Home Business Success: Stop Pushing and Start Informing

You probably believed in the business opportunity you invested in. At least at the moment you decided to venture into it. And if you find you aren't able to represent that opportunity as effectively as whoever you signed up with presented it to you, then there may be a reason for that.

A large number of people starting out in a home based business jump in and start "pushing" themselves and their opportunity on others. They feel the need to "sell" and take that sales approach in their communications and efforts when talking with prospects. In some cases, when I've spoken with some of these business owners, I am amazed and, admittedly, somewhat appalled at the number of times they attempt to communicate with people they have gotten leads on. Numerous messages have been left and a plethora of emails have been sent. And they are wondering why they aren't getting the response they hoped for.

If you are finding yourself in this position, it is probably your approach. I know very few people who appreciate the "hard sell" approach on anything they are considering purchasing, perhaps especially a business that will completely change their lives. And I know, personally, I avoid sales people who take that hard approach and can't blame others who do likewise.

You should never have to try to "convince" people to sign on with your company and/or to purchase your products. Taking the approach of convincing only lends a "desperate" sense to what you have to offer and that alone will throw up red flags for prospects. They may even be thinking to themselves that they could never picture doing what you are doing. And for that reason alone may rule out the venture.

If your business opportunity or product line is one that offers true potential, you need only supply your prospects with complete information on the business or products. You can explain your compensation plan, what the products offer, what the investment would be and answer questions that the prospect may have. Share the important information and also what sets the opportunity or product apart from the many others out there, and if what you share is true and "speaks" to what the prospect is looking for, then it will sell itself.

Your next steps can be a few follow up calls just "checking in" to see if they require any additional information or to provide some other key facts about the business. But it should never be done in an "officious" manner. How you present yourself and how people perceive your presentation represents you. And there are many people who will simply decide against a purchase based on the pressure they feel and ultimately try to avoid.

There are people out there who are looking for an opportunity and what you have may be exactly the right fit for them. As a business owner, you should concentrate your efforts on generating leads and finding those prospects and provide them the information required to make an informed decision. Concentrate on your marketing efforts and presenting your opportunity in the best way possible. Utilize your website, your advertising, your social media participation and any other forms of marketing to gain as many quality leads as possible and then make the most of those leads by taking an "informative" approach. here is someone who is looking for exactly what you have to offer. Your job is to find them and enlighten them as to what makes your opportunity (or product) stand out from the rest.

By knowing the best about your own business and/or product, you are in a perfect position to present just that, so take time to utilize all of the most important facts about your business—success stories, years in business, what the average compensation is, the freedoms it can afford people, the opportunity for growth, etc. We take time each week to familiarize ourselves with as much company background and history that we can. It not only provides us valuable insight to share with prospects, but serves to make us even more excited about the business we own.

Take some time to evaluate your approach and remove any sense of "desperation" or pushiness that it relays. By doing so, you will find that you are talking to more people, receiving more call-backs, and finding more success in your business.

Add Personal Contact Marketing to Your Business For Added Success

We just finished a trek cross country from our winter  home in Florida to Denver to see family and then home to our summer place at Lake Powell in Arizona, and we found ourselves reminded of how valuable personal contact marketing can be in addition to internet marketing. We have magnetic signs on our vehicle and they remain on there at all times, advertising our home based business. However, while driving through all those states and towns, we were asked repeatedly (in drive thrus at fast food restaurants, gas stations and rest stops) about what the business is and we ended up giving many people our business card and speaking with them about the opportunity.
We also brought bandit signs with us. Many towns/cities don't permit them, but others do and we made sure to take advantage of the chance to leave them in places we don't otherwise frequent. It offers a whole new population of people who may be looking for a way to own their own business. Additionally, every place we stopped, we strategically placed business drop cards, furthering our exposure. 

Personal contact marketing doesn't have to be something you go out and do on a daily basis. But it is a real option if you stay prepared and keep conscious of the opportunities you have day-to-day just in running errands. We keep a rubbermaid bin in the back of our car at all times. It contains flyers, business cards, drop cards, signs and magnets. When we go somewhere, whenever we can, we include this type of marketing in our efforts to further grow our business. If and when we pick up friends from airports, or go ourselves for a flight, we distribute cards there.

We also go to job fairs, health fairs, art shows, boat shows, car shows, RV shows, etc. It is the perfect setting for distributing our materials and we consistently gain prospects by being prepared. If we go shopping at a mall, we leave cards on benches and in public restrooms we go in. It isn't any real effort and we enjoy getting to meet new people and we welcome interest and inquiries from anyone who is like we were for years—looking for that right business that speaks to them.

While waiting in a long line in a large department store, I also have struck up conversations with people. I don't "push" our business on them, but if the conversation turns to where we work or what we do, I certainly give them our card and tell them to contact us and we'll provide them additional information so that they can make an informed decision. We also inform them about our webinars our company offers. 

Internet marketing is an indispensable tool for growing your business. There is no doubt about that. And it costs little, offers immense exposure and allows you to reach people all across the globe. But do keep in mind that you have countless prospects right in your own backyard, and if you are always prepared, you will experience a growth in your business that only personal contact marketing can offer.

Home Business? Target the Ideal Prospects

If you think about it, there are "ideal prospects" out there everywhere. And they are ideal, for one, because they are used to commission-based sales and have learned to live and budget based on that. They are people who are open, usually, to alternative sources of income as they probably have had to be. Those ideal prospects I'm talking about are realtors and people who work at car dealerships and small business owners. 

The economy has changed the game for these people. High-priced items such as homes and vehicles have fallen prey to the financial situation that so many people are affected by. Which means that with slower sales, their commissions suffer. And that means that your opportunity could offer them a great backup tool for generating income.

These potential prospects are located in every neighborhood, every city, and all around the globe. And if presented right, your opportunity could not only solve the issues they are facing, but grow your business in the process. We have found that by contacting these professions, they are generally open to new sources of revenue and are not as hesitant to try a business that could allow them to replace or supplement their income. They understand direct sales and commission structures and therefore, the need to explain exactly how those things work is unnecessary. 

If your opportunity is thriving in this recession, then you can greatly benefit from targeting this type of customer. What will be most important in your approach, is that you present your opportunity with accurate and complete information as to what will be necessary for them to be successful. By presenting your product or service in a way which demonstrates how it is still a necessity or benefit in this economy, you will automatically show them that it is a viable source for them to run with. In our case, we learned everything we could about the real estate market and its current condition, researched specific areas and then targeted realtors and car dealer reps in those areas. We also know our product line inside and out, which assists us in better presenting all the benefits that the products offer, even in this economy. If you can spin your product as useful and with potential, it will help you sell your opportunity to these professions.

We also have talked more with small store owners. Our local printer/copy shop owner asked all about our business when we had some additional business cards printed. With small business owners suffering the effects of the economy (especially in storefronts) , many are looking for additional ways to generate income themselves. They still have their overheads such as lease, utilities, materials, etc, and with business down, they are wanting to find a way to "ride out" the slow business period by bringing in outside income. These businesses can be restaurants, salons, any type of small store/retail, auto body and detail shops, convenience stores owned by private owners, coffee shops, etc. All of them are being affected right now and have seen decreases in sales, so if you can present your opportunity in a way that will allow them to research the potential and reap all the information they can, you will find they will definitely consider your option.

We make it a point to stay friendly with every business we frequent. In maintaining a positive, outgoing and congenial attitude when you shop or visit a business, you will portray the benefits that your opportunity has afforded you. People will sense that the freedom and financial security that your business provides you is a viable option. And I can't tell you how many times our simple, pleasant demeanors have started a conversation that has led to others wanting to know about what we do.
Take some time to familiarize yourself with your local businesses personally, or even those types of businesses via the internet. Your ideal prospect exists in many areas and you can actually utilize the economic situation to your advantage.

Considering a Home Business? Research But Consider The Sources

Over the years, my husband and I researched and considered countless businesses, wanting to make the move to be home-business owners. Trust me when I say that many of them were ruled out immediately, just based on a less-than-professional website presence, expensive startup, or even lack of information disclosed without signing up. But some that we considered, when the above criteria were met, were found with a Google search to have little or any information pertaining to them and what was there was mostly criticism and that led us to rule them out without looking back.

Since that time, we have learned a great deal about search engines and how they work and that everything you read online is not necessarily what really could be construed as a fair assessment of an opportunity, or even small business. A good friend of mine actually owns a business based on exactly this dilemma that a large number of businesses and opportunities—and even individuals—face in the Google universe. Her business assists people and other businesses in moving the "favorable" remarks, reviews and statements to the front line in searches. And therefore, forces the negative results to the back of those results that you view when you Google. Fair? Well, consider what makes its way to the web, and you will know that utlimately, you should base your decisions on a company on the sources posting those views.

Let me expand...

