Thursday, November 6, 2008
Work at home Network, promoting each other, sharing, friendship and fun. Great tools and resources for all work at home moms and dads.
Wahm Buds - Work at home Network, promoting each other, sharing, friendship and fun. Great tools and resources for all work at home moms and dads.
Saturday, September 27, 2008
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Thinking "Outside the Box"
What does it mean to think "outside the box?"
Most of us have grown up with certain beliefts, morals and ideals. For example: you go to school, maybe college, go out into the workplace and you work 40 hours/wk for 40 years with hopes of retiring and enjoying the rest of your life. At least that's the plan for many of us. Right?
Well...let's think about this...Instead of enjoying life while we are young, we feel forced to spend our entire lives working so later on when we're older, we can relax and enjoy our time? To me, this makes no sense at all. We have all been programmed to believe that this is normal and I'll be the first one to admit that I fell into this trap myself but I have fortunately been lucky enough to be exposed and open minded to thinking outside "the Great American Box."
If you haven't watched this video, take a few minutes to open your mind. It will
truly change YOU:
http://www.ewfiles.com/ameriplan/jjcalls/Dale_Calvert.wmv
Most of us have grown up with certain beliefts, morals and ideals. For example: you go to school, maybe college, go out into the workplace and you work 40 hours/wk for 40 years with hopes of retiring and enjoying the rest of your life. At least that's the plan for many of us. Right?
Well...let's think about this...Instead of enjoying life while we are young, we feel forced to spend our entire lives working so later on when we're older, we can relax and enjoy our time? To me, this makes no sense at all. We have all been programmed to believe that this is normal and I'll be the first one to admit that I fell into this trap myself but I have fortunately been lucky enough to be exposed and open minded to thinking outside "the Great American Box."
If you haven't watched this video, take a few minutes to open your mind. It will
truly change YOU:
http://www.ewfiles.com/ameriplan/jjcalls/Dale_Calvert.wmv
Sunday, April 13, 2008
Tips to Eliminate Phone Fear
The fear of the phone is a common problem many business people face every day but it is absolutely essential to overcome this if you want to move your business forward. I know firsthandedly how this fear can cripple you and prevent you from conducting your daily operations.
Let’s really think this through logically. A phone does not have the ability to hurt you in any way so it’s obviously not the phone itself you’re afraid of but the person on the other line. So, where are these fears coming from? Many people won't pick up that phone simply because they fear rejection but if you change the way you react to rejection than that's when you will start seeing changes in your business as well as yourself. Here are some tips that have helped me conquer this.
Learn to accept NO and move on. If you can’t accept this you are going to be a very unhappy person in business and you may want to rethink your career. Let’s face it. No one likes the word no but there’s no way around it. Remember that rejection is a normal part of selling. You must not take it personal when someone says no. Focus on the yes’s that you are getting and forget the no's!!Learn to separate the business from the personal and keep on keeping on.
Don’t try to be Perfect. It’s natural to want to give a great presentation but don’t analyze every word you’re going to say or follow a script word for word. Be yourself and be natural. Pretend like you’re talking to an old friend. If you put the focus on the person you’re talking to as opposed to thinking about yourself and what they may be thinking about you, the conversation will go much smoother. You want to address your client’s needs first and then decide whether they can benefit from your company and vice versa. It’s a lot easier to speak naturally when you’re not trying to force an outcome. Have the “how can I help you today” approach and you will see a big difference in your conversations with people as well as an increase in your paycheck.
Practice over and over. Practice will build your self confidence and self confidence is an absolute must when picking up the phone. Even if you have to “fake it til you make it” that will help you learn how to act like a confident person and changing your actions does really change how you feel.
Just do it!
When I was trying to conquer this problem, I would set a goal for that day as to how many prospects I would call. My main goal was to call say 20 prospects that day with the concentration being on making the call. I would pay no attention to the result. I would then make separate piles to show how many prospects I left messages for, how many I gave a full presentation to and how many may have said no. I was surprised to learn that I had much more success than I anticipated. Remember fears are created in your mind and the more you give in to them the more they grow. Also, try not to prejudge anyone. Prejudging is like setting yourself up for the negative.
My last and final point is try to have fun with it. Don’t take the phone so seriously. Pick it up with a smile on your face and great intentions to help someone today. Again, if you focus on the prospect's needs you will feel less pressure and they will feel more comfortable with you. Feed your mind with positive thoughts before you start calling. Your phone call could make a difference in someone's life. If you approach the phone in a friendly manner and with a positive attitude you will notice a big difference in the success of your business.
Let’s really think this through logically. A phone does not have the ability to hurt you in any way so it’s obviously not the phone itself you’re afraid of but the person on the other line. So, where are these fears coming from? Many people won't pick up that phone simply because they fear rejection but if you change the way you react to rejection than that's when you will start seeing changes in your business as well as yourself. Here are some tips that have helped me conquer this.
