Consistency

It's been a while I've posted, and for that I apologize, for anyone who may actually visit here! March has been a crazy month, but that's no excuse. I would say the one lesson I have learned this month is something that I already knew, but it's good to be reminded. I have realized once again the importance of consistency in a home-based business. I tell my team all the time - consistency is key! And when you are consistent, you will see results. Of course, I need to take my own advice as well. I found that March was a month where I didn't work consistently, and therefore my results have been very slow. The end of the month is picking up a bit for my team, so that is important, but I need to also improve on my own personal activities.

So now that we are at the end of March, my goal for April is to be consistent again! I know that it is possible, and I know that with consistency in anything, you end up with better results. And I have seen so many people in my business who have recently seen amazing results when they have worked consistently. So I am determined, and I am looking forward to helping more people reach their goals over the next month.

Free Advertising

Many people who are working from home want to find ways to advertise for free. While I am certainly not an expert on this, I am learning new things every day. One thing that I have found to be working has been developing relationships with people online. One of my priorities in my business is to be people-focused. While the income is nice, my main goal is to help others. And I feel that in order to do this, you really have to develop relationships with others before you are able to help them.

There are a lot of ways to develop these relationships. Perhaps through online forums, message boards, and emails. There is also blogging, of course, and using facebook and myspace. These are all ways to develop relationships while also sharing with people what you do. Since my business is entirely referral based, I always appreciate when someone refers a friend to my website.

As much as people are wanting the convenience of online shopping and online business, they also appreciate personal customer service and real people being there to answer questions. There is something to be said for being technologically saavy while also developing personal relationships with others.

If anyone has additional tips, feel free to post them in the comments section!

Positive vs. Negative Thinking

I have just been visiting some online websites and message boards, and I just have to get this out. I want to be someone who is positive and who attracts positive people. It is interesting to me when I read these posts online and see how many people live their lives in negativity. How do they do it? I need to talk to some positive people to rid myself of those negative vibes!!!

Earning Money in Heart Health Month!

Many of you know that February is Heart Health Month. Just in the past few weeks, I have talked to so many people that either have high cholesterol, high blood pressure, or some kind of heart issues. Unfortunately, heart health is a major concern for many Americans. It's not something to take lightly!

I am excited to be able to offer others the chance to get products that can truly make a difference when it comes to heart health. I use some of these products on a daily basis as a preventative - so that I can help reduce my risk of encountering those heart issues listed above. Of course, eating right and exercise is important as well, but sometimes you do end up needing some extra supplements. Many people go with prescription meds, but wouldn't you rather use something safer and more natural?

This month, Heart Health Month, you can share these kinds of products (and a lot more) with others AND earn an extra $1500 for the next 3 months. How? Just contact me and I'll tell you how.

Advertising

With the Superbowl just around the corner, we are hearing more and more about how much is spent on advertising. It is quite amazing when you look at the numbers. Millions and millions are spent to get those products on TV and getting us to buy them. The interesting thing is, though, that most people rely more on word of mouth than advertising when making their purchasing decisions.

Think about it: You're wanting to buy a computer. What do you do? Usually we ask our friends what they have, where they've gotten a good deal, and where gives good customer service. Or you want to go out to eat. You have seen or heard an ad for a new resturaunt - but first you ask friends if they've been there, right? You don't want to go and waste money if it's not a good place to eat.

That's why I am happy to be working with a company that does not spend money on advertising. Most home-based businesses don't advertise, but more and more are - I know I've seen ads for Mary Kay, Avon, and Tupperware. So you know that some of the money of your purchases with any company that advertises goes to pay for those ads. So my company does not use any money towards advertising. Instead, I get to use word of mouth to share the products with others. It's a simple concept, really, and it's been working for us for over 20 years.

So the next time you go shopping, keep in mind that some of that money is going to pay for the advertising and distribution of those products. If you'd rather not pay for that, talk to me!

