tedster - 1:16 am on Oct 4, 2008 (gmt 0)

If you have a couple of sites that are ranking ok in Google but have not really mentioned them on the homepage...

Do you mean you have a couple of PAGES that are ranking ok? If that's the question, then a direct link from the Home Page can often help -- and help a lot in some cases. One problem area that might creep in is if the new link uses the same keyword in anchor text that's already in other anchor text on the home page. I am very careful about tweaks to the home page made only to help an internal page. But with that caution, it can be a good thing to do.