A Very Good Day

Ahh… Back to work today, and ready to begin another great week.

I’ve been working too many hours.  This is my choice, but I realized yesterday that my husband and I hadn't gone out to do anything fun together in a while.

So, yesterday morning we packed a picnic lunch, and we took off.  First stop, Ramsey Canyon Preserve.  It is a beautiful area just a few minutes from my home, but it feels much farther due to the totally different flora and fauna.  People come to Ramsey Canyon from throughout the world for “birding.” There are myriad fabulous trees of all types and sizes.  We saw wild turkeys walking along the path.  Because we’ve been in a severe drought, we saw no deer this visit, and the stream was nearly dry.  We walked around breathing in the clean air, enjoying the perfect weather and appreciating our surroundings.  It was a lovely walk.

When we returned to the parking lot, it was lunch time, so we ate our picnic lunch at the preserve before leaving the area.

Then we decided a leisurely drive was in order.  So, with a full tank of gas, we took off.  We drove through various small towns; St. David, where there is a very old monastery, then we stopped for an ice cream sundae and visited an historic cemetery in Benson.  We wanted to stop at a tiny museum in Benson as well, but it was closed. 

When we ran out of small towns along that road, we got on the interstate and drove 20 miles west and exited at Sonoita.  We drove the long windy road through hills, cattle and horse ranches.  Large, beautiful homes were scattered through the hills.  We’ve taken this drive many times, but it is different every time. This time, the grassy hills were hay-colored.  In our area, the rainy season, the monsoons, begins in early July, and the hills will then be deep, lush green.  Because we had a very dry winter, there were few wild flowers in bloom, bit of a disappointment.

After a nearly two-hundred mile drive, we arrived home around dinner time.  We were relaxed and happy to have spent a day away from phones, computers and televisions.  It was a very good day.

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Who Was Haym Solomon?

I cannot verify all the "facts" stated in the following. However, it is such a fascinating story, I wanted to share it with everyone. You can find the story (including pictures) on many websites. Here is just one:  www.targetofopportunity.com/haym_solomon.htm 

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The history of the United States $1 bill is fascinating - and no school ever teaches it in any history class.

On the rear of the One Dollar bill, you will see two circles. Together, they comprise the Great Seal of the United States. The First Continental Congress requested that Benjamin Franklin and a group of men come up with a Seal. It took those four years to accomplish this task and another two years to get it approved.

If you look at the left-hand circle, you will see a Pyramid.

Notice the face is lighted, and the western side is dark. This country was just its infancy. We were just getting started. We had not begun to explore the west or decided what we could do for Western Civilization. The Pyramid is uncapped, again signifying that we were not even close to being finished. Inside the Capstone you have the all-seeing eye, an ancient symbol for divinity. It was Franklin's belief that one man could not do it alone, but a group of men, with the help of God, could do anything.
"IN GOD WE TRUST" is on this currency.

The Latin above the pyramid, ANNUIT COEPTIS, means, 'God has favored our undertaking.' The Latin below the pyramid, NOVUS ORDO SECLORUM, means, 'a new order has begun.' At the base of the pyramid is the Roman numeral for 1776. (MDCCLXXVI)

If you look at the right-hand circle, and check it carefully, you will learn that it is on every National Cemetery in the United States. It is also on the Parade of Flags Walkway at the Bushnell, Florida National Cemetery, and is the centerpiece of most heroes' monuments. Slightly modified, it is the seal of the President of the United States, and it is always visible whenever he speaks, yet very few people know what the symbols mean.

The Bald Eagle was selected as a symbol for victory for two reasons: First, he is not afraid of a storm; he is strong, and he is smart enough to soar above it. Secondly, he wears no material crown. We had just broken from the King of England. Also, notice the shield is unsupported. This country can now stand on its own. At the top of that shield you have a white bar signifying congress, a unifying factor.

We were coming together as one nation.

In the Eagle's beak you will read, 'E PLURIBUS UNUM' meaning, 'from many - one.'
Above the Eagle, you have the thirteen stars, representing the thirteen original colonies, and any clouds of misunderstanding rolling away. Again, we were coming together as one.

Notice what the Eagle holds in his talons. He holds an olive branch and arrows. This country wants peace, but we will never be afraid to fight to preserve peace. The Eagle always wants to face the olive branch, but in time of war, his gaze turns toward the arrows.