Marriage and Working From Home

I have worked from home for the past 5 years. This month, actually, is my 5 year anniversary of working from home. I have been married that whole time. In fact, I started my first business about 6 months after I got married. My husband had a hobby, and I didn't really have one. So I started that business as a hobby, and eventually worked harder to earn money. Now, I am doing a business that I am actually earning money with, and I love it. But one thing remains - my marriage comes first.

There are a few things I've learned over the past 5 years about how to make working from home work for you if you are married and/or have children:

• Schedule your time! Plan out exactly when you are going to work, and let your family know. If you plan to work evenings, make sure your husband is aware and supportive. For me, I try to work during the times that my husband has something else going on. Of course, that is not always the case, but he knows I'm earning money, so he's usually fine with it.
• Keep your business and personal life separate. By doing the first thing, scheduling your time, you will be able to focus on your business during business time and your family during family time. That is such a common problem with people working from home - they try to combine it with their family life, and everyone's unhappy. The key is to find time that you can truly focus on your business, and then the other times - RELAX and spend time with your fam.
• Take time for yourself and your marriage. This is similar to the previous point, but I mean dedicated, separate time. Perhaps it's a date night or a family day. Perhaps it's a bubble bath or a movie night. Recently, my husband and I went away for marriage retreat. This is something we do every year. It's a way to just focus on our marriage and each other. It is so much fun, and during that time, I didn't do any business. It was purely a fun weekend away.

If you're looking for some great marriage advice, I recommend checking out Laugh Your Way to a Better Marriage. Last year at our marriage retreat, we watched these videos and they are great!

Finding a Business That Is Right For You

In the new year, with many people trying to recover from credit card debt and facing potential job losses, more and more people are looking for additional income options. For some, that may mean finding a second job or trying to get a raise. For others, this may entail finding a way to work from home a few hours a week. Many people are choosing the second option due to the flexibility and choices that it brings with it.

While choices in the home-based business industry can be a positive thing, they can also be quite overwhelming. There’s skincare, purses, jewelry, scrapbooking, kitchen products, candles, and more. Then there’s the terminology: party-plan, direct sales, multi-level marketing, network marketing, online business, blogs, etc. How does one decide what is right for them?

One way to start is by answering a few questions to narrow down your choices. By answering these questions, you can help determine what you are looking for as well as what a company might offer. Some examples of these questions would be:

• What are you passionate about?
• What products does the company offer?
• What is the market in your area for these products?
• Are the products affordable for the average person?
• What is the start-up cost and is that refundable?
• How long has the company been in business?
• What are the average earnings of people in the company and how many hours a week is required to reach that income level?
• How do you market the products - parties/shows, online, face-to-face, over the phone?
• Does the business result in residual income?

In addition to asking yourself these questions, there are some excellent resources available online. Obviously, when researching online, one must keep in mind that there is a lot of information out there, and not all of it is accurate. Be sure to thoroughly research your topic, and remember that personal experience is the only way to know if something will work for you or not. That being said, here are some online resources that one might find particularly helpful:
http://www.wahm.com/ - The online magazine for work at home moms. Here you can browse through message boards such as "Business Advice and Topics" or "WAHMs in Party Plans".
http://www.dsa.org/ - The Direct Selling Organization’s official website. You can search the Member Directory according to company name, products/services offered, or type of compensation plan.
http://www.bbb.org/ - The Better Business Bureau’s website allows you to search based on company name and/or type of business. You can view the company’s status with the BBB and how the company has resolved complaints against them.

Finally, one of the best ways to make a decision about working from home is hearing first-hand experiences of others. You can ask friends and family who they know who has a home business and is successful, talk to members of Tuesday Forum, as well as read online blogs of people who work from home.

Once you find the right business for you, it is important to treat it like a business. You’ll need to give yourself at least 3-6 months to begin generating some income. However, don’t allow someone to convince you that it should take 3-6 years to generate income. While it will take some time, if you are working consistently, a good business will result in income in a reasonable amount of time. For me, I have found the right business, and I feel that it is a business anyone can do!