Work At Home Business Options

Archive for October, 2011

 Twitter is one of the hottest social media networking online sites today and that means you and your business need to be utilizing Twitter on almost a daily basis.

If you are not familiar with Twitter, it is basically an instant message system that works in “real” time. What is really cool about Twitter is that each message you send or receive is only 140 characters in length and you can pick and choose who you want to communicate with. It is a great way for you to reach out and network with others in your same niche or it’s a great way for you to market your business online to those who you normally wouldn’t come into contact with. Although you will fine thousands of just “personal users” on Twitter you will also found thousands of “businesses” there too!

When you join Twitter you want to fill out your profile page fully and make it look professional and pretty. Once your profile page is done you want to send out a few messages (known as Tweets) right away because no one wants to follow someone who has a blank Tweet stream. Once you have sent out several messages you will want to find some like-minded people to follow so that they will follow you back if they are interested in you and your business products/services.

One way you find people to follow is by using Twitter’s keyword search function. Here is an example:

If you sell candles you will want to do a keyword search for the word candles. Once your search results come up you will want to read those user’s profile pages to see if you are interested in following them. If yes…click on the follow button…if not, continue through the list.

When using the keyword search function on Twitter it is very important that you use it properly. You never want to keyword search a word and then send out Tweets to those people which sound like spam. In other words…if you see someone chatting about candles you don’t want to tweet out that you sell candles and that they should check out your web sites as most folks consider that to be TWEET SPAM. What you want to do is follow them & hopefully they will follow you back and you can engage them in some conversation. You can also send them a tweet (not a direct message) and just introduce yourself and try to connect and build a rapport with them. Once you do…then you can mention that you sell candles.

There is a wrong and a right way to use the Twitter keyword search function and it is important to use it the right way and not use it for spamming your business info & links because if you spam…I guarantee you that people/users will report you for spam.

To Your Twitter Marketing Success….

Shelly

Work Life Balance: Help for Busy Moms by Aurelia M. Williams

As a mom you probably go through times in your life when you think you can’t possibly manage work and taking proper care of your family. In fact, there are probably times when you feel you’re not doing a good job at one or the other or maybe even both. Don’t despair! There is help for you whether you work from home or outside of the home, your family is large or small or you have other commitments like volunteer work.

Time Management – Knowing where and how you spend your time is key to balancing your life. Start by keeping a calendar of all your activities. You can do this online, on a paper calendar or in a journal. Track everything from showering, exercise, meal preparation, driving time, and so on. You will probably see areas where you can cut some time out by doing certain activities while you’re waiting in line at the grocery store or riding in the car. There are lots of useful ways to spend idle time and you can figure those out as you fill out your calendar or journal.

Set Priorities – As women we often have a hard time saying “no” because it is in our nature to help others and want to be useful. However, you must know when to say “no” to those activities that don’t help you reach your family, personal or business goals. And even if the activity does in some way help you reach your goals, you will need to prioritize the activity according to its value or importance.

Don’t be Afraid to ask for Help – Another trap women tend to fall into is the “I can do it all” syndrome. For some reason society has taught women that they have to be “Super Mom” otherwise you’ll be seen as lazy or a bad mother. That is a lie! When you are feeling overwhelmed by work, family and kids, have a friend, relative or neighbor give you a hand by helping you clean your house, or taking the kids away for a couple of hours while you get some work done. Whatever the situation may be, don’t hesitate to ask for help.

These are just a few of the suggestions you’ll find in my report, Real Life Guidance to Balancing Work and Family. The “Real Life Guidance to Balancing Work and Family” report shows you how you can find a balance between work and family, without letting any of those balls you are juggling fall on the floor. This report gives you real life solutions, and the best part is that you can get started right now.

Not only are there tips for everyday life, but inside The “Real Life Guidance to Balancing Work and Family” contains valuable insight for work at home moms and moms who work outside of the home.

In addition, I also show you how to get started and then keep the momentum! So don’t wait another second. Stop doing the juggling act and get your life in balance now with the Real Life Guidance to Balancing Work and Family report.

Looking for tips to get your life in balance now. Get ‘em right now… 24/7! Real Life Guidancetoolkits are available for easy and instant download to your computer.

Article Source: WAHM Articles

Many consultants jump into Direct Sales and don’t know anything about it and they don’t take the time out to educate themselves on it and this is a big mistake!  Just like any “job” or any “business” you need to know what you are doing and if you don’t know…well, you need to take the time out and educate yourself on it!

One good source of business education when it comes to Direct Sales is education that is provided to you from your corporate offices. This can be training seminars, company sponsored conferences, online webinars, phone teleseminars, etc. Whatever your company offers in business training it is YOUR job to take it! Many consultants “blow it off” and make “excuses” as to why they don’t participate in company sponsored training. Like I said, that is a big mistake!

Many Direct Sales companies already know what works and doesn’t work in regards to having a DS business and they tailor their training programs around what they know to be a successful system. They want to teach this system to you so that you can have a successful business. So…whatever training that is offered to you by the home office, make sure you take it!

