Blogging Break

Sorry for the lack in blogging recently!! I have a new addition to my home: my beautiful daughter, Kirsten Jael!
She was born on October 29th at 2:28am, and she is absolutely wonderful. Due to this recent addition, I have taken a bit of a vacation from my business. Therefore my blogging has been non-existent. I just wanted to update any of you who read my blog so that you know what's going on. The thing that is so great about my business is that even as I was headed to the hospital, many on my team were working hard and finished out October incredibly strong! I have a great support team who have been helping my team immensely while I've been focusing on my new baby. Soon I'll be getting back to work, but I am so thankful for this business and this team that I work with. I am thankful that I have residual income with this company and it allows me to know I'll be getting a paycheck even though I haven't been working these couple weeks.

Reaching Your Financial Wellness Goals

The economic climate right now is not good, and most everyone in their right mind would agree with that. Many people are worried about losing their job or their home, if they haven't already lost one or both! In these difficult times, more and more people are wanting to find a way to improve their financial wellness.

I have noticed this recently in my business. I have had more people wanting to team up and build an income because of this economic climate. One of my team members recently sent out an email to a group of other moms who homeschool like she does. Within 2 days, she received over 10 responses back from moms who were interested! In the past, a similar email would've probably gotten less than half that response. It is true that people need a source of reliable, residual income.

With a baby on the way in about 1 month, many people would be having a near meltdown about taking maternity leave and worrying about how to survive without a paycheck for that time. (In fact I've met many moms who are feeling that way right now). However, thanks to the fact that I have this business and have already developed my residual income, I am not worried at all. I am so thankful that God brought this to me when He did, because now I know that we will have income coming in from my business even while I am on maternity leave.

Perhaps you are in a similar situation as many others out there right now. Perhaps you are looking for a way to generate an extra $300-500 a month just to get by or to pay for heating this winter. NOW is the time to consider a home business that can help you reach your financial wellness goals by working about 5-15 hours a week.

I love my home business!

I just have to say that I love my home business! I am so thankful that God brought this company into my life and has given me such a fabulous support team. I am also thankful for the people that I meet on a regular basis who also are looking for a way to earn extra income - I love helping them get started and reach their goals as well! It benefits them and myself, so it is a win-win! I also love the fact that I am having a baby in approximately 7 weeks, and I know that when she arrives, I will not have to worry about finances because my paycheck will continue to come in (from my business) even while I am on maternity leave from my part-time job! It is truly a blessing to not feel tons of pressure and worry during such an exciting time!

Making the Decision to Work

I recently went to my business convention, and I had an excellent time. Despite being 7 months pregnant and getting less sleep than is necessary, I loved the convention and learned so much. I felt as though my brain just could not take in all the information! However, I did learn a few things that I really want to apply to my business here at home.

First of all, I learned how important it is to make the decision to work. When you own a home based business, you don't have a boss and you don't have anyone telling you what to do. With my business, thankfully, I do have a great support team and people who will hold me accountable. However, it is still up to me to actually get to work! So the decision to work - I mean really work - your business is an important one. I see so many people getting started "hoping" to build a business. Well, those folks rarely go anywhere, because they never really made a commitment to do it no matter what. For me, something I came home with after convention was a newfound commitment and a decision to reach my goal no matter what. I don't care what comes in the way or what people might try to tell me. I will work this business no matter what, and I will succeed.

Secondly, I learned the importance of teaming up with others. Without helping others, I will go nowhere in this business. That is one of the reasons I love my company - because we MUST help others achieve their goals in order to achieve our own. I learned that if I want to really help someone get started, then I need to work with them on a daily basis and be there to support them. Without that daily support, they may get discouraged or allow others to destroy their dreams. I want to be there for my team in the good and the bad times.

Finally, I learned the importance of keeping a positive attitude and mind-frame. Today on the radio I heard a famous talk-show host talking about something - it had nothing to do with business, but it totally applies! He was saying, "Don't hang around people who whine and complain all the time. If you do, you will surely get dragged down into that mindset." This is so true! As they say, "Misery loves company." It's easy to get discouraged when someone brushes you off, or when you get a "no", or when you don't reach a goal you had. However, if you keep a positive mindset, you are much more likely to achieve your goals than if you let things get you down and begin whining and complaining. I am still working on this area, and even tonight I had to remind myself not to let something get me down. As one of our speakers at convention said, "Count your blessings every day rather than counting your obstacles."

Moms Working From Home

A lot of moms want to work from home and be able to add to their family's income. The challenge is in deciding what to do. You can choose a work at home job or a work at home business. A few years ago, I chose a business with a direct sales/party plan company. I worked hard with that company for 4 years. I advanced and earned recognition. However, I didn't have a consistent paycheck. At the time I did not have any children, but part of the reason for my business was to be able to stay home once we decided to have kids. I began considering whether that business was really going to allow me to reach my goal.

Then a friend of mine called me about a different business which did not involve inventory or selling products. It was a customer referral business and the company would pay me simply for referring others to the products. I was quite skeptical because of my personality and my previous experiences. However, I was open enough to listen to the info and decide for myself. Once I saw the product line, I knew I'd at least want to be a customer.

I have found this experience to be quite a bit different from my previous business. I have found that I have been much more able to reach my goals than I was before. I am now working part-time and am expecting my first baby in a couple months. Yay! It is so refreshing and exciting to be part of a company that helps me reach me goals, and I am also able to help others reach their goals. Our company has sent out checks month after month to thousands of moms who are adding to their family's income by doing this business. Why not you??

Home Businesses in a Declining Economy

What is going on in the economy today? Most of us are familiar with these stats:

• Oil prices are up 30% - not good, especially for those of us living in the Northeast.
• Food prices are up 8% in the last 3 months.
• In July, the FDIC seized control of Indy-Mac Bank - the second largest bank failure in US history.
• Construction of single family homes is down.
• Jobless claims are up.

Clearly, the economy is having trouble, and that is affecting a lot of people. Most people that you talk to today are struggling in one way or another -whether it is because of gas prices, not being able to make mortgage payments, or job insecurity.

In light of all of these issues, many home based businesses are suffering. In 2007, the DSA reported that the overall industry had a decline in total sales. The president and CEO of our company, in a meeting with other presidents that are part of the DSA, found that he encountered no other companies who had grown in 2007. However, our business did grow in 2007! And in 2008, our sales are up above last year's sales. We have had 17% more advancements this year than we had last year at this time. Plus, our customers are ordering more on average than last year.

So, why, in light of the declining economy, with most other home businesses struggling as well, is our company continuing to grow? We have grown steadily over the past several years, and our 20+ year history of growth is astounding in the home business industry. Our continued growth can be connected to the value of our products. Companies that are promoting products that the average person can't afford are not doing well because people are cutting their budgets. However, because our products are affordable and are the kinds of products people use on a regular basis, we continue to grow and expand in spite of the declining economy. I am thankful to finally be a part of a company that offers people the chance to get ahead in these hard times, as well as get safer, healthier products for their homes.

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.