Perhaps the best way to avoid office conflict is to just do away with the office.

In an age of concern about people becoming disconnected by increasing Internet use, one company claims separate time zones as one of its strengths.

Though Nancy Price and Betsy Gartell-Judd have never met in person, they run a 5-year-old Internet company and in June made their foray into the print medium.

Gartell-Judd of Circleville met Price -- a San Francisco resident -- through an e-mail list for expectant mothers. The online friendship supported them through the trimesters and they eventually gave birth on the same day.

Now the women say their company, Myria Media Inc., benefitted from the same startup conditions as their relationship.

The first site, Myria.com, turned a profit in its first year.

''I would dare say it comes together more quickly and more productively than if we were in the same office,'' Gartell-Judd said. She said their system keeps them focused when discussing business matters.

The two stay-at-home moms created Myria.com as a resource for mothers and their interests beyond parenting. Epregnancy.com, the second site, came from a common interest in pregnancy matters.

''We knew the first thing we did when we were pregnant was go to the Internet. Pregnant women are always hungry for more information,'' Gartell-Judd said.

They chose the name Myria -- a prefix meaning 10,000 -- in reference to the myriad of roles mothers fill.

Geoparent.com followed with a focus on raising children. In 2000, Chefmom.com was launched. It addresses a mother's role as family caterer. A fifth site, Sheknows.com, offers education just for females.

''One thing about the Internet is that it's a great leveler because it's fairly inexpensive to get into it -- at least to begin with,'' Gartell-Judd said.

Price said the company's latest venture, Epregnancy Magazine, is meant as a portable complement to Epregnancy.com.

Gartell-Judd describes their jobs as revolutionary, having the ability to run a successful business with a work force of strangers. The magazine publisher works in Utah, graphic design takes place in Georgia and the final product rolls of presses in New York.

The women -- who have seven children between them -- communicate primarily through ICQ, an Internet messaging program.

''Then we talk on the phone maybe once or twice a day,'' Gartell-Judd said, ''depending on how complicated the subject is or how gossipy we are.''

Gartell-Judd said she is passionate about their work, though it isn't easy in a company with only two regular employees.

''I'm everything from mail clerk to executive to secretary,'' she said.

Other stay-at-home moms with various backgrounds make up a contracted support staff. Freelance writers submit articles for the Web sites and magazine. Most of them have little more than a dial-up connection to their two bosses.

Price said ''community directors'' who moderate several large message boards on each Web site receive a stipend.

''They're like mayors of these bustling towns,'' she said.

Geoparent.com's community for women in their 20s trying to conceive has almost developed its own language of abbreviations and medical terms. Another board called ''Butt Out'' aids parents trying to kick the smoking habit.

''The number of people we reach daily is mind-blowing,'' Gartell-Judd said. ''It's really helped me stay in touch with the world, especially being a stay-at-home mom. Staying at home with three kids all day can be pretty isolating.''

Price credits the Internet with connecting her with her closest friend and best business partner, Gartell-Judd. Myria Media is the second Internet venture for each woman. The others, which involved other parties, failed to meet their expectations.

''I don't know what compelled me to go into business again right after that,'' Price said.

But she's happy she took the risk.

They used that learning experience to build their own company. They say the profitable enterprise rests on their knack for balancing each other's strengths and their uncanny habit of seeing things the same way.

''I think humanity is so much about making these kinds of connections,'' Price said. ''People say the Internet is impersonal, but I think it's the exact opposite.''