At Home Moms

Moms At Home

Most of us want to be home with our children but we still need to contribute to the family budget and we still need to feel successful.   Most of us  started out with a dream of motherhood that would include taking our children to scouts, soccer games, picnics in the park and helping with homework.  Even those of us who knew and wanted to maintain our career believed that somehow we could be supermoms and not only work outside the home but be involved in every activity that our child desired.  We would be able to watch them in school plays, make cupcakes or cookies for their class and watch them grow up.

Reality hits when we realize that our babysitter or daycare is where our child says their first words or takes their first steps.  Whether you want a career or your family budget is dependent on your income, this is where we first start to be conflicted about career or motherhood.  We begin to resent the fact that we aren’t there and that causes us to resent our jobs but we can’t quit because let’s face it, our families not only depend on us but also on our  income.

If you want to be home with your children and you are ready to put a little effort into developing an income at home, you are in the right place.

Every year millions of people make New Year’s resolutions for self improvement and by February, most of those people have failed to keep them and given up.  Why do they fail?  It’s not because their resolutions aren’t worthy.  The most common resolutions are to lose weight or quit smoking or do something to make your life better.

There are several reasons why people can’t seem to keep them.  Resolutions are basically goals and in order to meet our goals, we have to have a plan.   Meeting your goals just doesn’t happen.  If you have set challenging goals, you have to do something to make them happen.   It’s easy to say that you are going to lose 15 lbs in 2010 but do you give any thought to how you are going to do it?

Make a Plan

If you are going to give serious thought to your New Years Resolution, you also need to give serious thought to how you are going to make that goal happen.  It’s easy to say that I am going to build my business in 2010 but not so easy to figure out exactly how I am going to do it.   Or what my back up plan is going to be if my initial attempts don’t work.

My own resolution is to build my Shaklee business to the point where I am getting a $500 bonus check every month.  My plan to accomplish this is two fold.  I plan on sending out flyers to my 100 acquaintances on different Shaklee products.  I also plan on writing and promoting weekly articles on nutrition for this website as well as my Good Health, Good Nutrition, Good Business site.  The third prong of my plan will be writing motivational business articles weekly for this site.  There are more details to the plan but I think these three major parts of the plan will work slowly over the months to grow the business enough to meet my goal.

Do Something Daily

The second biggest reason why most people fail to keep their resolutions is because they make them and they work at them for a week or two before they fall by the wayside.  If you are going to fulfill your resolutions you should be doing something every day to keep them.  This does two things.  It keeps your resolutions in the front of your mind because you are actively working to keep them even if what you are doing is small.  By sending out 5 flyers per day each month I am spending a minimum of 15 minutes per day thinking about my business.  It doesn’t sound like a lot but it does keep my focus on the business.  Those 15 minutes of concentration bloom into more and different efforts to grow the business.

Make Your Resolutions Specific and Measurable

If you aren’t specific and measurable in making your resolutions or goals then you will never know if you are making progress.  If you simply say you are going to lose weight then you might lose a lb and then gain 5.  Rather than saying you are going to lose weight, decide on a goal weight such as I will  weigh 150 on December 31, 2010.   This will keep you focused on continuing to lose and not sabotaging your goal by making progress and then not continuing.  You will easily be able to see if you are reaching your goal or losing ground.

Make It Positive and Concrete

Instead of saying I want to quit smoking say I will be a non smoker.  Instead of saying I want to lose weight, say I will wear a size 10.  Instead of saying I want to find a job say I will be employed.  Don’t make it something you want to do, make it something you are going to do.  The psychological impact of reading and saying these concrete positive statements is far greater than thinking about something you want to do.

Write it down

Write your resolutions down somewhere.  I make a production of mine by not only writing them down but by making a small poster of them.  I illustrate it with fancy fonts and pictures.  Put them someplace where you will look at them every day.  If you use a calendar on your computer, use a reminder to pop up daily that lists your resolutions.  You can’t reach them if you aren’t thinking about them.  Most people don’t even remember what their resolutions were by spring time.  How can you possibly reach something that you think about once a year?

