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It is so easy when you own a home-based business to slack off during the summer months – but is it practical?  Probably not, as the seeds you sow now will reap rewards in the fall – and – when the cycle continues year round your business flourishes.

Here are some things that I recommend to keep you focused and will still give you some time to enjoy the summer.

• Schedule the times you will work – it may be reduced hours or days because you have kids at home,  a summer cabin or a boat that is calling you every weekend.  Be consistent, and make people aware of the best times to connect with you.

• Keep your written goals for the week/month in sight in your home office or work space and then you can complete them in the time you allow.  Here’s a hint – Make them S.M.A.R.T goals – i.e. specific, measureable, achievable, realistic, and timely.

• Reward yourself when you achieve your weekly summer goals…. One can always use a spa treatment, a shopping trip, a day at the beach or a special lunch/dinner at an outdoor café.

• Have an accountability partner to keep you focused – someone in your same business, or another person who works from home also.  Set up weekly calls or daily email chats, perhaps create a friendly competition to keep you making calls.  Make it fun!

• Get up earlier in the summer and perhaps get a half-day’s work done before lunch. … you can then treat yourself to the time off later in the day.

• Work outside whenever possible – or if that doesn’t work take your breaks outside, so you can get your daily dose of vitamin D.

Most of all, take a moment to be grateful for being able to work from home and all the good things that go along with that… flexibility, spontaneity and (yea!) a short commute to the office … and make it a great summer!

Real Men DO Send Cards!

I believe, like the adage “Real men don’t eat quiche,” another socially
accepted rule of masculinity, “Real men don’t send greeting cards,” may have
become archaic.
Let’s look at some reasons why they traditionally didn’t send cards:

• - it’s not macho
• - they are too busy watching “the game” to go to the store
• - they don’t know what to say in the card
• - they don’t have an assistant at the office ( or they just fired one)
• - it’s the wife’s job
• - they don’t remember
• - they don’t believe in the power of follow up

It is way too easy in this day and age to send cards that there really is no
excuse anymore.  With Send Out Cards (my preferred program) you can go
online and choose, or create a greeting card – even add photos, logos or
videos – and send it without any of the inconvenience of the traditional
ways – and still touch someone with a personal REAL card that is sent by mail.

High tech – high touch!

I know many men who now see the value of the personalized greeting card -
for work and in their personal lives – and are having positive feedback from
sending them.  If you want to find out more, just give me a call or drop me
a line.

I thought it may be fun to look at some possibly AMAZING statistics about Moms and Mother’s Day, reported by Phillips & Company on a radio station last year – judge for yourself – and let me know what you think or if you have any to add to it.

16 AMAZING Statistics About Moms And Mother’s Day

#1.) Moms are getting older and more educated.  In 2008, 14% of new moms were 35 or older, and 10% were in their teens.  Those numbers were the exact opposite in 1990:  There were more moms in their teens back then.

#2.) In 2008, a record 41% of children were born to unmarried women.  That’s up from 28% in 1990.

#3.) It’s split almost perfectly 50-50 . . . half of women say that they decided to have a child when the time was right, and half say pregnancy just kind of happened and they rolled with it.

#4.) Today, 54% of new mothers have at least some college education.  That’s up from 41% 20 years ago in 1990.

#5.) The average mom has a life expectancy of 81.  Unfortunately, the average age of widowhood is 55.

#6.) Women make 80% of the general purchasing decisions for their families . . . 93% of the food purchases . . . and even 65% of the auto purchases.

#7.) Americans buy 140 million cards for Mother’s Day . . . even though there are only about 83 million mothers in the country.

#8.) Mother’s Day is the third-biggest greeting card holiday in the U.S., behind Christmas and Valentine’s Day.

#9.) This year, Americans will spend $671 MILLION on Mother’s Day cards.

#10.) Behind the Christma-Hanu-Kwanzaa holiday season, Mother’s Day is the second-biggest gift-giving holiday in the U.S.

#11.) This year, the average person will spend $126.90 on gifts, flowers, parties and meals for their mom on Mother’s Day . . . that’s about $3 more than last year.

#12.) People will spend $1.9 BILLION on flowers for Mother’s Day.

#13.) The most popular types of flowers for Mother’s Day are:  Mixed bouquets, carnations, daffodils, roses, and tulips.

#14.) The total spending this year for Mother’s Day is $14.6 BILLION.  To put things in perspective, that’s the same amount of money that was given to the auto industry in its bailout, or the value of California’s BOOMING medicinal marijuana industry.