Learn to accept NO and move on. If you can’t accept this you are going to be a very unhappy person in business and you may want to rethink your career. Let’s face it. No one likes the word no but there’s no way around it. Remember that rejection is a normal part of selling. You must not take it personal when someone says no. Focus on the yes’s that you are getting and forget the no's!!Learn to separate the business from the personal and keep on keeping on.
Don’t try to be Perfect. It’s natural to want to give a great presentation but don’t analyze every word you’re going to say or follow a script word for word. Be yourself and be natural. Pretend like you’re talking to an old friend. If you put the focus on the person you’re talking to as opposed to thinking about yourself and what they may be thinking about you, the conversation will go much smoother. You want to address your client’s needs first and then decide whether they can benefit from your company and vice versa. It’s a lot easier to speak naturally when you’re not trying to force an outcome. Have the “how can I help you today” approach and you will see a big difference in your conversations with people as well as an increase in your paycheck.
Practice over and over. Practice will build your self confidence and self confidence is an absolute must when picking up the phone. Even if you have to “fake it til you make it” that will help you learn how to act like a confident person and changing your actions does really change how you feel.
Just do it!
When I was trying to conquer this problem, I would set a goal for that day as to how many prospects I would call. My main goal was to call say 20 prospects that day with the concentration being on making the call. I would pay no attention to the result. I would then make separate piles to show how many prospects I left messages for, how many I gave a full presentation to and how many may have said no. I was surprised to learn that I had much more success than I anticipated. Remember fears are created in your mind and the more you give in to them the more they grow. Also, try not to prejudge anyone. Prejudging is like setting yourself up for the negative.
My last and final point is try to have fun with it. Don’t take the phone so seriously. Pick it up with a smile on your face and great intentions to help someone today. Again, if you focus on the prospect's needs you will feel less pressure and they will feel more comfortable with you. Feed your mind with positive thoughts before you start calling. Your phone call could make a difference in someone's life. If you approach the phone in a friendly manner and with a positive attitude you will notice a big difference in the success of your business.
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
Quick Tips for Curing Low Self Esteem
Your self confidence and self esteem come from within yourself, others and from your achievements. Low Self Esteem feeds on negative thoughts and negative comments others may make. This can cause you to lose confidence so it’s important to stop those negative thoughts if you want to build your self esteem.You need confidence to build relationships, be a parent, go to work, take up new challenges, improve yourself, be open to change and learn life skills. Self confidence goes hand in hand with self esteem because you need both in order to face the challenges of life. Raising your self confidence will improve your life as well as the lives around you. Self Esteem is the key to your happiness and overall well being. Here are a few tips to help you boost both your esteem and confidence.
PLEASE YOURSELF BEFORE OTHERS: I know for many of you this may sound foreign because it certainly was against my everyday way of thinking but when you have low self esteem you’re an exception to this rule. You need to put yourself first. Remember that your needs are just as important as someone else’s. Start making a list of your wants and desires. Put it on paper so you can see them daily.
BE YOURSELF: Don’t try to be like someone else. You are unique. There is no one in this world like you. Comparing yourself to others feeds negatively into your self esteem because often times you will look at someone else and you think they are better than you which causes you to feel worse about yourself. Make a list of your good qualities and when you’re feeling down take a look at that list.
DON’T TAKE LIFE AND YOU SO SERIOUSLY: Give yourself a break. Everyone falls. Everyone fails. Failure simply means that you haven’t succeeded YET! Without failure, you would not appreciate the successes. Failing is a sign that you are growing and learning so the more failures you experience, the stronger you will become as a person and consequently your self confidence and self esteem will continue to grow.
FOCUS ON YOUR NEEDS AND WANTS: You deserve to live the life you desire and there is nothing selfish about that. As you learn to pay attention to yourself and your desires, your self worth and confidence naturally boosts.
CELEBRATE YOUR SUCCESSES: Reward yourself when you accomplish goals and succeed. Make a list of your achievements and continue to focus on the positive.
ELIMINATE THE CONSTANT NEED FOR APPROVAL FROM OTHERS:You must stop depending on others to make you feel good. Take time to reflect on “who you are” and make a list of your good qualities. You must see value in yourself first before others will.
GET SERIOUSLY RELAXED: Stop thinking and relax. Some people do this by occupying their mind or exercising. Hypnosis and meditation are really great relaxation techniques. : Treat yourself with the same respect that you would treat others. You wouldn’t tell a friend that she is awful or not good at something so why would you do it to you? Get into the habit of treating yourself nicely and over time you will believe it.
TAKE TIME FOR YOURSELF: Plan to have some fun for yourself whether it’s your favorite hobby or enjoying a movie. Make sure you set time aside for YOU even if it’s paying attention to what you eat each day or catching up on sleep.