They say that the number 13 is an unlucky number. This is almost a worldwide belief. You will usually never see a room numbered 13, or any hotels or motels with a 13th floor. But think about this:

• 13 original colonies
• 13 signers of the Declaration of Independence became governors of their respective states
• 13 stripes on our flag
• 13 steps on the Pyramid
• 13 letters in 'Annuit Coeptis'
• 13 letters in 'E Pluribus Unum'
• 13 stars above the Eagle
• 13 bars on that shield
• 13 leaves on the olive branch
• 13 fruits
• 13 arrows

And finally, if you notice the arrangement of the 13 stars in the right-hand circle you will see that they are arranged as a Star of David. This is not something that happened by chance.

This was ordered by George Washington who, when he asked Haym Solomon, a wealthy Philadelphia Jew, what he would like as a personal reward for his services to the Continental Army, Solomon said he wanted nothing for himself but that he would like something for his people. The Star of David was the result.

What was Haym Solomon's service to the Continental Army?

Haym Solomon (1740 - January 6, 1785) was a Polish Jew who immigrated to New York during the period of the American Revolution. He became a prime financier of the American side during the American Revolutionary War. Haym Solomon gave his own money to financially support the Continental Army, money that was extremely important to win our independence from England.
Sympathetic to the Patriot cause, Haym Solomon joined the New York branch of the Sons of Liberty. In September 1776, he was arrested by the British as a spy but was pardoned after serving only 18 months of his sentence. Being fluent in several languages, in prison he used his position to help prisoners of the British escape and encouraged the Hessians to desert the war effort. In 1778 Solomon was arrested again and sentenced to death, but he managed to escape, whereupon he made his way with his family to the Capital in Philadelphia.

The colonies were battling against an extremely wealthy enemy, the British Empire. The revolutionary cause, in contrast, was in dire financial straits. Keeping the American forces supplied with arms, food, and other supplies, was a daunting task. Solomon came to know many leading figures in Philadelphia during this time, and brokered a loan of $400,000 that gave George Washington, head of the Continental Army, funds to pay his soldiers in 1779.

In August of 1781, the Continental Army had cornered General Charles Cornwallis in the little Virginia coastal town of Yorktown. George Washington and the main army and the Count de Rochambeau with his French army decided to march from the Hudson Highlands to Yorktown and deliver the final blow. But Washington's war chest was completely empty, as was that of Congress. Washington determined that he needed at least $20,000 to finance the campaign. When Morris told him there were no funds and no credit available, Washington gave him a simple but eloquent order: "Send for Haym Solomon". Haym once again came through for the Americans, and the $20,000 was raised. Washington conducted the Yorktown campaign, which proved to be the final battle of the Revolution, thanks to Haym Solomon.

Solomon negotiated the sale of a majority of the war aid from France and Holland, selling bills of exchange to American merchants. Solomon also personally supported various members of the Continental Congress during their stay in Philadelphia, including James Madison and James Wilson. Acting as the patriot he was, he requested below market interest rates, and he never asked for repayment.

The Treaty of Paris signed on 03 September 1783, ended the Revolutionary War but not the financial problems of the newly established nation. It was Haym Solomon who managed, time-after-time, to raise the money to bail out the debt-ridden government. In all, the sum that Solomon advanced to help the war cause was over $658,000. Adjusted for inflation, he gave the sum equivalent to $40 Billion in today's currency.

Today's children are not taught this part of history. Their history teachers do not know this important part of history and what is worse, many do not care. Too many people want to change and rewrite history to fit a certain agenda and important parts of history are deliberately ignored. Often times, what would normally be taught about Haym Solomon are how unfair it was that he should have so much wealth when others have so little.

Too many Americans have given up too much to ever let this and other parts of history fade into oblivion.

http://julie.xpressabo.com?=blogger

Childhood Memories

“Memory is a way of holding onto the things you love, the things you are, the things you never want to lose.” From the television show “The Wonder Years.”

It is interesting that such a profound statement came from a television show.  Reading it caused my mine to meander on this topic, and thus I’m writing this blog.

Our memories are powerful.  Our character, our personality and so much more that makes us who we are, were formed, at least in part, from our childhood memories.  Whether good memories or bad, they helped to shape the adults we came to be. 

