Well in the old days and not so old days, business people would connect to build mutually rewarding relationships through social groups and networking groups. Did this work? Yes of course. You can bet it did and still does. Hundreds of lucrative partnerships are formed over a round of golf or at the local ‘club.’ The power of referral marketing has long been acknowledged and having experienced it I can certainly vouch for the fact that leads received through referrals can often be the hottest business leads of all.
The challenges for many with the networking groups that require your physical presence are numerous. They can be inconvenient in location, costly and time-consuming. Many popular networking clubs give great value to members but what are the drawbacks? Well for instance; if you have a couple of children who need to be taken to school it is a real challenge to be 30 minutes away having a ‘business breakfast’ at the same time! I guess that’s traditionally why men have been seen more often at these kinds of clubs. Thankfully all of that is changing but the gap that e networking fills for the time crunched business owning parent is considerable. Here are a couple of valuable ways you can build your own social network online with very low cost or free strategies:
Discussion Forums
This is a whole new world! This is still a startlingly powerful and new phenomenon – people are connecting all over the world on these forums every second. There are Forums on every subject imaginable. It is possible to spend hours just on these alone, leaving a ‘residual’ value and carving out an organic path back to your website. This is done by contributing to the forum (avoid pitching your business directly or you will be asked to leave!) At the end of your blogs or blurbs for the day you are permitted to have a formal ‘signature’ which is in essence your virtual business card and will give people who are getting to know and like you on the forum an opportunity to see what you have to offer. This is a long-term method and the value is not only in exchanging useful information but in the long shelf life of these conversation threads which are posted, and will be referred to by many people on lively forums, while you have long since forgotten about your posting!
Instant Messaging
The most popular are MSN and Skype. I have found Skype to be the most user friendly to make new connections all over the world. This makes email seem like snail mail! If you want to build an international business and have contacts or business partners all over the world this is an absolutely amazing FREE way to build relationships! You can narrow your searches to individual countries and age groups. Again make sure that you have a website that presents what you are offering very clearly so that when people click on your profile to learn more about what you do they can immediately complete a form to request more information, and are not given too many options which tends to confuse.
Online Business and Social Networks
These network platforms really do seem to be the new ‘going out.’ Until you become involved in some of these networks it is difficult to appreciate the value that you can give and receive though online contribution and relationship building.
The aim of these networks is generally to help people find jobs, staff, business partners, experts, friends, mentors and many other connections. In some of the more business productive ones such as Ecademy and Ryze you can even join the virtual ‘clubs!’ This means that even if you live far from a big city you can still absorb culture, and in many cases connect with influential people all over the world.
Profiles
These profiles can be linked to the online business and social networks, forums in some cases, and another rising star on the web scene is ‘my space’ which has unlimited business potential to reach millions. One question you can ask yourself if you want to raise your internet presence is how many spaces is your face in? Link up your face, by which I mean a good photo, with some valuable and concise information about your business services and then use all of the above methods to attract people to your website and you will start to build a powerful e network of your own.
So in closing just make sure to abide by the rules of conduct for each forum or communication method. This is commonly known as ‘netiquette.’ A good principle to operate by is to focus on building relationships and the business will follow where appropriate. Be time efficient and allocate a certain amount of time per day or week to contribute to your e networking so that you don’t fall into the trap of random surfing and chatting all day long. It is very tempting but will not get you far! Think of this as a long-term strategy to establish your business presence on the web, so make sure you are establishing the one you want! Finally ensure your website links on all your contributions are accessible so that you can be rewarded for your contribution. As people spend more and more time on pcs, and the home-based business industry grows, it might just be that e networking is becoming the new going out!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Rachel Henke coaches people to work from home with a proven system. Find out how you can escape the rat race at her website: Request Free E Book
Monday 6 August 2007
10 Easy Tips On How To Work From Home
1. Plan your day the night before.
Have a list of to do things ready the night before of high and low priority. Aim to have things done before they become urgent so you are not always putting out fires. It is always easier to remember the things you need to do next when you are in the flow of activity, and so easier to get back into the zone the next day.
2. Take half a day to plan your week.
This was the hardest one for me to get into the habit of doing. I mistakenly thought that I could not afford to take that time out of my busy schedule. What I found after putting this into practice is that ‘busy’ time is not always productive time. Better to know exactly what you need to achieve and have a week that is already booked up with appointments or activities to move you towards your goal than to be planning minute to minute and just reacting to day to day emergencies.
