do so quickly.  Before you decide to quit your job and stay home to raise your family, make sure you have a credit card solely in your name.  Pay the balance off and use it occasionally, then pay the balance off immediately.  This will help you maintain a line of credit and a good personal credit score.   

• How to save money:  Every woman should have a 3-6 month contingency fund. Let me say that again, every woman, and for that matter every household, should have stashed away enough money, to pay the  bills for 3-6 months. Make this your number one priority. Sit down and figure out how much money that is and divide the number by 12.  By saving  that much money every month in an easily accessible and penalty free place, at the end of the year, you will have achieved this goal.  If that means personal austerity or not going on vacation or buying anything that is not necessary, than so be it.  Make this a priority.  If you can't do it in one year divide by 24 and do it in two years...but, Do It!

• How to Start a Home-based Business: This is the fun part!  Make a list of what you would do professionally if you could do anything.  What is your dream job?  Now of course, this has to be realistic and within your skill set. What are your hobbies?  Would you like to turn your hobby into a business?  Do you enjoy writing? Or gardening? Or physical fitness?  It really doesn't matter what the subject is, I can show you ways to make money at it.  Hiring a personal Life and Business Coach is a smart way to spend money, up your financial literacy and gain financial freedom for yourself and your family...now and well into the future. By maximizing your interests and capitalizing on your desire and need to stay at home, you can develop a business with very little investment capital, no inventory, no overhead, and no employees. 

By garnering this new level of financial literacy, stay at home moms can procure independent incomes and build an independent credit history and credit score that  will service you now and if the need ever arises.
Gaining financial literacy and building a personal economy should be considered more than a dream; it should be considered a necessity.  We never know where the road is leading, or what opportunities or trials are awaiting us.  Being grounded financially and having a higher level of financial literacy around personal finances is as one of your CEO Moms most important skills! 

Many women have found blogging and product reviews to pay off handsomely.  But, just throwing up a blog and starting to write is fruitless.  A part of financial literacy is to know what are  the best tools.  The best blogging platform that I have found is with Level One Network.  The Master Level Training teaches you how to use these exemplary products most effectively, and how to get Search Engine Optimization (SEO) that gets you to the top pages of Google searches.  It walks you through affiliate marketing and a plethora of ways to write about your favorite products...and or drive traffic to your at home business or website.  This is financial literacy you can take to the bank!

I invite you to work with me and gain financial literacy and financial freedom.  I have helped many women just like yourself and know first hand what techniques and companies are worth the time and money necessary to start a home-based business.  Don't let another day go by...up the financial literacy, build the dream and become the Best CEO mom ever!





Let's Build the Dream to Together!

Helen Gibson
HelenGibsonLifeCoaching@gamil.com

Similar articles: Financial Literacy for the Entrepreneur. 

Get Connected to your Happiness Through Compassion

Get Connected to Your Happiness Through Compassion

“If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion.”

--Dalai Lama

The pursuit of happiness is one of mankind's most shared values. One of the best ways to create immediate and long-term happiness in your life is to get connected to others through the practices of compassion.  It may seem counter-intuitive that real happiness comes from the cessation of suffering, but science has shown that this is true.

When you practice compassion, your body’s cortisol level or "stress hormone" decreases by as much as 25%.  Also the production of DHEA, the "anti-aging" hormone, increases by as much as 100%.  In other words, when we get connected to others through compassion, we retain our youthfulness longer, and experience fewer of the side effects of stress!  You get connected to a healthier you!

As a Life Coach, I have found that one of the greatest misnomers of contemporary society is the belief system that personal acts of gratification equal happiness.  Gratification can stimulate short-term pleasure...consumerism, sex, drugs, alcohol, etc. but, the reality is that gratification is short-lived.  As such, it can become addictive, which causes more suffering.  This is not to say that gratification or pleasure has no place in life, it is just a reminder that regardless of what the advertising moguls spam us with...these things do not bring enduring happiness.  Happiness comes to us, through us…when we get connected to others.

If you want to get connected to long-term and real happiness, developing an attitude of compassion is your ticket.  Here are a few simple techniques that I often share with clients. These practices can up your happiness quotient, decrease your stress levels, help you get connected, and make you look younger too!

• Practice Gratefulness.  Take a few minutes each morning to acknowledge all you have in your life for which you are grateful.  Your health, home, family, friends, your job, that your basic needs are met, etc.  When we fully acknowledge how much we actually have to be grateful for it is easier to get connected to those who may be less fortunate.

• Practice Empathy. Think of someone who is suffering.  A friend, family member, co-worker, neighbor, etc.  Imagine their suffering in as much detail as possible, and then send them thoughts of hope and loving kindness.  Imagine that their suffering ends and they are able to experience life on a happier level.  If you have a spiritual tradition, you could also pray for them.  Resolve that even if you can do nothing else to help someone, that at least you do not add to their suffering.

• Practice Random Acts of Kindness.  Throughout the day, find small and thoughtful ways to be kind, helpful, and open to others. If you want to get connected, you must first open yourself to them.  This can be as simple as smiling at someone who looks forlorn, listening to someone even if you are feeling rushed or overwhelmed yourself, offering a word of encouragement, running an errand for someone, holding the door, driving with patience…anything that decrease the stress in someone else's life, and /or acknowledges them in your life.

• Practice Reflection.  At the end of the evening reflect upon your day.  Were you able to feel compassion...even toward those who may have treated you unkindly?  Remember, that when people are mean-spirited it is because they are hurting.  Try to walk away from these situations, but  instead of feeling anger, acknowledge that they are suffering and trying to have their needs met.  Silently practice empathy towards them.  Reflect upon what you learned in the day and give thanks for all that you accomplished.  Resolve to continue to practice compassion and get connected  each day.

When these simple steps become a regular part of your life, you will find that you get connected to others easily and develop an inner quietness that allows others to get connected to you.  You will find that you can easily get connected to people wherever you are...at home, work or traveling, because the truth is we are all more the same than we are different.

Smile, Be Happy and Get Connected!

Helen Gibson

Here is a link to another article on how and why we need to get connected to each other.
Click here for further information.