Tips to be your own 'mom-preneur'

  By Linsey Davis

NEW YORK -- If the recession has left you out of work, one way to get a job is to create your own. If you've always dreamed of starting your own business you might follow in the footsteps of some women who blazed their own trail through the unemployment jungle.

Sidney Miller's friends have always praised her cookies. So when her corporate job gave out, she went to work in the kitchen.

"So I'm out of a job and in the back of my mind I'm like, because why not?" said Miller.

She started by using her Facebook friends to test the market and take orders. Her company, "Sid's Viciously Good Cookies," sold 500 dozen cookies in the past three months. Then you have Mindie Doney and Julie Pickens who take the cake. These "mom-preneurs" came up with a better way to wipe kids' noses. They call it "The Boogie Wipe." It started in one store and has already gone international.

"It's a wonderful time to start into a business. But you have to have the right attitude about how you're going at it," said Dave Ramsey, "Dave Ramsey Show."

The majority of small businesses started last year with less than $5,000. The good news is technology is making it more affordable to start a business. Outright.com, for example, is bookkeeping on auto pilot.

"We will help you keep track of your income, track your expenses, deductions, pay estimated taxes throughout the year, we help you see how your business is doing," said Kevin Reeth, CEO and Founder, Outright.com.

Instead of paying a Web designer thousands of dollars, go to www.Wix.com.

"One of the first things you want to do is get Web presence up, you don't have to have any programming knowledge, wix.com will help so people can find you," said Reeth.

Gmail is one of the few free services that can associate your website domain; yourname@gmail.com can become yourname@yourbusiness.com.

For Sidney Miller, starting her own business was more about sweat equity than spending money, but success has been sweet.

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