Visualize It

Once you have written down what you will accomplish this year, visualize it.  Think about what it will feel like, imagine what your day will be like when you reach your goal.  How will you change?  Will you look great in that slinky black dress?  What shoes are you going to wear with it?  If you are making more money, how will you use it?  How will it make your life better?  If you are going to be a non smoker, how will it change your life?  Will you be healthier?  Will you be able to do things that you can’t do now?   Spend a moment visualizing it daily.  Let your imagination run wild.

Say It Outloud

Yes, people will think you are crazy if you go around chanting that you are going to be a non smoker or that you are going to be a size 10 but again, the psychological impact of stating these affirmations outloud is far greater than just reading them silently.  If you say it often enough you will start to believe it and then you will make it happen.  If you have ever watched “The Secret” most of it is about the power of positive thinking.  If you think positively about things then you subconsciously do things to make that happen.  It works on the same principle as brain washing.

If you do these things daily, you will be amazed at how easy it is to make your New Years Resolutions happen.  It will almost seem miraculous as things just start to unfold making your dreams come true.  It really isn’t a miracle though it is simply that you maintained a positive focus on achieving your goals.  Anything is possible once you make up your mind that it is.

Turtle - Slow but sure

Do you remember the old story about the race between the turtle and the hare?  The turtle wins not because he is faster or runs harder than the hare but because he puts one foot in front of the other consistently.  He doesn’t rush ahead and then quit for awhile.  The turtle has found a pace that he can live with long term and in the end  he comes in ahead. Business by Remote Control is a lot like the turtle, you get ahead slowly and steadily but you are comfortable doing what you do so you can keep on going.

The hare in this story is the person who starts out gung ho.  He pushes and pushes and finds some success but he is not really comfortable with all the pushing so when he finds some success he takes a break.   When he takes a break he remembers how hard all that pushing is and starting again gets harder and harder.  This is one of the reasons why so many people fail at network marketing.

Business by Remote Control works because it is steady and it is easy.  When you tell your friends that you are in direct sales, they are going to tell you that you will fail.  They will expect you to fizzle out in a few months.  Some hares make it longer because they have some success in the beginning or because they are super salesmen but the majority will lose interest and quit.   Maybe these friends have tried direct sales themselves and failed.  Maybe they have friends or relatives who have tried and failed.  These friends are the ones who need to hear from you every month and it might take years for them to decide that you aren’t going to quit and you aren’t going to fail.

Advertising Works

Last year at Christmas time, I needed to ship a large picture by UPS.   I live in a very rural area and there are not any UPS stores within 75 miles of me.  I needed to purchase a box and some special packaging so the present would arrive on time and in perfect condition.  I remembered seeing a grand opening ad for a packaging store that packaged and shipped UPS earlier that year but I could not remember the name of the store or it’s location.   I went back through our weekly paper and thankfully, the store had continued placing a small ad in the paper.

I shipped the picture and it arrived in time for Christmas.  I was so pleased with their service that I have continued to use their services through out the year.  If the store had not continued to advertise, I would not have been able to find the store.  The ad that I saw made an impression and when I needed their service, I remembered the ad.  They continued advertising month after month and when I needed their services, I was able to find the store.  If they had run one ad and quit, I might not have found them again.

Sending a monthly flyer does the following:

1. Monthly Reminder – It keeps your name in mind.  They may not need what you are offering now but when they do, they will ask you.
2. Variety of Products – You are sending information on a different product every month.  This gives you an opportunity to fill many needs.  Someone who isn’t interested in one line of products might be interested in another.
3. Drip, drip, drip – Those people who thought that you would fail in 3 months or 6 months, will be surprised.  The longer you mail monthly, the more credibility you will get from the doubters.