Self Confidence and Self Esteem will build as you learn how to navigate through uncomfortable circumstances and day to day events. Once you realize that you hold the power and control over your own life and thoughts and with the right skills, you can get through any life experience. Since your self esteem affects pretty much every facet of life, having a healthy realistic view of yourself is very important. You deserve to like and respect yourself and be happy and comfortable with who you are.
PLEASE YOURSELF BEFORE OTHERS: I know for many of you this may sound foreign because it certainly was against my everyday way of thinking but when you have low self esteem you’re an exception to this rule. You need to put yourself first. Remember that your needs are just as important as someone else’s. Start making a list of your wants and desires. Put it on paper so you can see them daily.
BE YOURSELF: Don’t try to be like someone else. You are unique. There is no one in this world like you. Comparing yourself to others feeds negatively into your self esteem because often times you will look at someone else and you think they are better than you which causes you to feel worse about yourself. Make a list of your good qualities and when you’re feeling down take a look at that list.
DON’T TAKE LIFE AND YOU SO SERIOUSLY: Give yourself a break. Everyone falls. Everyone fails. Failure simply means that you haven’t succeeded YET! Without failure, you would not appreciate the successes. Failing is a sign that you are growing and learning so the more failures you experience, the stronger you will become as a person and consequently your self confidence and self esteem will continue to grow.
FOCUS ON YOUR NEEDS AND WANTS: You deserve to live the life you desire and there is nothing selfish about that. As you learn to pay attention to yourself and your desires, your self worth and confidence naturally boosts.
CELEBRATE YOUR SUCCESSES: Reward yourself when you accomplish goals and succeed. Make a list of your achievements and continue to focus on the positive.
ELIMINATE THE CONSTANT NEED FOR APPROVAL FROM OTHERS:You must stop depending on others to make you feel good. Take time to reflect on “who you are” and make a list of your good qualities. You must see value in yourself first before others will.
GET SERIOUSLY RELAXED: Stop thinking and relax. Some people do this by occupying their mind or exercising. Hypnosis and meditation are really great relaxation techniques. : Treat yourself with the same respect that you would treat others. You wouldn’t tell a friend that she is awful or not good at something so why would you do it to you? Get into the habit of treating yourself nicely and over time you will believe it.
TAKE TIME FOR YOURSELF: Plan to have some fun for yourself whether it’s your favorite hobby or enjoying a movie. Make sure you set time aside for YOU even if it’s paying attention to what you eat each day or catching up on sleep.
Self Confidence and Self Esteem will build as you learn how to navigate through uncomfortable circumstances and day to day events. Once you realize that you hold the power and control over your own life and thoughts and with the right skills, you can get through any life experience. Since your self esteem affects pretty much every facet of life, having a healthy realistic view of yourself is very important. You deserve to like and respect yourself and be happy and comfortable with who you are.
Microwave Mentality vs Reality
Are you guilty of having a microwave mentality? You know, the type of person who starts huffing and puffing in line at the bank because he's been waiting 5 minutes for his turn or what about the guy who keeps hitting the elevator button in hopes it will speed up the elevators' arrival. This " I want it now" Mentality is really causing people to have a distorted view of reality and now with the Internet promising so much wealth and success, people are jumping from one opportunity to the next hoping to find that get rich quick thing. Often times when people do find a great company with a great service or product, they quit before the blessing. They expect it to happen overnight and when they do not see results fast enough they're gone and onto the next one. I can't tell you how many times a team member has come to me after a few weeks saying "I'm not signing business!" What kills me is they've only been in the business a week or two! It's almost laughable but by the same token it's actually pretty sad that a person could expect that from themselves in such a short period of time. You need time to get to know the Service/Product, the company's background and the skills needed to do the job. Some people come in with more skills in place than others but you need to give yourself time to learn the ropes.Can you imagine being thrown into a nursing job with no education or training? You must treat a new business opportunity with the same respect. It saddens me more than anything to see someone throw away what "could be" simply because of impatience and this microwave way of thinking. Most often this is the same type of person who never finishes what they start because they never stick around long enough to reap the rewards.
Impatience is a sign of inconsideration and selfishness. It shows that we are ungrateful and too easily distracted. It's really not hard to understand why simply because in today's fast paced world of drive through restaurants, text messaging, and cell phones, we have grown accustomed to instant gratification and immediate access to whatever we want. When you're hungry you can put a meal into the microwave for 3 minutes and voila, your hunger is gone. If you don't like that song, you can change the station or if you don't want to see that tv commercial just grab the remote and with the internet, you can type in what you're looking for and immediately you have the world at your fingertips. It's really become that easy but unfortunately it is not reality. There are still some things in life that require hard work, time and patience. For ex. growing a garden. You don't plant seeds and immediately you have a flower. It takes time for the seeds to cultivate and grow and not all the seeds are going to take. Many of them will die. We must apply this principle to our businesses. You must enjoy the ride because it's the journey that teaches us the lessons which help us grow and develop ourselves and achieve our goals. That's the part of the equation people are missing out on these days.
