They just don't get it :-)

Don't you just love the family, friends and other people that call you multiple times a day to chat, ask you to volunteer for everything under the sun or even assume you can babysit their kids- all because you work at home?

After all, aren't we all sitting around eating bon-bons and watching soap opera's all day while our computers are making us 6-figure incomes.....by themselves?

I really have to laugh at them.

I recently had someone say something to the effect that I had a lot of time on my hands while THEY worked all day.

Excuse me?

Wouldn't you love to just freak out on them one day?

If I freaked out, some things I would mention...........

#1- When you work at home, you are (usually) a one-man show. Yes you may have an Upline, a Downline or whatever...

But when it comes right down to it, you are the owner, the secretary, the advertisement department and more.

If you have technical problems, your upline or downline isn't going to come to your house and fix it for you.

You also don't have a tech support team at hand, just waiting for your phone call.....

#2- If you are ill, there is no calling in sick, no one to fill in for you. You either work sick, or you don't work.

#3- If you have kids, it is challenging to get anything done......

Yes, you work at home to be with your kids. Unlike our friends who work outside of the home, our kids are not at a babysitters or daycare....they are HERE. So we work around them.

This means we don't necessarily work when everyone else does....it may be a little here, a little there.

Early mornings and late nights, when the kids are sleeping. Between dishes, laundry, sweeping floors and more...

Which brings me to #4

#4- When you work at home, you are going to have MORE housework than someone who works outside of the home.

You and/or your children are bound to use dishes, paper and pencils, toys and other things that normally would not be used if you were working.

This means more dishes and more cleaning. More laundry if the kids get dirty or go swimming during the day.

I'm sure there's a lot more I could mention......

How about you?

Anything you would like to say to these people?

Share....

Is it time to get out of Dodge?

Are you involved in a homebased business or acting as an Independent Agent for a company? If you work on a commission bases, you probably know it takes time to build up a customer or member base. But how much time is TOO much time? When is it time to "Get out of Dodge"?

Much of it boils down to how long you can afford to work full time making only a part time paycheck. You've probably heard the adage, "Give it 2-4 years...you'll be making multiple 6-figure incomes!"

Ok, maybe not that much, but longevity is definately the key here. If you have been working your opportunity for less than 2 years and you're not making the money you feel you should be, you may want to think twice before quitting and moving to a different opportunity.

Success in ANY venture boils down to a few things:

Do you love what you do and believe in the product or service?

You can't really sell something if you don't use it , love it and believe in the company!

Are you plugged into a good marketing system? A system provides a path to follow, that will ultimately lead to success.

Despite what you may have been told by your upline , success doesn't happen just because you signed on the dotted line and ordered a kit. It takes marketing- LOTS of it!

If your upline doesn't have a PROVEN, Duplicatable system that can be done by the masses, you're doomed.

It's time to find one yourself or get out of Dodge!

If you've been treading water for 2-4 years and still not as successful as you would like to be...

Congratulations, you've stuck it out like you were told!

The question is, were you continuing to learn, working on self-development? Maybe your upline is still marketing like they did before the Social Networking boom. Times have changed, you need to change with it.

I found a great quote recently:


If You Don't Change Directions Soon, You'll Get Where You're Going

Sometimes it's one simple thing....

I love to write, so blogging and article writing were something I  naturally gravitated to on the Internet.

Instead of running 100's of ads a day to promote my biz, I discreetly advertise my biz on my home biz pages on my blogs, and at times write about it.

Believe it or not, that one simple thing, that I love, has brought me MORE business than all the ads...

AND led to another business...........having to do with blogging.

And affiliate marketing.....


Ok, so you've all seen the highlighted links here for Attraction Marketing.

I try not to blatantly say to anyone, "Join this NOW!

But this helped me so much!

If you are struggling in business, you may want to check into it. There are several free newsletters- I make nothing off of you opting into them.

Just so you know....

You can join as a professional, which comes with a monthly fee (yes, I get a few cents for that :-) , but let me tell you...

...they have articles, videos, teleconferences, etc....I mean TONS of them in the professional section.

Everything you ever wanted to know about using SEO, Facebook, article writing, creating websites, blogging, squidoo, coaching, youtube, autoresponders and more...

And they are done by many different people, not just one person.

They even have a 1/2 hour free business coaching session with every one of the coaches. Then if you wish, you can choose the one you like and schedule a follow up with them.

If you are into affiliate marketing, you can refer this service to others, and they have tons of affiliate marketing links that you can put on your blog or website.

This in itself, if you took atvantage of everything and promoted it, could be a biz in itself!

I have been using this system since maybe January and I've barely scratched the surface of the information there!

But this information has really helped me find my niche (writing) - I just can't express how much I have learned in such a short while....

So before you saddle up and "get out of Dodge" maybe you should try one more time......

Hope you all have a happy, safe and prosperous weekend!

P.S. Mitch & Anita...I am FINALLY going the self-hosting route.....just been having too much going on with life and computer problems to deal with more issues...

My website is almost done, then on to the blogs :-)

Strutting your stuff...

Over the last 3 years of network marketing, I have tried just about everything there is to get my name and what I do out there.

Online

I used Craigslist and other free online ad sites, I joined online communties and groups, joined and built lists and I blog.