A perfect example is that the company I worked for prior to being a home business owner distributed software for the desktop publishing and graphic design industry. It is a huge industry and has been growing exponentially since the 1980s. They have been around for decades and provide exceptional presale and post sale technical support, boast a knowledgeable staff and bend over backwards to accommodate customers, making it a top priority to see that customers leave having had a good purchasing experience. However, there is always that one customer who fills his days with complaining and finding fault in even the best of companies. This company I worked for was based in the UK but had a US presence and website as well. They actually had sold the US branch back in the early 2000s to concentrate on expanding the UK/European market. But when the party who had purchased that US branch decided to sell it in 2009 to pursue other outlets, the UK company purchased it back from them in order to move back into the US market they had originally had.

They received an email from a customer who had bought a software product YEARS ago from the previous owner. They had lost their serial number for the software and were requesting we provide it again for them. Since the previous owner did not convey the customer data for serial numbers, we had no record of this information. But being a customer-service oriented company, we jumped through hurdles to contact the original software developer and obtain their serial number. After providing it, this customer never once thanked us, and proceeded to maintain a forum presence in which they complained about the product and the difficulty they had using it. They even threw in our company name. No attempt was made to contact us in regard to her "difficulties" and we had done everything within our power—even though we made NOTHING off her sale—and yet out there in the world wide web was a disgruntled customer spewing negative information that was not even qualified information.

This incident alone made me realize that you CANNOT always believe everything that you read when you are researching a potential opportunity. You need to consider the source and realize that there will always be people out there who live to complain. They actually make it their mission and no amount of service, response or assistance will change that person's outlook. A subsequent Google search of this customer actually provided numerous postings involving many companies and products and not one of those was positive.

Take some time to read everything you can about a company. But also be fair in your assessment as the best judge of an opportunity is those who have actually taken advantage of it, and REALLY worked that business. If they didn't follow the recommended or proven marketing advice and training and they didn't consistently put in the hours it takes to become successful in the endeavor, they are NOT a reliable judge of that company's potential. They are just individuals who have nothing authentic to say because they never worked the business as it was intended to be worked. Had they done that, they would be one of those "positive" reviews you may have read.

In closing, I'm not saying to ignore all the "warnings" from people advising about scams or false claims about what is out there. There are plenty of those scams and they should be avoided at all costs. But also, contact some of the other business owners and ask pointed questions you have concerning the actual workings of the business, what will be involved, the startup costs, what you receive with that investment, how long they have been working the business and what you can expect to realistically earn. We did. And any business owners we couldn't get a straight answer from, we ruled out. Those that took the time to provide us the information we most wanted, were definitely considered. And in taking time to do an adequate assessment of a business, you will find that you end up exactly where you want to be—with one that you love to extol about the virtues of!

Business Conferences and Seminars Offer Long-Term Value

My husband recently returned from a conference that was hosted by the company our home business is through. I resigned myself to not going as I still do freelance writing work and had committed to a publication to provide an article which involved some research. I rationalized that even if I missed this conference, he could take notes and share the highlights with me. And he did. But what I didn't realize is that by missing actually attending this event, I would never be able to carry away from it all the long-term valuable things he did. So I couldn't have been more wrong...

Conferences and seminars that are related to your business, marketing, sales, mindset and any other topic that may assist you in your business are invaluable. The right conference—with the right speaker or speakers—offers intelligence and instruction that is not available sometimes through any other outlet. The information you garner can sometimes change your approach to your business completely. Speakers who are "gurus" in these key areas are paid well for a reason. They offer insights and lessons and suggestions and guidance and the chance to hear them speak in a conference or seminar setting is often a once-in-a-life-time opportunity.

Here's the thing...by attending these type of events, you come away with a new mindset. You have the chance to meet with like-minded people, network, share ideas and strategies and also put names to faces in the industry. By allowing yourself to participate, you gain a positive, reinforcing feeling about your business, and those who are involved in the same business or a similar business, and are enjoying success. The motivational speakers put you in a whole new "place" and when you return home, you are often eager to implement all of the tips and information you have accrued.

Another reward is the promotion of yourself as someone who has attended this type of event and therefore no possesses more knowledgeable in key areas. Posting pictures from the event of you with some key players in the industry goes a long way toward letting potential prospects see you are a key player yourself. You can utilize some of the content in your business blog, on your website and in your advertising campaigns. With the exception of anything that is under non-disclosure, the general concepts are a great marketing tool.

At the conference my husband attended, he also had the chance to mingle with these key players and successful entrepreneurs. They were there for attendees to chat with, they answered questions and people were able to find out more about what helped propel them to the level of success they had experienced in their ventures. Being able to talk one-on-one with these people is illuminating and helps you to renew your passion for your own business.

Finally, one of the main pluses of attending an event is the time away. Seriously. If you step back, leave your routine and attend an event with enthusiasm and the attitude that it holds immeasurable value for you, you will come back refreshed and even excited about your own business and the potential that is there to grow and expand it. I won't make the mistake of missing another event that can propel me forward in our business and that can offer me those keys to further success. It's like a vacation, only it's tax deductible and it provides an opportunity to learn from the best. And if you are like my husband, you'll come back eager to actualize what you have learned!

Just Because You Build It, It Doesn't Mean They'll Come...

Contrary to popular opinion, just because you build a website—no matter how spectacular it is—people won't start flocking there in droves. I can't believe the number of people who come to me and tell me their site is informative and colorful and yet they garner no traffic. A large number of them have even paid a website designer to create them a "masterpiece" so-to-speak, but they just aren't able to drive traffic to their site and they most certainly don't rank impressively in the search engines. I know that when I first started our business, I had no idea you could coax a search engine—or bribe one! But you can and it doesn't mean paying one of those companies that promise to get you to the top of Google. That may work for a short term (in rare cases when it is a legitimate company), but it won't serve you long term and help continue your successful presence on that enormous world wide web.

A friend of mine has taught me a great deal about what will and will not secure rankings for a site. In those lessons, I realized that most people just don't get it. And that is a tough thing to find out the hard way and may just determine whether a business makes it or not. This friend of mine has been in the business for years and is what you would call an SEO Guru. She makes a great living by actually "teaching" people how to get where they want to be and stay there. She taught me, "Getting to the top of Google is one thing, staying there is another. Your position is affected by AUTHORITATIVE, VALID, RELEVANT, and CURRENT content. If a company promises to get you to the top of Google, but you don't contribute regularly to your site and social-media presence in a manner to sustain it, you will go to the bottom of the search-results list —and I do mean bottom. Then you pay them again. It's a vicious cycle. There is no reason to pay someone. Simply follow sensible rules and you will maintain and improve your positioning."

First and foremost, blog sites rank higher in search engines. It is a known fact. And most people don't realize that they are hurting themselves from the get-go by not having a blog site. They also misunderstand that a blog site doesn't just have to be a blog. It can contain and all content you wish to put on it—multi-media, text, images, contact forms, etc. But there should be a link that features blog postings as well and that content should be updated regularly. There is a great article as to why blog sites rank higher here:

http://www.xraymag.com/articles/xray_blogs_are_better_01.html 

In setting up your site, it is definitely important to express yourself and your company through it's design. But no matter how much you pay a designer, just having a great looking site isn't going to tell people that the site is out there and it most certainly isn't going to provide them a road map to find that spectacular site. 

We had this friend of ours assist us in our websites. We maintain one that is just a blog site and that we only post blogs too but no marketing. This is important to me as I want a source for others to have insightful information just to assist them in their small or home based business. However, we have 2 other sites which represent our business opportunity, and we diligently follow what we have learned from this guru to ensure that we are where we want to be in the search engine rankings.
We have now asked that guru to provide a way for others to understand and be able to increase their standings in the rankings. She has agreed to put together a package that will provide:

• Complete construction of a new site using blog technology or reconstruction of an existing site
• Posting of the first five stories
• Standard domain name of your choosing
• Your choice of WordPress template (from TemplateMonster.com, non-exclusive only)
• Customization of banner graphic
• Customization of color scheme
• Implementation of site directory
• Implementation of contact form
• Up to two hours of phone training to ensure that you are well equipped to maintain your site
• Hosting of your site for one year, with up to 10GB storage space
• Up to five email addresses with 25MB attachment-size limit
• Creation of site map and notification to search engines
• Technical support for issues not related to operator error

The package offer can be found at this link:

http://www.spidertrainers.com/facebook-wealthywayoflife/

We don't benefit from this package, but did want to offer people the opportunity to really learn how to help themselves. I know the training we received has proved invaluable to our success. So before you fall for the "when I build it, they will come" theory, make sure you clearly understand what it takes to actually direct those people and they will come. 

Business Success: Utilize Key Sites and Stay Focused

In talking with a number of associates recently, I found out that some of them felt overwhelmed with all of the social media sites that are out there. They expressed concern that they wouldn't have time to actually call prospects and potential clients if they were to entertain a presence on the sites out there nowadays, yet knew that social media was an important part of their business. Some of them said it seemed that every day there was a new social site and they felt a pressure to sign on and participate when they were already spread thin. It's true. There are countless sites out there and available now to network, market and connect with others on that may help propel your business to success. And while a solid presence for your business on these sites is always beneficial if done right, it can also take away from time you need to effectively approach the clients that contact you regarding your opportunity.