Let's be honest. No one likes to wait but this "Microwave Mentality" has caused us to expect everything we want to be readily, easily and instantly available. The problem naturally comes when things that take real work are not instantly available but the good news is we do have the power to change if we want to. Dig deep inside yourself and find the reasons why you are impatient. Don't blame it all on society and external things, get to the root of the problem inside you and change your attitude. When you start showing gratitude for the blessings you already have in your life, you will stop focusing on those every day situations that cause you to be irritated and stressed out. Remember that happiness is a journey not a destination and once you learn the virtue of Patience andyou start showing patience towards others, you will live a longer happier life and achieve success in everything you do.
Impatience is a sign of inconsideration and selfishness. It shows that we are ungrateful and too easily distracted. It's really not hard to understand why simply because in today's fast paced world of drive through restaurants, text messaging, and cell phones, we have grown accustomed to instant gratification and immediate access to whatever we want. When you're hungry you can put a meal into the microwave for 3 minutes and voila, your hunger is gone. If you don't like that song, you can change the station or if you don't want to see that tv commercial just grab the remote and with the internet, you can type in what you're looking for and immediately you have the world at your fingertips. It's really become that easy but unfortunately it is not reality. There are still some things in life that require hard work, time and patience. For ex. growing a garden. You don't plant seeds and immediately you have a flower. It takes time for the seeds to cultivate and grow and not all the seeds are going to take. Many of them will die. We must apply this principle to our businesses. You must enjoy the ride because it's the journey that teaches us the lessons which help us grow and develop ourselves and achieve our goals. That's the part of the equation people are missing out on these days.
Let's be honest. No one likes to wait but this "Microwave Mentality" has caused us to expect everything we want to be readily, easily and instantly available. The problem naturally comes when things that take real work are not instantly available but the good news is we do have the power to change if we want to. Dig deep inside yourself and find the reasons why you are impatient. Don't blame it all on society and external things, get to the root of the problem inside you and change your attitude. When you start showing gratitude for the blessings you already have in your life, you will stop focusing on those every day situations that cause you to be irritated and stressed out. Remember that happiness is a journey not a destination and once you learn the virtue of Patience andyou start showing patience towards others, you will live a longer happier life and achieve success in everything you do.
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Monday, March 17, 2008
Are you a Highly Sensitive Person? Turn your Remarkable Gifts Into Success!
Have you ever been told you are Super Sensitive or Emotionally Oversensitive?
Well if so, I can relate totally to what you're feeling. All my life I was always told I was a highly sensitive person. Many times people would not tell me important things simply because they feared they would hurt my feelings. When I think back to junior high and high school, I was often teased and picked on because I would easily cry and show emotion. However, as I grew older I got tired of being the "sensitive one" because it made me feel inferior and weak. Having this label made me feel like a child who was too young to handle adult responsibilities and experiences and I found myself feeling embarrassed when someone in my family would refer to me as the oversensitive one. For the past few years I have tried very hard to conquer this "stigma" and throughout my research, i was surprised to discover that there are actually some advantages and gifts associated with the overly sensitive individual. Here is what I found.
Over sensitive people are exceptional in a way that they are highly intuitive, very caring, creative and empathetic. They have great emotional passion, depth and perception and they often times feel the need to service and help others. Their empathetic ability is a normal ability that each human being is born with but the overly sensitive person has got a much higher advantage in using this ability. Over sensitive people experience happiness more often because their emotions are felt on a deeper level than the normal person. They have so much to offer and contribute to themselves and others but unless they learn to let the advantages dominate the disadvantages, dealing with over sensitivity on a day to day basis will cause much pain and inhibit you from the success and happiness you deserve.
In order to turn your remarkable gifts into success you must first change how you view criticism. If someone says you didn't perform well today at the piano recital, this doesn't mean you are a terrible pianist or a failure and you're worthless. It's not the words that are hurtful, it's the underlying meaning that we associate with the criticism. So, what causes your view of the criticism to be a bad thing? Most often it's the negative self talk such as "I'm not good enough" or "I've never been smart." A lack of self confidence is one of the major factors that can cause you to put yourself down and create negative self talk. By building your self confidence and changing your negative self talk to something positive you will change your perspective on what you hear and you will no longer feel hurt. I know it all seems easier said than done but if you truly want to conquer this you must learn to stop the negative noises in your mind.
The second thing you must pay close attention to is your moods and emotions and how others moods and emotions affect you. Over sensitive people have a strong empathetic insight into how others feel so be sure not to confuse someone else's feelings with yours. Use your great communication skills and perceptions to help others as opposed to letting their moods affect you.
