Want to Network With Other Work-at-Home Moms?

If you are a resume writer who is also a work-at-home Mom (WAHM), you may find yourself longing for a little in-person human interaction with other folks in the same situation as you.

I was inspired to write today's blog post when I attended the wake for the dad of my one of my childhood best friends this week. My mom and her mom have met weekly in a Rosary group for more than 35 years. The group started because they were all stay-at-home Moms (SAHMs) in the 1970s. As someone who works from home (and has for the past seven years), I can understand the desire to participate in an activity that gets you out of the house on a regular basis.

If you're feeling the same way, you might want to start a group with other moms who work from home. These can be individuals who work in a variety of fields -- product sales, real estate, online marketing ... there are more people than ever who work from their home.

Networking is important for your resume business. The more people you know, the more contacts you have who can help you and you can be a help to. Think of it this way: each person you know knows someone else who also knows someone else. It is how word gets out about your business. Through networking you can form profitable friendships and business partnerships. Even many years down the road, an affiliation that you made could prove useful. 

Want to get together with other moms who work from home? There is a way that you can do it by using Twitter. Learn how to set up your own tweet up group.

This is where social networking comes into play. Through sites like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter you already know that you can "meet" new people who have the same interests as you do. You can form associations that are as strong as any face-to-face friendship.

But, did you know that you could use them to actually meet the people you only ever see online? That is the idea behind a tweet up. It sounds like something that birds do, but it is meant for people.

What Is a Tweet Up?

The idea behind it all is to meet people who have common interests through Twitter. You can set up a tweet up with a certain goal in mind such as business networking, social networking, or even a brainstorming session.

With the idea of WAHMs in mind, you can network with other moms who are entrepreneurs in your local area. When you set it up, here are a few tips.

You will be the host for the event if you begin the tweet up group. It doesn't have to be a presentation, but you will more than likely be responsible for getting the ball rolling at the beginning. Then, you can let the conversation take its course.

Think up a theme. Decide what you will discuss at the meeting, what the main topic will be. Post an agenda for anyone you invite to look over. You can set one specific item for each meeting to focus on -- and can take turns being the "presenter" for the group.

With children and families, it can be hard for mothers who work from home to get out and network. A tweet up is a way to plan an outing that will be beneficial both on a personal and a business level.

Invite guests. Look around Twitter for prospective people with similar interests that you want to invite. If you don't know them already, follow their tweets and participate in discussions before introducing yourself and sending them an invite.

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Decide on a place and time. Once you do, start a tweet with a hashtag related to the event (like #parkup for a meeting in the park) so anyone who accepts an invitation can follow the conversation. You can provide information here about what to bring, like business cards or ideas to talk about during the gathering. With moms, there might be an issue of childcare. Choose a meeting place with a play area for children. You can meet at a restaurant, at someone's home, or in a park.

A tweet up group can be a great way to meet your need for human interaction while also providing you with valuable networking contacts and you may even learn some new skills or marketing ideas at the same time!