How My Home Business Benefited Me when I could not Work my Business

I have had my home business since January 2005. My first two years I spent following blindly what I was told to do. This was not profitable for me or my business and only put money in the pockets of those above me.

I managed to start using my common sense in late 2006, early 2007 and rebuild the foundation of my business based on facts and not hype and have enjoyed a profitable home based business since January 2007.

Clearly a business that is in profit is something to enjoy, but the major benefit was realized late last year when I suffered a catastrophic health event that put me in the local ICU.

You may be wondering how that could possibly be a benefit for my business and the truth is that on the surface it would seem to be a horrible event for me personally as well as for my business.

The fact is that because I took the time early in 2007 to rebuild my business foundation and retrain those in my downline, my business ran without me and continued to make money while I was in the hospital.

The key factors that were changed in early 2007 were my dependence on my upline and sponsor for information on how to run my home business. I also changed my focus from the heavy ad campaigns I was running to building a website that was user friendly as well as SEO friendly.

I also provided my distributor base with usable tools that were understandable and easy to use with the added benefit of being free. Training was implemented and directed towards what my team members wanted and not what had been dictated to me in my first two years.

Because I was in the hospital for a while I asked one of my distributors to maintain my team forum for me and she was able to do so with no issues primarily because of the effort that was put into the forum and the amount of information that was provided to the team on the forum.

My own realization that my home business was built on old school marketing techniques as well as far too much hype enabled me to honestly reassess my business and start the process of determining what was important to me and what my own goals were. The most important goal was to start earning money and get the business into profit.

I tossed out the hype, buzz words and old school techniques and had my home business in profit in less than 30 days and have maintained a profitable business ever since. Because I was able to see the flaws of what I was doing prior to January 2007, I have benefited from a profitable business even while I was confined without the ability to work in an ICU.

Would these methods work for you in your home business? Maybe, maybe not. It depends on you and what your goals are. Use your own common sense and decide what you need to gain from your business. Once you have done that it’s easy to set your goals and start moving forward.

I will also note that I stopped all paid advertising for my primary business and have relied on the knowledge I gained from about my industry and solid SEO for my websites since January 2007. My business continues to grow and earn more profits each month which gives me the freedom to explore other money making opportunities that I can work from home.

5 Steps to Making Money in your Home Based Business

Fact: People start a home business to make money. If your business is consistently costing you money and not making you money you should evaluate every aspect of the business.

Evaluate the Product Line

Any business evaluation should start with the product line. Are you marketing a product that is affordable to the majority of your target market? If the product is only affordable to a few then you have a problem. In order for you to make a sale or secure a reliable customer base of repeat buyers you will have to reach more people to find the few who can actually afford your product. This is no easy task and could cost you more money in advertising than you have to spend.

Is the product line a one time shot or will it be repurchased once used? This is key to repeat sales which can be the lifeline of any business. Repeat sales will also keep your business on the plus side of profit with little effort on your part.

Evaluate your Product Knowledge

How much do you really know about your product as well as your competitions products. This is another key factor in your own success. Have you done your research or are you relying on what you were told by your sponsor, upline or company? Your ability to portray yourself as an expert in your business will give you an advantage over other marketers not only when it comes to marketing your product, but also if you are working on building a team to earn residual income.

Take the time to learn as much as you can about your own products as well as those product lines and companies that are your competitors.

Evaluate the Tools of your Trade

Look at the marketing material that you were provided. If you fall prey to the old school marketing techniques filled with hype and buzz words you may need to develop your own tools to market your product and build your business.

Another aspect of evaluating your tools is to look at the actual tools provided by your sponsor or company. Are you looking at paying additional monies each month for websites, autoresponders or landing pages? This will be additional money spent each month and possibly will keep your business in the red.

Evaluate the Focus of your Sponsor

This is another important key to your success. Is your sponsor only looking to pad their own pocket each month by encouraging you to buy additional product or sign up for their affiliate programs? Is your sponsor available to you when you need them to answer your questions or are they hard to reach or keeping business hours that don’t fit into your schedule? Do they provide additional support systems that provide you with answers to the common questions for the times that they are not available?

