Where can you go to exchange and share ideas? Is there someplace where you can ask for advice or just ask questions concerning home based businesses?

You bet!

Message boards, AKA, discussion forums.

A message board is a place on the web that allows for reader participation and interaction.

Here, you can ask questions and become part of what is known as a "thread."

A "thread" is just an ongoing set of comments, discussions, and questions that starts off with one member's post. A "post" is simply someone's comment or question that is "posted," or sent to the board.

So, essentially a message board is similar to a "bulletin board in cyber space." There are certain guidelines of etiquette on most forums. They are usually posted at the beginning of the site. Here are some general guidelines:

(1) Watch your language! ~Common sense, really. Don't swear! Be courteous! Otherwise, your message could be deleted.

(2) Advertising ~Read the rules of any board that you participate on. If they allow ads, go for it! That's why they exist! But... If they don't allow ads, and you post one, chances are your post will be deleted and, you could get kicked off the board.

Note: ~Most forums will allow you to include your site URL and/or a signature file. You might even get to include a text "link caption" to spark curiosity. (3) Recruiting ~Most boards don't allow recruiting. It's pretty much akin to advertising.

There are 2 types of discussion boards--moderated and unmoderated.

Moderated boards usually have someone who reads each new message before it's posted. Then a decision is made about it's contents, if it meets board regulations, or if it's just an ad.

If it's decided that it is an ad, then chances are it will get deleted. Some moderators will even send some type of "tsk,tsk" message to the poster. You might get an even nastier email from members of the board.

Deleting an ad simply saves the other board participants from having to waste time looking at it.

Conversely, unmoderated boards exist for advertising purposes. If you don't mind all of the posting, this could be the place for you.

What you'll find could be a place for you to test ads. But understand that you will probably not get too much attention. It seems that marketers who use these forums won't necessarily be reading your ad. They are there to post their ads. Here are just a scant few message or discussion boards that you can visit:

http://www.mlmwoman.com/wwwboard/ http://www.talkbiz.com/cgi-bin/mlm.cgi http://www.freemoneyservices.com/forums/UltraBoard.cgi http://www.mlmforums.com/cgi-bin/Ultimate.cgi?action=intro http://www.mlm.com click on "Forum" http://start-smartz.com/cgi-bin/index.cgi "Kiki's Cafe"

As a reminder: You may want to do some business with some of the people on these boards someday so follow those guidelines. Don't forget that THEY might want to do business with you, too.

Usually, the people who post on these forums are friendly and willing to lend a hand, in regard to sharing advice or information.

For example, if you are an ezine publisher and would like to find out how to sell or buy an ezine, go to your favorite board, post the question, and check in a couple times a day for a few days and see if there are any responses.

Don't be surprised when you log into your email box one day and find a response or two to a post you might have made the night before. It happens!

Message boards, discussion forums, whatever you choose to call them can be a great source of exposure for you and your business. They can also be valuable in building camaraderie and relationships. Not to mention, they are an excellent resource for obtaining up to date information, tips and insight.

Inject your own personality into your posts. Above all, go with the flow and just have a good time.