Business Tips for Success

I'm going to share some notes that I took last night on a training call with one of the top leaders in my business. I really enjoyed the call, and since she is earning over $100,000 per month with our company, I figured that it's a good idea to follow her advice:

• It's Up to YOU! You have to make a decision to be successful with your business. Your success is up to you. You can't blame others if you don't succeed.
• Have to be willing to sacrifice. There are things that you will need to sacrifice in the short-term in order to have a long-term gain. This might be things like your favorite TV show, going out with friends, or other activities you'd like to do. In the end, it will be worth it!
• Find a mentor and have them hold you accountable.
• Set attainable goals. You should have short-term and long-term goals and have a "whatever it takes" attitude.
• Know who to work with and know when to walk away. Many business builders try to work with the people who are not really serious - and they get frustrated. Go by what people do, not what they say. Work with those who are coachable.
• Stay in touch with your new builders and help them get the biggest first check possible. Once someone sees that this can work, they will continue to stick with it.
  
• Keep your attitude positive. If you are negative, you will bring down others around you and you will not attract success.
• Remember that in our business, no one can get hurt. Unlike many other companies out there, there is truly no way for someone to lose money or get hurt.

I love that last part! There is truly no way for someone to get hurt in our business. I recently connected with someone online who is in another company right now. She shared that she is not getting much support and she is being told that they aren't going to "hold her hand". Not to mention that she had to invest over $1,000 to get started! Wow, that is a set up for people to get hurt. After researching more about the company, I have read many similar stories, including people that have been encouraged to spend tens of thousands of dollars on the business - but yet they aren't earning any money! One thing I love about my company is our focus on helping others to get OUT of debt, not into more debt.

I hope these tips were helpful. Feel free to add a comment with your tips as well.

Developing Your Business Online

There are many ways to develop your home-based business, and one of them is to develop your online presence. Blogging is obviously one way to do this, and I apologize for my serious lack of posts in the past month. I have been busy, but that is no excuse. Another way, aside from blogging, is to develop relationships with others through online message boards and groups. I have found this to be quite helpful over the recent months. I have met some wonderful women who have chosen to team up with me and start their own business. It's been rewarding for them as well as for myself. And helping others is part of my own personal passion, as well as the mission statement of my company.

As I continue to build my business, I am constantly learning and figuring out what works and what doesn't work. I have noticed that some people try to just start advertising their business before they have developed any kind of rapport or relationship with others. I think that one of the keys to building online is still to be focused on others and to develop a relationship with them. That way they know that you truly care about them, and you are not there just to try and recruit them.

The fact is, there are people everywhere who are looking for extra income right now. With the economy the way it is, even an extra $300-500 a month can make a huge difference for families. I am so excited to be a part of a company that allows me to help others earn this, even within their first month if they choose. This month, we can even help people DOUBLE their paychecks, which is pretty amazing.

Feel free to leave any tips you have about building a business online, or any comments about anything else here.

Time Management & Goals

Tonight our team had a conference call that focused on time management. This is one of my favorite topics, since I am all about scheduling your time. Here are some of the questions to ask yourself when working a home business:

• What are my goals for this month?
• What is my WHY?
• Am I truly putting in the time and effort to reach my goals?

We had a challenge to actually track our "work" time - the time that we are actually spending on our businesses - and then look back at our goals and see if the time corresponds to being able to reach our goals. I know for me, there are definitely weeks where I think I'm working x number of hours, but if I actually tracked it, it would be a lot less.

When someone can master the concept of time management, I think they can be really successful. There are people on my team who have 6 children, who homeschool, who work full-time, who are single - I could go on and on - but they still find a way to make this business work! Why? Because they are determined to make a difference for their family's financial well-being, and they have learned how to manage their time so that they can be with their family but still have a successful business. With a baby on the way, I hope to be able to do the same thing!

Interview

This morning I had an "interview" with my company! The other day my company called me and asked me if I would be willing to do an interview about my business. Being that things have been rather slow lately, I was rather surprised. But, of course, I agreed to it. So this morning I got to answer some questions about how I got started, what a difference it has made, etc. When I get the proof, I will probably post it here for everyone to read. I have truly enjoyed my experience with my business and enjoy helping others reach their goals.

End of the Month

The end of the month is always a busy time for me with my business. It's the time to make sure that everyone has submitted paperwork and wrap up loose ends. I love the end of the month, because it also is usually a time that my team is motivated to try and reach their goals before the month ends. Then, at the beginning of the new month, there is always a new promotion to find out about, which is very exciting.

The end of the month is also a time to evaluate and assess what I've done this month and see what I can do better next month. This month I have worked more than the previous two months, because I have finally been feeling better than I was in March and April. So I have accomplished more, but today I am still working on finishing up my month strong.

What I always tell my team is that you may not always reach your goals, but as long as you are working consistently, that work WILL pay off. You will see results, it just might not be until a month or two later. So I am hopeful that the work I have done this month will continue to pay off over the next several months. Speaking of which, it's time to get off the computer and get back to work!

Low Start Up Costs

One thing that I recommend when I am talking with people about starting a home based business is to find one with a low start up cost. Why? Because so many people get burned by spending hundreds to thousands of dollars on a business, and then end up with inventory sitting around that they never sell. Or worse, they find out it was a scam and have no way to recoup their money.

With my business, the most anyone can ever spend is $29 plus the cost of their products, which can range from $50-$299 to start. And that is fully refundable within the first 60 days. The best part about this is, the products that you get are all for personal use - not to try and sell at parties, etc. So you're getting something that you know you will use.

Right now, we are having a half-price enrollment special which means that the $29 is only $14.50. And, you can earn a guaranteed paycheck of $500 this month. That's a pretty good return on your investment, wouldn't you say?

Regardless of what business you choose to do, I definitely recommend a low start-up cost for everyone. You will avoid losing money and have the opportunity to start earning a profit right away.

The Anonymity of the Internet

As I do some of my business on the internet through message boards, etc, I am increasingly becoming aware of an issue that affects many of us. It is the idea that just because you are posting on a message board, blog, or elsewhere, you can end up saying things that you never would in person. I am finding this to be quite disturbing, as I read some of the comments that people leave about others. My question whenever I post is this - "If I were face-to-face with this person, would I say this?" Unfortunately, I think a lot of other people do not filter their statements this way. Or, perhaps, there are more rude people in the world than I originally estimated. I'm thinking, though, that it is because we have a feeling of anonymity when we post online that we do not have in real life.

As I consider working from home and attempting to build a business online, I recognize that maintaining a positive outlook - whether online or face-to-face - is essential. If you are looking to build your business, build relationships, or just maintain friendships, it is important to keep your online posts positive and encouraging rather than degrading or critical of others.