The most important factor for any business should be getting that business into profit as quickly as possible. This can’t be done if your sponsor’s only focus in on their own business.

Evaluate Yourself

We all need to evaluate ourselves from time to time and doing so when it comes to our home business is what allows us to grow not only our business but also to expand our own knowledge.
Look at yourself honestly and determine if you truly stand behind your products, tools and marketing methods. Do you believe that you can sell the products? Do you believe that you can learn what you need to know in order to portray yourself as an expert? Do you offer your business partners up to date tools and training or are you relying on old school marketing techniques that have been handed down for generations?

My own Road to Success

One of the biggest problems in todays MLM and Direct Marketing industry is the lack of common sense and integrity when applied to your business. It’s up to each and every marketer to apply the same common sense and integrity to our business as we would in our own personal lives.

When I started my home business in January of 2005, I made a commitment to myself and my sponsor to work my business for 2 years. I fulfilled that commitment and then evaluated my accomplishments over that 2 year period.

I did have a small level of success however I also believed that I could have achieved much more had I been provided with the proper training and tools.

I had very few months where my business was in profit, and also had to deal with my husband who financed my business each month. It’s hard to justify continuing anything that consistently sucks money and doesn’t make money.

Late in 2006 I evaluated what I had done as well as the tools I used and changed my business plan to incorporate two key factors. The first was listening to my own common sense and the second was to educate myself in my industry as well as marketing.

These two very simple factors are what brought my own home business from sucking money from our family budget into a business that has made money every single month of 2007.

I am thrilled to say that now my expenses are not paid for through the earnings generated from my home business and I am also able to contribute to our family finances as well.

I am also better able to help my growing team to get their business into profit quickly and provide them with the up to date tools they need to grow their business without draining their budgets. This is key because a business that is in profit rarely closes its doors and by supporting my team I am supporting my own business.

If you are interested in how to get your own business into profit using common sense marketing, visit my Website and request information.

Do You Provide Tools to your Team or just Affiliate Links that put Cash in your pocket?

Clearly affiliate marketing is important in the big picture of what we do as Internet Marketers, but is your bottom line to milk every extra penny for every tool you refer your downline to, or to provide tools that will help your team?

I've struggled with this one early in my MLM business, but finally decided that my bottom line was providing my team with every resource I have available regardless of how much affiliate money it put into my pocket.

When I started my business I didn't realize how much money could be generated from affiliate marketing. That changed quickly with my AWeber account. But referring my team members to this affiliate isn't always the best option for them.

I'm fortunate that early on I found some tools that I was able to pay a flat fee for and then provide my team with a few key tools that they could use to promote their business. It was a pretty simple program that provided them with a url rotator, ad tracker and a web page that they could use as their landing page.

I would give these tools to my team to help them get started without having to reach into their pockets and the tools have been well received by my team members.

Over the years these programs have been improved and now include many more very useful tools at no cost to the people I refer to the program. The system now includes a fully functional Autoresponder which has been a stumbling block for my team members on a budget.

Yes I realize that $20 a month isn't much for me, but if I had a couple of kids at home it would be.

I've been criticized and asked if I was setting up a "welfare mentality" with the free tools I provide and I even was asked if what I was doing was "duplicatable". Forgive me, but the ability to duplicate something isn't really what "my" business is about. It's another one of those old school marketing techniques that sound great but in reality work for only a few.

So as the release of the new program was announced providing a multitude of awesome online tools including an advertising module, I had to decide how to present it to my team. It was clear that the best thing to do was give it to them and let them decide for themselves if it was a system they wanted to use.

I did let them know if they were currently using other resources to keep those in place until they had evaluated the new program. Doing this allows my team members to have the tools they need for their Internet marketing without having to dig into their pockets to pay for the tools. It also meant that I would lose some of my affiliate money each month, but the bottom line is always to provide the best tools at the best price for my team. What I will gain in their own business growth by them using the free tools will far outweigh the small affiliate commissions I lost.

And then there's the obvious...

The less they have to spend on websites, autoresponders, advertising and other things, the more money they have available to buy product which they can sell and put money into their pocket as well as my pocket. Win Win.

