Frequently Asked Questions about Our Milk Money

• What is OurMilkMoney.com?
• I really like your mission. What can I do to get involved?
• Is there a fee?
• I have a business and a website that can cater to more than just my local area. Can I be listed in other markets as well?
• I want to be listed in every market. Do you have a special rate?
• What is the difference between a major market and a submarket?
• I don’t see my local area listed as a submarket. 
• What happens once the year is up?
• I don’t have a website, or even a company name. Can I still be listed?
• I live in a smaller town or city that is outside of what most people would consider a "major market" -- so how can Our Milk Money work for me?
• Do I have to have to be a parent to list my product or service?
• Why do you charge an annual membership fee? If you really want to help self-employed parents, why not make it free?
• Why is the cost of membership so small?
• Can I increase the visibility of my unique product and/or service in the directory by purchasing an ad for an additionalcost?
• As a member of Our Milk Money, what can I do to help the site remain successful?
• The basic principle is simple...

What is OurMilkMoney.com?

Our site is a national search directory of self-employed parents. It is also a community resource dedicated to helping parents who want to stay at home find financial opportunities and support. Our aim is to give parents a choice and to educate consumers on the value of buying from a self-employed parent.

I really like your mission. What can I do to get involved?

In addition to being listed on our directory, the biggest contribution you can make is getting the word out. The success of our site is contingent upon having a diversified selection of goods and services available to the average consumer, as well as knowing how to find us. In a nutshell, the more businesses we have listed, the more consumers will benefit from using our site to do their online searches. We are doing our part to expose our mission and broadcast our service directory to the public, but nothing is as strong as word-of-mouth. Once listed, please tell your friends and family where they can find you, and encourage them to do their online shopping with OurMilkMoney.com.

Is there a fee?

Yes, the annual membership fee is $25. That fee includes a listing in your closest major market, which includes the sub-market associated with your city.
The costs of additional market listings are explained below.

I have a business and a website that can cater to more than just my local area. Can I be listed in other markets as well?

Yes. If you wish to add additional cities, there will be a $12 charge per city.

I want to be listed in every market. Do you have a special rate?

Yes, if you’d like to be listed in every market, we have an annual rate of $525. This includes new markets that most likely will be added.  Although the flat $525 fee may increase as we expand to a larger demographic, you will not incur any new charges during the year. 

What is the difference between a major market and a submarket?

A Major market covers a large metropolitan area. A submarket is the smaller areas that make up that area. Because each area of the country is divided differently, this was the best way for us to create a system that would benefit all of our members, depending on the service or products that are being listed.

I don’t see my local area listed as a submarket.

During the application process, you will be prompted to put in your local area. Once several applications have been submitted with the same submarket, it will be added in the system.

What happens once the year is up?

There is no obligation to continue with us once your year is up, however, our hope is that you will be satisfied with what OurMilkMoney.com has done for your business and you’ll want to continue with us.

I don’t have a website, or even a company name. Can I still be listed?

Absolutely. Although the concept of Our Milk Money was originally created to accommodate the self-employed parent operating at the local level with less income and therefore less advertising budget, we certainly don’t want to exclude anyone with a business on a broader scale.  As long as you meet the qualifications of being a self-employed parent, you are eligible to list your business or service in our online directory.  

Some examples of what services we’d like to encourage are house cleaning, dog grooming, hair cutting and styling, baking, catering, administrative services, car washing, legal services, event planning, financial services, etc.

I live in a smaller town or city that is outside of what most people would consider a "major market" -- so how can Our Milk Money work for me?

It doesn't matter if you're in a major city or a smaller city or a town. We've built this system to work for EVERYONE.

It became clear to us after receiving so many applications from all corners of the United States (and even some other parts of the world!) that we needed a system that would not exclude anyone from this structure no matter the location.

To accommodate everyone, we have listed the majority of large markets in the U.S. If we find that we need to add new markets based on inquiries, we will do so. We will also approve “sub-markets” associated with these Major Markets through the application process. Therefore, it is up to you, our current members, as well as prospective members to tell us what these submarkets are during the application process. We rely heavily on our members to help us saturate these locations through word of mouth. If only one business is listed in your area, there isn’t much reason for your community to use our database for their searches, so it’s in your best interest to help build your local area. . We will do our best to advertise to all areas of the country and create opportunities for more self-employed parents to find us, but it’s up to you to make a difference in your communities. We will always be available to hear your ideas and suggestions.

Do I have to have to be a parent to list my product or service?

Yes. The purpose of our site is to help businesses run by families with children. There are many other online sites that will help you with your business endeavors, but this one caters only to families, and family owned businesses. 

Why do you charge an annual membership fee? If you really want to help self-employed parents, why not make it free?

It was important to us that we encompass certain aspects in our site that provide an overall sense of trust and support. We thought about making each database listing free indefinitely, and just financing the site through advertising dollars from larger companies -- but that seemed contradictory to our mission. Clearly, the companies that can afford those kinds of ads don’t need our help to advertise their products or services. The self-employed parents, with low advertsing budgets do, which is the function of the Our Milk Money search engine. Because our site needs basic funds in order to simply stay operational, we decided that a low annual fee to each member for a local listing would be the best way to go. Because we are successful in attracting a good amount of traffic by consumers, potential members see the value in joining our community, and our site funds itself.

Why is the cost of membership so small?

As self-employed parents, you are operating on lower budgets and your income is helping you provide for your families. We want to take as little from that as possible. We decided that $25 a year was an amount that every parent should be able to afford, and would help us keep the site maintained and growing. However, if you CAN NOT afford this annual membership fee, please do not let it deter you from being listed in our directory. We hold no judgements on what you may or may not have in your budget, and we'd rather work with you to get your business listed in our directory. Please contact us to discuss other ways you might be able to contribute to your membership.

Can I increase the visibility of my unique product and/or service in the directory by purchasing an ad for an additional cost?

No. We will continue to reject offers (and there have been many) to place larger or more prominent ads in the directory in return for larger fees.

We do however, sell ad spaces on our newsletters and e-mail campaigns. Contact us for pricing.

As a member of Our Milk Money, what can I do to help the site remain successful?

First, let other stay-at-home parents know what we are doing. Because we do not accept larger advertising fees, our membership fees are the only way we generate an income for the site maintenance and it’s promotion. Because each membership fee is so low-cost, we depend on the volume of our memberships to help us maintain a good working directory, as well is give us other funds to promote the directory to the public.

Second, spread the word to ALL of your contacts, whether they are parents or not. Let them know that you are listed on OurMilkMoney.com along with many other fantastic products and services across the country and in their city. Encourage everyone to use our search to find what they need. If you would like us to supply you with promotional materials to hand out in your area or with your shipments, we will be happy to provide that for you. Please send an inquiry to marketing@ourmilkmoney.com.

Finally, and most importantly, use OurMilkMoney.com to search for your own products and services, and make a conscious effort to make all of your purchases from a self-employed parent.  We can start by setting a good example and practice what we preach. If we commit to making a change, and are successful in that change, others will soon follow.

The basic principle is simple...

By purchasing goods and services you would normally buy, and choosing to purchase them from a parent who is running his or her own business, you are helping a mother or father raise their children! It’s a simple action that you can feel good about.

We want to encourage consumers to make a conscious choice on what products they buy and the economy they’ll be supporting when they make their purchases -- whether they may be every day needs, recurring, or for a special occasion.

This is what Our Milk Money is all about.