Hi All!

[lata]

[WAHumor]

[karadawn]

[Lynn Terry]

Nice Website, Lata!! & Welcome to the SSWT Forum

Tell us more about Dot Com Women - how long you have had the site up, the most important tip you could pass along to a woman considering online business, and what you feel has contributed most to the growth of your site/community there...

I am really looking forward to getting to know you!

[lata]

Now this is what makes me comfy With people like you all, I feel like I am sitting on my sofa sipping hot coffee (oops! ...its summer in the US, isnt it?) ok...sipping cool lemonade.

Summer has passed here and it's the Rainy season (yeah! we have a proper Rainy season here!), all cold and wet.

Thanks, Dan! I am there on your list now. Waiting for the curtains to be raised

Kara, need I mention this? It's great to see you here, my friend!

Lynn, I was looking forward to meeting you myself! But did not know how and where, untill today when I dicovered these forums. First of all, congratulations on your interview on the Mary Goulet Show. I went to her site and heard the archived interview. (It was wonderful listening to a US talk show here in India)

Now, my favorite topic - MYSELF! ok..ok..I will spare you...LOL Let's talk about DCW (Dot Com Women). I launched it on March 8 this year (Hey! that's International Women's Day!). Before that I was solely a web developer (http://www.elementswebservices.com) DCW was my dream which finally came true.

The mission of DCW is (and will always remain) the advancement of women in their PERSONAL as well as PROFESSIONAL lives. The website has an equal dose of Entertainment and Family Fun, along with Business resources.

Membership is free and members have many benefits like access to Freebies section, free business directory listings etc.

I also publish an ezine (from DCW) which has generated 700 subs. in 4 months. These little milestones give me the required boost.

The ONLY THING which separates DCW from other, in my opinion, is the personal touch. I communicate with each of my members individually, help them with their problems, guide them with whatever little expertise I have acquired. And I make it a point to give them good exposure by giving preference to their content contributions, setting up their contests, giving them free listings, match-making (!!! - ok, I found it getting too serious ...I meant the match of a buyer and a seller) etc.

Yes, there is something I would like to tell you all. You see me now with all my smiles and success, but it was diff. when I started. I did not even have a way to accept payments from the US residents for ads and hardly any money to place ads or buy essential goods and services. And my support system..my Fiance...was thrown out of his flourishing business by a sudden illness and was confined to bed for 3 months! I worked day and night and launched that 'mini portal'-like website all alone.

Guess what kept me going on? This:

"Courage doesn't always roar.
Sometimes courage is the little voice at
the end of the day that says
I'll try again tomorrow."

Mary Anne Radmacher

My 'not so sincere' apologies to anyone who got bored to death by this 'me' and 'dcw' stuff!

Lata

[Lynn Terry]

I'll join you in that cup of coffee!

I've bookmarked your site, Lata and look forward to interacting with you there as well as here. I feel as if we have quite a few things in common and its really great to meet someone I feel so in-tune with!

Congratulations on your milestones with DCW! I am experiencing some of the same things that you mentioned, and its definitely exciting and a great boost of motivation to continue forward.

I'm curious about India, and if you would care to expound on some of the differences between doing business online from India versus the U.S. - how did you solve your dilemna with receiving payments? Are there many "wahm's" there?

My heart goes out to you for the challenges you've been through this past year. Wishing a full recovery to your partner & much success with both of your ventures!

[lata]

Thanks Lynn! I am glad we met!

There are WAHM's here, but not web-savvy. So, they mostly offer services and notproducts, because to sell products from home, you need to have websites at least. As a matter of fact, I realized the full potential of WAHM's only after I jumped into the web-wagon.

Women on the Net have given me so much, Lynn! I learned graphics and web design online...so they literally gave me a career. I have earned so many lifelong friendships, moral supports, and loyal members (DCW)! My payments problem was also solved by one such friend. She accepts payments by PayPal and sends over checks to me. My business would have been zero without her! Even a website as big as DCW seems small when I think about giving back something to the Online Women's Community who have given me so much!

My Fiance is perfectly well now, but sufered too many losses to be able to start with a new office, equipment etc. again. Again, my WAHM friends came to the rescue. I got flooded with work and induced him to give WAH a try.

He agreed, and loved it! He was a bit uncomforatble first. Website Designing was certainly not his field of interest. But perseverance pays. Even though he is 'computer hardware' person, he mastered php shopping carts (oscommerce) and is now earning very well! Happy Times are back! But the tough times were too tough to be forgotten.

What about you, Lynn? Tell me something about yourself. And if others start getting bored , you can email me!

It's 2 a.m (wednesday!) here. So, I am going off to sleep now. But do reply, because I will check back for the replies when you are sound asleep.

Lata

[kathleen]

Don't mean to jump in on your conversation Lynn and Lata, but just wanted to let you know that at least one of the "others" is not bored and is enjoying following the conversation. Some of us who are less outgoing learn and enjoy very much the conversations they "lurk" in on.
Anyway, feel free to continue telling us about your life and business here if you don't mind the "evesdropping" of us quieter types.

Kathleen

[James Mann]

Lata, Lynn rocks doesn't she. Hi Lynn, it seems like I haven't talked to
you in days. I'm starting to feel lonely.

Welcome and I know you will enjoy this little community.

I am James Mann and my site is iNET Strategies Inc. where I help new
eBusiness owners get started on the right path to a successful web site.

Dan, I took today off so you could get in here before me.

Kara, good evening, it is always great to see you.

[flensborg]

[Lynn Terry]

[karadawn]

[Lynn Terry]

[JimD]

[The Great Gordino]

Hi Lata,
I have been very lax in my welcome messages, so here's a quick hello from the UK!
I love the international aspects of the internet, I think you'll enjoy it here!
Gordon