3. Sharpen the saw.
This is a popular one in the personal development books. Another biggie for me in that I have always favoured the manic approach to work. I would do as much as I could possibly cram in, and stop only when exhausted. People with those kinds of additive personalities especially need to pay attention this one. Take a day off at least once a week. The winning formula is to really take that time. Don’t keep jumping onto email and mobiles as you will not be refreshed. I found the world and the workplace keeps turning even if I go to the cinema for a couple of hours! Put yourself first or you will be of little use to anyone else.
4. Take regular breaks.
This is a discipline for most people. Some thrive on exercise but it seems that most don’t! We lead sedentary lives and the more successful we are with online activities the less likely we are to move around. Schedule in some breaks and do what you love to do. DVD exercise sessions are good to do at home. Sit in the garden and relax for 20 minutes while you eat lunch instead of hunching over the laptop and dropping crumbs in-between the keys! I’m a great one for power napping. Take 20 minutes of guilt free power nap – that is a huge benefit of working from home. You will find that this can add hours of extra productive time to your day. Einstein did it so don’t feel guilty on this one.
5. Limit internet time.
I am a terrible culprit here. I confess to being a skype addict and hop on and off my e mail as many times as my daughter’s will let me near the laptop. This is an obvious one and we know when we’re doing it so the best thing is to just stop! Develop a routine i.e.; first thing in morning check e mails and jump onto skype or whatever your communication tool is. Send the messages you need to send and then get off. Log off so you can then focus on daily tasks without distraction.
6. Resist being on call 24 hours (aka. The superhero syndrome)
Your team/co workers can survive without you – I promise! They may even surprise you and come up with something better than they would have done with you checking on them every couple of hours.
7. Have office space.
Working from home is a serious business. Make the space, even if it’s a desk in the corner of the bedroom.
8. Set the family rules and guidelines.
Your family need to understand that you are serious about this and the benefits are huge but they need to be taught to respect your working space and time.
9. Focus on specific tasks
Just because you’re at home doesn’t mean it’s time to vacuum or dust mid-morning. Have a schedule and stick to it. If that’s what you want to do in your break then fair enough!
10. Employ yourself test
Keep a note of all your completed work tasks for the day. Look in the mirror at the end of it and ask yourself, honestly, whether you performed to the best of your ability that day. The truth will be looking right back at you!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Rachel Henke coaches people to work from home with a proven system. Find out how you can escape the rat race at her website: Request Free E Book
Have a list of to do things ready the night before of high and low priority. Aim to have things done before they become urgent so you are not always putting out fires. It is always easier to remember the things you need to do next when you are in the flow of activity, and so easier to get back into the zone the next day.
2. Take half a day to plan your week.
This was the hardest one for me to get into the habit of doing. I mistakenly thought that I could not afford to take that time out of my busy schedule. What I found after putting this into practice is that ‘busy’ time is not always productive time. Better to know exactly what you need to achieve and have a week that is already booked up with appointments or activities to move you towards your goal than to be planning minute to minute and just reacting to day to day emergencies.
3. Sharpen the saw.
This is a popular one in the personal development books. Another biggie for me in that I have always favoured the manic approach to work. I would do as much as I could possibly cram in, and stop only when exhausted. People with those kinds of additive personalities especially need to pay attention this one. Take a day off at least once a week. The winning formula is to really take that time. Don’t keep jumping onto email and mobiles as you will not be refreshed. I found the world and the workplace keeps turning even if I go to the cinema for a couple of hours! Put yourself first or you will be of little use to anyone else.
4. Take regular breaks.
This is a discipline for most people. Some thrive on exercise but it seems that most don’t! We lead sedentary lives and the more successful we are with online activities the less likely we are to move around. Schedule in some breaks and do what you love to do. DVD exercise sessions are good to do at home. Sit in the garden and relax for 20 minutes while you eat lunch instead of hunching over the laptop and dropping crumbs in-between the keys! I’m a great one for power napping. Take 20 minutes of guilt free power nap – that is a huge benefit of working from home. You will find that this can add hours of extra productive time to your day. Einstein did it so don’t feel guilty on this one.
5. Limit internet time.
I am a terrible culprit here. I confess to being a skype addict and hop on and off my e mail as many times as my daughter’s will let me near the laptop. This is an obvious one and we know when we’re doing it so the best thing is to just stop! Develop a routine i.e.; first thing in morning check e mails and jump onto skype or whatever your communication tool is. Send the messages you need to send and then get off. Log off so you can then focus on daily tasks without distraction.