Also, you must try not to blow things out of proportion and over exaggerate. This is very hard to do because super sensitive people truly feel their feelings at that magnitude but if you don't get the exaggeration under control, unfortunately people will not take you seriously and will assume you're over reacting and distorting the truth. One little saying that helps me when my emotions take over is "Act, don't react" This principle takes a great deal of maturity and humility. Most of us react defensively to any negative feedback we hear directly or indirectly. It is hard to remain stoic when someone criticizes us or says something we don't like or want to hear.
The final point I'd like to make is take steps to build your self confidence. Without self confidence you will surely miss out on alot of available opportunities because you will be afraid to take risks. In order to improve your confidence you need to stop putting alot of weight on what people think of you. Sit down and make a list of your strengths and weaknesses and keep it in front of you daily. If someone makes a comment, match it to your list and if it doesn't match, dismiss it. Don't let other people define your self image.
Over sensitive people do not have a mental illness and they're not weak. They're actually very strong because they allow themselves to feel naturally. Many people block out their feelings because they do not want to feel pain, anger or sadness which can greatly affect a person's mental health and stability but that's not you. You have so many remarkable gifts to give others. Take your ability to be empathetic and creative and turn it into success by helping others. Your strengths are empathy, great emotional passion and perception, to name a few, so take those gifts and give them BACK TO YOURSELF! What a concept! That's the secret and that's the key to your success. Once you do that, you will be on the road to a happier and fulfilling life.
Well if so, I can relate totally to what you're feeling. All my life I was always told I was a highly sensitive person. Many times people would not tell me important things simply because they feared they would hurt my feelings. When I think back to junior high and high school, I was often teased and picked on because I would easily cry and show emotion. However, as I grew older I got tired of being the "sensitive one" because it made me feel inferior and weak. Having this label made me feel like a child who was too young to handle adult responsibilities and experiences and I found myself feeling embarrassed when someone in my family would refer to me as the oversensitive one. For the past few years I have tried very hard to conquer this "stigma" and throughout my research, i was surprised to discover that there are actually some advantages and gifts associated with the overly sensitive individual. Here is what I found.
Over sensitive people are exceptional in a way that they are highly intuitive, very caring, creative and empathetic. They have great emotional passion, depth and perception and they often times feel the need to service and help others. Their empathetic ability is a normal ability that each human being is born with but the overly sensitive person has got a much higher advantage in using this ability. Over sensitive people experience happiness more often because their emotions are felt on a deeper level than the normal person. They have so much to offer and contribute to themselves and others but unless they learn to let the advantages dominate the disadvantages, dealing with over sensitivity on a day to day basis will cause much pain and inhibit you from the success and happiness you deserve.
In order to turn your remarkable gifts into success you must first change how you view criticism. If someone says you didn't perform well today at the piano recital, this doesn't mean you are a terrible pianist or a failure and you're worthless. It's not the words that are hurtful, it's the underlying meaning that we associate with the criticism. So, what causes your view of the criticism to be a bad thing? Most often it's the negative self talk such as "I'm not good enough" or "I've never been smart." A lack of self confidence is one of the major factors that can cause you to put yourself down and create negative self talk. By building your self confidence and changing your negative self talk to something positive you will change your perspective on what you hear and you will no longer feel hurt. I know it all seems easier said than done but if you truly want to conquer this you must learn to stop the negative noises in your mind.
The second thing you must pay close attention to is your moods and emotions and how others moods and emotions affect you. Over sensitive people have a strong empathetic insight into how others feel so be sure not to confuse someone else's feelings with yours. Use your great communication skills and perceptions to help others as opposed to letting their moods affect you.
Also, you must try not to blow things out of proportion and over exaggerate. This is very hard to do because super sensitive people truly feel their feelings at that magnitude but if you don't get the exaggeration under control, unfortunately people will not take you seriously and will assume you're over reacting and distorting the truth. One little saying that helps me when my emotions take over is "Act, don't react" This principle takes a great deal of maturity and humility. Most of us react defensively to any negative feedback we hear directly or indirectly. It is hard to remain stoic when someone criticizes us or says something we don't like or want to hear.
The final point I'd like to make is take steps to build your self confidence. Without self confidence you will surely miss out on alot of available opportunities because you will be afraid to take risks. In order to improve your confidence you need to stop putting alot of weight on what people think of you. Sit down and make a list of your strengths and weaknesses and keep it in front of you daily. If someone makes a comment, match it to your list and if it doesn't match, dismiss it. Don't let other people define your self image.
Over sensitive people do not have a mental illness and they're not weak. They're actually very strong because they allow themselves to feel naturally. Many people block out their feelings because they do not want to feel pain, anger or sadness which can greatly affect a person's mental health and stability but that's not you. You have so many remarkable gifts to give others. Take your ability to be empathetic and creative and turn it into success by helping others. Your strengths are empathy, great emotional passion and perception, to name a few, so take those gifts and give them BACK TO YOURSELF! What a concept! That's the secret and that's the key to your success. Once you do that, you will be on the road to a happier and fulfilling life.
