Another fun perk of working for yourself
I have been really touched by my day out with Mike Jr. yesterday and the more I reflect on it, the more I realize that where we are today is because of the choices that were made in the past. Here are some thoughts:
1. Working from home has enabled me to be there for my kids. I’ve been room mom, gone on field trips, and it doesn’t matter if it’s 1st grade or 12th, that quality time with my kids is a total blessing.
2. My children are all very successful in their lives. They are honor students, they participate in school, and they attend church and put God first in their lives (and not necessarily in that order).
3. I get to greet them as they come home from school. How was your day? What homework do you have? What do you mean you had a fight with your friend? You got a Valentine from a secret admirer? Tell me about that? Mom, can you help me make cookies for a class party tomorrow? Can you help me with…..?
4. My kids love to cook and I am thankful that I have had the time to teach them during dinner prep times, so now when my day is a little chaotic, I can say, we’re having chicken tonight for dinner, can you figure something out? And then know that we will get a good meal, prepared with love.
5. My kids are caring, kind, and generous. They show love in many different ways.
6. Megan is devoted to helping her class prepare for this week of winter carnival; she has worked effortlessly to make things ready. Her caring comes out in contribution, whether it is at school, or cooking, or helping with laundry and hugs. Megan is 15 years old.
7. Michael said yesterday, “I want to take you to lunch for Valentine’s Day.” My heart swells thinking about the generosity in that simple action. He didn’t balk at the restaurant bill, knowing with this limited schedule, it was a whole paycheck ($30) for a treat for his mom. Please note, Mike is very frugal, and since he does have limited hours in his job and he pays for his own flight training and gas for his car, he gauges everything he does on how much time he could be flying with that money. For instance, $30 is ½ hour of flight time. Mike is 17 years old.
8. Matthew made us a Valentine’s Day card. He’s also very affectionate, kisses and hugs at all times of the day. He’s 13 years old. Do teenagers still do this kind of thing? Mine do!
I can’t help but wonder would my kids have turned out this way, had I worked full time outside of the home? Did going on field trips with them make a difference in their attitude towards school? Did greeting them at the door when they get home contribute to their willingness to spend time with me when there are other things they could be doing? I don’t know. I am just really thankful and blessed that these are my kids and they do the things they do.
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Saturday, February 5, 2011
Something to think about!
When I started my business, to be perfectly honest, I really didn’t give a whole lot of thought to the products that I was using. I just wanted to make money. However, when I got into the research behind why our company is so successful and why there is a need to offer healthier and safer alternatives, the light bulb went off. We all take for granted that the products that we buy at the grocery store are safe. That is because labeling laws are meant to protect big businesses, not the little guy like you and me.
Information is power, and since I am a cancer survivor, I came to the realization that I cannot keep my head in the sand forever. What about the risk of recurrence for me, and the risk for my kids? Today, 1 in 3 Americans will end up getting cancer in their lifetime, according to the American Cancer Society. That statistic is totally unacceptable. Let’s do something about it. Don’t be an ostrich. We need to educate ourselves and others. That is what I love about what I do, I teach people so that they can make educated choice about where they shop. Check out this article. http://www.globalhealingcenter.com/natural-health/formaldehyde I would love your thoughts on this!
Information is power, and since I am a cancer survivor, I came to the realization that I cannot keep my head in the sand forever. What about the risk of recurrence for me, and the risk for my kids? Today, 1 in 3 Americans will end up getting cancer in their lifetime, according to the American Cancer Society. That statistic is totally unacceptable. Let’s do something about it. Don’t be an ostrich. We need to educate ourselves and others. That is what I love about what I do, I teach people so that they can make educated choice about where they shop. Check out this article. http://www.globalhealingcenter.com/natural-health/formaldehyde I would love your thoughts on this!
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Success Factors
How do you know if a home based business is legitimate and the company that you are looking at is a good choice for you? I have done many home businesses. There are so many things out there. I know how difficult it is to differentiate between what is a scam or not. In my experience, I lost a lot of money, investing in “information”. Please remember that if you have to pay for information, you are on the wrong track. I spent many years with one particular company where I had to sell products, purchase catalogs, and demo products to show to my customers. Deliver ALL Day long….Kids hated it. At the time, they were young, and we couldn’t go ANYWHERE without stopping a few places along the way to deliver. People would be gone, and forget to leave their payment. If they didn’t like something that cost $3, I would have to eat the cost of that, because it was less costly to do that then return it to the company, and it was a crazy, frustrating business. I should note that I was very successful in that business, by their company standards. I have a box of trophies and awards in my basement…somewhere. BUT here is the critical part, I didn’t make any money. Selling $20,000 worth of product at the end of the year after all my expenses, yielded less than $5000 a year. That’s $416.67 a month and hourly, maybe $4 bucks or less, I usually spent far more time than I wanted to to earn that money! So not worth it.
So I suffered through, tried some other company’s and finally found one with all the qualities that I really appreciated. I want to talk to you about what to look for in a business. There are 11 things you should look for.
1. Company track record. Most companies fail in the first 5 years. Don’t be fooled by that “ground floor opportunity”.
2. Financially sound ~ Is your company debt free or do they depend on the shareholders to make all their decisions? Remember shareholders are the priority, not the marketers OR the customers.
3. Strong management ~ What kind of background do they have? Are they of the MLM mindset that the guys at the top make all the money? You want fortune 500 management credentials; people who have a solid reputation in the business community.
4. Unique consumable products ~ Do you have to create a need to buy your product, or is something people are buying already.
