Last year however, we used our income tax return to buy a computer. This was not a toy for us but an investment in our family. Finally, this presented an opportunity for me to stay home with the children and make some money as well.

Making money on the Web had not even occurred to me at that time, as I was thinking more along the lines of doing desktop publishing work, resume writing, and transcription. But we got connected to the Net and I discovered a whole new opportunity for making some money right there at home!

I fell immediately in love with the idea of Web publishing. However, not being a programmer, I knew I would have to do serious research and study in order to be successful since there is so much competition in this area. With my desktop publishing experience, I had an eye for graphic content and placement design. And I was not afraid of my computer or afraid to learn something new.

I spent many hours on the Web, looking at what people had made and how they did it. I practiced, practiced, and practiced some more. I was always trying something new and expanding my abilities. I also found to my surprise that people were remarkably friendly and always willing to help through e-mail! Now that I was confident with my abilities, I began to research the best ways to make some money at this stuff!

My husband has some contacts in a particular industry, and since most of them were not on the Web yet, I decided this would be a great place to start to build my client base. I might also add at this point that I am still in the beginning stages of my business and have some very promising prospects. In fact, I will be starting my first commercial site this month and am very excited!!

Stay-at-home moms know that being there for your children is so very important and I am happy to help anyone wanting to know how to make some money without having to leave home. Here are some helpful hints on what you can do if you decide to do what I have done.

1. Browse every site you can; commercial sites and personal home pages prove very informative, and don't be afraid to email them for questions...most are very willing to share in their expertise!

2. In the View menu of your browser.. choose view source to see *how* they made that page...this shows the actual HTML code they put in. A great tutor!

3. Practice, a lot! Make your own personal pages. Change them often and try out the new tricks you have learned and don't be afraid to make mistakes.

4. Try out some HTML editors, there is a lot of Shareware to help you make your pages. Personally I started with Hotdog, and now I only use my notepad as I find I have more control, but start with an editor.

5. Don't be afraid of the competition. Yes, there is a lot. Find your niche. Specialize in a certain field, perhaps where you already know some people. Your husband's company, your ex-employer, the Mary Kay lady down the street, etc.

6. Do the first couple sites for free. This is a great way to pull in repeat business. Who can turn down something for free?! And they will undoubtedly need to change and update their page in the future, at which time you can charge a fee. This will also be a great reference for you to show prospective clients.

Good luck to you, and wish me luck as well!