What I tell them is that I do sign up for most sites out there. However, I quickly ascertain which ones seem to be the most popular and that offer what I want to portray as far as my business. I find quite a number of those sites are nothing but spam and people hyping their business or opportunity and offer no real advantage or knowledge that will help me build my business. And when that is the case, very minimal, if any, continued participation is necessary in my eyes. Lately there have been 2 sites that I set up a profile on, and to be honest, I haven't reaped even one shred of knowledge from them. What I have received is countless contacts and messages, all of which are from others pushing their opportunities. Since that is not the way I market, needless to say, I have relinquished all participation on those sites. I will leave my profile up, but since they don't really offer a chance for me to post items that will benefit others (other than if I was to push my opportunity and "spam" members), it makes no sense for me to take away from time that could be better spent in my  business day.

What I have learned, and what I advise people to do, is to participate in any site they are on and gauge the response and the type of information exchanges that take place on those sites. If there are links with valid and useful information posted and the opportunity is there for you to do the same, then definitely invest the time to actively and regularly participate. If the site is netting you nothing but hype and spam-type marketing, then you will be one of countless others on there and not really be moving toward valuable exposure for your product or service. 

As I have mentioned in previous posts, forums offer a relief from some of the social site's downfalls. They have moderators that keep the spamming out (except in maybe one section set aside for that) and allow for valid exchanges of information and advice. And also as I have mentioned, we can definitely always learn from others who have experience in areas we don't. I spend quite a bit of my time that I allot for sites on the forums. People are generally there to learn and to help others learn. And that's an environment I want to associate my business with.

I do participate on social media sites, but I stick to the key sites such as Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn and I make sure that my content offers value and that I develop relationships with like-minded business individuals. I enjoy meeting new people as well, and am able to share resources that I found useful in the building of my business. That, to me, is time well spent and invested and presents my opportunity the way I want it to be presented.

If you make sure that you appraise the actual quality of the sites you spend your time on, you will definitely gain from the dedication of time. And time in your business is money—so it is of the utmost importance that you dedicate your time to only the sites and forums which best "fit" you and your business. By doing that, you can also improve the quality of the content you share on those key sites and stay focused on growing your business. So, take the pressure off yourself to be "everywhere". Because being everywhere will not produce the results you are looking for if you aren't even in those places effectively.

In Business: We Have Two Ears And One Mouth For A Reason

People new to home-based businesses sometimes jump in with both feet and head long into marketing and generating leads. And I applaud that. One of the most exciting times in life is the undertaking of a new venture or starting a new chapter in your professional life. Acting on that enthusiasm and energy is one of the smartest things you can do. But I also know that some of those people who are off and running, call me to ask why they haven’t had good results in their conversations and follow ups with those prospects all their marketing brought their way. That is where I remind them that we have two ears and one mouth for a good reason. And I remind myself of that with every call I make as well.

The best thing we can do, as business owners, is really listen to our prospects. That means really listen. Because they are actually providing us information that could ultimately help us bring them in on our opportunity. Sometimes in telling ourselves that we have to return the 20 calls today to keep up with our leads, we are, in fact, closing ourselves off from effectively handling each call as we make it. And we all know that 20 leads called back with no sales closed is as good as no leads.

When I talk to a prospect, or even a client in my previous professional life, I make sure that I am taking notes and that I am really in tune with what their questions and concerns are. Their feedback is invaluable. And even if they ask a question that I may have been asked hundreds of times before, they are asking it as it applies to them and their personal situation. If they took the time to call or respond to an ad I’ve place or marketing I have done, they are evidently looking for something. Is my opportunity the right fit? Who knows. But if I give them a “script” response and brush their questions or concerns under the rug so to speak, then I’m doing them a disservice and myself as well.

I’ve indicated before that I researched businesses forever before deciding on the one I went with. I was one of those prospects who wanted to know every scenario that could possibly come about. I wanted to make sure that I felt comfortable with my decision. And it is a major decision when someone believes in what you have to offer. It will potentially change their life and it should be made with as much information as possible. That’s not to say that you should spin your wheels and take hours to complete a conversation that isn’t moving forward. Your own business would suffer if you took that approach. But by listening, you will hear what the prospect needs and wants and why, and it is at that point that you can offer up what your opportunity would bring to the table to help your prospect get where he wants to be.

Utilize notes you have taken to bring a personal touch to your conversations. Refer to the person by name and even reference something they have told you is of great importance to them or a major concern for them. In doing this, they will know that you have really listened to them and they will immediately feel they are a person in your eyes as opposed to “just another business lead”.

In closing, every time you respond to a prospect, use your two ears first. And when you have made the time to hear what that prospect is searching for, then jump in with your one mouth to offer—in a clear, concise, and informative manner—exactly how your opportunity is just what they are looking for.

Wealthy Way Of Life

Wealthy Way Of Life

A Day In The Life Of A Home Based Business Owner

Over the weekend, I received a number of other calls that presented a question that I actually get asked a great deal…”What would I be doing?”

In point of fact, it’s a good question. And one I found myself asking when I was looking into opportunities. So, rather than put this blog post out there as one that seems to market myself and my business, I called a friend of mine who owns a home business and asked her if she would keep a schedule of what her day consists of in working that home business and share that with me. I figured it would give people out there a good idea as to what they would need to do, or expect to do, if they jumped into the home business arena. My friend is a successful business owner, so using her typical day schedule will give those inquiring minds out there a firm grasp of reality into what exactly needs to happen on a daily basis to experience success themselves.

Okay…so here it is:
Upon waking at her leisure, Jan checks her emails and voice mail for the prospects that have contacted her in response to her marketing. She is using a lead management system, so she enters those contacts in that database and makes notes of any important information about the prospects if they have provided a resume or other information. If you are just starting out and don’t have a lead system, or are watching your funds until you can subscribe to one or purchase one, you can do what I did in the beginning of our business undertaking and just take the pen and paper approach. Jan then posts her daily ads. Since she is of the same mindset as I am, she utilizes as many low and no cost marketing and advertising outlets as possible, posting on all the free classified sites daily.

After posting, Jan then reads through her local paper and notes any local events that she could attend and possibly meet prospects at. She keeps a Rubbermaid bin in her car at all times (as I do) that holds her marketing materials such as business cards, flyers, and other handouts. These she places around at any and all businesses she goes to during her day—for example grocery stores, farmer’s markets, other retail stores, etc. If there is a local event, she will attend and share her information with any interested parties. She does utilize car signs and will actually have people ask her at stoplights about what it is. Every minute she is out, she is gaining exposure for her business.

If there are no local events, she will make a point to go get her morning coffee at a local internet cafe and will sometimes even bring her laptop and work from there, responding to emails or even posting her ads. She will also participate actively on social sites. She has received quite a few contacts from people also out for coffee, wondering what it is she does that affords her the capability to be out and about in the middle of the day. Portability is a big selling point for your home business.
Afternoons are spent exercising and jumping on social sites to participate as well. She also spends a little time blogging daily to keep her followers updated and to offer advice and tips. Late afternoons and evenings are spent on call backs to prospects and then she jumps on her team call to get all the latest information about her business and to touch base with team members and exchange ideas and brainstorm.

Is that it? Yes. And with the exception of specific errands and the outings with family, that is pretty much her normal routine. As I do, she loves the freedom. She knows that consistency and continued training are important so will read nightly before bed to learn at least one important thing about growing her business.

If you are considering a home based business and are wondering what your daily schedule and tasks would be, this will give you a rough idea of what to expect. Keep in mind that you will get back what you put in and emphasize that “consistency” factor as well as always presenting yourself wherever you go as an approachable and friendly person. But other than that, you can make your own schedule and find what fits best for you. By all means take advantage of training opportunities that come your way and network whenever possible. The most exciting part of your new venture will be to discover what lies ahead. And before long, you will be on your way to success!

Own a Home Business? "Live In The Now" For Success

I want to start off saying I watched Dog Whisperer this weekend. I have loved that show since its inception...way back before Cesar Milan was an international success. And if I had to answer the question, "if you could choose to be anyone, who would you be" I would definitely be Cesar. Why? Because his unbelievable insights into dogs—and more importantly the humans who own the dogs—is so astounding. He spends most of the time actually working with the dog owners, as they are the reason in most cases, that the dog is having issues.

Every time I watch that show, I leave with the phrase he is best known for running through my mind: "Live in the now". The value of that advice is immeasurable, truly, no matter what you approach in life. See, he explains that dogs do live in the now. They don't reflect on their past, even if they lived a life of abuse or neglect or mistreatment. They let everything go and just exist in the moment. And if people can make that moment a good one, there is no need to feel sorrow or sadness for anything that has previously gone on in their lives.

