1. Get organized. Figure out what your goals and priorities are, in your business and in your personal life, then figure out how to achieve them. Then put your house, office, and life in general, together in a way that will help you achieve your goals.

2. Lists, lists, lists. One you have your plans and goals, make to-do lists. Try to organize your lists by priority. If something doesn’t get done, it probably wasn’t that important anyway.

3. Multitask. At some point, you’re probably going to get burnt out doing things that seem tedious or that you just don’t want to do. Try mixing it up. If something is really stressing you out, go on to something else and come back. As a WAHM, there’s always something else that needs to get done.

4. Set work hours, and follow them. Set work hours for times when the kids aren’t around, or don’t require a lot of attention. When your work hours are done, stop working. If you can’t manage to get your work done, you may need to reset your work hours, but you most likely need to look at how much work you can actually take on.

5. Make a separate space for work and family. While it may be easy to work and play in the same area, it helps to have a dedicated office area when you work from home. This will help you focus on what you need to be doing, and even help protect you from getting your work disrupted by your family.

6. Get the family to help. Sure, if your kids are young, they aren’t going to be able to help with much, but even very small children can often help organize the house or dry dishes. Make sure everyone does their part.

7. Take time for you. When balancing work and family, you often forget an important part of the equation: you. When scheduling your work and family, always schedule some time to relax, socialize, and do what you like to do.

8. Make friends. Even if you don’t get to see them a lot, friends are an important part of maintaining your physical and mental health. Remember to take time to keep your friendships alive.

9. Stay positive. One of the biggest keys to success is keeping a positive attitude. You’ll be surprised what you can accomplish as long as you believe you can do it. Plus, you’ll be setting a great life example for your kids at the same time.

10. Remember that you are unique. Trying to fit into someone else’s schedule and someone else’s plan isn’t necessarily going to be successful. You need to tailor your plan into your family’s unique needs and find something that works for you.

Melody Thacker jumps out of bed every morning, excited about the bright shiny new day, and the endless possibilities it holds. Her passion is helping others with her direct sales business.

Ten Tips for WAHMs

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One thing many people don’t consider when making the decision to work at home is loneliness. Even if you work hard, if you’re at an office, you have a lot of human interaction. We all need to interact with other people on a regular basis to stay happy and healthy. If you’re starting a home business, be sure to schedule in plenty of social activities with friends, even if it’s just a phone call during the day.

While the normal office includes a variety of distractions, it also includes a supervisor and deadlines to help you keep on track. A home office has more distractions and less threat to keep you focused. If you’re someone who’s easily distracted by things like computer games, television, or other things in the home, this could be a problem. While you’ll need self-discipline, it also helps to have a dedicated office and specific work hours to help you focus.

Many people bring their work home from the office, but it’s a whole lot easier to do this when the office is in your home. Many moms decide to work from home so they can spend more time with their families. But after a while, they see their families less because they’re working on weekends and until all hours of the night.

Most moms have become pretty good at multitasking – to run a family you pretty much have to be – but working from home takes multitasking to a whole new level. Not only is the baby screaming while the dinner is cooking and the laundry is being put in, but now you have a work deadline to meet as well. If you want to work from home, you’ll need to learn to be an expert multitasker.

Normally, people who work outside the home are paid hourly or are salaried. While you may have variable hours, usually it provides a fairly steady income. Depending on what work you’re doing at home, your income is likely to be much more variable, especially at the beginning when you’re establishing your business. Make sure to have savings or a backup plan to help you out when your income dips.

While there are a lot of problems people may encounter when working from home, they are all manageable if you’re prepared for them, so try not to let them discourage you. Working from home offers many benefits as well, including flexible hours, more control over the kind of work you do, more time for your family, among countless other things. Ultimately the choice is up to you and your family.

Melody Thacker jumps out of bed every morning, excited about the bright shiny new day, and the endless possibilities it holds. Her passion is helping others with her direct sales business.

