Social Networking Warning

Social Networking is all the rage now and there is a group for everyone nearest I can figure. I am so new to it that there is still a lot of mystery surrounding it for me. I was invited to my first group, MUIB a few weeks ago and I joined. From there I was invited to a couple more so I joined and so on. OK so, now I feel myself spread a little thin. Although I am new to this aspect of growing my business I can offer one word of advice. Unless you have nothing to do but sit at your computer all day, look around and find just a couple that really meet your needs. Otherwise you could end up like me and find yourself actually neglecting your business just to keep up. Joining a social networking group requires time and energy if done properly. You are there not only to get but also to give.
The idea is to find a group of people with common goals and help each other meet those goals. On the two that I belong to, MUIB and WAHM, there is lot of activity. We have members with a wide variety of expertise specifically geared to work at home moms. Although we work from home, we need to make the most of our time and social networking can be a vauable tool if it is used correctly.
While years ago there were clearly defined lines as to the duties of a woman, the role of woman/mother is now quite convoluted. When I was growing up my mom stayed home, raised 5 kids and sold Tupperware or Sarah Coventry in her "spare" time. Dad was rather old fashioned and successful and no wife of his was going to work outside the home, it looked bad. To him selling Tupper and Sarah wasn’t really working! The point is that things were simpler then, the juggling act was more clearly defined and a family could survive quite well on one income. Now most of us HAVE to work so if we can work at home and put food on the table or oil in the tank that is a wonderful thing.
That is where the social networking helps. Sometime between all the other responsibilities in their lives, these women find the time to help each work out all the complexities of owning their own business while still being the primary caregiver to their family. There is such a medley of talents to draw from and contribute to. We have women in affiliate marketing, communications, artists and artisans, direct sales, and the list goes on. If you are under the impression that social networking is all about gossip you could not be more wrong, There is a lot of work going on!
Social networking is not all about business. There are sites out there for just about everything. There is even a site for Navy Moms; I had to join that one! Talking to women about the worries and woes of having a child in the Navy is a wonderful support system. The same idea really, I feel a responsibility to participate although not on a daily basis. Happy social networking!