Saturday, March 15, 2008
How to Balance your Homebusiness and Family Life
When I started my homebusiness over a year 1/2 ago, I never dreamed there would be so many factors to consider. Raising a family and conducting business from your home can sometimes feel like you’re working two full time jobs. Sometimes I literally feel like a juggler in the circus. It’s especially challenging if you don’t master the art of scheduling. If you don’t equip yourself with a good planner and effective time management, the house goes to hell, your child or children feel neglected and your business feels more like a hobby than an actual business. Working from home might appear to be an idyllic alternative to working outside the home, but the reality can often be quite different especially if there is no organized schedule in place. The clashes between work and family become more immediate, and there are everyday interruptions which make it hard to maintain a polished and professional work environment. Let’s face it, Corporate America does not include family related responsibilites in the job requirements.
Here are some quick tips to help you better manage your Family Time and Work Time.
Create a Daily Schedule (laundry, time with family, meals, work) . Stick to your schedule as best as you can; Decide what time you’re going to devote to training, what time you’re going to devote to working your business, and what time you’re going to spend with family and friends.
Set Boundaries: Give yourself permission to work without the guilt; Family Time is Family Time, Work is Work but understand that part of running a home business is the flexibility and that flexibility can sometimes be called to order.
Delegate a separate space for work: Maintaining professionalism when you’re working at home is critical. You don’t want the kids answering your business calls but by the same token, maybe set up a small desk for the little ones so they can still be involved as long as they understand and respect your work rules. Create a pleasant cheerful workspace by decorating it just like you would do if you had an outside office.
Let personal phone calls and emails go unanswered while you work. Take time before or after work to answer these. Make sure family members have a way to get in touch with you in case of an emergency though. Be certain friends and neighbors know that while you are home, you really are working and you can’t just stop to chat whenever they wish.
Set a time each day when you shut down business completely ( I confess that this one is my greatest challenge). Whatever comes up after office hours, deal with tomorrow.
Plan ahead. This is especially important to help you deal with the unexpected interruptions that occur. If the telephone company is coming tomorrow, you may have to adjust your schedule accordingly and if a family member suddenly becomes ill, you might lose a day of work time. Being a step ahead of where you need to be will only help.
Watch your eating habits and get up and stretch once in awhile. Definetly take breaks here and there and don’t forget to eat. That will give you just enough of a rest to recharge and get back to work feeling refreshed.
Most importantly remember WHY you wanted to work from home in the first place. Write “your why” on paper and keep it in front of you each day as you move forward in your business. That will only reinforce your goals, dreams and aspirations for you and your family’s future. Heck, and don’t forget the wonderful commute to work is only just a few feet away and one that you can make in your bathrobe and slippers.
Even more importantly than your why, make time with your kids part of your everyday routine.Whether it’s having breakfast with the kids, reading a book, or an hour spent helping your child with their homework. Children appreciate a routine, and scheduling regular time with your kids will help you avoid getting too consumed with the demands of your home-based business. You know the cliché about tomorrow and how disappointing it can be for a child when tomorrow never comes. Scheduling daily time with the kids will help you remember that your kids are just as important as your homebased business activities.
So remember, starting a homebusiness can be very exciting however you must realize that there are many factors that come into play. Not only do you have to consider the daily demands of your business but also the everyday demands of your family as well. This delicate balancing act of family and work will take some getting used to for sure but your ultimate goal is to of course make time for your family while you concurrently run a successful business from your home.
Here’s to your success!
Jessica J. Bogosian
Here are some quick tips to help you better manage your Family Time and Work Time.
Create a Daily Schedule (laundry, time with family, meals, work) . Stick to your schedule as best as you can; Decide what time you’re going to devote to training, what time you’re going to devote to working your business, and what time you’re going to spend with family and friends.
Set Boundaries: Give yourself permission to work without the guilt; Family Time is Family Time, Work is Work but understand that part of running a home business is the flexibility and that flexibility can sometimes be called to order.
Delegate a separate space for work: Maintaining professionalism when you’re working at home is critical. You don’t want the kids answering your business calls but by the same token, maybe set up a small desk for the little ones so they can still be involved as long as they understand and respect your work rules. Create a pleasant cheerful workspace by decorating it just like you would do if you had an outside office.
Let personal phone calls and emails go unanswered while you work. Take time before or after work to answer these. Make sure family members have a way to get in touch with you in case of an emergency though. Be certain friends and neighbors know that while you are home, you really are working and you can’t just stop to chat whenever they wish.
Set a time each day when you shut down business completely ( I confess that this one is my greatest challenge). Whatever comes up after office hours, deal with tomorrow.
Plan ahead. This is especially important to help you deal with the unexpected interruptions that occur. If the telephone company is coming tomorrow, you may have to adjust your schedule accordingly and if a family member suddenly becomes ill, you might lose a day of work time. Being a step ahead of where you need to be will only help.
