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It's a Good Thing
by Tammy Harrison
I confess: I am a Martha Stewart fan. My family thinks I am nuts, but I can usually be found at midnight tuning in to the Food Network, watching how to make crepes or how to decorate cookie art.
I have no aspirations to have a dozen different set of dishes to serve at various dinner and themed parties, although I think that would be exciting. I have been known to write down a recipe or two that Martha shares, and I've even found myself looking at the Food Network website for the recipes from an episode I may have missed.
What I like to do with the information and resources that I obtain are to use them, if they fit, in my everyday life.
That is the beauty of research.
There are many resources available on the internet that offer the tools that are necessary to entrepreneurs, home-based working moms, small business owners and everything in-between. Some of the information that can be found is the opinion of people who have tried and tested their technique and have found it valuable enough to share with others.
In order to take advantage of the free information that can be found in today's media, here are a few tips to help you make the most out of your research:
(1) Internet: Keep a running list of the website addresses that you have found to contain useful information. I do not bookmark all of the sites because a lot of bookmarks tend to slow down my computer. I keep my list in my datebook and whenever I have a spare moment, I take the time to hit the hot spots and gather the information that I may need. Some articles are so important that I print them out, file them and use them for references.
(2) Magazines and Newspapers: There are many magazines, newspapers and print material available. When I find something of interest, I tear it out of the magazine and file it in a file. Once a month I take the time to go through the file, discarding what I do not need and thoroughly reading (and possibly implementing) the remainder of the articles.
(3) eNewsletters/eZines: Most websites that offer information via email usually also offer archives of past issues. If something is not to be missed, I file it in a file on my computer. If something is interesting, but not worth taking up my space, I write it down on an organized list by various categories.
(4) Television: I never sit down to watch television without a pen and paper at my side. I may see something that I would like to remember, or a show may invoke a topic of conversation that could be used in one of my articles or it may be something I want to look further into. I go through my notes once a week and follow through on each item.
(5) University research: One of the most underused areas of exceptional information that is available can be found at universities. Nearly every institution of higher learning has a comprehensive website that offers links to various research projects/results and contact information. I have not only viewed a number of university websites, but I have made contact with professors and students and that has increased my exposure and my client base.
Make the most out of resources and research. Use it and implement it and let it help you find success. I have no desire to be the next Martha Stewart, but I do want to be the best that I can be in all that I do. It's a good thing.
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2000 Tammy Harrison. Tammy Harrison is a wife and mother of three children (5, 2, 1) and another on the way, as well as a home-based working mom. She has a degree from Mizzou in Consumer Economics. She is the Independent Creative Representative for Home-Based Working Moms
(http://www.hbwm.com), email TammyH@jdharrison.com. Subscribe to HBWM free eNewsletter at
mailto:hbwmoms-e-news-subscribe@egroups.com |
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