5. Competitively priced ~ Do customers have to pay more for your product just to participate in the business? Find a product that is competitive with name brands, so folks don’t have to spend any new or added money to their budget.
6. High Monthly Reorder Rate ~ This will create residual income for you. Are you marketing products that people shop for only at birthdays, holidays, or from attending home sales parties? Does your company provide value that results in monthly reordering? This will create residual income with the simply switching stores concept.
7. Low Personal Production Requirement ~ Again, no new money, no need for a budget change. You don’t have to increase your budget and buy things you don’t need in order to work in that business. Remember, you shouldn’t ever have excess products stored, it’s all what you can personally consume, nothing more.
8. Low Entry Fee ~ It’s usually a requirement to start, but a low startup of $29 is practical. $500- + buying inventory is NOT! Also, make sure that the enroller is not paid on the enrollment fee, that reeks of pyramid scheme, where there is no product or service involved.
9. Timing ~ It’s OK to start with a company that has been around for a while. But even if you have never heard of them, that’s a plus; because it means that no bad news is out there about them.
10. No Breakaways ~ This is where you are penalized for enrolling someone better than you. Your organization is yours. Many companies use Binary Plans, which really go against solid business principles: You find yourself forced to reward the non-producer in order to get paid.
11. NO RISK! ~ Everything is fully refundable. Your family cannot get hurt and you cannot hurt other families.
So which one of these 11 points would you be willing to take off the page and still throw your time, energy and reputation into it?
Are you looking for the next one, or are you looking for the last one? Contact me for details on what I have been doing. I am working with less effort and time than that other delivery business but have generated far more income. What do you have to lose? Just get some details! Click the "apple" button ad!
So I suffered through, tried some other company’s and finally found one with all the qualities that I really appreciated. I want to talk to you about what to look for in a business. There are 11 things you should look for.
1. Company track record. Most companies fail in the first 5 years. Don’t be fooled by that “ground floor opportunity”.
2. Financially sound ~ Is your company debt free or do they depend on the shareholders to make all their decisions? Remember shareholders are the priority, not the marketers OR the customers.
3. Strong management ~ What kind of background do they have? Are they of the MLM mindset that the guys at the top make all the money? You want fortune 500 management credentials; people who have a solid reputation in the business community.
4. Unique consumable products ~ Do you have to create a need to buy your product, or is something people are buying already.
5. Competitively priced ~ Do customers have to pay more for your product just to participate in the business? Find a product that is competitive with name brands, so folks don’t have to spend any new or added money to their budget.
6. High Monthly Reorder Rate ~ This will create residual income for you. Are you marketing products that people shop for only at birthdays, holidays, or from attending home sales parties? Does your company provide value that results in monthly reordering? This will create residual income with the simply switching stores concept.
7. Low Personal Production Requirement ~ Again, no new money, no need for a budget change. You don’t have to increase your budget and buy things you don’t need in order to work in that business. Remember, you shouldn’t ever have excess products stored, it’s all what you can personally consume, nothing more.
8. Low Entry Fee ~ It’s usually a requirement to start, but a low startup of $29 is practical. $500- + buying inventory is NOT! Also, make sure that the enroller is not paid on the enrollment fee, that reeks of pyramid scheme, where there is no product or service involved.
9. Timing ~ It’s OK to start with a company that has been around for a while. But even if you have never heard of them, that’s a plus; because it means that no bad news is out there about them.
10. No Breakaways ~ This is where you are penalized for enrolling someone better than you. Your organization is yours. Many companies use Binary Plans, which really go against solid business principles: You find yourself forced to reward the non-producer in order to get paid.
11. NO RISK! ~ Everything is fully refundable. Your family cannot get hurt and you cannot hurt other families.
So which one of these 11 points would you be willing to take off the page and still throw your time, energy and reputation into it?
Are you looking for the next one, or are you looking for the last one? Contact me for details on what I have been doing. I am working with less effort and time than that other delivery business but have generated far more income. What do you have to lose? Just get some details! Click the "apple" button ad!
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Snow Day!
Snow Day!
We got an incredible amount of snow today! There are so many benefits of working from home, but today, 3 benefits really stand out. 1) Its really convenient to get ready for work, (interpreted as change out of my pajamas), and go into my office. That’s it…that is my commute! I Love that. 2) I don’t have to worry about my kids when school is called off. This was really important when the kids are young. If I were employed outside the home, what if I don’t have someone to care for them? Would it cost me valuable sick time or vacation time? But it’s also important now that they are older because they value that I am here, so I can play that board game with them, and hang out. 3) Safety….I am soooo not a person who likes to drive when there is any snow on the ground, but to have to commute when there is a foot of snow on the ground scares me to death. The news reports so many accidents and cars off the road. My commute is down the hall and to the left, cup -O-Joe in hand.
We got an incredible amount of snow today! There are so many benefits of working from home, but today, 3 benefits really stand out. 1) Its really convenient to get ready for work, (interpreted as change out of my pajamas), and go into my office. That’s it…that is my commute! I Love that. 2) I don’t have to worry about my kids when school is called off. This was really important when the kids are young. If I were employed outside the home, what if I don’t have someone to care for them? Would it cost me valuable sick time or vacation time? But it’s also important now that they are older because they value that I am here, so I can play that board game with them, and hang out. 3) Safety….I am soooo not a person who likes to drive when there is any snow on the ground, but to have to commute when there is a foot of snow on the ground scares me to death. The news reports so many accidents and cars off the road. My commute is down the hall and to the left, cup -O-Joe in hand.
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