Another good source of business education comes from your immediate and distant upline managers and team leaders. As someone who worked in Direct Sales for over 23 years…I can personally tell you that over the years only about 40-45% of my downline team ever attended my meetings and/or rallies. Many said they were too busy, had kids, too tired, blah blah blah and let me tell you…those who did attend my meetings and those who did attend company sponsored training sessions were more successful than those who did not. Now grant ya…this doesn’t apply to everyone but it does apply to those who have NEVER done Direct Sales before and just jump in with no intentions on getting officially trained!

Now…do you need to attend all of the training opportunities that are offered to you? No…we all have real lives and we all are busy people but you should participate in as many of them that you can so that you are constantly learning new business skills and staying on top of what works in Direct Sales and what doesn’t.

Do You Need More Bookings? If so, check out this site!

The idea of escaping the rat race is liberating.  No more meaningless meetings where you pretend to care about things that you actually don?t care about at all.  No more hectic commutes and rushed mornings.  No more boss!  No more cubicle.  It all sounds so great, doesn?t it???  Of course it does!  The idea of working from home and being your own boss is delightful.  The reality, however, is a bit different.

The Problem is You Are Not Normal
The majority of American workforce go to their jobs each day, they clock in and clock out, and their plan is to work until the age of 60ish, and then retire.  If you are reading this article, that is not you!  In fact, if you are reading an article like this, then you, by nature, are most likely entrepreneurial, driven, and a risk taker.  Let?s face it?you would not be considering working from home unless you believed that you could succeed.  This is dangerous.  Let me explain.

At first the grandiose vision of controlling your own fate by starting up your own business and working from home is great.  But once you actually take the leap and begin working from home, you will quickly realize that you are, in fact, in control of your own fate!!  For better or worse!  Here is the deal?if you work from home, you are the only worker.  That means when you work things get done, and when you do not, things do not get done.  Now, it is very possible to build an automated business that produces income for you when you are not working, but that will not happen overnight.  That will take time.  Therefore, especially in the early days, the amount of time you work will often correlate highly with how much revenue your business can produce.  This leads to the primary conflict I want to introduce in this article?the work/life balance.

As I said, when you first venture out into the great land of entrepreneurship and self-employment, the grandeur of future success is energizing.  However, the reality is that working from home will require dedication, hard-work and self-discipline.  You will quickly realize that the more you work, the more work you get done, and if you are considering this path, then you are most likely driven and ambitious, and this is a deadly combination.  If there is always work to be done, and you are extremely driven and ambitious, then there is the very real possibility that you will never stop working.

Set Clear Boundaries
Therefore, the purpose of this article is to make you aware of this very real scenario and encourage you to plan ahead.  Now, you can sit down and plan a rigid schedule for when and how often you will work each day and each week.  And strive to not break this schedule.  One of the biggest killers of many new entrepreneurs is sheer exhaustion.  Never underestimate the importance of rest and relaxation.  If you work from home, it is easy to never stop working.  But the reality is that you are not impervious.  It will catch up with you. 

Therefore, plan scheduled breaks throughout the day, and try to work very limited hours or not at all on nights and weekends.  By recognizing this ahead of time, and planning accordingly, you will be equipped and ready to manage this challenge when the time comes.

Jason Hoerr is an entrepreneur, writer for SmallBusinessLoansDirect.com, and trader based in Charlotte, NC.

10 Ways to Intensify Your Article Marketing by Terri Seymour

Article marketing is a method of online and offline marketing in which you write informative articles and make them available for reprint and distribution to various webmasters and print publications. If your article is well-written and contains helpful information it has the potential to give you an enormous amount of exposure for your business. These articles can also help build your reputation as an authority in your field which can help bring you more customers.

Many people have doubts when it comes to writing and distributing articles but with a little time and effort it can be done. Below are ten tips for establishing your article marketing campaign.

1. Keep It Simple – Craft articles that are simple and straightforward. Be sure it contains relevant and helpful information for your readers. There is no need for big, fancy words. Write as if you were simply telling a friend all about the article subject. Let your personality shine through in your words and watch your article come alive!

2. Research Thoroughly – One mistake some people make is to publish information that is outdated or inaccurate. Be sure to research all your facts and be sure everything is up to date and accurate.

3. Keywords – Using relevant keywords in your writing is important for search engine placement so people can find your articles more often. But do not make the mistake of overloading your articles with keywords and phrases to the point that your article will not be well-written or make any sense. Be sure to read your finished article and watch for keyword overload.

4. Attention Grabbing Titles – Your article title could be the deciding factor to whether or not your article gets read. I know when I am sifting through articles the title is what helps me decide which article to read. Use power words in your title to grab and hold a person’s interest.

For example:

Which article would interest you more?

“10 Ways to Increase Your Income”

“10 Guaranteed Ways to Make Money Now”

Both sound interesting but I would probably go after the second title. It has that something extra that gets my attention. Using power words like “Guaranteed” and “Now” will spark emotion in the reader and draw them in.