If you are curious about what I provide my team members use the banner to check it out. No money goes into my pocket by promoting this program.

Marketing Responsibly on the Internet – Social Networking

Now that Social Networking has wrapped it’s arms around the Internet I’m seeing more spam originating from these networks landing in my email box.

My frustration level with these newbie marketers has grown to a point that now I’m turning the tables on them.

The CAN-SPAM Act of 2003 clearly states that using deceptive emails in order to “pitch” your opportunity is in violation of the CAN-SPAM Act yet for some reason these social networkers think that if you reply to their email, they are in compliance.

Social Networking certainly has it’s place in today's world of electronic marketing, but it isn’t in my mailbox and I’ll venture to guess that it’s not in your mailbox either.

Clearly for those looking for home business ideas or an online business opportunity, a social network could provide them with a plethora of information. But no more information than if they had used Google or Yahoo.

How many of you have received a request for information about your business that looks like this:

Hello,

I am requesting more info on your business ad and how it works. Is an investment required?

Looking forward to hearing more.

Name of Sender
Email of Sender

The first few I got I took the time to answer that question in a thoughtful manner only to get this:

Thank you for the email. I am screening people who have home businesses that would like free advertising in what is the “My Space” for business people. I am associated with many thousands of networking professionals that may also be interested in your offer.

You are invited to post a free profile on my site. And I will send some business contacts your way.

Many serious entrepreneurs, from around the world, will view your contact and business information.
http://www.directmatches.com/XXXXX

Join for free… Advertise for free in The Business Directory.

“As relationships mature, incomes grow.”

Name of Sender
Email of Sender

Clearly I’m not a social networker. I did not start a home base business so that I could grow relationships. I started my business so I could earn money.

So how have I turned the tables? Quite simply. When I receive these requests for information, I reply with a short note that directs them to my website to fill out my Auto Responder form. I tell them that because I am in 100% compliance with the CAN-SPAM Act of 2003 that this is the best method for them to learn more about my business.

This usually is enough to stop the spam but not always, so I added the CAN-SPAM Act to my website and direct them there. Their curiosity usually gets them onto my website.

Because they have requested information about my business I am now also in compliance with the act and can send them my promotional emails. Technically I could add them to my list, but I don’t because I prefer to have a clean list of only people who have opted in because they are interested in my home based business.

If you are into Social Networking and using the types of techniques included in this article, wouldn’t your time be better spent doing things that actually drive traffic to your website or educating yourself on your chosen business instead of cruising online classified ads archives harvesting email address’s?

Like many multi level marketing business’s, my advertising budget is limited. I have to maximize each dollar I spend to achieve the maximum benefit for my business.

I make a conscious effort to ensure that each method I use in my promotion of my primary business has at least two functions. Showing that I am knowledgeable about my business and driving traffic to my site. Once they land on my site I’m able to build trust based on my knowledge.

This is a more productive way for me to build that “relationship” and by example they have the opportunity to learn how to earn money online with a home based business.

The email used in this article was an actual email that I received this month. Interestingly enough the email address it was sent to has never been used in any open ad campaigns for any of my business adverts, but only as an administrative contact.

MLM’s reputation has suffered over the years, however it is still the best opportunity for regular people to earn extra income or replace the income from their “JOB”. Lets give our newcomers the best chance of actually building a respectable business and lead them by example as well as provide them tools that work in today's electronic world.

Learn more about compliance with the CAN-SPAM Act of 2003

Starting a Home Business...things to consider

More and more people are starting home based businesses. There are many things to consider when starting a home based business and I’ll point out some of the obvious and the not so obvious.

One of the most important things you need to consider when looking for a home based business is your product. You have to choose something that you believe in and can have passion for. Whether its a Health and Wellbeing product, a Consumable product or a Service you must have passion for what you sell and what you do.

Here are 5 key things to consider when looking for your home based business…

Low unit cost: If the product line or service is not affordable to the majority of the population, who will buy it?