Many of the fears we have as adults are rooted in childhood memories.  Those memories can cause us anxiety as adults, or they can bring us great joy.  Our drive (or lack thereof), our attitude toward life, and our morals and ethics all were planted with the seeds of childhood memories.

I was fortunate to have a fairly “normal” childhood, no abuse or alcoholism, with many wonderful memories.  Sure, there are some not-so-pleasant memories mixed in, but not many.

Fabulous memories my siblings and I share concern our many family trips to Yosemite National Park in California.  Our family visited Yosemite every year for at least 20 years, and we all share a special place in our hearts for those trips. Of course, it wasn’t just the place, but the fact that our family was all together enjoying Yosemite together.  I recently discussed Yosemite with my brother and sister, and we all agreed that we cannot quite describe how precious those memories are to us today.  Rather than simply memories, Yosemite became a part of us.

I have read that a person learns more from birth to age five than he or she learns during the rest of their lives.  Whether or not that is fact, it does make sense when you think what we knew when we entered the world.  I would think that our grammar school years would be of very great importance as well when we consider how much we learned during that time.  It is no wonder our childhood memories so greatly influence the adults we are today.  

http://julie.xpressabo.com/flash3.php?=blogger

I am so proud of my team!

I’m not feeling too well today.  I’m not sick, it’s just allergies, but those of you who suffer from them know they can make you feel “blah.”  Well, I have a team call scheduled, which usually lasts an hour.  I’m all “stuffed up,” so speaking for an hour does not seem like fun.

On my team calls, I usually do a presentation on a specific topic for 20-30 minutes, and then we just talk.  I’ll answer questions, and we share experiences and ideas. We usually have great attendance and good participation.  I and all the “regulars” on the call really enjoy it.  But tonight, not so much.

I have a new team member, David, who I expect to be a star.  Not right away, of course, but he has great potential.  So, since I’d already prepared my presentation for this evening, I asked him if he’ll read it.  He said “yes” immediately.  I’ve given him free reign so he can change it to fit his own personality.

It is people like David and Cheryl and Charles – I could go on, but you get the idea who have helped me to achieve success.  (Don’t feel bad if I didn’t mention you and you’re on my team – I love you all!)  My team members step up when they are needed.

As we all know, in network marketing, you can have 50, 100, 1000, or 5000 team members or more, and still only a fraction will stand out from the crowd and really work hard to achieve success.  My team is really no different.  A fairly small percentage really works hard.  But comparing the “worker bees” with my current company to other companies with which I’ve worked, I know that I am very fortunate to have some really superb team members among them. 

I am writing this on Monday night, and I’ll likely post it tomorrow.  By then I know that I’ll be able to say that David did a great job on my team call.   

I just want to say that I am grateful to have an extraordinary team.

http://julie.xpressabo.com/xhc1?=blogger

Featured Member of the Day

Yesterday, I was honored to have been chosen as Featured Member of the Day at IBOtoolbox.  http://www.ibotoolbox.com/invited.aspx?jid=11454

For those who are unfamiliar with IBOtoolbox, it is a totally free marketing platform – and so much more!  It is unique from any other marketing site I’ve ever used or seen.  It is very professional, and no negative posts are allowed!  In fact that is one of the most unique and wonderful features of IBOtoolbox.  

No adult posts are permitted, so no one will be offended when visiting or utilizing the site.

Once you join IBOtoolbox, you will see that on this site, the members are business owners of one kind or another, mostly internet marketing businesses.  Every member helps other members to promote their business.  Different, isn’t it? 

We use what has been coined as “IBO Spirit.”  When new members join, we’ll send them a welcome notice.  When people post a link to their business website, we can “like” it, share it on our own Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn pages, plus dozens of other networks.  We can also comment on their posts, giving them additional exposure. 

We also post blogs, comment on one another’s blogs, and even share links to other members’ blogs on our social networking pages.  When we do this to help other members, they do the same for us in return!

No one is permitted to “spam” other members.  

We get so much extra traffic just by participating on IBOtoolbox, we don’t need to “solicit” one another.

IBOtoolbox offers a huge array of tools, absolutely free, many of which you’ll find elsewhere at a fee. You have to see them all to believe it! 

You can post banner ads – free!  To post ads, you use credits that you earn in a variety of ways, but primarily it all comes down to participation.  The more you participate, the more credits you earn and the more exposure your business has all over the internet.