I can tell you that there are a lot of ‘hares’ that have been successful and even super successful at network marketing.  It is possible but 10 times more of them have failed.  All that business by remote control does is provide a method for the rest of us to become successful.  It is a proven marketing system that has worked for centuries.

My daughter was reviewing this website for me and her first comment was “but what about dads and people who don’t have children.”   My answer to her was that the principles behind this website would work for anyone who is motivated to earn extra income from home or to have additional streams of income.

Dad’s are certainly welcome here and historically, couples who are both active in direct sales are much more successful.  Men do just as well at both working from home and at network marketing.   All of the principles and techniques here will work just as well for men as for women.

I started this website for women because I see women on a daily basis struggling with careers outside the home while struggling to care for their children and their homes.  I have been torn apart by the need to be home with a sick child and the need to be at work to earn enough to pay the bills to provide for that child.   Now I measure my success by both  emotional gain and dollars and cents.  Teaching others to help themselves is as important to me as the money that I earn.

None of this means that Dads cannot gain and learn from this site.  They are just as important to their children as Mom. They struggle with the same or at least mostly the same conflicts and in some way the burden is heavier for them as historically the man is the provider.

So although I write for Moms, everyone is welcome here.

The economy and job instability is making more people turn to direct sales.  Direct sales is where people market products directly to consumers.  Direct sales companies use their advertising budget to pay their representatives instead of paying millions for telivision, radio and magazine ads.  These companies are generally network marketing companies.

An article in CNN Money says that companies are reporting that business is booming.  More and more people are looking for additional streams of income due to fear of job loss.  Other people are unemployed and turning to direct sales to fill in the gap.

Some folks are finding that they don’t need to go back to the old 9 to 5 job,

Direct selling has worked out so well for George Briere after he lost his job in January that the 37-year-old former sales manager from Michigan said “his days of having a full-time job are over.”

“I got rid of my alarm clock eight months ago and I’m never going back,” he said.

Briere sells Shaklee’s line of nutritional products. Shaklee’s compensation structure allows Briere to earn 34% commission on his sales volume, an additional 7% performance bonus and $125 bonus for each additional person he recruits into the Shaklee network.

What was once a good way to earn extra income for vacations, retirement or just some extra cash is turning into a full time income.  When you are unemployed and can’t find that regular job  a direct sales or network marketing job can help fill in the gap.  Why do people find more success now?  Because they are motivated to make your business work.

You have to remember that network marketing and direct sales works.  If it didn’t then those companies would have been out of business years ago.  It is possible to make an excellent income at direct sales but it is still work and it takes motivation, time and dedication just like any business.

If I told you that I had a way to start a business that you could run by remote control, you would think I was crazy.  If I told you that it would take 15 minutes a day, cost under $100 per month and that you never had to mention it to anyone unless they mentioned it first, you would know I was crazy.

Why I Hate Network Marketing

I hate bugging my friends and family.  I hate to trick people.  I hate people who are always trying to sell me something.  I absolutely cannot sell something that I don’t believe in.   I really cannot do high pressure sales.   Aren’t these  exactly the reasons why most of us have a negative view of network, multi level marketing?  How many times have you been approached with get rich quick stories and then strong armed to sign up tonight?  Ugh!!

A Different Perspective

The Remote Control Simple System was developed by a millionaire entrepeneur named Stan Pace.   Stan is a fascinating person who started his first business in his garage.  He built his own exercise equipment and started out as a personal trainer.  The gym in his garage has turned into a chain of Gold Star Fitness centers.  He also owns multiple vacation rental properties.  He is also a Shaklee Master Coordinator.  He is a firm believer in having multiple streams of income and in doing business in a professional manner.

Overview of the Remote Control Simple System

Stan developed the Remote Control System and it was built on sound business principles.  It is a proven marketing plan and is easily duplicated by anyone.  It builds your business slowly and steadily.  It does not put pressure on you and it does not require you to ever mention your business to anyone unless they mention it first. The system builds business slowly and steadily over a period of years.  It is not a get rich quick scheme.