#15.) Besides getting their mom or stepmom a gift, 20.6% get their wife a Mother’s Day gift.  Also, 9.4% of people buy something for their daughter, 7.9% for their grandmother, 7.6% for their sister, 6.8% for a friend and 1.7% for their godmother.

#16.)  48% of people say they’re FACEBOOK FRIENDS with their mother.

Kevin The Intern

Phillips & Company, Interview,Phillips and Company 5/7/2010
8:40 am

http://y98.radio.com/2010/05/07/16-amazing-statistics-about-moms-and-mothers-day/#ixzz1Kmf2cxjw

Earlier this month I got the opportunity to hear Sandra Yancey, Founder of eWomenNetwork, speak and lead a Women’s Success Summit.  It was so inspiring to hear from some incredible women on the panel, who shared their insight, the hurdles they had to overcome along their way to success, and what worked for them.

Sandra talked about the key ingredients needed to become a successful entrepreneur and used a catchy acronym to show the main differentiators – CASH.

C  stands for CUSTOMERS, of course, and also CARE – self care, which is what she focused on – and that immediately begged the question  “How are you investing in you?”

A  stands for ASK – don’t be afraid to ask the hard questions and to ask for what you want and you will be surprised at what will appear

S stands for SHARE – truly share – and trust the process.  The statement that resonated with me was “giving isn’t truly giving until you have helped someone who really can’t pay you back.”

H stands for HARVEST – any seed you grow takes time and attention to develop and this works with relationships too

The highlights resonated with me and my business so much and were a good checklist to see if I’m on track to the same kind of success as the panel members have attained.

One thing that stood out and was mentioned several times by Sandra Yancey was how important it is to acknowledge your customers and prospects with a personal card sent in the mail.  It was wonderful to hear someone in her position talk about the value of staying connected and being top of mind with people, and how much it helps to strengthen relationships with your network.

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Networking is an important part of any business, and yet so many people fail at it.  Why do they do it?  Why do they take the time from their already busy day to go out and meet new people?  Obviously, in most cases it is to increase their bottom line, by introducing more people to the services and products they offer, etc.  Yet,it is not enough to just attend a meeting, shake a hand and grab a business card.  It is equally important, while you are there, to begin building a relationship – ask questions, be present, and mentally note where a future connection could occur.  Additionally, you need to follow up with that person. Over 90% of businesses DO NOT follow up with prospects after first meeting them. Just imagine how much business is being left on the table…

I challenge you to change this statistic and put a follow up strategy in place.  How can you set yourself apart from the others and show that you are serious about networking?

Some of the things I recommend are:

1. Within 24 hours of meeting someone at an event send a quick email telling them how much you enjoyed your conversation and it was nice to meet them.  This will make you stand out from the crowd already.

2. If you want to further the conversation, ask if they would like to meet for coffee and suggest a couple of times.

3. Use Send Out Cards to then send a greeting card in the mail – it is quick, easy, and convenient to do, and it keeps a log of the cards sent for you – this will definitely impress someone…

4. Stay connected and if you have the opportunity to refer some possible business to them, or send them an article of interest this will further the relationship also.

5. Invite them to an event you think they may enjoy.

Have fun implementing these ideas into your follow-up plan and see how much it “ups your networking net worth”.

My friend Mike has this very cool website called Gratitude Rocks .  He shares amazing photos and thought-provoking quotes with all who subscribe.
Recently it struck me how much Mike’s website aligns with what I do.  I send cards, greeting cards, in the mail – how novel is that in our fast-paced,
throw-away world today?

People love receiving cards.  The cards are a “feel-good” thing to do.  They spread positives into the world.  They make someone’s day.

Cards can be sent for so many different reasons, for example:

• to show appreciation for a gift
• to thank someone for their time
• to share photo memories of special occasions
• to show gratitude for a job well done
• to cheer someone up
• to celebrate occasions, holidays, milestones
• “just because…”

When was the last time you sent a card to a loved one or to someone in your business world who needed to be appreciated?
Often we think about doing it but it’s too inconvenient; we don’t take the time and the moment passes.

Why not give it a try?

You can do it instantly with my program, which of course is in tune with the world we live in – it’s web-based – and still create
a custom card that shows you must have taken time to do so, AND have it delivered the old-fashioned way … in the mail!

NOW THAT ROCKS!!

