Ground Floor Opportunities

I've been thinking lately about "Ground Floor Opportunities." I hear about these often, being that I am in the home business industry myself. I attend a women's networking meeting on a regular basis, visit online forums, and talk with others who have their own home business frequently. I often hear or read people referring to getting started with a "ground floor opportunity" in a positive light. In fact, one colleague's signature line in her email states: "Ask me TODAY about exciting new parties, new products and a GROUND FLOOR business opportunity!"

If you are someone who is searching for a home based business or just a way to earn some extra income, this idea of a "ground floor" business may appeal to you. "Ground floor" implies many things. Here are just a few that I can think of off the top of my head:

• If you get in early, or at the start of the business, you will make more money than someone who joins later on.
• If you get in early, you will have more of the potential market share.
• If you get in early, you may have more direct contact with the company's corporate office.

While some people may look at these things as a positive thing, I actually feel that going with a newer company or one that is advertising a "ground floor" opportunity is not necessarily a good idea. I feel that a good company will have the same potential for income or for customers 10 years from now that it does right now. And you should have the same amount of potential support from the company whether you join earlier on or after the company is well-established.

Now I want to clarify - I am not saying that all "ground floor opportunities" are BAD. I am just saying that someone should not use this as their main reason for choosing a business. Unfortunately, I think some people jump on every new business that comes down the pike, hoping that the next one will be "the one." But all too often, those business that started as "ground floor" end up going under before you can blink. So I recommend considering companies that are well-established and have a solid track record of success, especially in this economic climate. This is not the best time to take a risk on a company that may or may not be here a year from now.

So if you are looking at your options and have been considering joining a "ground floor opportunity" or a business that is less than 5 years old, I strongly urge you to think twice and do your research!

Consistency & Persistence

Consistency and persistence are two of the most important character traits for anyone who wants to work from home. In any legitimate business, there must be time and effort invested before you see a return on your investment. To see a significant income, you will need to be consistent and persistent. What does this mean?

Consistency means that you work day after day without taking huge breaks. For example, working every day for 1 hour is more effective than working one day for 5 hours and then taking 4 days off, then working another 2 hours, and taking 3 days off. Even though you may have worked about the same amount of hours, you will probably see more results be doing something EVERY DAY, rather than working in big chunks and then taking a lot of time off. On my team, I encourage people who are working very part-time to at least do one thing every day - whether that is making a new contact, setting an appointment, or doing a customer follow-up. At least it kept them "in the game." People who take several days or weeks off have a MUCH harder time getting back into the saddle to work their business.

Persistence sounds similar to consistency, but it is a bit different. Being persistent means that you don't give up easily. It means that even when you hear "no" or have a bad day, you continue to put forth effort. Persistence means that you are not quickly discouraged and that you don't give up easily. In any home business, there will be days when you feel like giving up. You may feel like you aren't reaching your goals quickly enough or that you don't have the income you want. Now, a key point here is that if you are 100% sure that this is the RIGHT business for you, then I encourage you to be persistent and not give up! However, perhaps you have questions about whether this business is for you or perhaps the company is tanking, etc - then you may want to consider looking at other options if you are serious about ensuring your financial future. Personally I have been there, and I am very glad I made a switch. Even if I had persisted in the other business, I would still not have made the income I wanted since the compensation plan was not set up for success.

In closing, I encourage you to consider this question: If you were to interview yourself based on your current activities in your business, would you hire yourself? If you are being consistent and persistent, the answer will probably be yes! If not, it might be no. What can you do? Change your activities today and make sure they are in line with your goals. No matter what, do something every day in your business and keep working towards your goals despite the obstacles.

Looking for Leaders, Moms, Professionals who Want to Earn from Home

I am looking for some serious, motivated individuals to invest my time in and train to lead in my business. I work from home WITHOUT having to sell any products, go door-to-door, or purchase inventory.

When you get started this month, you can earn $1500+ over the next 3 months! That's a minimum paycheck of $500 for the next 3 months - it can be much more than that.

So, what would an extra $500 a month for the next 3 months mean to you? If you are someone who is hardworking, willing to be coachable, and have a strong reason why you need that extra money, then give me a call TODAY. If there's ever been a time to start your business, it is now. Our partner company grew by another $28 million in 2008, while the DSA reported a decrease in sales by 5-6% across the board. That means that this company is one of the ONLY growing home businesses out there!

When I got started with this business, I was skeptical because I had tried another business for 3 years and didn't get the income I wanted. I was also unsure whether this would really work. But now after over 2 years of experience with this company, I couldn't be MORE thankful that I gave it a try. It has allowed me to be at home the majoirty of the time with my baby girl. It means that we have not had to rely on credit cards or worry about losing our home. It means that we are headed to complete financial freedom in the future!

Serious inquires only Call Esther 207-249-9013 or request more info on my site. Note: requests for info via email only cannot be met as this business cannot be described or explained via email. Please provide an accurate phone number if you wish to explore this option. I am the only one who will be able to access your information - it will not be sold or used for spam.