IBOtoolbox receives about 150,000 visitors every day, and 96% of those visitors are not IBOtoolbox members.  Just imagine having even a fraction of those visitors seeing your ads!

Back to my first sentence on this blog… I was so excited to have been chosen as Featured Member of the Day (FMOD) yesterday.  FMOD’s are chosen by how much they demonstrate IBO Spirit.  Because I was selected FMOD, I received dozens of new Associates (like “friends” on Facebook).  I’ll be able to help them promote their businesses, and they’ll do the same for me. I am so grateful to everyone for the many congratulatory messages I received.  Thanks to all of you for your wonderful IBO spirit!

Through IBOtoolbox, I have met so many people all over the world.  We can learn a little about other people and their cultures.

If you too would like to enjoy the many benefits of being an IBOtoolbox member, join here: http://www.ibotoolbox.com/invited.aspx?jid=11454

English - The World's Language?

Since I began participating on various forums and blog sites, I have become aware of how many people throughout the world speak English.  I knew it was a widely-spoken Language, but I did not realize as far as native speakers goes, English is the third most commonly spoken language in the world (after Mandarin Chinese and Spanish).  As a second language, however, it is the most commonly used.  In fact, when including both native and non-native speakers, it is the most commonly spoken language.

My main resource for the information in this post is from:  

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_where_English_is_an_official_language

In the United Kingdom, Australia and United States, English is the de facto language, but none of these countries has declared English as their Official language.

Many countries have declared English as their Official language, including several where English isn’t necessarily the primarily-spoken language. English is the official language in Antigua and Barbuda, the Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Botswana, Cameroon, Canada, Dominca, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Fiji, The Gambia, Ghana, Grenada, Guyana, India, Ireland, Jamaica, Kenya, Kiribata, The Netherlands, Lesotho, Liberia, Malawi, Malta, Marshall Islands, Mauritius, Micronesia, Namibia, Nauru, New Zealand, Nigeria, Pakistan, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Phillipines, Rwanda, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Solomon Islands, South Africa, South Sudan, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tuvalu, Uganda, Vanuatu, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

Many of these countries are former British and American colonies.  In many other countries, English is widely or primarily used.  These countries include American Samoa, Anguilla, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Christmas Island, Cocos Islands, Cook Islands, Falkland Islands, Gibraltar, Guam, Guernsey, Hong Kong, Isle of Man, Jersey, Montsserrat, Niue, Norfolk Island, Northern Mariana Islands, Pitcairn Islands, Puerto Rico, St. Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha, Saint Maarten, San Andres y Providencia, Somaliland, Tokelau, Turks and Caicos Islands and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

IBOToolbox definitely piqued my interest to know where English was spoken, and I am really amazed by what I’ve learned. 

Here I sit, and English-speaking American.  I’ve taken years of classes to learn Spanish, but I am still not fluent.  I don’t think I could be faulted for saying that the majority of Americans speak English and only English.  So, a huge percentage of people throughout the world could communicate with us in the United States, but few of us could go to their countries and speak to them in their native language.

I feel a bit uneducated, because I can only communicate in one language.  I wish that learning at least one foreign language was required in schools.  I admire those IBOToolbox members from countries throughout the world who have joined and contribute to this platform in English when it is not their primary language.

The Internet has afforded me the opportunity to communicate and learn a little about people all over the world, and for that, I am grateful.

Destiny

>>Something to which a person or thing is destined.

>>A predetermined course of events often held to be an irresistible power or agency.

I have heard people say that they were destined to become a “blank.”  Perhaps because their father was a coal miner, they believed they were destined to become a coal miner too… Or a physician, or a lawyer or a farmer.  Really? 

I believe we create our own destiny.  We cannot sit back and relax and expect our lives to simply follow a certain course.  It is up to us to decide the direction our life will take us.

Who and what do you want to be?  If you admire your parents and their career path, if you choose to follow that path, there is nothing wrong with it.  If, however, you’re following that path because you believe you are expected to do so, you may be going the wrong direction for you. 

When you use your “mind’s eye” to see the future you, what are you doing?  Are you successful?  Are you struggling?  Are you passionate about your career choice?

If you follow your own intuition, trust that it is the right decision, you may begin to see doors open for you that you never imagined.

My parents and my grandparents owned restaurants.  I grew up in the industry.  My sister worked for my parents and was a waitress (or using the politically correct term, a server) her whole life, and my brother manages restaurants.  I could have worked in the industry.  My parents never pushed me in that direction, but it certainly would have been understandable if I had believed a career in the food industry was my destiny.