Offline/Warm Market

With my warm market I have put out flyers, had a table set up at events, have a yard sign and writing on the back of my car. I tell everyone I meet (when asked!) what I do. I am the coordinator of the Central New York Network Marketing group.

My Fave Ways to Market

My favorites out of the above marketing strategies have been blogging, putting out flyers, CNY networking meetings and doing events.

What methods do I detest?

#1 is probably Craigslist.............they don't allow people like me to advertise there :-(

Oh, and "home meetings". Every business I have been involved with that promised it involved only 10 -15 hrs a week ended up involving 2-3 meetings a week - to the tune of 2-3 hours each!

That's approximately 5-10 hours in meetings, what about everything else involved?

So, do tell......

What marketing strategies do you like the best?

What don't you like doing?

Please share!

Blogging 4 you! And a time consuming mistake...

Blogging4you.info

Because I see what blogging has done for me and where it is headed, I was excited to help other's start one.

I started a new website to do just that.

http://www.blogging4you.info/

There is some great information on how to get started, how to find visitors and how to keep them coming back.

You can also learn how to hire me to help you get your blog off the ground if you are totally confused!

Blogging classes are coming soon.

Check it out....

http://www.blogging4you.info/

Time Waster #1

I really made a mistake that cost me time and maybe even a sale!

I was on a major moms social networking site, advertising Blogging 4 You. What I didn't realize (until I placed an ad in about 30 groups) is that I had the url wrong!

It was just slightly different, but it led to a competitors site!

I had to go back and correct all those links!

Moral of the story:

If you are going to copy & paste an ad, make sure you have the correct url. CHECK IT after your 1st ad!

Have a great day!

Your Mission Statement

If you are here, chances are you have (or are thinking)about starting a business.

Although the company you work with may have prefabricated websites, marketing THEIR product or service, you will eventually want to start a blog, where you can market YOU.

If someone is looking to start a home business or money making venture, they will want to do it through someone they know and/or trust.

Think about it.

If I want to start a skin care business, I may start checking out the ads from home business owners in Avon, Melaleuca, Mary Kay, etc....I have an online buddy who does Avon and one who does Mary Kay.

They both have blogs and regularly share their day to day happenings. I know my Avon buddy has 3 kids around the same age as my 3 kids. The Mary Kay friend is a Girl Scout leader like me, and loves to cook. So do I! I have a "connection" with these two.

I know NOTHING about the person behind the Melaleuca.

Chances are, I won't be starting a Melaleuca biz. They may have a fine product, but I don't have anyone giving me 1st hand knowledge on the products and the company. So I may not know how good their products really are.

When I started my new blog with the what.ismyblogs.name program, I signed up under a woman who is "out there" on the Internet through several communities, one being a WAH community she created and maintains. She lives near me, and I once babysat her son. I know her and trust her.

Your prospects don't necessarily have to "live" in your neighborhood, but they have to "visit it" often enough to get a feel for you and whether they want to commit to working with you.

One thing I have discovered with blogging is that it is very easy to go off subject. I often Some of us tend to ramble on and one...forgetting why we started the blog in the first place........

I will soon be teaching some "very beginner" blogging classes, and I think the first thing I will have people do is identify what their blog will be about. So many people I talk with don't know where to begin, what to write about.

Even though sometimes the mission of our blog may alter or change, I believe it is a good jumping off point.

My statement for this blog:

To help others make money at home doing something they can be excited about. Helping them realize their goals by building their online reputation. In the extrememly busy and ever changing online world, it's all about getting out there. Being "the chosen one" in a crowd....

Do you have a mission statement?

Share it with us!

Summers coming- better get your marketing game on......

Summer is quickly approaching. While many parents rejoice in the fact that warm weather and lazy days are approaching, many are stressing about childcare.

Because it often takes two incomes to make it in these trying times, usually both parents need to work. But is the cost of working worth it?

In many instances, NO!

Often gas, childcare, work clothes, and meals out eat up the second paycheck. Which leaves many looking for a work at home job or opportunity.

This means that in the months ahead, you can expect the number of prospects looking for an opportunity to increase.

What are some ways to get the word out about your opportunity?

Get social!
Get out there on the Internet by placing free online ads

Join a few social networking sites. You may have heard that Ning is going to start charging, so check this out:

Networking Buds

It is FREE and pretty new, so be one of the first there........and don't forget to fill out the profile page. People DO look at them.

Blog about it- Blogging is HUGE these days! Blog about it and blog often.

Blogger.com is free to use, and fairly easy to use.

If you are looking to monetize your blog, take a look at this:

http://athomeonwheels.ismyblogs.name/paid-to-blog/

You can make money by refering others, and your biz is exposed in the business directory for the service AND on many of the blogs (note the Blog Directory on mine).

Get out of the house!
Check out vendor fairs at schools, carnivals and churches. Often a table is only $10- $20. You can hand out samples, catalogs and flyers. FREE drawings are a great way to promote at the event, too!

Put up flyers
Carry a stack of flyers in your car that pertains to your business +/or product. Black ink on yellow paper is supposed to be the most eye catching. I have found the simpler, the more effective.

I used to make flyers that had fancy pictures, tons of text, etc...

I have reduced them down to this:


Don't forget the business cards!

Carry them everywhere, give them to everyone!

So let's get excited and gear up for summer and a new rush of prospects......