6. Resist being on call 24 hours (aka. The superhero syndrome)
Your team/co workers can survive without you – I promise! They may even surprise you and come up with something better than they would have done with you checking on them every couple of hours.
7. Have office space.
Working from home is a serious business. Make the space, even if it’s a desk in the corner of the bedroom.
8. Set the family rules and guidelines.
Your family need to understand that you are serious about this and the benefits are huge but they need to be taught to respect your working space and time.
9. Focus on specific tasks
Just because you’re at home doesn’t mean it’s time to vacuum or dust mid-morning. Have a schedule and stick to it. If that’s what you want to do in your break then fair enough!
10. Employ yourself test
Keep a note of all your completed work tasks for the day. Look in the mirror at the end of it and ask yourself, honestly, whether you performed to the best of your ability that day. The truth will be looking right back at you!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Rachel Henke coaches people to work from home with a proven system. Find out how you can escape the rat race at her website: Request Free E Book
How To Evaluate A Network Marketing Company, Based On The Simple Formula Of Industry Leader, Randy Gage.
Randy Gage, checked out hundreds of companies before coming out of retirement and choosing his next vehicle for building wealth. As an experienced Network Marketer I was relieved to finally find a simple formula to explain to prospects, and to understand myself, how to spot a company that is poised for major growth and success. If you’re in the industry already, perhaps you’d like to check out how your company measures up to the formula. (Perhaps not!) As I have often heard it said, it is as important to know where you are, as it is to know where you are not… For those of you who are looking at fresh opportunities – this is especially for you. Finding a good Home Based Business can be very confusing so I hope the following steps will simplify the process for you and empower you to make the best choice for you when evaluating various options. So here goes:
1. You need a ‘Sizzle Product’ that you like.
For example; Randy commented that after 10 years of ‘jungle juices,’ the Nutritional industry was crying out for a sizzle product. This can of course be applied to any industry. A first to market unique product is destined for greatness when all of the other factors (as in the following steps) of the company are aligned correctly. A new product category is where fortunes are created.
2. A Product Line Extension Company
Randy observed that it is very unlikely to attract real wealth with only one product.
In addition to the fresh product idea we also stand to benefit greatly by knowing in advance that there are very clear plans for the product line extension. Personally I like the idea of keeping it simple so I want great new products coming out but prefer to stick to products of the same type, as opposed to developing into a ‘do it all’ distributor, or retail store. As in all fields, specialisation is always a winning strategy.
3. There Are 4 Basic Categories of MLM or Network Marketing Companies.
Category 1: ‘The old dogs.’ These companies are very solid and are already doing billions of dollars in turnover. They are mature, successful, and are not going anywhere. This is a great category if you want to build up a secure income but are not too concerned with the ground floor opportunity, which has obviously already been and gone! Randy doesn’t recommend joining a company like this if you want to build real wealth.
Category 2: ‘The Scams.’ These are the money games and the coupon scams. They’ve been around for ever and often give the industry a bad name. They are of course not part of the real equation so make sure to steer clear of those!
Category 3: The ‘Flatliners’ Randy identifies these companies as the ones that have been around a long time. They are nice companies and people can make a decent living with them. Generally they are very sales focussed and often revolve around catalogue distribution and/or party plan. These companies have sometimes been in business for as long as 20 years but not quite hit the exponential growth that they predicted - yet! Often this is due to the nature of the business, in that the distribution method is not duplicatable by a large group of people over a consistent period of time. So unless you are looking for a little extra income and perhaps expanding your social network then it is probably best to avoid this category too.
Category 4: The ‘Holy Grail of Network Marketing,’ as Randy calls it. This, simply put, is a start up company that has a viable probability to become one of the ‘Old Dogs,’ or Category 1 Companies. If you can join a Category 4 company that meets all the criteria in the steps outlined here, then you can lock in a legacy position. This will benefit you if you are an action person who is willing to do what it takes to be part of the reason for the growth of the company. (At this point I became very excited because I knew that was me!)
4. Compensation Plan
A great compensation plan should reward distributors for taking the correct actions such as building depth and supporting their team duplication. It need not necessarily have the highest overall pay out percentage but Randy looks for the largest number of well paid distributors in the company. It is no use to the distributors if they could earn a lot of money based on the people they have recruited but are unable to collect it because they are in a ‘breakaway’ programme where the qualifications are too high for them to attain on a consistent basis. Then their commission rolls up and they lose heart, not just money.