Watch your eating habits and get up and stretch once in awhile. Definetly take breaks here and there and don’t forget to eat. That will give you just enough of a rest to recharge and get back to work feeling refreshed.
Most importantly remember WHY you wanted to work from home in the first place. Write “your why” on paper and keep it in front of you each day as you move forward in your business. That will only reinforce your goals, dreams and aspirations for you and your family’s future. Heck, and don’t forget the wonderful commute to work is only just a few feet away and one that you can make in your bathrobe and slippers.
Even more importantly than your why, make time with your kids part of your everyday routine.Whether it’s having breakfast with the kids, reading a book, or an hour spent helping your child with their homework. Children appreciate a routine, and scheduling regular time with your kids will help you avoid getting too consumed with the demands of your home-based business. You know the cliché about tomorrow and how disappointing it can be for a child when tomorrow never comes. Scheduling daily time with the kids will help you remember that your kids are just as important as your homebased business activities.
So remember, starting a homebusiness can be very exciting however you must realize that there are many factors that come into play. Not only do you have to consider the daily demands of your business but also the everyday demands of your family as well. This delicate balancing act of family and work will take some getting used to for sure but your ultimate goal is to of course make time for your family while you concurrently run a successful business from your home.
Here’s to your success!
Jessica J. Bogosian
Friday, March 14, 2008
How to Choose the Right Homebased Business for You
Ok Guys, before you begin the long and gruelling task of searching for a home business and work from home opportunity, grab a pen and paper and let's determine whether YOU are a good candidate for the job. Check "yes" for each question below that describes your personality and work style. Answering "no" to more than 3 of these questions suggests that a home business may not be the best decision.
1. Are you a self starter or do you need to be disciplined and told what to do?
2. Can you make decisions on your own or do you always need the assistance of others?
3. Can you resist the temptation to play when you should be working?
4. Do you mind spending time alone?
5. Can you discipline yourself to perform unpleasant tasks that may be important to your business?
6. Is your family supportive of your decision to stay home?
7. Do you constantly need feedback from others to feel secure with your abilities?
These are some of the main questions to ask before attempting to search for the right work from home opportunity. Keep in mind that if you are coachable and trainable, you can learn the skills needed to be successful with a home business. However you must be willing to grow, change and develop yourself daily, monthly and yearly and learn the art of setting realistic goals. With that said, let's move on..
Everyone knows there are so many work from home opportunities and home based businesses out there today. There are so many factors to consider before you decide which one is the best fit for you. First of all, you need to think about what you actually want to do. What do you like?
What are your interests? Make a list of the things that you are knowledgeable about, things that you would like to learn more about and explore. Do you like meeting people face to face? Do you mind talking to people you don't know? Are you a phone person? Do you want to use the power of the Internet to work your business or would you rather work your business locally? Are you interested in a product based business or would you be more comfortable in a service based industry? I have always enjoyed helping people and making a difference in others lives which is why I chose a service based industry as opposed to a product based industry. If it is products that you're interested in, ask yourself who wants to market a product that can be found in the mall or a local store? You need to find a product that is of value to the consumer not something that can be conveniently bought at Walmart or Target. Ultimately, the product must be in demand and be able to stand on it's own but keep in mind that many of these companies want you to purchase a certain amount of products each month in order to keep moving your business forward. For me personally I did not want that burden upon me so I opted out of selling products.
Now there are alot of companies out there that will say all you have to do is sign up with them and people will magically come to your website and you'll wake up in the morning with hundreds of sales without doing anything. WRONG! There is no such thing and if anyone is pitching that line to you, it's by far a lie. There is no such thing as a get rich quick and if you still believe somewhere that you will find that then you need to stop reading this now.
Another factor to consider when choosing the right home business is Time. How much time do you have to work on your business each day/week? Are you going to start out supplementing your income or do you need to replace a job? Are you working the business with a spouse or friend? You need to give yourself ample time to learn the business and learn the skills needed to operate the business effectively. Don't expect to learn it overnight and don't compare yourself to others in your business who may be moving faster or slower. Each person is coming from a different background, education and skills so comparing yourself to others will do nothing but inhibit you from success.
My last and major point to consider when choosing the right home business is the investment. Ask yourself how much are you willing to invest? Remember that if you were to start a business from scratch you would need the tools to create and setup your business. There is no way around it. Whether you are creating baskets to sell or building custom bookcases, you need tools. Many businesses come with everything already in place such as the websites for online or offline marketing, back offices to maintain reports and accounting and training/support and conference calls.
