welcome to the blog

Decisions, Decisions…

There are many things to consider when you’re looking for a network marketing business.  There are so many options available today that choosing one can be daunting.

I believe that you can only be successful with a company if you are passionate about their product or service.  If you cannot sell the products due to lack of enthusiasm, all the rest of the considerations mean nothing.

Be sure you believe in the product and that there is a high demand at a reasonable price for whatever you will be selling?  Conduct a “Google” search on the product name to see what responses are generated.

Do your due diligence, lots of research on any company in which you may be interested.  When you do an Internet search of the company, look for red flags.  Are there negative posts about the company or many complaints posted by former distributors?  Most companies have a few complaints, but if there are a lot, run the other way!

Your research should include the management/ownership of the company.  Did they own another company that failed in the past?  Have you seen negative information about them?

Do you like the compensation plan the company offers?  Do you fully understand it?  Some people like working with companies that offer a variety of ways you can earn money; others like simple, straightforward comp plans.  Does the compensation plan fit into your long-term goals?

Once you have completed your “homework” about the company itself, you’ll want to choose wisely who you want for your sponsor.  Which team leader you select can make a difference as to whether or not you are successful in your business.

It is important to select a team that offers support and training in the basics of growing your business – both on and offline.  To select a prospective sponsor or team leader, you can do an Internet search on the business name to see which names come up the most and are ranked highest in the search.  Select two or three people, and search for blogs they have written, forums in which they participate and videos they have created.  You can learn a great deal about a person from their blogs, forum posts and videos.

You may want to connect with those few prospective sponsors on Facebook, Twitter, etc. to learn more about them.  If they permit it, attend a couple training calls with the team.  Learning about the person with whom you’ll be working can go a long way toward making the best choice.

If you take your time and are thorough when researching your next business, team and sponsor, the possibility of building a strong network marketing business increases greatly.

Posted in The Blog | 1 Comment »

Why Are So Few Network Marketers Successful?

So many companies advertise how easy their business is.  Anyone can do it they say.  Many promise that you will be earning a six figure income in no time.  If any of these statements are true, why are so few network marketers successful?

What were you expecting when you joined your company?  Did you think, “I will give it a try?”  Did you buy the advertisements and expect money to be falling in your lap?  Did you believe that your business would “grow while you sleep?”

I believe the two most common reasons people join MLM companies are that they need money or need to supplement their income; or they love the idea of being their own boss.

I consider myself a “success story,” not because I’m earning a six-figure income.  I am not.  However, I am earning a living working at home with a business I love.

When I joined my company a little over two years ago, I did NOT expect to be earning a six figure income by this time.  Although I would love to have hundreds of thousands of dollars each year, I also realize that it may never happen.  It is possible with my company and many others, but it likely would take many years, not just a couple; and it would take an amazing amount of work.  In addition, my team members would have to be working as hard as I am.

So when I joined my company, I learned the basics as quickly as I was able, and then I dove in.  I did not try to learn everything before I went to work.  Since February, 2011, I have worked about 10 hours a day Monday through Friday and a half a day on Saturday.  I am a tough “boss.”  I know that it is up to me to build my business, not my company.  I have been fortunate to have great mentors, and I try to “pay it forward” by being a mentor to my team members.

Because of my hard work and dedication, I doubled my income my second year over my first.  My income increases month after month, so I expect to have an even better year this year.  I never had a job where my income increased as frequently or by as much as my home business.

Do you see your team members joining with this type of expectation or commitment to their business?

My observation has been that many join to “try” it out, and many give themselves a month or two to see great results, and then they quit.  Then, of course, they tell everyone they know that it doesn’t work – not that THEY didn’t work.   Would an employer keep them on if they were not actually applying themselves to their job?  Of course not.

Anyone who truly wants to succeed in network marketing must take it seriously.  They must work it as a business, not as a hobby.  With the right attitude and expectations, this profession could be the smartest long term life improvement you ever make.  If you work a j-o-b the rest of your life, where will you be in 20 years?  As you work your network marketing business, remind yourself of the great advantages of network marketing over working for someone else.