5. Field leadership
The System is king! Randy Gage has a reputation that precedes him as an expert system builder. It became painfully clear to me during my years with a category 1 company that no matter how great the turnover and the products… without a duplicatable simple system I was lost! The Infrastructure also needs to be in place for you and your team to plug into on a global level. Lastly the ‘Culture,’which is an interesting one. I interpret this as signing up with an organisation that has strong leaders in place who already have an established identity as ethical players, and a clear understanding of the culture they are encouraging in their down line. People who have done it already are the key. That way even with a start up company there is years of experience to draw on.
6. Management Team
A management team that is experienced in the industry. Preferably the management team will also be made up of people who have led the way with other successful companies. There is little point having a CEO who is an expert in Telecommunications, no matter how big the plaques on the office wall, if he or she has no clue about the specialised industry that we are lucky enough to be in.
So there you have it….. Maybe you like it, maybe you don’t! Either way it is essential in this exciting world of Network Marketing that we move with the times and plug into the resources and mentors that are out there. Whichever company you choose, I wish you all the success you dream of in the Next Generation of Network Marketing.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Rachel Henke coaches people to work from home with a proven system. Find out how to be an MLM Rockstar at her website: Free Audio and Info Pack
1. You need a ‘Sizzle Product’ that you like.
For example; Randy commented that after 10 years of ‘jungle juices,’ the Nutritional industry was crying out for a sizzle product. This can of course be applied to any industry. A first to market unique product is destined for greatness when all of the other factors (as in the following steps) of the company are aligned correctly. A new product category is where fortunes are created.
2. A Product Line Extension Company
Randy observed that it is very unlikely to attract real wealth with only one product.
In addition to the fresh product idea we also stand to benefit greatly by knowing in advance that there are very clear plans for the product line extension. Personally I like the idea of keeping it simple so I want great new products coming out but prefer to stick to products of the same type, as opposed to developing into a ‘do it all’ distributor, or retail store. As in all fields, specialisation is always a winning strategy.
3. There Are 4 Basic Categories of MLM or Network Marketing Companies.
Category 1: ‘The old dogs.’ These companies are very solid and are already doing billions of dollars in turnover. They are mature, successful, and are not going anywhere. This is a great category if you want to build up a secure income but are not too concerned with the ground floor opportunity, which has obviously already been and gone! Randy doesn’t recommend joining a company like this if you want to build real wealth.
Category 2: ‘The Scams.’ These are the money games and the coupon scams. They’ve been around for ever and often give the industry a bad name. They are of course not part of the real equation so make sure to steer clear of those!
Category 3: The ‘Flatliners’ Randy identifies these companies as the ones that have been around a long time. They are nice companies and people can make a decent living with them. Generally they are very sales focussed and often revolve around catalogue distribution and/or party plan. These companies have sometimes been in business for as long as 20 years but not quite hit the exponential growth that they predicted - yet! Often this is due to the nature of the business, in that the distribution method is not duplicatable by a large group of people over a consistent period of time. So unless you are looking for a little extra income and perhaps expanding your social network then it is probably best to avoid this category too.
Category 4: The ‘Holy Grail of Network Marketing,’ as Randy calls it. This, simply put, is a start up company that has a viable probability to become one of the ‘Old Dogs,’ or Category 1 Companies. If you can join a Category 4 company that meets all the criteria in the steps outlined here, then you can lock in a legacy position. This will benefit you if you are an action person who is willing to do what it takes to be part of the reason for the growth of the company. (At this point I became very excited because I knew that was me!)
4. Compensation Plan
A great compensation plan should reward distributors for taking the correct actions such as building depth and supporting their team duplication. It need not necessarily have the highest overall pay out percentage but Randy looks for the largest number of well paid distributors in the company. It is no use to the distributors if they could earn a lot of money based on the people they have recruited but are unable to collect it because they are in a ‘breakaway’ programme where the qualifications are too high for them to attain on a consistent basis. Then their commission rolls up and they lose heart, not just money.
5. Field leadership
The System is king! Randy Gage has a reputation that precedes him as an expert system builder. It became painfully clear to me during my years with a category 1 company that no matter how great the turnover and the products… without a duplicatable simple system I was lost! The Infrastructure also needs to be in place for you and your team to plug into on a global level. Lastly the ‘Culture,’which is an interesting one. I interpret this as signing up with an organisation that has strong leaders in place who already have an established identity as ethical players, and a clear understanding of the culture they are encouraging in their down line. People who have done it already are the key. That way even with a start up company there is years of experience to draw on.