A Key to Improving Your Speaking Skills

In working from home, most of us deal with people over the phone or in person on a regular basis. If you work exclusively on the internet, this may not apply to you, although I am sure you still interact with others in various aspects of your life. I have been learning about ways to improve my interactions with others, as you have noticed in my previous posts. But one area that I hadn't considered is how to improve my speaking skills.

I have definitely come a long way in my speaking ability - from my first scary experience as a graduating 8th grader giving a speech to a large crowd (over 500 people) [my knees were literally knocking together] to now, when I have no problem giving a 45 minute presentation to a large group or one-on-one . However, there is always room for improvement, and I've been trying out a new technique to help improve my skills.

The technique that I am trying and highly recommend to you is recording yourself. I heard this idea on a training call a few weeks ago, and then it was solidified in my mind while reading Jeffrey Gitomer's Little Green Book of Getting Your Way. Gitomer says, "Recording your presentation will reveal every blemish, every error, and every weakness. It will give you a report card on your effectiveness." I have to completely agree! In the few times I have been trying this out, I have been amazed - no, appalled - at how I sound! No, it's not horrible, but I never realized how many times I say "um" while leaving a voicemail. So I have begun to focus on not saying "um" or "ah" but rather getting right to the point. I plan to also record some of my presentations so that I can hear how I sound and improve upon those as well.

So if you work with people in any capacity, I highly encourage you to begin recording yourself. Perhaps you don't do presentations or long talks, but even if you leave voicemails or do a "30-second commercial", you can benefit from recording yourself to see how you sound. Then you can improve on what you are saying and how you are saying it!

Show Sincere Appreciation

What is one of the main reasons people quit a job? Lack of appreciation. It's not lack of money or benefits, it's lack of appreciation. This can also translate over into marriage, teams, churches, etc. If people do not feel appreciated and valued, they are not likely to stick around.

In Dale Carnegie's book "How to Win Friends and Influence People", he says that the "big secret of dealing with people" is to give them honest and sincere appreciation. I completely agree that this is super-important, especially in a home based business. When you pick up a phone to call someone, they have to feel that they are more important than you. If they think you are just calling about your needs, then they will either blow you off or not respond. They need to know that you appreciate them and value them.

As a leader of my organization, I realize that I have often failed in this area. As I mentioned in my last post, I often jump to being critical and thinking of what the person needs to do differently, rather than just appreciating what they are doing right. I believe that if we can give appreciation more often to our team members, they will feel more valued and be more interested in sticking with their business. Again, many people choose a home business (or a job) not just based on the financial part, but on whether they will be valued and appreciated on a regular basis.

What are some ways that you can show appreciation?

• A phone call. Simply picking up the phone to say, "I'm glad you are a part of my team" can really mean a lot to someone.
• Recognizing them in front of someone else. Perhaps on a team call or at a meeting, you can mention something special about another person. Don't just say, "I appreciate you" - say why you appreciate them or mention a reason you are proud of them. Verbal praise in front of others can go a long way!
• A thank you note or card. Send a little thank you card to let the person know you are thinking of them. Written notes through the mail are much more meaningful than emails or text messages.
• A small gift. I don't recommend going out and spending a lot of money on all of your team members. However, perhaps you know someone who has been making an extra effort despite tough circumstances, or someone who has been a great leader on your team. Even an $5.00 gift card to a local coffee shop says a lot to them.

In closing, I'd like to challenge each of us to take time to show appreciation to someone today. As Carnegie says, "In our interpersonal relations, we should never forget that all our associates are human beings and hunger for appreciation."

Don't Criticize

Currently I am reading Dale Carengie's "How to Win Friends & Influence People." I decided to blog about the things I am learning from reading this book. I hope to apply these principles not only in my business, but also in the rest of my life. I am learning more and more that people will follow people that they like, people that make them feel special. So often we are trying to find people to work with, but perhaps we should be leading by example and allowing others to find us. I believe that the first principle in this book, "Don't criticize, condemn, or complain", will help us do just that.

This principle is one of extreme importance, I believe. I know for myself, it is so easy to fall into complaining and criticizing. Especially being a perfectionist, I hold high expectations for myself AND for others. So if they do not meet my expectations, I may end up criticizing them - if not out loud to them, then at least in my head. Unfortunately, even thinking these negative thoughts will affect the way that I interact with them work with them.

There are a few quotes from this chapter that really stuck out to me. I think Carnegie says it perfectly here: "Any fool can criticize, condemn and complain - and most fools do. But it takes character and self-control to be understanding and forgiving." (p. 13) The key here is to recognize that nothing is accomplished by criticizing. It just makes people feel bad, and it rarely promotes any kind of change. This is the solution Carnegie offers: "Instead of condemning people, let's try to understand them. Let's try to figure out why they do what they do. That's a lot more profitable and intriguing than criticism; and it breeds sympathy, tolerance, and kindness."

So as we interact with others in our business life and our personal life, let's keep in mind that criticizing, condemning, or complaining will not help but only harm. Instead, let us seek to love, lift, and serve others.

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