Saturday, October 30, 2010

Ooops! Don't........

State a percentage salary increase... just because it sounds right. Salary increases or salary expectations should be based on incremental contributions to the company, a higher position, more responsibility and bigger work challenges. Pulling a number out of the air and saying "i just thing i deserve a 20% increase" isn't quite as convincing as backing up your request with facts and good reasoning.

Use personal reasons as a justification.... for higher salary expectations. You're paid a salary for work that you do for a company. Unless the job requires you to sacrifice something in your personal life, such as working on weekends or a reduction in your dependent's health benefits versus your last job, your personal life should not come into salary discussion.

Threaten to leave the company.... or play two offers from two different companies againts each other. Ideally, salary and benefits should be one among many reasons you commit to working for an organization. Enjoyment of your job, opportunity for growth or learning can be other reasons. Appearing to sell your services to the highest bidder signals you may not be committed or reliable, staying only long enough until the next best offer comes around...

Smart Money Moves

It's never too early to teach your teen how get more value for her money, especially when it comes to buying her personal things. For teens, it's easy to just whip out cash from their wallets and buy what they need without giving it a thought. But money smart moms ought to pass on their best shopping "tipid" tips to their children. Your teenager is sure to find these useful when picking out personal things on her own.

Shop Around;
Teach your teen no to just grab the first product she sees. Compare prices by checking out different stores, if she has time. Otherwise, she should look up, down and sideways at the grocery or drugstore shelves. With so many products available, she will definitely find one that suits her budget. However remind her that even if she's on a budget, it is important to make sure that she buys products that deliver their promised results. Remember being on a budget doesn't mean sacrificing quality.

Family Business

When conducting a full time direct selling business, your time is your own and you can spend more time with the kids. But in whatever venture, to rake it in, you need to clock in the hours as well.

Set goals and involve your family in your business. "we had a goal jar that we used everytime i had to leave for work". I came home, they had done their homework or certain things, we'd put money in the goal jar for each of the kids. When we reached a certain point, i added some money to it. And the first thing that we bought was a swing set. I know that doesn't sound important, but at five and six years old, the kids where learning how to set goals. So then of course, they get to benefit. They learn about hard work, rewards, and the celebration. So today their work ethic, integrity, and values are not an issue, they're just part of who they are...

Sunday, October 10, 2010

Profitable Businesses Online

Building and maintaining profitable businesses online requires time and effort just like their offline counterparts. The biggest difference however is that you can usually break into profit quicker with an online business venture. This is not to say that success is guaranteed but your chances for business success are enhanced by lower costs and having access to a global audience. Marketing on the internet however is still very competitive therefore certain measures need to be taken in order to further increase your chances of success.

Here are 3 things every online business venture needs to be sure they do to help make them more competitive within their own selected niche.

Display Creativity or Uniqueness

Don't bother 'competing' with others since it has already 'been done' but instead stand out by being different in some way. Take an existing and proven product or system and refine or improve upon it, make it your own with a different twist or added feature. Duplication is great but building off the successes of others by making changes or adding benefits that are not currently offered.

Eliminate Task Duplication

Review your business functions and see how or where you can combine the completion of various functions with a single effort. This will help eliminate any needless duplication of effort and save you time and energy. Always look for areas in your business venture where you may be wasting time and/or money. In doing so you will become even more competitive in your market thereby further increasing your chances for business success!

Continually Move Forward

When you get 'hung up' on a certain task, if possible, move on to something else that needs to be done. Come back later when your thinking may be clearer or you have the time to devote to the unfinished task.

Marketing on the internet is a fast paced environment and you do not want to get yourself needlessly bogged down in any one area. Always strive to use your time as efficiently as possible and keep both your business and yourself moving in a forward direction!

Building profitable businesses online can be done quicker due to the lower costs involved and having access to a huge global audience. Even with these 2 distinct advantages marketing on the internet still remains highly competitive and does NOT offer any guarantees. There are however 3 things that every individual should focus on doing to increase their chances for business success. As mentioned above working efficiently and maintaining a uniqueness combined with plenty of resolve will help to give you the competitive edge you need to succeed.

Working From Home

Success In Working From Home with respect to many, a few hundred bucks extra a week makes the difference between having to go back to work, or being able to have one partner stay at home to look after the children full time. Success In Working From Home This new life change is at the forefront of many of their minds, and the conversation often turns to this topic. It's at about this point you'll hear me say, "Why don't you think about setting up a little online business?" with a sheepish grin. Most people either fall into one of two camps. The first camp are the ones who don't believe they could make money online because they have no skills. The second camp have bought into the idea that the Internet can turn almost anyone into an overnight millionaire. I know we'd all like to believe the sales letters that tell us we can be millionaires online with very little work. Unfortunately, it's just not that easy. I reckon I've met more than 100 people whose online business generates over 500K a year. I had dinner with a guy who was doing 50 million. All of those businesses took an enormous amount of time, money and skills to get to that level. All of those business owners worked their butts off, many of them risking their health, marriages, and sanity as well. That's where the problem lies. Most people only have: * Maybe 5-10 hours a week of spare time. * Very little start-up capital. * Basic computer skills. Hardly the makings of the next big thing. Suddenly the opportunities don't look so good. Thankfully, there's some good news. While you may not be able to become an overnight millionaire, it's not that hard to make an extra few hundred bucks a week online. For most people a few hundred bucks a week may be enough to pay for a nice holiday, allow a parent to stay at home to look after the kids, or perhaps start your kids' college fund. Certainly enough to get a bit excited about! I usually outline a fairly simple process to make this happen that takes into account their lack of time, skills and money. As I unpack the details, I see the cogs turning in their mind and their eyes start to light up as I explain the perpetual and automated nature of the whole business. Who doesn't get excited by the idea of getting paid while you are sleep? This is the point where I come unstuck and is the source of my reluctance in saying anything. They want to know EXACTLY how we've managed to do it, and how they can do the same. I end up explaining things to them, but it all floats off into the air. What they need is a concrete nitty gritty blueprint that is going to cater for their lack of skills, time and resources. This guide makes the following assumptions: * Most people will have 5-10 hours a week to work on the business. * They have very few, if any, technical skills. * $100 to invest. * A willingness to work hard, stick to a plan and resist distractions. The 8 parts to a successful online business are: The Introduction (you're reading it now) The Mindset The Idea The Plan The Action The Traffic The Money The Growth