Great Advice For Anyone Interested In Starting A Home Business

If you’ve been wondering how to take an ordinary idea and turn it into an extraordinary business, read on. These 9 clues to success are guaranteed to give you the edge when it comes to making your Big Ideas, Dreams and Goals a reality:

1. Decide – The women were very clear about their decision to become an entrepreneur. There was no turning back. They were focused on making their business dreams and goals happen. Period.

2. Live in Optimism – Each one of them spoke about the power of optimism and this one style of behavior helped them in times of challenge and struggle in their business (especially early on in the start-up phase).

3. Maintain Unshakeable Belief – I had a mentor once who used to say, “people are looking for the chink in your armor.” It’s not what you say about your business that will attract people; it’s how you feel about what you say. These women had unshakeable belief about their business goals from the very start.

4. Take Inspired Action – There is a difference between action and inspired action. Do you get up every day with energy and passion for your business or do you hit the snooze button most days? Do you feel inspired when you get into your office or does it feel like a “ball and chain?” These women love what they do and it shows.

5. Follow your “gut” – Whether you are in the start-up phase or ready to take your business to the next level of success, trust your instincts.

6. ASK – This was BIG. These women were not afraid to share their ideas with anyone. They developed a marketing message about their mission and shared it everywhere they went with anyone who would listen. Challenge yourself to ask more often for what you want in business and life.

7. Get Uncomfortable – It’s essential that you get comfortable with being uncomfortable. When we’re comfortable, that’s a big clue that we’re not growing. The only way to experience real personal and business growth is to challenge yourself on a regular basis.

8. COI – Sit down and make a list of your “centers of influence.” These people are admired and respected in your community and area of business. Make a commitment to contact them and share your Big Ideas, Dreams and Goals. I will share from my own personal experience that this one tip has taken my business from “surviving” to “thriving.”

9. Pay Attention – To your clients and customers. Once you begin to gain momentum in your business, pay attention to what your clients and customers have to say. They will tell you what they want and how they want it delivered. Survey your clients at least once a year to find out what they love about your business and how you can better serve them.

These 9 success clues were basic threads that ran through each speaker’s presentation. Here’s what I love about them; They are low-cost to no-cost and as expected, come from within you. All you need to do is decide. Make a decision about achieving your own level of success (whatever that means to you) and follow these easy-to-implement clues to take your Big Idea, Dreams and Goals from “surviving” to “thriving.”

Anything is possible. Everything is waiting for you.

© 2010 Joy Chudacoff

Joy Chudacoff, ICF, PCC, is the founder of Smart Women Smart Solutions®, a Professional Certified Coach to 1000’s of women, Motivational Speaker, and Entrepreneur. She publishes a weekly buzz generating ezine, Reflections On Life and Business for Women Entrepreneurs. If you’re ready take your life and your business to the next level, get your FREE Tips, 2 FREE Reports and FREE MP3 now at http://www.CreatingTheSpark.com

I hope this has helped you.

To your success!

Lori

Lori McDowell
Internet Ceo Moms
Helping Families Work From Home Since 1999!

What to look for in a Mentor!

What to Look For in a Mentor:

• I can not emphasize enough the importance of finding a good mentor. If you want to be successful in business and in life, it is so important that you find quality people to surround yourself with. People who possess the kind of skills and traits that you want to have as well.
• When you look for a mentor you need to look for someone who will come along side you to motivate you and direct you, encourage and direct you in the way you should go. When it comes to business, a person may be successful and a "leader" but if they aren't willing to partner with you for the long haul you may be left feeling lost...so it is so important to have a mentor who will continue to work WITH you to ensure your continued success!
• Here are some things to look for in a Mentor:
1. Mentors Open Doors and Help YOU to Create Opportunities for Growth: A mentor who has already had the experience and connections can help open the doors of opportunity that you don't know about yet or have access to.

2. Mentors Can Help you develop your Abilities and Strengths: A good mentor will set you up to succeed, not leave you alone to fail. A good mentor should challenge you to go a step further then you might have gone on your own.