I did not choose a career in the “family” business.  I was the “independent” one in the family and chose my own path, eventually ending up where I am today.  I am an entrepreneur, a home business owner. 

Looking back, I know I could have gone in many different directions, but my self-created destiny brought me to a very good place.

http://joinxpresshealthcare.flash1.php/blogger

Leaving California

I was born in Los Angeles, California.  I worked for many years in the administrative end of law enforcement, so I was acutely aware of the rising crime around me.  Add to that the traffic everywhere in Southern California, and smog.  And then, there were earthquakes.  One day, my husband and I began to discuss escaping.

We took a driving trip to Arizona, traveling throughout the state for two weeks.  We came across a small city in a rural area that we liked immediately.  It was really pretty, low crime, no smog, no traffic.  Everything that we disliked about California was absent in this city.

We put our California house on the market and moved to Arizona.  It’s a beautiful area, totally black skies at night.  Our Arizona house sits at the base of some beautiful mountains, often covered in snow in the winter.  Ideal temperature, with a light dusting of snow each winter.  Our house is fabulous, much bigger than the two I’d owned in California. 

Then, our children, who were just out of their teens when we left California, grew up.  They had children.  We were grandparents!  We loved it, except, by then all the kids and grandkids were living in California.  It didn’t happen suddenly, but over a period of a couple years, we began to really miss our family.  As we’ve gotten older, we cannot travel as easily or frequently to see them as we did when we first moved to Arizona.

So, now our house in Arizona is on the market.  The housing market is not good.  We began trying to sell our house last July, and here we are in April, with our house unsold.

My dream would be to pick up our house and move it to California near our family.  Whatever house we buy in California – whenever that may be – will be much smaller.  We’ll have to adjust.

It is funny how our priorities change throughout our lives.  I’m not looking forward to living in California, with the even worse traffic and crime, but my desire to spend more time with my family outweighs what I dislike about it.

I am so fortunate to have my home business.  I can work here in Arizona and just as easily in California.  There will be nothing different about that aspect of my life.  And since I work primarily online, I don’t have to move much more than my desk. 

So, I’ll happily continue working my business while I await the sale of my house and another new chapter of my life.


http://joinxpresshealthcare.net

The Big Picture

When speaking to one of my team members today, we were discussing how, in network marketing, people often are unable to see “the big picture.”

As most people know, in network marketing a large percentage of those who join quit before they’ve put any real effort into their business.  I believe that is because they don’t have the right perspective, their overall view of what can be achieved is beyond them.

Those who can see "the big picture" are able to look beyond the immediate future, seeing in their mind through a wider lens that displays the true possibilities that lie before them.

There are network marketing companies that promise almost immediate success.  Although on rare occasions, someone’s business does take immediately, but it is bar far the exception, rather than the rule.

Network marketing companies that pay residual income do not pay a large amount for every sale an associate makes.  Rather, they will earn a small amount, but they’ll be paid that amount month after month, year after year, rather than being paid only once.  With residual income, once an associate builds a good income, even if they stop working their business, as long as they remain with the company, their residual income continues to come in.

I’ll use my own company as an example.  Xpress Healthcare sells discount health and dental plans and benefit plans that reduce our members’ costs in many other areas of their lives.  For instance, if I sell our top plan, I will be paid $15, which by itself may seem a rather small amount, not much at all.  However, I will be paid $15 every single month for every active account I sell.  Let’s say I sell our plans to a business with 100 employees.  

From that one sale, I’ll be earning $1500 month after month.

In the grand scheme of things, $15 is looking better.  PLUS, I’ll be paid a percentage of the sales people on my team down two levels are paid.  So, in addition to the $15 I’m paid for my personal sales, I’ll be paid $2.50 each month for all of the top plans my team members sell.  Again, using that company with 100  

employees example, if my team member made the sale, I’d be earning $250 per month, and I did no work for it!

Of course, anyone who “sticks it out” continues to make additional sales that begin stacking up, growing a larger and larger residual income.  Is that “big picture” beginning to look better? 

I personally believe that those who are unable to see “the big picture” should not work with a company that pays residual commission.  They should select a company that pays larger, one-time commissions.  If they are wise, they’ll invest it well.  If they are not, they may end up with nothing in the end.