This, perhaps above everything else, can determine whether you have what it takes to run a successful home-business. Everyday is a fresh start and every day offers new opportunities to expand your marketing ideas, change your approach, try new avenues for exposure and meet new people that will give you the chance to test drive those new concepts.
I've met people that tell me they tried a home business in the past and it failed miserably. And they are soured on the idea of working for themselves even though the benefits of business ownership are second to none. No setting an alarm, no keeping specific hours, freedom to travel, run errands, wear what you want, control your income, and the list goes on. It really makes me sad that they had the past experiences they have had as they missed the boat on one of the key elements to being a success—to live in the now.

Everyone—no matter who it is—will tell you that every day varies for him or her in their business. Some days, leads are so plentiful that you can't imagine making all the calls back to your prospects. People are enthusiastic that you talk to and can't wait to jump in and try their hand with your opportunity. Other days, your marketing may seem to yield less promise, and the individuals you speak to seem hesitant to commit. It's that way in any business really. But that is where your "dog psychology" must kick in. You do not look back at yesterday's less than stellar responses, and you  most certainly don't chalk it up to a bad business opportunity. You just start fresh, and implement new ideas and tactics and you are off and running once again. If you tell yourself that you are a failure and don't have what it takes, you will never move forward. That is true with any endeavor in life.

A friend of ours got married and was needing to sell his car as he was going overseas and his wife didn't want to have to continue to pay on a second car or the insurance. They had tried and tried to sell it. And posted an ad on Craigslist and various free ad sites everywhere. Nothing at all came of any of their efforts. Then, one day, 3 different people called and they sold it within a couple hours of returning the first call. Had they told themselves it was hopeless and that no one wanted their car, the wife would still be paying on a vehicle that was of no use to them and they would never had gotten out from under the extra costs.

When I find an advertising campaign isn't creating results that I have had with other campaigns, I change it up. I try new things along with some of the tried-and-true stuff as well and am pleasantly surprised in the majority of the cases as it once again shows me how many people are out there looking to change their lives. I also learn from every conversation I have with prospects. I tell myself to always take something of value away from my exchanges. Learning about people and what their needs and goals are is part of it. And I don't ever forget that. I was, perhaps, one of those people who take quite a bit of time to decide if something is right for me. Once I do, however, I go forward with complete commitment.

If you are considering a home business, or even own one already, try waking up each day and live in the now. Any negative thoughts or feelings you may have, or doubt about your ability to be a success, should be wiped away and a positive approach taken. You will find that dogs can teach us a great deal about what creates happiness, self-confidence, belief in someone and most of all what each new day holds.

Business Blogging: Keep It Simple And Informative

It's pretty much been established that blogging is important in network marketing. To quote a popular Business Week article: "Blogs Will Change Your Business—Look past the yakkers, hobbyists, and political mobs. Your customers and rivals are figuring blogs out. Our advice: Catch up...or catch you later". Blogs offer an abundance of information from an even bigger variety of sources. They are generally—if done well—honest and provide insights that are tougher to absorb sometimes through news articles and news reporting. The right blog can answer questions you may have in regard to any number of topics related to your business. Subscribing to blogs you find informative is a must. I do. I have perused the internet for bloggers who seem to speak to me and offer another view of things that I hadn't thought about. And we should never stop learning or being open to receiving new information.

When I was previously in the work force putting in my 8-5 hours, blogging was part of my responsibility as a Press Relations specialist. It was also part of my freelance writing career. I was able to write about software in a way that offered easy reading and a view from a "real-world" user of that software. And now that I own my own business, I approach it from the same way. I write what I know was important for me in my learning how to be successful in my business and I want to offer it to others in the way I perceived it. I write every entry hoping what I write will change someone's life and help them to better understand what it takes to be their own boss. I take the attitude that if I can help even one person change the level of their success, then I'll know I've contributed.

I get contacted by people who ask me things such as "what do I blog about?", or "what do I say?", or "what if no one thinks I'm interesting?". And overthinking and analyzing what you want to say in your blog can actually detract from its effectiveness. If you sit down and expand on one thing that happened to you, or that you learned from, you will, most certainly, have appropriate blog content. That said, however, you should also put it out there in a way that is readable, understandable and appropriate. Thus, the importance of writing skills...

No one is a perfect writer. And writing styles vary person to person. That's why one person likes Nora Roberts and the other lives for Stephen King novels. And comments, if you receive them, should be received with the attitude that you value the input and will grow and learn from that input. The more you write, the better you will become at it. And there are many people whose blogs I read even a year ago, that I revisit now and am taken aback at how inspirational their content has become. The best writing, to me, is done in a conversational style. If you can say what you want to say the way you would to a friend through your writing, you will reach people.

Ideally, your blog subscribers or readers should feel you there talking to them, and welcome the content as offering a value in it's information. It should also be simple and follow a clear train of thought. No matter what you are covering, it should be read, and reread before you put it out there as your own.

Sometimes, I will write a blog and read it the next morning and decide the best place for it is in a file. It wasn't what I wanted representing me and it didn't offer content that I would have read myself. That's the true test. Ask yourself, "Do people really need this information?" And if they do, are you including content that is actually supporting the point you are trying to make? Is it guiding your subscribers and  readers to the conclusion you want them to come to? When you read it, if it sounds redundant, edit your work. Keep what you need to make your point, and do away with fluff or unnecessary content.

I started a habit a long time ago of keeping a small pad and pen with me wherever I go. If I'm out and about and think of something that changed the course of my day, or try something that I experience success with, I jot down a few words to remind me about that thought. At any given time, I may have 10 topics that are pending as possible topics for my blog. Some may never be used. Others, I can't wait to write about and they are crossed off the next day. It's a great habit to get in and will provide you with content to expand on. Even things people say to you or something you read in a book can be a spur for a great blog idea.

The important thing is to get started. Once you do, you will find it comes easier with each entry. Worst case, you find out you need to improve your writing skills and utilize a grammar/spelling checker to help you out initially. Best case, you may discover that you have a hidden talent and actually might have fun doing it.

Home Business: Make Sales With a Millionaire Mindset

I have been contacted the last few weeks by some people who have purchased a business opportunity or are wanting to do just that. But many of them are concerned they are not "natural sellers". They either have a limited past in sales, an unsuccessful past in sales or are worried they won't be able to sell the opportunity/service/product in such a way that they will profit from their venture. When we started out, my past was NOT in sales.

Actually, our backgrounds were in Press Relations, Freelance Writing and Technical Support. We didn't have to worry about quotas or reaching sales goals, so this was an issue for us as well. Would we have what it takes?
The answer is that anyone can be successful in sales. And all it takes is the proper mindset. Seriously. And if you can adopt that mindset, you will find success in your venture. I've covered other things that are important to home-business success, and please note that these are all still a must when it comes to achieving the kind of success that most people want—consistency, positive attitude, honesty, integrity and ongoing training and mentoring. But equally as important is the approach you take with your business. Adopting this mindset released us from fear of failure and being able to move forward with our business.

Stop right now and ask yourself, "if I had a million dollars in my bank account right now, would I be afraid of calling this prospect back and chancing rejection?" Because it will instantly change your approach and your selling technique. It will free you to speak with prospects honestly and openly and will take the "desperate" out of your sales pitch. You will relax and say what you mean—covering the best about your opportunity with total self-confidence.

Let me explain further, why this approach will make you the best representative you can be for your business...

When you convince yourself that each and every sale will not determine your success, and that you have breathing room, so-to-speak, your technique instantly alters to one that projects success. And people need to know that they can believe in YOU as well as the opportunity you are selling. Since I dealt with a great number of editors through email when I was in Press Relations, phone interaction was rarely needed and I have to admit that my phone skills cried out for a complete makeover. I dreaded dialing a number to return a call to a prospect and when I did, I instantly tensed up and got ready for the rejection. Obviously, I went nowhere fast. And through the advice of a seasoned colleague, I completely revamped my approach and mindset to that of a millionaire. And lo and behold—I found success.

People don't want to buy into a business through someone who lacks confidence, seems beaten down or desperate. That's all there is to it. They want to follow the lead of others who are experiencing success and who are relaxed in the pursuit of that success. By telling myself that no call I made would make-or-break me, I went into it without apprehension, without trepidation and without butterflies in my stomach. Every lead wasn't going to decide my success or failure. There will always be people out there who are looking for something, and your opportunity might not be what they are looking for, no matter what your technique is. So to stress over it, only displays a business that isn't that desirable. When you phone or contact prospects with confidence and with the attitude that you know you believe in your business, people gain a sense of trust and will, in turn, believe in your opportunity too. 

Take a few minutes each day to ensure your mindset is what you need it to be to make every call and contact count. Tell yourself that your bank account reflects your success, so that the sense of desperation and "overselling" that can occur are no longer an issue. Our lives, and our business, changed the moment we took that advice. And I guarantee YOU will find that others will respond and will find what you have to offer is exactly what they want for themselves.