Posted in The Blog | 1 Comment »

I’d Like to Work in Network Marketing, but…

Posted in The Blog | 2 Comments »

Relationships

Posted in The Blog | No Comments »

Your Greatest Accomplishment

Everyone likes a pat on the back every once in a while. And there’s no better time to get one than when you are challenging yourself, maybe nervous about whether you can succeed or just doing something that is normally out of your comfort zone.

Most people join a company to start their home business very excited.  When they don’t see results right away, some begin to question themselves or consider quitting, thinking they may have made a mistake joining to begin with.

Instead of this negative approach, look at your goals from a position of “possibilities” instead.  Find ways to praise yourself for little things you do in your business.  Give yourself words of encouragement.  Instead of focusing on what is NOT yet happening, try paying more attention to what IS happening.

To sustain your excitement toward your business and continue to be motivated, the positive approach will keep you going forward.  Self-praise creates a feeling of doing something you want to do, not what you’re forcing yourself to do. Even your smallest accomplishments should make you proud!

Set lots of little goals.  Sure, you have your dream, your “why,” your major goal, but that will likely take some time to reach.  The excitement of reaching each of your little goals will motivate you to try even more new and different things.

• You wrote your first blog?  Great, that deserves a cheer!
• Did you speak to your first prospect?  Good job!
• How about posting your first ad?  That’s a step toward your first sale!
• Did you participate in company training calls or webinars?  Many people do not, so praise yourself for it.
• Did you have people visit your website or profile today?  Woohoo!  You did something right to drive them there.

Compliment yourself.  Write down what you would say to anyone else who accomplished what you just did.  You can even keep a journal of your accomplishments.  It is a great feeling to look back months later and see how far you have come.

Be sure to tell your sponsor what you have done.  He or she will want to share your excitement!  I am so proud of my team members when they do something new, challenge themselves or make a sale.

Decide from the start that “quitting is NOT an option,” and begin recognizing your growth and accomplishments.  With a positive outlook, your business will grow, and you’ll be able to look back and be amazed!

Posted in The Blog | No Comments »

Sending the Kids to Camp

So you’ve decided you want to send the kids to camp this summer?

Great!

For some, you only have to look back on your own camp memories to know that it’s a great opportunity for your kids. It gives them the chance to make new friendships, experience new environments, and exercise a little independence in a safe and structured setting. Those of us who never got the chance to go can recall the jealousy and curiosity we felt watching our friends head off to a different camp each summer. Did we mention it gets the kids out of the house for a few weeks?

Of course things have become a little more complicated since you were a kid, and camps are no exception. With so many options out there it can be overwhelming for a parent to decide on which camp is best for their child.

The good news is that you’re not alone. The number of parents sending their children to camp is higher than ever. “Camps attract more than 11 million youths each year, and offer much more than a vacation. It is an invaluable opportunity for children to explore a world that goes beyond their neighborhoods,” says Nicola Marconato, Director of MySummerCamps.com and KidsCamps.com, two leading websites for summer and day camps.

To help us out, these two websites have combined their data to produce a top twenty list of the best camps in the United States, making it easier than ever for us to pinpoint where we should send our kids.

According to their analysis, San Diego, CA is the most popular location for summer camps. We’re guessing the sunny weather and beautiful beaches might have something to do with it. In fact, California makes the list three times with the additions of Los Angeles and Stanford.

But what if beaches just aren’t your thing or California is a bit too far? New York City ranked number two due to its great camps for performers and artists. Brooklyn as well as Garden City also made the list, making the state of New York a great place for camps.

For those who have a child that loves sports, Champaign, Illinois ranks number three on the list by having the most sporting camps anywhere. Baseball, football, soccer, and every other sport under the sun have a place here due to all its open farmland space.

Want to find the best camps in your area? Head over to MySummerCamps.com or KidsCamps.com and use their amazing search tools!

Posted in The Blog | No Comments »

I Am A Meanderthal

While at times I’m sure some may think of me as a neanderthal, I’d have to say meanderthal pretty much nails it.