Do your research guys! Most well established companies have conference calls that you can listen in on, daily pay and they have websites that you can read and online training/support as well as a main corporate office with a contact number. Also pay attention to the testimonials. Be sure that there are testimonies on both the service/product and the opportunity. You will find good and bad (if you don't, there is a problem) about every company. Even huge fortune five hundred companies like Walmart and Microsoft receive complaints and unhappy customers. There is no way we can make everyone happy. It's just not realistic. I try to stay away from some of the google reports such as ripoffreport and bbb.com only because you often times get people who have had a bad experience with an industry or they were not a good match for a particular company and they start talking bad and spreading rumors that are just not true. Throughout my experience in the home business industry, you do find many people with the "microwave" mentality who are looking to get rich fast and unfortunately when the reality sets in that you really have to work and put effort in, they feel disgruntled and disappointed so ultimately those websites in my opinion are not a good source for considering the right company for you.
Searching for a home business is an exhaustive task because there are so many things to consider but once you find a good match, do your research and dig as deep as you can. All of the time and effort that you put into the decision process will definitely pay off in the end so good luck with your Home business search and I hope you found these tips useful.
Best Wishes!
Jessica
1. Are you a self starter or do you need to be disciplined and told what to do?
2. Can you make decisions on your own or do you always need the assistance of others?
3. Can you resist the temptation to play when you should be working?
4. Do you mind spending time alone?
5. Can you discipline yourself to perform unpleasant tasks that may be important to your business?
6. Is your family supportive of your decision to stay home?
7. Do you constantly need feedback from others to feel secure with your abilities?
These are some of the main questions to ask before attempting to search for the right work from home opportunity. Keep in mind that if you are coachable and trainable, you can learn the skills needed to be successful with a home business. However you must be willing to grow, change and develop yourself daily, monthly and yearly and learn the art of setting realistic goals. With that said, let's move on..
Everyone knows there are so many work from home opportunities and home based businesses out there today. There are so many factors to consider before you decide which one is the best fit for you. First of all, you need to think about what you actually want to do. What do you like?
What are your interests? Make a list of the things that you are knowledgeable about, things that you would like to learn more about and explore. Do you like meeting people face to face? Do you mind talking to people you don't know? Are you a phone person? Do you want to use the power of the Internet to work your business or would you rather work your business locally? Are you interested in a product based business or would you be more comfortable in a service based industry? I have always enjoyed helping people and making a difference in others lives which is why I chose a service based industry as opposed to a product based industry. If it is products that you're interested in, ask yourself who wants to market a product that can be found in the mall or a local store? You need to find a product that is of value to the consumer not something that can be conveniently bought at Walmart or Target. Ultimately, the product must be in demand and be able to stand on it's own but keep in mind that many of these companies want you to purchase a certain amount of products each month in order to keep moving your business forward. For me personally I did not want that burden upon me so I opted out of selling products.
Now there are alot of companies out there that will say all you have to do is sign up with them and people will magically come to your website and you'll wake up in the morning with hundreds of sales without doing anything. WRONG! There is no such thing and if anyone is pitching that line to you, it's by far a lie. There is no such thing as a get rich quick and if you still believe somewhere that you will find that then you need to stop reading this now.
Another factor to consider when choosing the right home business is Time. How much time do you have to work on your business each day/week? Are you going to start out supplementing your income or do you need to replace a job? Are you working the business with a spouse or friend? You need to give yourself ample time to learn the business and learn the skills needed to operate the business effectively. Don't expect to learn it overnight and don't compare yourself to others in your business who may be moving faster or slower. Each person is coming from a different background, education and skills so comparing yourself to others will do nothing but inhibit you from success.
My last and major point to consider when choosing the right home business is the investment. Ask yourself how much are you willing to invest? Remember that if you were to start a business from scratch you would need the tools to create and setup your business. There is no way around it. Whether you are creating baskets to sell or building custom bookcases, you need tools. Many businesses come with everything already in place such as the websites for online or offline marketing, back offices to maintain reports and accounting and training/support and conference calls.
Do your research guys! Most well established companies have conference calls that you can listen in on, daily pay and they have websites that you can read and online training/support as well as a main corporate office with a contact number. Also pay attention to the testimonials. Be sure that there are testimonies on both the service/product and the opportunity. You will find good and bad (if you don't, there is a problem) about every company. Even huge fortune five hundred companies like Walmart and Microsoft receive complaints and unhappy customers. There is no way we can make everyone happy. It's just not realistic. I try to stay away from some of the google reports such as ripoffreport and bbb.com only because you often times get people who have had a bad experience with an industry or they were not a good match for a particular company and they start talking bad and spreading rumors that are just not true. Throughout my experience in the home business industry, you do find many people with the "microwave" mentality who are looking to get rich fast and unfortunately when the reality sets in that you really have to work and put effort in, they feel disgruntled and disappointed so ultimately those websites in my opinion are not a good source for considering the right company for you.
Searching for a home business is an exhaustive task because there are so many things to consider but once you find a good match, do your research and dig as deep as you can. All of the time and effort that you put into the decision process will definitely pay off in the end so good luck with your Home business search and I hope you found these tips useful.
Best Wishes!
Jessica
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