Business Opportunities with "Team" Mentality Help Ensure Success

As I’ve mentioned in earlier posts, my husband and I researched countless opportunities before landing on the one we finally decided on. For years we hesitated to make a move to be our own bosses. I suppose, at the time, some of that was fear of failure. However, a large portion of why we were afraid to move forward with our dream was that the opportunities we looked into somehow didn’t feel right or didn’t seem to fit. To a big degree, it was the free continuing training and mentoring that helped us finally make a decision, but it was also the “team” mentality that our mentors brought to the table that helped “seal the deal” so-to-speak. The comradery that a team offers in and of itself is valuable. But there are far more advantages to that approach in a business than the obvious.

Our team participates in nightly calls Monday through Thursdays and during that time, we accomplish a great deal. We are able to pose questions, get opinions from other business owners and offer input of our own. My husband and I call these valuable phone calls our B.S. sessions—Brain Storming Sessions. And out of those calls, we bring away a feeling of being part of a great company with top-notch people.

Additionally, we bring away beneficial insights as to how to more efficiently run our business, ways to market for low or no cost, ideas of new ways to gain exposure and recommendations for great websites and other information such as books or videos. If a member of our team is done with a particular book or movie, they offer to make it available to other members. That way, we all can share materials with a minimum of investment. We also role play with one team member being a prospect and another being the business owner. This lets us get genuine feedback on what we might say in a particular situation with a potential client.

We discuss important aspects of the company we all are members of—things that separate it from other opportunities out there. This also gives us added value in what we can share with prospects. The members of our team, obviously, all have different backgrounds, come from different places and possess different levels of experience and skills. In a lot of cases, this is just what we need as new team members are coming aboard all the time and it gives them the opportunity to hear many owner’s thoughts and experiences and what has and hasn’t worked for them. It also gives the team members a chance to be exposed to additional uplifting attitudes and serves to reinforce what is important in any small or home-based business.

Each team member pitches in in different areas. Some will offer to speak on an area of marketing they are exceptional at, others will offer ways they have managed to be successful with advertising and still others will lead a call on how the program that we sell has helped them personally. We also discuss co-op marketing opportunities and any of us who want to be a part of it can opt in. This can extend your reach with minimal investment in many areas of marketing. All of the input is priceless to us in our day-to-day operation of our business and we are always happy when we can bring something to the table as well. I should state that these calls are not mandatory in our business. They are strictly on a participate if you want to basis. But there really isn’t a single team member who misses out on those calls barring some emergency or prior important family commitment. We all look forward to them and have come to think of the team members as friends as well.

If you are looking for an opportunity, I highly recommend you choose one that offers this same “team” mentality. If you are already a home business owner, maybe you can suggest this type of participation from others who are working in the same business. It is incalculable in it’s value and presents a fresh mindset to you daily. If you can add this to your home business experience, you will find that being able to touch base with others and share experiences, ideas and approaches, as well as the sense of comradery, is a bonus you will find immeasurable.

Critical Traits To Possess for Success in Your Home-Based Business

As I have mentioned, before I was a home business owner, I was in a completely different industry—Desktop Publishing and Graphic Design software. However, my job was Press Relations Manager and that position required exceptional marketing, sales and promotion skills. Those skills I developed and used in marketing changed over the years (social media, wider internet use, etc), but what I found didn't change, was the key factors required to be successful. See, people who are successful possess certain strengths that they have perfected through their experiences and through knowledge they have accumulated. No matter what market or industry they are in, they get results because they implement those key traits in every aspect of their business. This is no different for your home-based business. When we talked to friends about starting a home business, one friend of mine sent me an email telling me about an adage that uses the acronym "CRAZY" to explain what a person who starts their own business is. But once I read the details of her email, I had to admit I agreed.
C = Creative Thinker
R = Risk Taker
A = Ambitious
Z = Zen-like Focus
Y = Yearns for Independence

I'm okay with that definition. In fact, I have found over the years that successful people in home businesses actually boast three traits that ensure that success.

1) People who find success are consistent. I have written an entire blog entry on this and cannot emphasize enough the importance of consistency in gaining success. You cannot randomly execute your marketing strategy and expect immediate and impressive results. Having been in the press relations career that I was in, I knew that from advertising campaigns in major publications. The rule of thumb was to run no less than 3 months of ads on a campaign. Six months was actually considered a norm, but if you wanted to create brand awareness and motivate people to act on an ad, you had to get yourself in front of them and stay there. That same rule of thumb applies to you and your home-based business. No, you aren't necessarily running advertisements in major publications, but you are marketing yourself through other advertising vehicles including social media, classified ad sites, hosting a website, etc. And just posting a few times and participating erratically on the social sites does not constitute consistency. Don't give up. Every successful company or business are out there—everywhere. They use every means possible to gain exposure. Even if you are implementing a low or no cost marketing campaign (as addressed in a previous blog), you are needing to be consistent in your actions to actually make progress.

2) Successful people are very  decisive and act on those decisions. They don't hesitate and doubt their decisions and they base those decisions on research and through trial and error. They possess great self-discipline and are able to move forward on their decisions and don't let the "what ifs" hold them back from their action. When they do take action, if it doesn't result in the type of success they had hoped for, they move on. They don't dwell on that lack of success and they don't use the fear of additional failure as a reason to stop moving forward. On the flip side, those that lack self-discipline in decision making hesitate and then waste time pondering the possible outcome. That gets them nowhere fast and therefore, they are even more discouraged. It's a visious cycle and one that will not rectify itself without changing your decision making and self discipline habits. Those that find success are not fearful of change and trying different ways to market and locate prospects is well within their comfort zone. They do not delay in taking action. They set a plan of action and move forward without delay.

3) Positive attitude and determination are the key traits of successful people as well. This is, actually, the most important of all the traits of a successful business owner. Without these traits, you will not be presenting a desirable opportunity or product or service. That's it. There is no getting around it. People are drawn to the positive and determination shows and reflects in every aspect of your business. A determined person overlooks their fears, avoids playing the "what if I fail" game, and gets up each day ready to begin again. Determination is one of the strongest traits you can possess. It will get you through an overwhelming startup, guide you through lean times and keep  you on the path to success. If you don't have determination, you will find yourself questioning your own opportunity. And once you begin to do that, you may as well fold.
Did I always posses these traits? Not by a long shot. In fact, my fear of failure almost kept me in my  long time job and I would have missed out on the level of success we have now achieved working for ourselves. But I spent a great deal of time developing and perfecting these traits as I knew if I didn't, I would never make any headway. And my dreams of being a business owner provided me with a drive that allowed me to quash the negative, adopt the positive, set personal goals, achieve consistency and move forward. Would my idea for marketing produce results? Who knows? But if it didn't produce the results I hoped for, I moved on and kept moving on until I found what worked for us. 

I should say that if devoting time to perfecting and embracing these traits isn't desirable to you, you may want to rethink the home business thing. It will take effort. You won't achieve long-term success if you don't. But if you are one of those "crazy" people who have made up your mind that you are going to live your dreams and reap the benefits this way of life has to offer, then you are already well on your way there.

Home Business Opportunities Offer Way More Than The Obvious

If you are considering a home business opportunity, or even if you have just started one, you may want to consider exactly what that decision would afford you. There are the obvious advantages to working from home—you control your own income, you choose your own hours, you don't have the rush hour traffic, you avoid the fear of layoffs or cut backs, you are your own boss. For sure those reasons alone are enough to spur someone into action who has even dreamt of being able to be a business owner. But what I've realized is that the home business venture proffers many more bonuses than most people realize.

Now that we have joined the ranks of the self-employed, I have found that I'm almost overwhelmed—although in nothing but a good way—at what this way of life has to offer. It has brought about a complete self-examination that has created a life without boundaries—literally. And anyone who is successfully running their own home business will be finding no borders where there used to be an abundance of them.
Consider just a few...

Chance to hone your time management skills- This is a great one. You didn't have time in a traditional job to manage your personal life effectively, I'm sure. A job dictates the hours you have left to do the things you need to do and want to do. Therefore, your after work hours are spelled out for you, purely out of necessity. I used to find there weren't enough hours in the day. Come weekends, it was chores, errands and maybe some time left over (if I wasn't too tired) to indulge in some personal time. Now, I'm finding it a welcomed challenge to decide which hours make the most sense for our business, which should be spent doing the things that are necessary and which are to be spent exploring what life has to offer.

Become more physically fit- This was a huge plus for me. Although I got up at the crack of dawn to make sure I exercised before showering and going to work, now I have found time to actually set up a complete workout plan. I combine the things that interest me (speed walking, some running and some yoga) and feel better than I have in years. Knowing I wasn't "on the clock" to be out the door to go to work has allowed me the time to take better care of myself. Even if you just add a brisk walk to your daily routine, it's a big difference in your health.