The Pitfalls of Working from Home

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*Sports. We all need exercise to stay healthy. Instead of working out in your basement or at the gym, join a local sports team. You can get a workout and some social interaction at the same time.

*Play groups. This is not only a great way to socialize for your kids, it’s also a great way to socialize yourself. Set up time for the kids to play while the moms enjoy activities of their own.

*Date night. It’s great to find other people to hang out with, but don’t forget your own partner. Every so often, it’s a great idea to find a babysitter and treat yourself to a night out (or even a night in).

*Online. There are plenty of ways to meet new people and maintain friendships online. Just remember that nothing takes the place of good old face-to-face conversations.

*Professional organizations. You can combat loneliness and propel your business forward at the same time by joining professional organizations. You can join local networks, or even attend seminars around the country or even the world. And, you’ll be making the kind of friends that can help you be more productive and profitable at work.

*Find a hobby. If you have something you love to do, or have a hobby you’ve always wanted to try, find a group of people who will do it with you. You can find groups for anything from crocheting to juggling or even watching a certain soap opera.

*Classes. Many local organizations offer classes where you can socialize while learning a new skill or trade. You can take classes related to your work, learn a new hobby, or just take a class on something that interests you. Classes are a great way to meet friends to hang out with as well.

*Pets. While social interaction with people is great, interacting with animals can be a great substitute when you just can’t get out. They not only provide social interaction, they can also help you get out and exercise, and have even been shown to extend your life span. Just be sure to research the kind of pet you want before you buy it so you know you’re getting a friend you can care for properly.

These are just a few ideas of how to get out there and keep yourself happy and healthy. If you find yourself still missing the work environment, you can always get a part-time job that will give you the interaction you need without taking you away from your family for too long.

Melody Thacker jumps out of bed every morning, excited about the bright shiny new day, and the endless possibilities it holds. Her passion is helping others with her direct sales business.

Ways to Avoid Loneliness while Working from Home

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When you work at a regular job, you your employer gives you specific vacation time that you can take to get away from work place. When you work at home, it’s easy to work through weekends, holidays and even skip vacations. Often, when you try to take a day off at home, you end up working anyways. To really get a break, you need to get out of the office and the house.

I bet you’ve heard of people or media outlets talking about office burnout. This is when you get so stressed out at work, you just don’t want to do it anymore. You’re tired, angry, and disinterested in your work, and sometimes everything else in your life. This not only decreases your productivity, it also can be dangerous to your health.

You don’t have time to take off? You’ll get too far behind on your projects? Before you give up on the idea of taking a break, take a moment right now and think about why you started working at home in the first place. Chances are it had something to do with your family. Whether it was to earn more money for them or to spend more time with them, it’s probably all about them. Now ask yourself, “If you are working yourself so hard that you’re having physical and mental problems, how is that helping your family?”

When we’re used to keeping going and going, it can be challenging to figure out what to do on your day off. However, there are plenty of things you can do for any interest. Like learning? You can go to a local museum. If you like nature, go to your local zoo or park. If you prefer adventure you could take the family canoeing. If you just need to relax you might look into your local day spa. There really are endless possibilities to fit every personality.

Just because you take a day away from the office doesn’t mean you necessarily need to stop working. A fantastic way to do this is to go to your direct selling company’s convention, conference, a seminar or workshop. The beauty of these type of business events is not just that you meet new people and learn things, it’s that they’re often in fun, sometimes exotic places. You can build useful business relationships, learn new techniques and ideas, and have a relaxing vacation all at the same time. If there are none of these events in the near future, why not go on vacation with someone in your field? You can brainstorm, trade ideas, and relax at the same time.

The important thing to remember is that if you don’t take care of yourself, you can’t take care of anyone else. Taking the occasional day off is a great idea to recharge and refresh yourself so you can get back to being the best version of you.

Melody Thacker jumps out of bed every morning, excited about the bright shiny new day, and the endless possibilities it holds. Her passion is helping others with her direct sales business.