With my own company, as with many others, the possibility of earning the “magical” six-figure income is very real for anyone willing to work for it and not quit.  I personally never worked a j-o-b where I came anywhere close to earning that much money, and if I quit that job, I received no additional paychecks.  So, what if you had to work two years, or three, or five?  Seeing that “big picture” up the road should keep you staying the course until you reach it.

http://joinxpresshealthcare.ORG

Building Your Online Business Foundation

Tenacity is vital to growing your business.  Stick firmly to what works well for you.  Discard anything that does not.  Make the decision to reach success in your endeavors, and YOU WILL. Nothing is impossible to you, if you believe.

Most of the time, the people who are successful are simply the ones who didn’t quit. Don’t quit. Don’t sell yourself short. Keep putting one foot in front of the other, and you will get there.

Work your business like you mean it.  If you treat it like a hobby, if you’re not making it a priority in your life, the results will be minimal. 

There are a variety of ways to market and promote your business, but doing so is your primary job.  There are myriad ways to do so, and I’m going to share with you what I have found to be the most successful methods. 

I have found – first and foremost, that using social media and online networking provides the most bang for your buck.  The buck being time, not money. 

So, start with Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, IBOToolbox, for instance.  And feel free to find your own, possibly those in the industry in which you work when you had a job, or if you still work a job.

Once you get to the forum you wish to join. Create an account.  Be sure to use a photograph of yourself, not a logo or avatar, in your profile.  And when the profile includes space for a bio, use the same one wherever you register.

OK, your accounts are set up.  Now what?  PARTICIPATION!  The reason we all want to be participating in a variety of forums and social media networking is simple, to get our names and businesses “out there.” The more you participate, the more people get familiar with your name and your business.  As you participate in these various forums, you’ll find you’ll get to know people, see that you have things in common, and may actually become internet friends. Think of it like you’re attending a Chamber of Commerce meeting.  You’d be handing out your cards, chatting with Chamber members and getting to know a few of them.   Participation on forums can and should be fun. 

Blogging is another powerful method of getting your name and your business “out there.”  I’m pretty new to blogging, but I have found it to be very effective. I recommend you type your blog in a word document or on a site that allows spell check so your blog will look professional.

Creating your own videos can also be of tremendous help to your business.  Get past how you look on camera.  No one is critiquing your appearance, but they are hearing you talk about your business opportunity and products.  If you’re not telling them, someone else will, and they’ll be earning the money, not you.  If you have a web cam and a microphone, you can make videos. 

To help you grow a local business, join your local Chamber of Commerce and other business-related networks, and participate in their events.  Once they get to know who you are and what you do, you’ll find people will refer others to you.

Finally, word of mouth.  Some companies encourage their reps to approach their “warm” market.  I discourage my team members from trying to recruit or sell to family and friends.  You know what most of your family and friends do for a living.  Be sure they know what you do too.  In normal conversation, just mention your business.  If they know someone who can use your products or are looking for a business opportunity, they’ll send them your way.


http://julie.xpressabo.com/flash1.php?=blogger

I Got a "Code" in My Nose

For the first time in, I can’t remember how long, I’m ill.  It’s just a cold, nothing horrible, but you know colds can make you fell blah!  Anyway, it got me to thinking.

If I was working a j-o-b, I’d be staying home, using up my sick time or losing money.  It disturbs me when people go out spreading their viruses, so I try not to expose people unless I absolutely must.

With my own home business, I need not be concerned about missing work.  As long as I’m capable of sitting at my computer, I can work. In fact, a while back, after surgery, I was working from my bed for nearly a week.

That is one of the many benefits of having a home business.  Nearly anyone can do it.  I have two people on my team who are disabled, unable to work a regular job.  They can work on their computers though.  Mobility isn’t required. 

Someone unable to hear can work many home businesses.  With the right equipment, those who are blind can work from home on their computers.  With the technology we have today, there is almost no disability preventing someone from working at home on a computer.

We live in a very interesting time.  Our grandparents couldn’t have imagined all the machines, gadgets and equipment that we now find commonplace.  As I sit here sniffling and sneezing, I am so grateful for my Xpress Healthcare business.  I wouldn’t want to be doing anything else.  (Please visit my website if you’d like to join my team… I won’t share my cold, I promise.) http://julie.xpressabo.com/xhc1?blogger

Julie Klein just posted a new blog titled I’m Ready to Throw a Shoe Through My Computer!.