What a great way to start the fall season – with a European vacation. My husband and I spent most of September doing just that. I soon realized how lucky I am to have a home-based business and only have myself to answer to because my business is internet based. I can actually do business from anywhere. I know, I know, I was supposed to be on vacation, but I met some wonderful people on our trip who may possibly become my next customers or business partners. You never really know! My business is international, and I can follow up with them now that I am home.

The other exciting thing about having a home-based, network marketing business is that while I was away in Europe my business actually grew! I wouldn’t have believed it if it hadn’t happened to me … it’s magic! My team members who were working in September when I wasn’t, grew their businesses and I got paid too! You gotta love that. That’s the power of leverage – getting paid on the efforts of many – which is the heart of any good network marketing business.

It’s hard to believe, but it’s almost Fall and “back-to-school” time.  Whether you have children or not, the school season always initiates the beginning of Fall – the season of change.  Perhaps you are interested in turning over a new leaf this coming season – learning a new skill, joining a fitness class, or even starting a new home-based business.

If starting a new business is on the horizon for you how will you choose the right one?

Here are some tips to start you in the right direction.

1. Identify your Passion – Are you a people person?  Do you like to help others?  Do you work best in a team environment or alone? Do you need something that allows you to use your creativity?  When your business is connected to your passion it really doesn’t seem like work.
2. Do Your Homework – when researching a company do your due diligence to make sure it is stable.  Are they growing?  Do they have a strong leadership team?  Doing your homework then being coachable and duplicating proven business strategies can factor into your success.
3. Determine your “WHY?” – do you want to bring an extra $500 or $1000 into the household every month?  Are you saving for a big vacation?  A new car?  Do you want the flexibility of working when your kids are in school? Having a home-based business can support your dreams and at the same time be a practical solution to lower taxes.
4. Plan & Use Your Time Wisely – once you know how many hours a week you can dedicate to your business you can plan how to best use those hours.  The home-based business model allows for as much flexibility as you need.

So take a moment to ask yourself – when Fall hits this year, will you be ready for a new beginning?

Whatever you choose, enjoy the last few weeks of summer and if you decide to  search for a home-based business may I suggest you take a look at mine… I love to work with women and help them realize their goals and dreams.

When Was The Last Time You Made Someone’s Day?

I was browsing in a bookstore recently and a sales clerk came up to offer assistance.  For a start, that impressed me,  as it doesn’t happen often these days.  We began a conversation about the book I was looking for, and he became immediately animated.  He seemed genuinely thrilled to be able to share his vast knowledge of all things literary.  His eyes lit up and his passion for literature shone through.  When I asked him how he had gained so much knowledge he told me that he has a literature degree.  I don’t know why he was working in a book store, whether it was by choice or necessity, but it seemed to me that he was a valuable resource to have working there.  He gave me his name and offered to help again if I returned to the store.  I so appreciated the positive customer service experience he had provided, and I really noticed it because it is so rare today — so I took a moment when I got home to send him a thank you card.
A few days later I received an email from him (Ryan) with the following comment:

“I received your thank you card, and I really appreciated it.  Working in retail means that much of the time I end up helping a lot of people who feel entitled to my efforts on their behalf or are outright rude.  Your card was a refreshing and uplifting way to start the day.”

For me there were two messages in that experience:

1. It is important to acknowledge good/exceptional customer service.

2. Taking the time to send a heartfelt card in this fast-paced world can make  a difference – and make  someone feel special.

When was the last time you made someone’s day?  I’d love to hear about your positive customer service experience and how you made a small, yet so important, difference to someone.

Janice

I am very excited to be  back writing my blog and to  focus on all the things I am passionate about: networking, connecting others, and customer service.  My new website is up and running and I feel extremely energized about all that is going on in my life.

Business networking is the greatest single asset for creating  growth and a sustainable business model in today’s market.  I love building relationships and teaching entrepreneurs how to create their own networks.  I am very grateful for all the amazing people I am meeting as I share my greeting card service on a weekly basis at my regular BNI meeting – who then work on my behalf to expand my prospect and client base. I also “pay it forward” by instructing people how to link with new clients and create opportunities as I connect these prospects with other great people in my network.  One of my favourite things to do is meet new people and learn about them and what they do.  Even as I’m talking to them I am thinking about how I can best support them.
There has never been a better time to start using valuable networking and communication skills to rise above your competition.   I heard this quote from someone I respect and it resonated with me:

” Appreciation wins over self-promotion every time.”

I think it is  a good mantra to remember when networking, and I hope you agree.  Let me know what you think and  please take a look at my new website and let me know how I can be of service to you.   Let’s get connected or reconnected!