After hearing about the 57th person who has successfully published a widely acclaimed book before forgetting the time to pick up my daughter from dance I have realized that my middle aged, running to just catch life, is a series of near misses and accidental minor successes.

Thankfully, blogger Amy Wright’s latest post stopped me from calling the neurologist as I was convinced it was a tumor, early dementia or all those days in my 20′s really did consume every brain cell I had left.

The funny thing about working from home is you work in a vacuum (and sometimes with the vacuum,while editing a story or doing story research). You spend most of your days essentially alone but in a whirlwind of trying to converge several different categories of work/tasks into a seamless, logical day. Amy said it won’t work in her blog and I’m living proof that the girl knows what she’s talking about.

So back to that book.  As a “writer” (and I like to put that in quotes because when people ask me what I’ve written I can only rattle off endless articles until their eyes glaze over), the quintessential book is something many hope to achieve.  The irony is that I don’t read. I don’t dislike reading, however writing 3,000 plus words a day, yelling at children, driving children, pulling pieces of furniture from the dog’s jaws and making something that resembles dinner leaves little to do but watch bubble gum TV and collapse.

So working a non-compartmentalized life can do that to you perhaps. There is a book inside but frankly writing it would require more than 15 minutes a day; something perhaps many people who work from home don’t have (or many people in the general populous).

Which leaves me to my day of meandering.  Meandering through the work, the driving, the dinner…meandering to just make enough money to pay bills and stay afloat.  Not the reaching that pinnacle but being just good enough to pay for groceries this week.

Which has to be enough for now. I certainly cannot even form a sentence and people probably think that English is my second language past the hour of 9:30pm; but to think there are thousands of parents who work full time jobs and author dozens of books leaves me in awe-inspired bewilderment.

I’ll keep that in mind while I mop the dog pee left on the bathroom floor from last night.  She should have put a bow on top and greeted me with a “tah dah.”

Posted in The Blog | No Comments »

Mom Help: Hire it Out

How many times, as a mom and business owner, have you nearly worked yourself into the ground? Maybe you end up sick or depressed or so crabby that your husband and kids need to take cover before the impending explosion.

You forget things… important things. Like picking up a kid or a meeting or lunch. Then the mom guilt kicks in and you end up feeling like a loser.

Listen, if you try to do everything in your business and your home by yourself, all of the time, all things to all people…

YOU. WILL. FAIL.

You’re setting yourself up for heartbreak. And your family and customers or clients too. Stop it!

There is a magic ticket and it’s called outsourcing. I know that you probably think you can’t afford it but the truth is, you’re already outsourcing things. Yes, you!

Do you change your own oil? Or do your own dry-cleaning? Bathe your own dog? Even going out to eat is OUTSOURCING. Think of the services that you use regularly to do things that you could probably do on your own, but don’t. You could change your own oil, but it would require you to Google how to do it, buy the tools and parts and spend your time under your car in the garage for an hour or so.

Same goes for other tasks, but for some reason and in our businesses especially, we find it necessary to plug away for hours doing something that we aren’t experts in. I knew someone once who spent 4 hours working on her website. She hired a web person who specializes in… duh, websites and they had the task done in 30 minutes. She spent about $50.

Isn’t $50 worth the 4 hours of cussing frustration in the wee hours? I think so! (Yes, the website dilemma was mine)

Let’s look at some other things that you spend time doing each week. Make a list of business tasks that you do for the next few days. Take a look at how long those things are taking you and consider hiring someone for a few hours weekly to help you get some free time. (In case you forgot, free time is that space when you have nothing to do and can enjoy time with family and friends doing fun stuff.)

Keep in mind that most VAs (virtual assistants) charge an average on $20-40/ hour, sometimes even less to help you with things like social media, newsletters, calendar management, customer service emails and phone calls and tons of other stuff. If you can make money or decompress as they are doing the behind the scenes work, your life will make a drastic upswing.

Your kids, clients and husband will thank you!