5. Always Proofread – Even though you are writing an article containing basic information, you want it to look and sound professional. Be sure to use proper grammar and make sure all words are spelled correctly. Unfortunately I have seen some articles that looked as if a 5 year old had written it. Please be sure to check it over at least once. I like to proofread twice as I have missed a thing or two over the years.

6. Effective Resource Box – Always write your resource box in third person format. You want your name to get etched into the reader’s memory. Tell a little about yourself and then list a compelling reason for people to visit your site/business.

Example:

Jane Doe has 15 years experience as a business coach and has worked extensively with major corporations. Visit Jane’s site for free information on how to improve your business and her award-winning book on how to triple your company’s sales. Add your link here.

7. Quality Not Quantity – Some people will say to submit your article to as many places as possible, but I disagree. I would submit each article to a dozen or more of the higher ranked, quality ezine directories. You can see a list of the top ten at my site. It would be impossible, time-wise to submit to all the article directories so making a list of the top 10 or 20 or so would be the best thing to do. I personally submit my articles to a list of 30 with the top one being EzineArticles.

8. Social Bookmarking – Social bookmarking is a way for people to share your articles with friends and/or business associates. This can greatly increase the power of your article. One of the best sites for social bookmarking beginners is Blinklist.

Some others are:

Delicious

Digg

StumbleUpon

9. Follow Guidelines – All article directories will have guidelines for you to follow. Be sure and abide by each site’s guidelines or your article will be rejected. Most directories will require a 500 word minimum with links only being allowed in your resource box. Do not put your site info or link in the article body. Most sites will not allow links of any kind in the article body.

10. Article Spinning: Good or Bad? – Article spinning is taking an article, and using software to change parts of it in an attempt to make it another unique article. In doing so, one article can become 5 or 10 (so-called) unique articles. To me, this is the lazy way of writing articles and in my opinion does not do much for your reputation. Some people say it works for them but it is something I would neither do nor recommend. Writing a true unique quality article can be done in an hour or two and will be much more beneficial than wringing out one article to try to get several.

I have been writing articles for about 12 years or so and still try to learn more on how to improve my article marketing. The above ten tips will go a long way in improving your article marketing success. Much luck to you in your campaign efforts.
About the Author:
Terri Seymour has over twelve years of online experience and has helped many people start their own business. Visit her site for free articles, resources, information, resell ebooks and more. Sign up for the RSS Feed for a free business ebook with MRR. http://www.SeymourProducts.com

Article Source: WAHM Articles

Many consultants who are with Direct Sales companies are turning to online party bookings as a way to help bring in additional bookings and income with their home businesses. A lot of these Direct Sales companies even have online party options that are connected to the consultants “company provided rep site” that a consultant can utilize with their business.

However…many consultants are telling me that they don’t know how to promote an online party…online! Today I am going to give you a few tips. The first thing I do want to say is that if you have a party host…it is HER JOB to promote her own online party and not yours! With that said, if you are trying to get people to book online parties from you and you want to target people online for those bookings here is a few things you can do.

1. Take out an advertisement over on Facebook.com. These ads vary in price but can be effective when you use the right wording and marketing strategy when purchasing them. Facebook has millions of users so you only want your ADs to target those who are in your area or at the very least…in the same country as you. So, don’t waste your advertising dollars by targeting everyone, everywhere, around the world.

2. Utilize Twitter.com as part of your marketing strategy. You will need to spend time on Twitter conversing with your followers, finding new followers, etc. You can NOT just open up a Twitter account and spam your business ads at people 24/7. No one does business with someone who sits there and spams or does self-promoting all day long. You need to network & converse with followers & others on Twitter for it to be effective.

3. Join a few of the work at home mom and/or stay at home mom online forum boards. Again, you can’t just join and spam ads in their business folders. You will need to introduce yourself, converse with members in that community and make yourself a valuable member of that community before folks will do business with you. When posting ads about your online party options you need to make sure you ONLY post them in the designated advertisement folders on those forums.

4. Write some Direct Sales articles on online parties, offline parties or even just general DS business topics. (these can’t be ads, they must be articles & be informative). You can then submit these to various online Direct Sales web sites, DS Blogs and to article directory sites. Make sure your Author’s Resource Box includes a little bit about your biz, online party option, your link, etc. These articles can then be used all over the internet to drive some traffic to your site.

5. Take out some classified ads online that are specifically for your area (online local newspapers, magazines, directory sites, etc.) where you can advertise your online party booking option to those who are local to you & in your area. Often times these little classified online ads are free or extremely low-cost.

6. This next tip is done offline…you want to tell everyone you meet, come into contact with at your home parties, etc. That you have an online party option for those who are too busy for a home show booking. Don’t just assume that people you come into contact with…know this information, many do not! Your offline contacts can be a fabulous source to book online parties from you!

I hope these 6 tips will help you broaden your horizons and help you promote your online Direct Sales business party options.

Do You Need More Bookings? If so, check out that site!