Take more short trips- This has been a biggie. Sure, you always had vacation time coming from work. Maybe paid, maybe not. But you had to request time off and then hope that the okay came through. And I was always torn as to whether to use my vacation time to travel to be with family at holidays, or to go somewhere new and exciting. Working at home, those mid-week visits to family and friends, or to a beach cottage, or even to an event (such as the Daytona 500 that was just here) are completely doable. And I don't have to worry whether another colleague happened to ask for the same time slot off.

Learn- Okay, so before you say this doesn't sound like fun, I have to tell you it is. I have been able to read more and watch more programs on the Science Channel or Discovery Channel and have actually spent a great deal of time online reading informative articles. A friend of mine who entered the home business arena about 4 years ago actually took some courses at a local community college that she had always wanted to take. It opens up the world to anything you want to discover to be able to set your own hours.

Do things you never had time to do but always wanted to- This is my favorite. Grow that herb garden, volunteer somewhere, join a book club, go to local plays and theater, try new foods and methods of cooking, coach a team or join a team....the list is endless. But the point is that without that time constraint that had us running inside to let the dogs out and then get supper on the table, we now have unlimited options to try things we only dreamed of before. We walk our dogs in the most pleasant part of the day and have quality time with them. That makes me so happy, that I am a better person. We also have 3 local flea and farmer's markets we never went to. Come the weekend, we told ourselves we have to fight the crowds and unless we got an early start, everything would be picked over. So we'd talk ourselves out of going. Now, we have even struck up a friendship with a gentleman at a local produce market and have learned a great many ways to fix vegetables and fruits than we never would have thought of. We also choose the mornings when most deliveries arrive.

Connect with old friends- This was one that I found a pleasant surprise. I was never one to spend much time on Facebook, Classmates.com, etc. Every now and then when I could sneak in a couple minutes I'd jump on line. Now, because our business grows through social media, we have connected with old friends and even gone to visit some of them. What a great feeling to have time to do that.

Live where you want to live- Yeah...that's right. And we do now. We live 1/2 the year in Florida (winters) and 1/2 at Lake Powell in Arizona. Portability changes everything. Instead of living where the jobs are or where the work is, the mobility that a home business offers opens up the world to you and your family. Since it probably only matters that you have internet service and a phone, try out new places. A friend of ours with their own home business actually retired from teaching at 35 and moved to a warm climate. She no longer had to live where there were openings for teachers. We love meeting new people and this affords us the opportunity to really see two drastically different parts of the U.S., while reaping the best from each place.

Improve your money-management skills- I, for one, didn't have any. Seriously. I counted on my husband to get our checks deposited and since he had an accounting system set up to auto-pay our bills, I never gave it a thought. I knew what are checks would be each month because in a traditional job, for the most part, you know what you will earn. Now, although we are earning more, it isn't a set paycheck and I have made it a point to take advantage of the business opportunity we bought into as it is based on a wealth and financial development product that offers advice, education and tips for making our money work for us. Since I took the time to learn what is involved in money management, I actually feel more secure than I did and it's a great feeling to know I'm making the most of what we earn.

Slow down and enjoy life- This is, by far, the most rewarding of all the bonuses that being a home business owner grants us. No more ironing my work clothes the night before, getting to bed early so I'm prepared for the rush the next day will be, running home (after traffic) to feed the dogs and ourselves and then doing the things that need doing before we turn in yet again. Now, we take life day-by-day, utilizing the time we have in the way that works best for our business and ourselves. I take advantage of the great weather when it's here and I often meet interesting people just running errands. My mindset is different and I project that.

We wouldn't trade our lives with anyone. We have found that the benefits of our home business are far more abundant than we originally told ourselves they would be. With a home business, it's a whole new world out there—and you could actually have time to explore it!

Business opportunity? Overcome Your Fear With an Informed Decision

I've had a number of emails this past week in response to one of our blog posts ("BUSINESS: ASK NOT WHAT IT CAN DO FOR YOU….BUT WHAT YOU CAN DO WITH IT!") and wanted to take the time to address the question that I actually, also get from many prospects contacting us in response to our opportunity. The question, really, can be asked in many ways, but it always translates into the same basic inquiry. "How do I know if it's a good opportunity for me?" 

Not every opportunity is right for everyone. And  only you can decide if it is something you can believe in and stick with and do what it takes to make a go of it. Because regardless of what opportunity someone decides to go with, it ultimately is up to them to make it successful. Are some opportunities "set up for success" more than others? Probably. Based on the product or service, some opportunities, in some ways really, will sell themselves. If people are looking for what you are offering, then they will come to you if you market successfully. If, however, the product or service you are offering is not so mainstream in it's value, it will be a little more difficult to reach your prospective customers.

When looking for the suitable opportunity for you, there are a number of key questions to ask yourself: Do YOU believe it's a quality product or service that you would find of value? Can you see yourself representing that product or service with enthusiasm—day in and day out? Will you really be offering others a good opportunity when you, in turn, are prospecting? Because if any of those are answered with a "no"—or even a "maybe"—you need to wonder what others will see in what you have to offer. 

If however, the product or service does hold value and does fill a need for the general population (and you yourself can see the benefit it holds), then more than likely you will find success. In our business, it happens to be a product that offers a return on investment to people. By utilizing the program, they can more than pay for their investment. Additionally, with their purchase, they obtain the business opportunity, so for us it was like getting the opportunity for free. No brainer. But do remember, we spent many years checking into various businesses out there and actually wrote a checklist that allowed us to gauge the "value" in each opportunity we were considering. We spent time "investigating" so-to-speak through a variety of methods:

- The main corporate website

- Google/internet

- Other people's websites who were already marketing the business

- Forums

- Blogs

Let me start by saying that each of these ways in which we researched an opportunity was enlightening. If the main corporate website seemed "hidden" at all, or never really came right out and said what the opportunity was or offered, then we ruled it out immediately. If a company is buoyant enough, they will not see any reason to not disclose everything to you. They should have no problem letting you know what you would be doing and what product or service you'd be representing. That check alone will rule out businesses that may not be on the up-and-up. The individuals already in the business should have websites that are professional and that don't have questionable content. They should also be up-to-date and informative. Testimonials should play a role in their marketing and information so that you know there are others out there and that they have been successful in the venture.

Forums are another way to get feedback on an opportunity. Keep in mind, however, that you get all kinds of people on them and you should get more than one opinion on a business. Often times, you may read an entry from someone who never even "worked" their business once they bought in and therefore is NOT a good judge of the potential that opportunity has to offer. At one point, we considered a business opportunity which was difficult to explain to people in its value. Not that it wasn't a good product. But people didn't really understand how the product would benefit them short and long term and we found ourselves wondering if we were capable of marketing it both effectively and affordably. We felt that it may be more difficult to find a "target" customer. So although the product and company were respectable, it concerned us that we wouldn't have what it took to move forward in our efforts.

If you are one of those people who are tired of job cut backs and layoffs, less than stellar salary, and security now and in the future for you and your family and really want to make a change, I applaud you. That is the first step to finding financial independence and success. Motivation and consistency will carry you to success and in deciding to make a change, you have conquered one of the biggest hurdles—fear of failure. You will need to make your move into your new role as "business owner" with confidence and a positive attitude or you will not get far. And it will need to be a constant in your life. Some people are very enthusiastic initially, and then tire quickly of having to work their business day in and day out. But here is where you stop and ask yourself—"what is the alternative?" See, in making the move to business owner, you need to manage your time, do the things that need to be done on a daily basis and KEEP DOING THEM. You would have to in a job, only it would be for someone else's benefit financially. You would have to work everyday for a job, but it would be the hours someone else determined were required. You would have to work everyday in a job, but you would be limited in your income based on what that employer saw as your worth. Your own business changes that, and so when people fear failure, they are really fearing themselves and what they believe their ability to stay out there and active in the business is.

A small or home-based business—without question—IS the way to financial independence. What you do with it is up to you. We now put in about 20 hours a week (vs. 40 with our employer) and make each day a new challenge. We wake up and start each day knowing that any and all effort we put in is for US—and those whose lives we change through our opportunity. That keeps us motivated and excited. We don't waste time on fear. Because at the end of the day, it is true...you have nothing to fear but fear itself.

In Business, Put the "Best" You Forward For Success

I was on a team call the other night for our business, and a discussion was started about how important social media is to small businesses and home-based businesses. And I believe that....I've made that known in previous blog posts. However, what some of us don't realize is that unless we share the positive, no one will want to be a part of whatever it is we're doing, no matter how unmatched the opportunity we have to offer is.

I have an acquaintance I've known for some years and she is active on most of the social media sites—Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc. But when I read and reflect on her posts, I am not "drawn" to her or her business. Why? Because her posts actually include a great deal of negative. She posts about things such as how bad the weather is, how she is so tired, how she is dreading a coming dentist appointment, how people are sometimes irritating. And I have to ask myself what exactly she feels anyone would be interested in when it came to taking her up on her business opportunity. I know that most everyone I know would avoid responding to those kinds of posts.