• 
  Is the product “Consumable”: Choosing a product line that is consumable ensures repete business.
• 
  Mystique or Exclusivity: You should not be able to visit your local discount store and find the same product at a lesser price.
• 
  Management Team: Newcomers or Experienced? Make sure you check out your sponsor as well!
• 
  Profit Margin: Has to be Adequate or BETTER than adequate. In order for a company to be financially stable, there needs to be enough funds to compensate the distributors as well as keep the company running.

Choose wisely and do as much research as possible before you put your hard earned money on the table! Whatever product or service you choose make sure that you are a user of that product or service. This will help you to give personal testimony when you are sharing with others.

Business Building….Luck, Leads or both?

The only time Luck comes into play when starting a home business if you are one of the very few who managed to join when the company was just getting started. Lucky for you that the company and product line took off! This isn’t the best time to sign up with any company because at that point in time there isn’t a track record for the company. Those who do join at this time and manage to build a successful business aren’t necessarly there because of their skill set. This would be a great example of good luck.

Another time when you would need luck is if you are one of those people who are paying through the nose for expensive leads. Sure they told you they were leads that were specific to your business but the bottom line is that unless you generate the lead yourself, you really don’t know what the quality of the lead really is. And worse than that, you aren’t the only one with the leads contact information. Do you really want to pay a premium for a lead that technically you could be sharing with someone else? I know I don’t!

If you understand your products and have a superior knowledge of that product you only need a bit of time to start making serious headway in your industry.

Taking time to build your Business Foundation and learn how to put up a content rich website will serve you far better than spending a fortune on expensive leads. If you think about it logically, you will see that with a little research you could be generating your own leads with any number of methods for as little as .20 each. Who in their right mind would ever have that knowledge and pay for a high priced lead knowing they could generate their own for a fraction of the cost?

Make a decision that your business is worth the effort of going through the learning process. And never rely on one resource for all of your leads. How many times have you been warned about having all your eggs in one basket. That may work for a while, until someone drops the basket.

There are many different ways to generate leads on the internet that you can control. Building a website with great content is one way, or start a pay per click campaign. Explore the possibilities for advertising your business on the Internet. And trust me, the quality of leads you generate yourself will always outshine the expensive ones that someone is always trying to sell you!

Taking Control, My Three Step Business Evolution

My business came to a stalemate in January of 07. After two years of trying very hard to do what everyone else was doing I came to realization that my instincts (that small voice you hear in your head) about carving my own path to success was something I should have followed from the beginning.

I have always worked on personal growth, it has been something consistent throughout my life. What I do and how I do it has never been something that I shared openly with others. I have always believed this is something very personal, and I still believe this.


I have made many mistakes throughout the course of building a home business. One of the biggest mistakes was sharing my "Why". What drives a person to achieve is so personal and if shared can show vunerablities that you would never show strangers. Its important to note that everyone in business needs to understand their why, I just don't think its anyone else's business what your why is.


My ability to always find something good in every experience is one of my strongest assets in my personal life, and now in my business life.


In early 2007, I was unceremoniously removed from a leaders board and had my moderator privileges taken away from a team board. Both of these events occurred without explanation and to this day I don’t know the reason why these decisions were made.


My attempts to find out why failed as the person who made the decision refused to tell me via email and I was not going to be manipulated into a phone conversation. In the end it didn't matter why because I realized that my knowing why was not going to change what had been done. This was the beginning of my taking control of my business.


I decided to evaluate the course of my business over the previous two years and this opened up a Pandora’s box that I was ill equipped to handle on my own. I credit the friendship of a single person with guiding me and helping me to keep my focus where it belonged as I evolved.


The first thing I realized while doing my business evaluation was that I had fallen into the herd. This was a shocking realization because I had always prided myself on not being a “follower”. Step One of my evolution was to stand up and take responsibility for my business as an individual.


Step one was huge because it meant that I couldn’t assign blame to anyone but had to hold myself responsible for straying from my own personal belief’s and making poor choices in regard to my business.


This is not to say that I did anything wrong only that I should have listened to my little voice who kept telling me that there was a better way. I also firmly believe that the people guiding me the first two years really belive that what they are doing is the correct path to follow. Ignorance can be bliss.