6. Management Team
A management team that is experienced in the industry. Preferably the management team will also be made up of people who have led the way with other successful companies. There is little point having a CEO who is an expert in Telecommunications, no matter how big the plaques on the office wall, if he or she has no clue about the specialised industry that we are lucky enough to be in.
So there you have it….. Maybe you like it, maybe you don’t! Either way it is essential in this exciting world of Network Marketing that we move with the times and plug into the resources and mentors that are out there. Whichever company you choose, I wish you all the success you dream of in the Next Generation of Network Marketing.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Rachel Henke coaches people to work from home with a proven system. Find out how to be an MLM Rockstar at her website: Free Audio and Info Pack
Top 10 Reasons To Work From Home!
1. Freedom
It’s an amazing feeling when you realise that you no longer have to ask permission to go to the dentist! Unless you have experienced the sense of freedom that working from home can give you this may be tricky for you to get your head round. Trust me … you need to try it. Break free and put your plan to Escape the Rat Race together today. There are so many wonderful ways to do it that if you feel like you’re suffocating in the workplace it’s time to go to Plan B.
2. Home and Family Life
You can be there for your family and work your schedule round their very demanding one! It might be young children, elderly parents or perhaps you keep animals. My two children are thankfully very healthy but even so, all children sometimes need to take a day off for various reasons. When I worked for someone else this used to give me stomach ulcers! When we settled in the UK and I discovered how many half-terms and Personal Development days there are I nearly had a nervous breakdown and that’s when I decided to look into working from home.
3. Be Your Own Boss.
The gratification of knowing that you are working hard for your self, not your boss is hard to beat. This is a huge factor in the decision to break free. Many single people don’t need to worry about fitting their schedule round family life but they have other requirements such as wanting to be able to make their own decisions like a grown up. It can often feel like you are a still at school when you need to keep notifying someone else about what you are doing with your time. Being your own boss has its ups and downs but if you’re ready to take responsibility for your own future success then I highly recommend it. You must be self motivated and success minded for this though or you may find yourself becoming a day time soap watching professional…
4. Wake Up When You Are Finished Sleeping!
You can start working when YOU are ready. I used to hate commuting with a passion. I mean really hate it. Now I have time to do a little exercise, perhaps read or meditate early in the morning. Then I walk my daughters to school and settle down with my green tea and laptop. No traffic jams and no stress.
5. Avoid the Nasty British Weather
This may sound silly but I love to avoid the bad weather… Come on let’s face it with the temperamental weather in the UK who wants to have to go out to work in all weathers? Not me anyhow. Unless I have a confirmed appointment I do my work from home on those rainy and windy days, saving my jaunts for the mild days.
6 Work From Home, Not Just At Home
The working at home element is fabulous, and the home-based element means you are allowed to go out and have fun doing your business! My idea of working out of the home these days is attending networking events on subjects of my choice to widen my circle of contacts, or if I’m doing some ‘real’ work I may attend a home business reception for one of my new team members where I sit down and watch a DVD! (Hard labour I think not!)
7 Independent But Not Alone
These days there are so many opportunities to partner with amazing companies with proven business systems, which enable one to be independent and flexible, but to have the training and support to avoid feeling isolated. Let’s also not forget the potential to earn unlimited income with many of these opportunities!
8 Free Of Overheads And No Need To Hold Stock.
This is an incredible benefit when you think how traditional businesses operate. Most new business owners need to be willing to go straight into heavy debt, hold stock, pay staff, premises costs and of course have accounts receivable to keep them up at night biting their nails.
9. Internet Marketing.
The possibilities are endless with the internet and the leveraging of time. I have a mobile paper-free office and can do my business from anywhere. There are so many amazing new communication tools these days – just remember to turn the video camera off when you are working in your pyjamas or having a bad hair day! You can have an international business reaching to almost any corner of the globe. Imagine the possibilities of having a business that operates in different time zones and earns you money while you sleep.
10. Holidays!
Last but just as important! You can book your own holidays in your diary. You can run your own ‘flexi-time’ and work in the middle of the night, dusk or dawn if the fancy takes you and then take the day off in the sunshine (need to make the most of it when it appears!)
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Rachel Henke coaches people to work from home with a proven system. Find out how you can escape the rat race at her website: Request Free E Book
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