Everyone Needs a Day Off

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Home Business Computer

The first line of protection for your computer is getting software to protect it from viruses, worms, and other malicious software that could damage, steal information or even trash your whole computer. While many people spend a lot of money on software programs, there are great virus scanners, and other protective software online for free. And even if you do spend some money, it’s worth protecting your computer and everything on it.

Just because you have protective software, doesn’t mean it’s going to block every threat that might attack your computer. Even if you have protective programs, you still need to be aware of new ways hackers are using to get into your computer and use common sense. There are all kinds of web pages that will alert you to the newest cons and viruses going around and how to avoid them. I also recommend McAfee SiteAdvisor free software which adds safety ratings to your browser and search engine results.

One of the most important things you can do to keep from losing data is to back it up. Here are some common ways to securely back up your files so you still have it in case it’s accidentally lost:

Burning your data onto CDs is a quick and easy way to back it up. However, it can be rather time-consuming and CDs have limited storage space. Also a CD can easily be scratched and damaged and only lasts so much time.

Flash Drives are somewhat similar to CDs. You can easily put information from your computer onto a flash drive and then detach them to store for safety or transfer them to another computer. The difference is that a flash drive is not written once and then you’re done. While most CD drives can add files, they can’t delete them or change the files. Flash drives can be erased and rewritten just like any other drive on your computer.

An external hard drive is a great way to back up large amounts of data. An external hard drive is generally just like the memory in your computer, but it can be detached and put in another space. Unlike flash drives, you can get hard drives with very large amounts of space. Some people think external hard drives are expensive, but if you compare the amount of data they store, they are well worth the investment.

Online data back-up services. The problem with drives that attach to your computer and then detach for storage is that they can often be damaged when your computer is. A virus on your computer can easily transfer to another drive without your knowledge. And if your computer is destroyed in a flood or fire, there’s a good chance your external drive will be too.

The good news is, there are all kinds of online services that will back up your hard drive files for you. They generally cost a monthly or yearly rate for a certain amount of space, so the cost will vary with what kind of business and size of files you have.

Remember that backing up your data once only does so much good. Make sure you back up your files regularly, then keep them in a secure place other wise you will still be in danger of having a major loss.

Melody Thacker jumps out of bed every morning, excited about the bright shiny new day, and the endless possibilities it holds. Her passion is helping others with her direct sales business.

Make Sure You Have Secure File Storage

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Small reports and other digital information products can be very profitable or they can be used to promote your products or personal expertise. You simply create the report, tip sheet etc. once and each customer or potential customer simply downloads a copy of it. The best thing is you don’t have to pay printers’ fees, postage, shipping, or any other production fees.

Once you have created a small report, you can sell or give it away over and over again. Keep in mind that you will have to promote your report. Unlike an e-book, a small report only needs to be around 5 to 15 pages. You can easily write that many pages within a week or less. You do not need any prior writing experience but you should have good grammar and language skills. If you do not have the skills or don’t like writing, you can always hire a ghostwriter to create your report for you.

Special reports can be written on any subject imaginable, then given away online to promote products. Write your report about anything that is closely related to your main product. You could present a problem that can be solved by your product, or it could detail new ways of using it or how to get the most out of it.

It is important to provide value, this is information that your potential customers can use and will enjoy reading. If you write a report that is just an advertisement for your product in disguise, your readers will see through it.

How do you know if your report will provide your customer with real value? Regina Baker asks the tough question, “Are You Selling Lemons?” to help you answer that question. She makes some great points which can help you determine if your report has value and if you should sell it or give it away.

Give your potential customers something that they can use, they will be much more inclined to listen to your message which greatly increases the possibility that they will buy your product.

Melody Thacker jumps out of bed every morning, excited about the bright shiny new day, and the endless possibilities it holds. Her passion is helping others with her direct sales business.

