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!

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.

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.

—————————————————————————

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”.

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!!

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.

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

This summer I did several 2 and 3 hour hikes up the local mountains, and ziptrekked at Whistler Mountain — things I probably would have been too “chicken” to do earlier in my life, if the truth be known.

I began to realize that I do, in fact, live in great times and age as a number doesn’t matter anymore, if we take care of ourselves and stay active mentally and physically.

Being at the lead end of the Baby Boomer generation I think I can say that I’m not getting older I’m getting better!
There are so many areas that we Baby Boomers influence . health & wellness, weight loss, anti-aging products, the environment — it’s pretty exciting to be part of this powerful group and influence the economy in such a huge way.

I realize that I can teach those younger than me and be a positive role model in so many ways. I’m excited about the quality products and companies out there that speak to those trends and I can share my preferences in all of them.
Oh, there is one more trend that is hooking all this together for me, and contributes to my thinking and that is social networking. Although this started out as a tool for the young, it is definitely emerging as a business tool for “oldies” like me, who want to stay hip and thrive on learning new things.

So as I reflect on my birthday and consider the alternatives, I think I’m very glad to be celebrating my ??? birthday!

This storm brewing is US shaking things up as we start to retire, look for things to keep us healthy, youthful, fit, and wealthy.

What is also interesting is how people are learning about things today. We are starting to see an amazing awakening of Boomers to network marketing opportunities as people learn from people they know and trust. We see changes in our friends and neighbors and want to know how they are staying so fit, or looking so young. We are more prone to trying new things if someone we know has had success already.

With a network marketing opportunity anyone can become successful and according to Pilzer this industry will produce many, many millionaires in the next decade. There are many of us who still want to make money, save on taxes and save for the future. I know I do.

I am passionate about health & wellness, always intrigued about products that may help me look more youthful, and love sharing great products and opportunities with people I know.

I am on track for the storm to hit, are you?

As I reflected on the hike, while nursing my aching body, I began to think how my hiking experience compares to running my home based business. I didn’t know what I was in for really when I started my own network marketing business. I liked the business model but had no idea how to make it successful. I questioned whether I could do it, and looked for encouragement from others whom I respect and who had faith in me. I have aligned myself in my business with great people who train, encourage and support me and who want to see me succeed, as they have. I hear myself saying “I think I can, I think I can” often as I chug up the mountain to financial freedom. It’s so important to keep your eyes on the goal, surround yourself with people who support you, and believe you can do it. I know it can be done. The LIttle Engine did it, and I did it on my hike!