Monthly Archives: May 2008
Prepping My Schedule for Summer
It’s been coming at me – the reminders that now is the time to get ready for summer, figure out how to balance work with the kids at home. Not to mention that summer is just naturally more of a laid back season online with everyone out enjoying the weather, the long daylight hours, warm summer nights. Oh, I can’t wait! But the reality has set in, and my planning can’t wait either.
Reality is…Batman (7) will be done with school on June 10th. I’ve already been looking into free/low cost options of things to do this summer – we’ll hit the library (even Batman’s school library will be open one morning a week), school playground is a nice walk away.
Reality is…I’m not going to have as many daytime hours to work as I do with only Robin at home. The two boys together are at least at an age that they can entertain each other at times. And each plays well on their own too. But I’m not going to want us to be staying home all day every day.
The challenge will be balancing work, play, and “sneaky academics”! LOL! I’m doing my research – WAHM blogs are a great source of ideas, esp. at this time of year as the reality sets in for all of us – GET READY, THE KIDS ARE COMING HOME!
Maintaining My Principles
When is enough, enough? Staying with a company because I’ve put 2.5+ years into promoting and selling their products. Sticking with them through the sudden business decisions, made with no warning. Making adjustments to my business and marketing plans as they change theirs. Keeping up with the sales, promotions, efforts to generate income – all in an attempt to generate income of my own…and for what?
When do you decide that your efforts are all for naught? When the company starts lagging on sending out commission checks? When they change their business structure? When they change the name, and tell anyone who the old company owed money to that they need to contact their attorney to file a claim? When they say that they are under new ownership, yet a knowledgable person finds out that the only thing that has changed is the name? When they sensor their blog comments all of a sudden because they are being called on the carpet for all of the lies? When you discover that your new “Referral” page contains misdirected links so that even if someone wanted to shop with you, or join you under the new company name – the company has made it next to impossible for them to do that. OR is it when you go to use up the last $13 in coupons that you have and get an error message everytime you go to place the order?
How in good conscience can one continue to promote that company – despite the products? How does one know that the products are actually going to be sent out – esp. when orders can’t even be completed? How can I be enthusiastic about the products when I now how the company is floundering behind the scenes?
The internal conversations I’ve had with myself, the online conversations I’ve had with other former consultants, and my online support system have all lead me to this answer…
The loyalty, promoting, believing in with blind faith – it all ends here. Final word is coming down the pipe and it’s only a matter of time. 
Find Your Motivation
Motivation – Where to Find It
by Kara Kelso & Anita DeFrank
While we all have our own ways of finding motivation, sometimes we all need a little shove. We’ll tell you what gets us moving when you don’t feel like doing anything at all.
One of the perks of owning a business is working your own hours. However, it can be very tempting to just say “I don’t feel like working today”. You do have the option to do that without “losing your job”. But every day you take off, the motivation to work on your business gets a little less.
Before you know it, your motivation is completely gone. You don’t feel like working at all, and start to feel your business is failing. Well of course it is if you aren’t doing anything! Obviously what you need to do is get your motivation levels back to normal. You have to WANT to work on your business to succeed. The best way to find motivation is actually pretty simple…
Read.
When you don’t feel like working directly on your business (or really don’t know what to do), this is the best time to do something indirect. Read, learn about new ideas, soak up information, and find new projects.
Read until you find the spark, and run with it. Which it WILL hit, simply because new ideas get us excited. Business owners love to be busy, or we wouldn’t be building a business to begin with.
Visit your favorite WAHM resource websites. First you’ll want to browse around the article / resource sections and – yup, you guessed it – read. Read the articles and make notes – no, not mental notes. Open a word processing document or even better, pull out that old notebook and pen. Make notes of anything that jumps out at you. Before you know it, you’re note taking session will turn into a “brain dump” listing all your ideas for your next project.
After you’ve read all the articles you want to, and you’re looking for some more motivation … hop on over to your favorite WAHM message boards. Browse around older topics and join in on some of the conversations. Visit your favorite blogs and read what they have been doing, or resources they recommend.
So the next time you feel your motivation lacking, go and learn something new or review things you’ve already learned. The main idea is to keep yourself involved one way or another. Keep active and the motivation will stay with you. You’ll be surprised how fast your business grows with motivation!
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Kara Kelso & Anita DeFrank, owners of DirectSalesHelpers.com strive
to help women succeed in direct sales. For additional help with your
direct sales business, visit http://www.directsaleshelpers.com