How To Provide Your Customers With Real Value

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1. The number one biggest mistake is not having a marketing plan. What is a marketing plan? It is the way that you will go about promoting or advertising your product or service. Just like you wouldn’t begin to get serious about your business without a definite plan, it is best not to approach the marketing of your products without a plan. Remember, when a product is promoted well, your sales increase.

2. Putting all of your eggs in one basket. This old saying seems to work in a lot of situations and marketing is one of them. You may find a strategy like email marketing is successful for you. But, don’t base your entire marketing plan on that one single strategy. In order to grow, diversification is the answer. When you don’t explore all your marketing options, your business will become stunted over time.

3. Ignoring the value of networking. For business, networking is invaluable. It’s the way that entrepreneurs get together to share ideas and pick each other’s brains. During these “meetings of the minds”, partnerships are struck. You can find someone who will complement your business with a new idea. Joint ventures mean more profits for everyone.

4. Working as a force of one. All businesses need support in some form. There are just not enough hours in the day to do it all and still make money. Outsourcing can be your best friend. You can outsource for practically anything that you need done. Hire someone to design your web page, answer your emails, and organize your invoices. When these tasks are taken care of, more time can be devoted to marketing the products in new and creative ways.

5. Cutting back on your marketing budget. When business is slow, you can panic unnecessarily. You want to save as much money as you can until things pick up again. Since business is down, you might decide that you don’t need to advertise as no one is buying. That is the worst mistake you can ever make. This is the time to use your extra time to beef up that marketing plan to appeal to a wider net of customers.

Have you already made some or all of these five big marketing mistakes? Well don’t worry, the good news is… it’s something that’s easily fixed. Start again, but this time with the knowledge of what not to do.

Melody Thacker jumps out of bed every morning, excited about the bright shiny new day, and the endless possibilities it holds. Her passion is helping others with her direct sales business.

Five Big Marketing Mistakes

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The Honest To Goodness Pros of Direct Sales

Direct sales is often misunderstood and has sometimes gotten a bad rap because of this. Certainly, all of the companies are not schemes and many do sell legitimate products of high quality. So it’s important to learn the facts before you make an educated decision. Don’t just listen to people who have failed, talk to people who are enjoying success in the industry. There is something for everyone, from affordable products people use daily to luxury ones on the higher end for affluent consumers.

1. Direct sales gives anyone a chance to be a business owner. Entrepreneurship allows you to realize your dream of working for yourself. How much you make is directly proportional to how hard you work at selling your product to others.

2. Direct sales business owners have the flexibility to set their own hours. It is a perfect proposition for you, if you are retired, a stay-at-home mom with small children, or for someone who wants to secure your future. You can work part-time or full-time as your schedule allows. As a Mom you can spend time with your kids and many people gain a real sense of purpose.

3. Direct sales businesses have low overheads. When you sign up with a direct sales company, they provide all of the tools you will need to get started for a small investment. Most can be started for $500 or less. You probably spend at least that much on shopping for your family. Now, you can start your own business with unlimited return.

4. Direct sales programs offer support for their sales consultants. It can be tough starting your own business, especially if you have no sales or marketing experience. The support of the company and your upline or sponsor can mean the difference between success and failure.

5. There is plenty of variety with direct sales. You can choose a product line you feel comfortable with and believe in. From food to home decor, jewelry to health products there is a business to fit your interests.

The Honest To Goodness Cons of Direct Sales

All that glitters, is not gold as they say. That’s why it is so important to check out your direct sales company and your sponsor before you sign on the dotted line.

1. All direct sales programs are not on the up and up. They can talk a good game but in the end, take your money. If the up-front cost is heavy and there is no support to speak of, keep on moving. On the other hand, if joining is free it’s most likely that you’ll receive no materials to market your business or for basic training.

2. Some direct sales programs have hidden costs you might not have counted on. They supply a starter kit for you to host parties but don’t tell you about the brochures, other products, and any marketing items that you pay for out of your own pocket and are not reimbursed for.

