| Twenty-five years ago when I was raising children, I | | | | I visited her "shop" which is a room in her home. There |
| frequently felt torn between wanting to be at home | | | | she uses sophisticated online yahoo business |
| with my kids and needing to contribute to the family | | | | programs and Google analytics to track her sales and |
| income. It was a delicate dance that required my | | | | see how her customers are finding her. While we are |
| tracking whether I was actually making money or just | | | | talking, one of the boys runs in with some space |
| paying the babysitter. At one point I realized that the full | | | | creature monster doll and waves it in my face. It made |
| time job I had was only netting me $50 dollars more a | | | | me laugh. Kristen is uber organized. Here are some |
| month than I would have gotten by staying home and | | | | shipping boxes, here's the tape, there's the tissue paper |
| getting public assistance. | | | | she wraps every purchase in, there's the boxes and |
| Today, it's a whole new ball game, a liberating one at | | | | boxes and boxes of product. |
| that for "Stay-At-Home Moms." The Internet has given | | | | "I hand pick every product and I want to make sure I |
| these SAHM's the ability to run in-home businesses | | | | am selling quality merchandise, something I would buy |
| while tending to the care of the little ones. | | | | for myself," says Becker. "Customer service is huge to |
| I began researching blogs a few months ago and was | | | | me. I think if I can build a loyal customer base, my |
| stunned by how many "Mom" sites exist. And each of | | | | business will grow and grow." |
| these sites use creative ways to earn income, such as | | | | She shows me the email. A stainless steel Earthlust |
| taking advertising or charging for reviews of products | | | | waterbottle she sold to a woman across the country |
| or services. The blogs offer advice on everything | | | | had a flaw, the ink on the outside of the bottle had |
| "mommy" from what are the best diapers to childhood | | | | somehow rubbed off. Kristen immediately contacted |
| nutrition to home decorating and hip style. Behind these | | | | the manufacturer and was told that they were now |
| blogs is a SAHM, many with graduate degrees in | | | | using new ink. Then Kristen wrote back the customer |
| business or the arts, and these women are savvy | | | | and guaranteed replacement. The customer replied |
| entrepreneurs who are changing the rules of parenting | | | | that Kristen had restored her confidence in online |
| and putting a stick in the eye of traditional "feminist" | | | | shopping. |
| principles. | | | | Kir DeVries has just launched affiliate marketing |
| In addition to the blogs are in-home businesses doing | | | | through clix galore. It has five affiliate marketers signed |
| direct and affiliate selling. One such SAHM business is | | | | up. Basically people go to the affiliates' website, look up |
| an online store called Kir DeVries. The quirky name | | | | a product and then are directed to the Kir DeVries site. |
| belies a boutique store that if it were real bricks and | | | | Becker is paying between 5%-7% commissions for |
| mortar would be quite popular with the mall browsers. | | | | this. But with the explosion of how far her store could |
| Kir DeVries offers unique gifts, organic clothing and | | | | get "out there" I asked her what she will do when she |
| eco friendly products. It's SAHM is Kristen Becker, a | | | | has to hire staff, set up a call center and rent |
| thirty something gal with one fifteen year old son and | | | | warehouse space. Won't that defeat her desire to be |
| two small sons under five. | | | | a SAHM? |
| "I wanted to be here for my boys," says Becker "but I | | | | "No, because if it is my business then I certainly can |
| still need to earn money. It's not easy raising three | | | | have my children at work with me," said Becker. |
| children on one income and my oldest son will be going | | | | "That's the beauty of this, I don't have to be at the |
| to college in a couple of years. So I decided to start a | | | | mercy of some employer, I am the employer. |
| store." | | | | |