Many moms run online businesses selling everything from scrapbook supplies to flannel or hemp diapers. But many of these online stores are miniscule in size, with a small selection of products for their customers.

Expanding selection in your online store raises problems and concerns within itself. Will your inventory become dead? What if your new product line is a total flop?

Entrepreneurial moms are looking at other avenues for increasing their merchandise selection, and increasing their potential for sales and profit. One great way to do this is through an affiliate program.

The most popular (and well-known) affiliate program is Amazon.com's, where affiliates are known by the term "Associates". People can include links to various books, DVDs, toys, or any other product listed in Amazon's directory (except the Z-Stores). Then every time Amazon generates a sale from one of your affiliate links, they will pay you a commission.

Another popular affiliate program is run through Clickbank, which is the affiliate program MyMommyBiz.com uses (see Join Our Affiliate Program for more information). Clickbank sends commission checks twice monthly, which is quite desirable when compared to Amazon's quarterly offerings.

But what sort of products should you offer through an affiliate program? A mom selling diapers could easily offer organic or natural diaper rash cream or books on natural parenting. A website by a pet photographer has an affiliate link to my Dog & Pet Photography eBook for others interested in the business. Likewise, an online scrapbook store has an affiliate link to my Start your own Scrapbook Making eBook.

Consider the unusual as well as the ordinary. Your goal is to provide a mix of merchandise that specifically targets your customers, and products of both your own and affiliate products that you feel will earn you money.

Of course, some businesses are entirely built upon an affiliate-only business. To make that work, you will need to have a very specific niche market that is currently unfilled, or filled inadequately.

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