The system was designed for the Shaklee business model and products  and I am going to use them as an example.

1. First things first, you sign up as a member for $19.95 and try the products you think would benefit you.  Spend a month or two trying out the products.
2. Then you develop a list of 100 people that you know.  This is your prospect list and where the network part of marketing comes in.
3. You mail a flyer and a business card to each person once a month in a hand addressed envelope. On the first flyer, write a note at the top saying “I thought you might be interested in this.”
4. You don’t ever mention Shaklee to them unless they mention it first.
5. When they mention it, you simply ask them if they saw something they were interested in.  If they are interested and appear positive, share the fact with them.  “If you evaluate the products closely, you will find that they are a smart thing to incorporate into your life.”  If they are still positive, recommend that they try the product and send them a catalog.  If at any time, the person backs away or appears negative, drop it and change the subject to something else.  They are interested, they just aren’t ready yet.

How simple is that?  At this point, I am not going to go into the business model or explain the additional ways to make money but if you are interested, you can read more at Stan Pace’s website.  Once you are on his site, click on the blue star under Enjoying People and that will take you to a more detailed explanation.

Get Rich Quick – Not!

This is not going to make you $5000 a month in 6 months.  It’s not a get rich quick scheme.  Any successful business person will tell you that no business makes money in the first year and I have found that to be pretty accurate.  The good ones make a little money the second year.  I can tell you that when I applied this system to my Shaklee business I started getting a bonus check of $150 per month within 3 months.  It grew steadily and continuously without much effort on my part other than sending out flyers.

So what would you do with an extra couple hundred dollars a month?

There are many, many multi level, network marketing businesses available today.  How do you choose the right one for you? Much of it is a personal decision based on your own interests and knowledge but there are some other factors that should influence your decision.

The following 5 things are factors that should be considered when starting any type of business.

1. Positive Outcome versus Time and Financial Investment – You need to evaluate how much time and how much financial investment you will need to obtain a positive outcome.  Do you have the resources of time and money to invest?  If the business will require several hundred or thousand dollars to start, are you comfortable investing that much? How long will it take to make that money back?  How much time will you have to devote to your business in order to see a positive outcome?  Are you willing and able to invest that much time?
2. Product Value -  There is a Burger King commercial with Tony Stewart and Eric Estrada that illustrates this. I’m sure that you have seen it.   Is the product something that you believe in?  Is it something that other people will find of value?  When you believe in a product’s value, it is easy to promote it.  If you have questions or doubts about the product, this may not be the business for you.  There are people who can sell anything.  I know that I am not one of them.  I have to see the benefits and fully believe in the value that others will find in order to recommend it.
3. Training – You will need to learn as much as you possibly can about your new product and business.  Is there training available?  How accessible is it?  Do you need to travel to a different city to get trained?  Is training offered when you can attend?  Is it available online?  Is it FREE?  What is the cost of training?  Some multi-level marketing businesses make most of their money selling training.  Any business should have free or low cost training available.
4. Support -  You will need support from others who are successful as well as from the corporation that provides the product.  There should be a good support structure in place.  Your sponsor should be able to guide you and support you whether that is through personal coaching, internet correspondence, phone calls, meetings, etc.
5. Duplication -  Can you do the same thing that others are doing to be successful?  If you can do it, can other people?  Can you teach them to be successful easily?  There are natural born salesmen and then there are the rest of us.  Can the rest of us duplicate your efforts?

I love all of the Shaklee products.  I have found that they not only have value to me but also to my customers.  I have found a system  that anyone can duplicate and be successful.  It is a no pressure, drip marketing system that will not annoy your friends and relatives.  I don’t have to pressure anyone to buy my products or listen to a business presentation and I will be talking more about it in a future post.