Julie Klein just posted a new blog titled I’m Ready to Throw a Shoe Through My Computer!.

No Man (or Woman) is an Island

Teamwork is vital to the success of virtually any business – a restaurant, retail store, huge corporation or a network marketing business.  No one stands alone and expects to accomplish all that needs to be done.  In retail and corporations, each person serves a specific purpose, and if one person is not holding up their end, the remaining people must pick up the slack.  In most situations, the “slacker” would not last very long with their company.  They would be fired.

In network marketing, teamwork is a bit different.  Unless a team member violates company rules, they generally cannot be “fired.”  There are a few elements that are needed to keep a team running smoothly. 

·         A common purpose.  With network marketing, each individual in a team is an independent business owner, but each joined the network to achieve success.  Yes, I know that not all the team members will ever be successful, but I’m talking common purpose.

·         Interdependence.  Each member of a network marketing team depends on at least one other person to reach their goals.  They depend on their sponsor to train them and support them along their path.  Team leaders depend on each of their members to work their business, thus helping both the member and leader to grow their businesses.

·         Roles and contributions.  Each person can play more than one role in network marketing.  If they are recruiting a team, they are a team leader.  However, that leader also has their own sponsor, and they are a member of that person’s team, helping their own sponsor by making sales.  How much each individual contributes to the team can greatly effect the success of many.

·         Accountability, both individual and mutual.  Each individual within a team is responsible to themselves to grow their personal business.  At the same time, they are also accountable to the team as a whole.  It is true that, in network marketing, there are always going to be those who do not take this responsibility seriously, either to themselves or their team.  These people never succeed.

·         Empowerment.  Independent business owners have the power to create an empire, make a decent living or supplement their income.  They are empowered to make their choices and work their businesses accordingly.  There is both freedom and challenges that come with empowerment.

Those individuals in network marketing who do not consider themselves part of a team are rarely successful.  Working together to achieve that common purpose drives each individual to work harder to help themselves and the team. 

·         Team meetings, Webinars and conference calls can help members of a team to see how important they are to the team as a whole. 

·         Competition between different teams can inspire team members to work harder to earn the prize and to help the team at the same time. 

·         For those who have team members residing in the same area, having local team events can help to strengthen a team. 

No matter how we do it, those leading a team must encourage their teams to work for the benefit of the company as a whole, for the team and for themselves.  They are all intertwined, and when everyone on a team works for the same common purpose, they are helping to create and maintain both a strong team and a successful business.

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Quitters Never Prosper

During the several years I have been in the network marketing industry, I have seen far more people quit than succeed.  They did not fail.  They quit without ever putting any real effort into their business. 

Far too many people are MLM hoppers.  They hop from one MLM to another, thinking they’ll do better at the next one.  Why they ever expect to be successful, I do not understand. 

>>  They put out a few flyers and were disappointed, because their phone didn’t ring off the hook.

>>  They placed a few online ads, but no one ever joined their team. 

>>  They didn’t attend training calls or Webinars, because they thought they knew how to work an MLM business.  After all, they had worked in the industry before. 

>>  They didn’t work with their sponsor who may have actually been able to teach them something. 

>>  They quit after a couple weeks, or maybe even stuck it out for a few months, and they blamed the company or the product or their sponsor for their lack of success.

>>  They carried their negative attitude with them to the next business.

Then there are the network marketing stars.  Those are the people who dive head first into their business. 

>>  They know from the beginning that they will be successful.  Their positive attitude is contagious.

>>  Some of them – maybe even the majority – don’t make many sales right away, but they are not discouraged, because they realize it will take time and effort.

>>  These people attend every training call or Webinar offered by their company.  If they have to miss one, they’ll listen to the recorded version.

>>  The network marketing stars know that staying in contact with their sponsor is vital to their success.

>>  The stars participate in as many online forums as possible, soaking up knowledge from their online connections.

>>  It may actually take them a while, perhaps as long as a year, before they are earning a full-time living with their business.  Two, three, or even five years before they earn the “six figure” income everyone talks about.

>>  The stars carry their positive attitude everywhere they go, and they eventually achieve their goals and set new ones.

The quitters never achieve success, no matter how many companies they join. 

The network marketing stars soar and set an example for everyone else.

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