We all have bad days. But they are what you make them. As any of you know, we create our own reality. How we respond to certain situations, certain instances, and even certain people, will determine the reality of what they are. We build the kind of reality we want by seeking the positive in things that happen in our lives. And those positive things are the things we need to share. No one can benefit from negative. They can, however, benefit from the way you handle things and approach things and how you are able to put a positive spin on what would otherwise be a negative in your life.

The most important thing in any marketing for your business is to always put your "best" you forward. People, by nature, are drawn to others who have a desirable outlook on life and what it brings. I am. And I find myself avoiding that acquaintance who always sees the dismal and disappointment.

We actually took some personal development courses and I highly suggest that anyone in their own business does the same. It gives you clarity on what is most important and what will help ensure your success. In utilizing those personal development skills, you can reflect on exactly what you want to demonstrate in your business—prosperity, success, lack of stress, the power to control your own income and work hours, and the benefits of being a business owner. But whether you do or do not take personal development courses, think, and think again, and read again—anything you intend to post. Ask yourself how you would respond to a person or post that said what you are considering posting. You will know—if you view your post consideration from another person's perspective—whether or not it is something that is appropriate, beneficial or representative of the "you" that you want out there. And most importantly, whether you would be drawn to YOU.

BUSINESS: TAKE A LITTLE TIME EACH DAY TO GIVE SOMETHING BACK

A next-door-neighbor of mine when I was growing up was an elderly man who sat on his screened porch and offered up wise advice to any youngster who wanted to hear it. I liked going over there. He talked to me as though I were an adult in that he offered good advice on being a good person—of any age. He was popular with neighbors, and when his wife passed away, there was no shortage of people stopping in and trying to help him through his loss.

I think back on that neighbor, and have throughout my adult life. I believe he instilled something in me that drove me to lead the kind of life I now lead. I stop when I hear an ambulance or siren and send out good thoughts that everything will work out. I do this without thinking as he suggested. It comes natural. I visit old school teachers that made a difference in my life whenever I can and I let them know they had an influence. I take time out to visit with my parents as count my blessings everyday that I still have them and that they are the type of loving parents they are. And I allow my children to be who they need to be—their own person—without judging them. I carried all those things away with me from that neighbor. And I will forever be grateful for those teachings.

In business, I have made it a habit to take time out from my day to do at least one thing that benefits only someone else. I try to vary what I do and I go to bed each night knowing that I have contributed—even if in a small way—to the happiness or well-being of another person. I post ads about dogs that are at shelters and are having trouble finding homes, I visit a couple older people I know who have no real family and share time just talking with them, I offer to shop for people who might find it hard to get out and about, or I volunteer at a no-kill shelter. Any of those things—and countless others—give me an uplifting feeling, and when I return to my business dealings, I am renewed and am feeling good about who I am and what I am capable of.

Sometimes, the simple act of doing something other than pursuing your own success can actually help in bringing that success about. When you are confident in the type of person you are and what you contribute to the world, it reflects in everything you do. Pick up trash, walk in a marathon that benefits a cause, sort through your possessions and donate what is not being used. And doing those things that are of benefit to others and the fact that you made a difference will make a difference in you, your business, and those you meet.

BUSINESS: UTILIZE LOW/NO-COST MARKETING TO GET STARTED

I have some people contact us in regard to our blogs and success tips that are either considering an opportunity or who have recently bought into a business opportunity. Their concern is how to get started now that they have make the financial commitment to own their own business. In a lot of cases, they have used what savings they have remaining in order to make the change to their life and I applaud their belief in themselves and in their opportunity. However, they now want to know how to move forward with limited funds so that they can begin to generate leads and prospects in order to start earning money that will allow them to market to their full potential. There ARE ways. And we highly recommend they start with these low and no-cost marketing techniques so that they are in a “waiting” mode and not able to get up and running while their motivation is high.

We started out in a similar way. Keep in mind, that most everyone who is new to home based business has a “story” about what brought them to this way of life. We have children who are grown, yes, and out of the nest so-to-speak, and believe me when I say that we are still helping them financially. Whether it be for their college tuition or to help them pay an exorbitant heating bill, we are not done by any stretch. And the fear that we would not be able to offer that help if we put all of our funds into marketing, forced us to look for multiple, effective ways to achieve that exposure without breaking the bank.

Let me start by saying DO NOT underestimate the power of social media. I know you read everywhere how important social media has become. With a little time investment—versus money  investment—you can  meet countless people who are looking for ways to change their lives and financial situation. Mind you, they don’t want to be marketed to per se. But starting communications with people through Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn, alone, allows you to take part in conversations in which you can offer informations in bits and pieces and you will find people inquiring as to what you do and wanting to be in your place—changing their situation.

There are books out there available used on Amazon.com that offer you easy instruction on  how to get started on all of the social sites. They show you how to sign up, layout your page or profile and how to effectively market using those sites. “Twitter Power” by Joel Comm and “Facebook Marketing” by Steven Holzner were invaluable to us. Both books offer advice for everyone from beginners to advanced social media site users. They are only a few dollars bought used and were an indispensable investment. Also, bookmark the website http://mashable.com/ as this website is phenomenal in it’s instructional and informational articles related to social marketing. I made sure I subscribed to their feeds and learned a great deal about what was and wasn’t acceptable, as well as what was effective in social media marketing.

Also, blog. Blogging will let you enter the unlimited family of other bloggers out there. If you aren’t comfortable blogging right away, go to popular blog sites: Blogger, WordPress, Technorati, Posterous, and subscribe to other people’s blogs that seem to “speak” to you. From those blogs, you will see the wide variety of ways that people reach people through those blogs. Comment on blogs. Become a part of the subscribers community and meet others who are searching for ways to market as you are.

And lastly, and also important, is to take advantage of ALL the free classified ad sites out there. There are scores of them. Just utilize Google by searching for “free classified ads” and you will be presented with a plethora of sites to choose from, including most importantly, Craigslist. In starting your business marketing through these no/low-cost methods, you will be able to get started and employ the leads to gain financial success and then can move forward with other options. These methods proved to help us get a start and obtain leads that lead to sales which lead to marketing funds to expand our reach.

Honesty in Business: Say What You Mean and Mean What You Say

When checking out business opportunities that would allow us to leave our long-term jobs and become part of the self-employed, we found a lot of people out there selling opportunities. When asked, some of them would never quite answer us directly on what their opportunity consisted of. Answers were indirect, and it was actually difficult to pinpoint exactly what we would be doing with the business.

Other people would present their opportunity to us with all kinds of figures being thrown out about earnings and what we would definitely be able to bring in financially. Some of them talked about how it was a guaranteed income amount. No...we didn't believe it. See, we know that based on an individual's drive and ambition, the number of hours they put in, the type of marketing they did and their experience level with the internet would make it almost impossible to quote us real figures. 
We do tell people an average income that people in our industry are making. No...everyone doesn't earn that—a large number of people make way more. But we don't present to people the upper end income amounts as "the norm". We want them to know what they can do realistically and then we allow them to listen to testimonials and read information from other people who are doing the same business we are. 

When someone is inquiring about your opportunity, it is the best policy—hands down—to level with them about what is involved in becoming successful at it. We actually tell them about what our day consists of. We tell them how much time we put in on placing ads, or posting on sites, on returning calls, on meeting people and talking with them about the business, and also about the amount of training we participate in. It gives them a real view of what they would need to do to achieve the success we have achieved. We want them to realize that unless they are willing to do the same amount of work and put in the same effort, we cannot guarantee that they will make a go of it. 

We have had some people inquire about our opportunity and then verbalize their objection to participating on team calls (an hour a night, Monday through Thursday) as they want their nights as their own. To be honest, we tell them they don't have to participate, but as I've said before—especially when starting out—you should take advantage of any and all training available, especially when it's free and with like-minded people who are doing what you are doing. So we don't hesitate to tell them exactly that. The ideas and input we garner from those calls is priceless. We learn from others what has worked or not and also exchange materials that less us further our education in the market. Invaluable!

What some people don't realize is that a home business is work. Plain and simple. It is not just sitting at home and hoping people find you and what you have to offer. It's also not possible to be really successful unless you fully understand your product or service AND the opportunity it provides. Just spending a little time learning those things will get you everywhere. To be able to intelligently discuss those things with a prospect is of the utmost importance. 

We never promise people that if they decide to go with our opportunity, they will become rich overnight and that anyone and everyone will buy from them and will take them up on what they have to offer. It isn't true. And I don't care what any opportunity out there claims, it is not the truth. Not every opportunity is right for everyone and, again, based on the commitment they have they either will or will not make a go of it. 

Home businesses are an unbelievable option for many people. If you have time management skills, you can become successful putting in part time hours. You don't have the traffic to worry about, you don't have to have an extensive work wardrobe, you don't have to spend money on gas and you don't have to punch a timeclock. You make your own schedule and determine which hours make the most sense for you. But they are not for everyone. And anyone who tells you that your opportunity will be "snatched" up and make you rich without working is lying to you. Those people out there with no motivation will more than likely fail. If you think about it, those unmotivated people are the ones that usually are layed off first, or stay in a dead end job and just accept their fate, although that fate is of their own making.