3. Each direct sales program has its own guidelines for earning commission and compensation plan. In an effort to earn money it is easy to lose sight of the goal and concentrate solely on money. You may be able to convince people to buy something once and gain initial earnings but for long term gain, you need repeat customers and business partners.

4. Direct sales companies often offer websites for their consultants. Unfortunately, all of these sites are exactly the same and tied to the main company site. Search engines won’t be able to find you individually and neither will the traffic you need to make sales.

Are you considering a direct sales career or home based business? Be aware of both sides of the coin with this business before you begin. Take the time to do your research to ensure it’s right for you, your goals and lifestyle.

Melody Thacker jumps out of bed every morning, excited about the bright shiny new day, and the endless possibilities it holds. Her passion is helping others with her direct sales business.

The Honest To Goodness Pros and Cons of Direct Sales

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First of all, designate one specific room or area of your home for your inventory. Many home based store owners or direct sales representatives store their inventory in their garage or basement. Closets and home offices are also another good place to keep your stock. Make sure that your products are kept in a safe place, protected from moisture, excessive temperatures and pests too.

Once you have your location set, you’ll probably need some sort of shelves, cupboards or storage units. You can keep your inventory in boxes, however a good inventory management system with shelves, or drawers means you can keep your products, displayed in an organized, easy to see and locate fashion. Having units with doors that close will prevent your products from getting dusty or dirty while in storage.

When storing inventory in your home, make it as easy on yourself as possible by labeling everything! If masking tape and a sharpie marker works for you, that’s great. Others may prefer a label maker. Whatever your method of identification, place your inventory so the label is easy to read. This will prevent you from having to lift and sort through all the boxes to find a product when you need it.

Order seasonal inventory a few weeks or months before you need it. This will save space in your home. When seasons are winding down, your inventory dwindles. Once the season is over, move the extra stock to the bottom or back of the pile and keep the most used items right up front where they’re easily accessible.

Another important part of your inventory management system is to use a spreadsheet to track your inventory, your company’s master order form might work well for this if they have one. This will make ordering MUCH easier. Instead of having to dig through boxes and count what is in stock, all you have to do is look at your spreadsheet. Each time you sell something, make a notation and update your spreadsheet on a weekly or monthly basis depending on the size of your business.

Tracking inventory closely will help you as a direct sales representatives stay on top of your inventory, thus reducing the amount of inventory that needs to be kept on hand, saving you space and the inevitable stumble over all those boxes in the way. I think you’ll find this inventory management system gives you some easy ways to keep up with your inventory but with out it taking over your entire home!

Melody Thacker jumps out of bed every morning, excited about the bright shiny new day, and the endless possibilities it holds. Her passion is helping others with her direct sales business.

An Inventory Management System for Direct Sellers

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I tried all the usual tricks; turned my computer off, unplugged my modem, my wireless router and even the phone line but nothing helped. I resorted to plugging into my computer’s internal modem with a very long phone cord and using dial up, it worked just as good or better than my ADSL had been! So I’m on the phone with my Internet service provider… they have a fancy voice recognition navigation system when you call customer support. I think it’s cool but I imagine not everyone would feel the same way. Any ways after three phone calls they decide to send out a technician (fancy name for repair person) who quickly discovered that their 5 year old modem was the problem. The technician replaced it with a lovely brand new one and everything works just like it should.

Can you see me doing the Happy Dance? Wow, I have blazing speeds again! Now I’m asking myself, “why didn’t I call them sooner to complain?” I love high speed ADSL when it works! I can watch videos, have 20 or more pages open in my tabs, respond to my instant messages, twitter with my Internet marketing friends and reply to my emails. More importantly, I can update my web sites and add more content. I might even visit Facebook this weekend…

Melody Thacker jumps out of bed every morning, excited about the bright shiny new day, and the endless possibilities it holds. Her passion is helping others with her direct sales business.

A Major Frustration For The Internet Marketer

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