Call yourself a shark, clownfish or dolphin, you need to swim smart in the technology pool. 

As an entrepreneurial woman you’ll always find yourself facing competition that’s bigger and better armed. And if you’re a mom who’s trying to juggle lots of lives, you’re going to need all the help you can get. Utilizing these five areas of technology can extend your reach without extending your workday.

Social Networks
Scoff all you want about Facebook and MySpace being a waste of time or the province of the high school and college scene—but building a network of contacts and releasing information to the right ones at the right time is mission critical to your business. Some social networks are more conducive to the business world than others. If it’s purely business you’re interested in, then LinkedIn.com is what you need; if your business is one that other moms would be interested in, then check out MomSpace.com.

Think Graphically
These days when everyone is trying to squeeze three days into one, you can get your message across quickly and more effectively with photos, video and graphics. If you have a product to sell or advice to give, think about creating a compelling video to post on YouTube (www.youtube.com ) or another video server. Once you get past the popular “silly videos” there’s a ton of really useful stuff. Money is often well spent on a few nicely rendered photographs or graphics. If you don’t know Adobe PhotoShop, InDesign or some other graphic software then hire someone who does.

Did you know that you can search for images, too? Yahoo, MSN and Google all let you search for images just as easily as you search for text. Try istockphoto.com for affordable stock images and illustrations. Graphic search engines like Truveo.com also let you search for video.

Access Your PC Remotely
Toting a baby on one hip and a laptop bag on the other is tough on your back (not to mention your clothing). Happily there are ways to take your computer with you virtually. Grab a flash drive to keep important files to take between home and office or to bring to a client and use their computer. Since I work between my home office and a client’s office, I use LogMeIn.com. 

This web-based remote access service allows me to log on to my computer from afar and treat the remote computer as if it was my own home desktop. I also use GoToMeeting.com to set up meetings and presentations with remote attendees (there’s a monthly fee for this).

Smart Phones
Why should you worry about the client’s call you missed when you’re with the kids, or vice versa? Phones that let you do everything from keeping track of contacts and calendars, to web surfing, texting, sharing photos, navigating your car and playing music are the way to go. (Sometimes you even get to talk on them, too.) 

Apple’s iPhone was the sensation of 2007 because it combined so many features into such an elegant design, but other choices like LG Voyager or the Blackberry Curve make sense, too. You’ll feel connected all over the world; just try to stay connected to where you are, too.

How about you? Any tips that let you feel you can compete against companies that are twice your size? 

Nearly every busy mom can benefit from a “home” on the Internet. Depending on the type of work you do, your home can be anything from an HTML web page to a blog, to a place in Secondlife.com, (www.secondlife.com ) to a photo-sharing site for friends and family.

Ask yourself some fundamental questions. “Will I be changing the content frequently?” (choose a blog.) “Will I require things like ecommerce and databases (website is best) or do I just want to create a virtual community for my company?” (Second Life.)

I built RobinRaskin.com (http://robinraskin.com ) with a simple blogging tool called WordPress (www.wordpress.com). It feels very much like a word processor with the ability to easily place hyperlinks into your text. It’s quite easy to become fluent in blog editing tools.

Robin Raskin has been at the forefront of technology, parenting, kids and education for more than 30 years. As a technology writer,  spokesperson and event creator, she is a leader in translating and driving new technologies into the hands of consumers. The former editor of PC Magazine and Family PC, Raskin writes and lectures about raising kids in a digital age. Robin is the founder of Kids@Play and is partnering with the CEA to produce a series of conferences and exhibits at CES 2009. Kids@Play is devoted to looking at the digital life of today's kids. She'll also be producing the Last Gadget Standing at CES hometech in Dubai this month. Raskin's television appearances include The Today Show, CNN, Dateline and others. Her articles have appeared in publications including Parents, Child, Real Simple and Family Fun.