My husband and I are ambitious people. There is no question about that. I pride myself on my work ethic and taught those things to our children. If you aren't really willing to work, then things are not going to magically come to you. However, if you are willing to replicate the actions of those that ARE successful at the opportunity you are considering, you will find yourself in the same place—enjoying success.

Honesty in Business: Say What You Mean and Mean What You Say

When checking out business opportunities that would allow us to leave our long-term jobs and become part of the self-employed, we found a lot of people out there selling opportunities. When asked, some of them would never quite answer us directly on what their opportunity consisted of. Answers were indirect, and it was actually difficult to pinpoint exactly what we would be doing with the business.

Other people would present their opportunity to us with all kinds of figures being thrown out about earnings and what we would definitely be able to bring in financially. Some of them talked about how it was a guaranteed income amount. No...we didn't believe it. See, we know that based on an individual's drive and ambition, the number of hours they put in, the type of marketing they did and their experience level with the internet would make it almost impossible to quote us real figures. 
We do tell people an average income that people in our industry are making. No...everyone doesn't earn that—a large number of people make way more. But we don't present to people the upper end income amounts as "the norm". We want them to know what they can do realistically and then we allow them to listen to testimonials and read information from other people who are doing the same business we are. 

When someone is inquiring about your opportunity, it is the best policy—hands down—to level with them about what is involved in becoming successful at it. We actually tell them about what our day consists of. We tell them how much time we put in on placing ads, or posting on sites, on returning calls, on meeting people and talking with them about the business, and also about the amount of training we participate in. It gives them a real view of what they would need to do to achieve the success we have achieved. We want them to realize that unless they are willing to do the same amount of work and put in the same effort, we cannot guarantee that they will make a go of it. 

We have had some people inquire about our opportunity and then verbalize their objection to participating on team calls (an hour a night, Monday through Thursday) as they want their nights as their own. To be honest, we tell them they don't have to participate, but as I've said before—especially when starting out—you should take advantage of any and all training available, especially when it's free and with like-minded people who are doing what you are doing. So we don't hesitate to tell them exactly that. The ideas and input we garner from those calls is priceless. We learn from others what has worked or not and also exchange materials that less us further our education in the market. Invaluable!

What some people don't realize is that a home business is work. Plain and simple. It is not just sitting at home and hoping people find you and what you have to offer. It's also not possible to be really successful unless you fully understand your product or service AND the opportunity it provides. Just spending a little time learning those things will get you everywhere. To be able to intelligently discuss those things with a prospect is of the utmost importance. 

We never promise people that if they decide to go with our opportunity, they will become rich overnight and that anyone and everyone will buy from them and will take them up on what they have to offer. It isn't true. And I don't care what any opportunity out there claims, it is not the truth. Not every opportunity is right for everyone and, again, based on the commitment they have they either will or will not make a go of it. 

Home businesses are an unbelievable option for many people. If you have time management skills, you can become successful putting in part time hours. You don't have the traffic to worry about, you don't have to have an extensive work wardrobe, you don't have to spend money on gas and you don't have to punch a timeclock. You make your own schedule and determine which hours make the most sense for you. But they are not for everyone. And anyone who tells you that your opportunity will be "snatched" up and make you rich without working is lying to you. Those people out there with no motivation will more than likely fail. If you think about it, those unmotivated people are the ones that usually are layed off first, or stay in a dead end job and just accept their fate, although that fate is of their own making.

My husband and I are ambitious people. There is no question about that. I pride myself on my work ethic and taught those things to our children. If you aren't really willing to work, then things are not going to magically come to you. However, if you are willing to replicate the actions of those that ARE successful at the opportunity you are considering, you will find yourself in the same place—enjoying success.

Help Prospects Change Their Lives And That Will Change Yours

If your goal is to make a million dollars, then you mastermind with millionaires. If your goal is only to make $50K a year, then align yourself with people who make $50K a year. It's true. There is a reason those people who are immensely successful are. They are involved with quality products, in a growing company, with people who are interested in changing other people's lives as well as their own. And in doing that, they continue to experience success. Is that always the case? No...but then those people that are in it to line their own pockets exclusively sometimes tend to burn out quickly and find their prospects drying up over time. They aren't in it for the right reasons. It's that simple.

When we got into this business, it was our goal to just replace our income we had in our jobs so we could quit. We didn't hate our jobs, but we were working 50+ hours a week, taking no vacations or holidays to speak of and were pretty much capped out on income. We knew that we would be "stagnant" so-to-speak and that we wanted to change and improve our lives. The couple who introduced us to our opportunity were genuinely supportive, supplying the information we needed to make an educated decision as to whether it was right for us. There was no pressure and our endless questions didn't tire them or make them eventually avoid our calls. See...they knew we had family, and responsibilities and were nervous about making such a substantial change in our lives. And they guided us through that change, helping us to realize our dream. Did that change their lives? Sure it did. But it did so as a result of offering us the ability to change ours.

When my husband and I return a call to a prospect that has contacted us in response to our marketing efforts, we stop and always take a moment to remind ourselves that we need to help that prospect find out if what we can offer them, in the way of a business opportunity, will assist them in changing their life. Because it's a fact that any prospect that contacts you is looking for something. Some will be looking for something they can start immediately and make an income as quickly as possible. For them it is time-critical. Maybe they lost their jobs, or are losing their home, or have mounting medical bills or can't afford daycare to work outside the home. But others are just looking to add income or change jobs. For them, the urgency isn't there. However, they ARE looking for something or they wouldn't have contacted you. It's your responsibility to find out if your opportunity will help them find that something.

The opportunity we decided on was based on several factors. The product was timely for sure. It offers a program to help people eliminate debt, create wealth and change their lifestyle. Plain and simple. And we knew in today's economy we would be able to offer people a solution that would, if they followed the program, do just that. But we also knew that the company was very interested in their consultants, welcoming input and involving them in day-to-day training and tools to help those consultants continue to experience success. Every company should be of that mindset. It's good business and it's recognizing that it takes good people to have a good business. Align yourself with a good product, service or opportunity to sell. then focus on helping other people reach their dreams. THAT is your top priority.

In summary, if you approach your business from a "giving" and "grateful" attitude and perspective, it will come back to you. No question about it. You make every call to your prospects asking yourself what your opportunity (or service or product) can bring to their lives. And in doing so, you will help them to discover that it's just what they are looking for.

Business: Crystal Beach a Reminder of What Business is About

We take our dogs, every evening, down to Crystal Beach in Florida in the winters. It's only a few blocks from us and when we get there, it feels like we are entering a different world. Florida has grown and expanded commercially as all places have through the years, yet a sense of real community dwells in Crystal Beach. It has managed to keep a laid back, slow paced way of life through all the growth surrounding it. And it is why we go there....

People of all ages and from all walks of life go down to the beach in the evenings. They bring blankets and drinks and sit on benches and mingle and let their dogs run in the surf and socialize with other dogs as well. Everyone is friendly and they come to watch the sunset over the water and see their neighbors. It's an experience I look forward to every evening. It is the closing to our day that is refreshing and we relax and have small talk with people of the same mindset—that life is good.

I am reminded everyday about what business is about. It's about people and relationships with those people. We never discuss business there unless someone asks us about ours, which they often do. But even then, we approach it as providing information and there is never any pressure put on the recipient of the information to take advantage of the opportunity. Have they? Yes. But it's a trust in us as neighbors that has made those who have chosen to move forward in our business opportunity comfortable in doing it.

See, business should always be about you wanting to help others be successful, as you are. If you really want to see them succeed, then you treat them as neighbors and friends. I wouldn't want anyone to take up our opportunity and run with it if it wasn't right for them, because I wouldn't have wanted someone to talk me into something that they couldn't see me being successful at. 

Many people will tell you to market your business or opportunity and then once you have someone interested, and you've made a sale, move on. Some will provide some training initially or even instructions or a "game plan" to get them started. But we feel that if someone is responding to our marketing and wants to know what we have to offer them to change their life, then we owe it to them to offer them the best training and mentoring we can give. In other words, we think it's important to give what we'd want to get.

There are countless opportunities out there. Some good, some bad. And deciphering which is the "right" one is quite an undertaking. That's why you want to make sure to explain what you can offer a potential client or customer and promise only what you intend to provide. What should you provide? All the tools necessary to get them started as well as tools to help them continue to expand and grow their business once they are started.

In viewing your business like Crystal Beach—open, warm, friendly—you will attract people to you that are dedicated and believe in what they are doing when they do become a client. You will give them trust in your opportunity and will find that you have quality people representing your company or business. And you will develop a sense of "team" in your business or opportunity that continues on—day after day—that will continue to provide benefits for years to come.