Step Two was the realization that the foundation of my business was not built on what I wanted or believed in. I kept a positive attitude as I tore down everything I had built the two years before by constantly telling myself that a successful business had to have a firm foundation.


As I rebuilt my business foundation, it was difficult for me not to be angry at what had led me to this point. This is where my friend played a key role in teaching me how to turn those bad feelings into something good.


Up until January, the foundation of my business had been built on old school methods of marketing like the three foot rule, working your warm market and some very long and boring training documents that were just tired and lacked any real substance. These were the tools I was given and I was told if I used these tools and didn't try to reinvent the wheel I too would be successful. Hogwash!


My process of rebuilding my foundation meant that I needed to learn how to market not only my product, but myself. It was silly of me to think that people with no formal training in marketing could ever teach me how to be a successful marketer. And it was stupid of me to not use my own common sense when making decisions about my business and business tools.


Step Three was a grueling process. It wasn’t enough to take responsibility and rebuild my foundation, the tools I had been given and in turn provided my team members simply did not work for the majority of people in our company. This conclusion is based on the number of people who actually promote to the higher levels within the company structure.


I had to look at what I had, and evaluate what really would be beneficial for my team members based on what worked for me and what my team members asked for. The actual process of building usable tools and putting training programs in place for my team was exhausting, frustrating but one of the most rewarding things I have done in my business.


I put my new marketing education to work and kept my focus where it needed to be and started working with my partner to produce quality tools that were simple and filled the need of my team.


In the beginning of the tool development, I struggled with each and every aspect of what I was doing. After the first tools were complete, things just started to flow like honey. I went against the old school rule and I reinvented the wheel.


My evolution is not yet complete. It will be an ongoing process as I learn more not only about myself, but about business and marketing. I am no longer angry or bitter over the culmination of events (not just the two I mentioned) that led me to this evolution, but look at them as part of my growth process.


I've learned that my responsibility as a Team Leader means that I lead my team and support my team. It is not my responsibility to lead and support someone else's team which is what I was doing prior to being tossed out of those two groups.


I have a firm grasp of why I got into this business and what I want to achieve within my business. I have also drawn my line in the sand and will continue to trust myself and believe in my own ability to be a leader and a moral and ethical business person.

When to NOT Work Your Warm Market

Warm Market

Whether you are new to Network Marketing or a Veteran, one of the first things your sponsor or upline told you to do was to make a list of your friends, family and the people you know and start sharing your new business with them. This list is called your “Warm Market”.
When I started my business back in January 2005 I was told to do just that. It didn’t make sense to me at the time, but I couldn’t quite put my finger on why. Now with a little time and a lot of experience under my belt, I know why being told to work my “warm market” put a knot in the pit of my stomach.

Working your Warm Market

If you have a product or service that is of interest to those on your warm market list then it is certainly OK to share the product or service with them. Your warm market can help you to create “Buzz” surrounding your new business and what you offer. This is also an excellent way to get you into profit quickly.

I would encourage you to use your warm market for retailing your product or service. However in Network Marketing, there is a time and place for everything and attempts to prospect your warm market for your business opportunity is a mistake!

When NOT to work your Warm Market

Sharing the “Business Opportunity” part of your business with your warm market can create a situation that can leave you without friends and the brunt of family jokes.

Beware of using your warm market to prospect for your business opportunity. If you do you could set yourself up for some unexpected pitfalls in your business. Because your warm market is your first affordable choice for marketing your product or service, you want to ensure that they are comfortable calling you or having you call them when they make a retail purchase or contract for your service.

If your warm market feels like they will be “attacked” by a sales pitch each time you call or come around, you risk alienating them from your products, services and personal life. If they expect that each time you call you are going to try and “get them onboard” with your business opportunity, they will just avoid you and that will not put money in your pocket.

Stay on the invitation list of your friends and family by providing them only with your high quality product or service. They will see your success over time and the enjoyment you are experiencing and will want to be a part of it…IF they are interested. Your success through action speaks much louder than words. Get out there and Share your Passion!

Mindset is Nothing without Action!

Cherrie