Posted in The Blog | 1 Comment »

National Breast Cancer Awareness Month

WAHM.com is dedicated to covering the issues that matter to work-at-home moms, which is why we’re doing our part to spread awareness about breast cancer. Since October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month (NBCAM), our bloggers are conducting a series of interviews with breast cancer survivors to highlight their struggles and remarkable triumphs.

In addition, we invite our community to join the discussion and share your stories. If you or anyone you know has been affected by this disease, we encourage you to contact us so we can connect you with one of our bloggers. You can share your story with our community on the WAHM blog, or alternatively you are welcome to post your own thoughts or experiences related to the disease in the support and advice thread.

Furthermore, we also encourage our community to get involved in the fight against breast cancer. The NBCAM organization utilizes community events and activities to promote awareness about the disease, as well as raise funds for research.

If you’d like to participate in an event, Pink Ribbon International and the American Cancer Society feature extensive lists of national events going on throughout October, including Avon Walks, Pink Paint Art Classes, Coaches vs. Cancer basketball tournaments and more.

Remember, although there are over 2.9 million breast cancer survivors in the United States, in 2011 there were over 230,000 new cases diagnosed and 39,250 deaths, so extensive research is still needed to effectively combat this disease.

If you’re interested in making a donation, please visit Susan G. Komen for the Cure, the American Cancer Society or any other organization listed on NBCAM’s homepage.

Please help WAHM.com support the spirit of NBCAM by sharing your stories, offering your encouragement to those in need and helping in whatever way you can to support the efforts of patients, families, volunteers and the medical community all working to end breast cancer.

Posted in The Blog | 2 Comments »

What Kind of Social Media Over Sharing Annoys You?

This morning, The Today Show featured a blogger who has created quite a following surrounding her off-the-cuff, often pretty hilarious posts about how parents like to take sharing tidbits about their kids to the next dimension.

While “STFU Parents” may appear to dabble in a little too much snark and a tad bit nitpicking, the content is still amusing and light even for most parents.  Truthfully we don’t need to know that little Mary finally laid a deuce for the first time or that after several aggressive attempts, Billy dislodged that annoying booger.  But in the context of sharing with actual “friends” on social media (and I mean people who actually care about you and your family), a little over sharing with Aunt Jen or grandma (or even your best friend from college) can still be o.k.

Truthfully, I have those friends who post/Tweet about every burp, every freaking award and every time their kid had slice of pizza (heck I’m sure I’m guilty as well), but I can just glean past those posts and move on.  Even the daily baby pictures–still cute and I can still appreciate the adorable little toothless face smiling back and me.

What bring the eye rolls on this end are over sharing political or religious beliefs. Didn’t mama always say don’t talk politics, religion or money (or maybe that was Forest Gump’s mama) at a cocktail party? Well guess what people–social media is one huge cocktail party.

I’ve been on an “unsubscribe” rampage over the past month after being told, inadvertendly, that I was “stupid, blind, uninformed, ridiculous, going to hell in a handbasket, foolish or unAmerican” on social media. And while none of these posts were pointed directly at me, they spoke to my deeply held beliefs, as if these memes or rants were meant to wake up people who didn’t align with their own beliefs. They were right and anyone, including pals, work collegues and friends, who didn’t agree were outrageously brain dead.

The funny thing is that many posts are from people who I have considered to be friends for years. I knew we differed in our political, religious or social beliefs but we respected our common moral standards, attitude toward mankind and, most importantly, the overwhelming fun we’ve had together in the past.

Now I feel as though I don’t know a good number of my “friends” as their previous posts about funny things their kids have done have turned to mean, hateful comments about politics or religion.   And while a few funny/light-hearted political posts may be o.k. (like comments about Big Bird getting fired or Obama spacing out during the debate and thinking about his anniversary gift), the barrage of posts assaulting one other’s intelligence or moral fiber is what is downright annoying.

Give me a daily picture of a friend’s baby any day over a crazed political post.  At least my gut reaction when I see the baby smiling at me is to feel happy.  In the somewhat bumbled, but right-on words of LA riot victim, the late Rodney King, “”People, I just want to say, you know, can we all get along?”

Posted in The Blog | 4 Comments »