3. Mentors Set the Pace and are and Example: Mentors show you wher to go and what to do. Watch them and do what they do!

4. Mentors Strive to Help you learn from Your Mistakes and Better Yourself Each and Every time: Mentors are your partners not your competition. They want you to do well. They will help you use your mistakes to learn and improve for the next time!

5. Mentors Strive to Help you Aim for Independence and to Help you become a Leader Yourself! The support and training you receive from you mentor should help you to branch out towards the goal of becoming a leader and mentor as well. They shouldn't want you to stay weak and under their wing forever, but Empower you to become like them and even Better! No matter what your goals and vision for the future, a good mentor will lead you towards functioning successfully and independently enough to be able to go on and lead the next generation to success!

Sent via facebook by Stephanie Page

I thought this was excellent because I believe having a great mentor makes all of the difference. Hopefully, everyone is successful with having a great mentor!

To Your Success,

Lori

Lori McDowell
Internet Ceo Moms
Helping Families Work From Home Since 1999!

Tips For Working From Home

Here are some tips that help me get more done while working from home and home schooling my children.

1. Schedule. Know what you need to accomplish in your day, and create a schedule. It may be a loose schedule with big blocks of time for general things (for example, morning for school work, afternoons for business work, evenings for family time) or it may be a more precise schedule with hourly plans (breakfast at 8am, math at 9am, spelling at 10am, mom checks email while kids take a break at 10:30am, etc). This depends on your personality. Try different strategies to find what works best for you and your family.

2. Plans and Lists. I keep lists and plans. My weekly menu is on the fridge. My shopping list is also there and as soon as we run out of something it goes on the list. I plan to use the crock pot frequently, especially when I know a day will be busy. I choose home school curriculum that comes with the plans already laid out so it’s easy to “open and go” then just check off the boxes as we complete things. I’m a big fan of following things that work and not trying to re-invent the wheel.
My calendar stays on my desk and when I have specific projects or things that need done they go on the calendar. I keep an eye on what’s due and what’s coming up soon. I also use Basecamp online for client work and some of my own projects.
Find the types of lists and plans that work for you. Keep your planning tools in the most convenient places so you are reminded to use them and follow them.

3. Have support. Surround yourself with people and systems that support you in the things you’ve got to accomplish. We’ve chosen to home school through a charter school program that gives us a teacher I can call or email when I need help. I have business friends that I know I can go to for support and accountability as well. Makes a world of difference to know that’s there if I need it.

4. Challenge yourself. If you think it’ll take 30 minutes to clean your kitchen or speed through your email, set your timer for 15 and just see if you can get it done quicker. You might be surprised how often it works!
—–
And now, let me give you access to some great free resources for small businesses including 101 Free/Cheap Ways to Market Your Business and more at http://www.michelleshaeffer.com.
Michelle Shaeffer has been a work at home mom for more than 10 years and loves to share the tips and strategies she’s learned to help other small business owners and entrepreneurs.

This is a great article with wonderful tips! I hope this has helped you in some way!

To Your Success!

Lori

Lori McDowell
Internet Ceo Moms
Helping Families Work From Home Since 1999!

Top Ten Reasons To Become A Customer!

I have been a customer of Melaleuca for 3 years and it is the best decision I made for my family for a number of reasons.

1. These products are the best products I have ever used! They actually do what they are suppose to which is awesome. We have improved our way of life by just switching stores and becoming a customer.

2. They are green products, so there are no harmful chemicals in them. I had no idea what the chemicals in our every day products are so hazardous to our health! These harmful chemicals can cause asthma, breathing problems, allergies, etc. No thank you, I am sticking with Melaleuca! Plus, everything is recyclable. Melaleuca has been a green company for over 25 years, they were a green company before it was popular.

3. These products help so many people with who have conditions such as, asthma, allergies, eczema, psoriasis, and so many other.

4. Melaleuca saves you money! The products are concentrated so they last longer! Laundry detergent, cleaners, shampoo, hand soap etc., will last you at least 3-4 times longer. Sometimes they last longer than that! The products can be mixed together and become multi-purpose cleaners as well as bug repellent.

5. Melaleuca gives you loyalty shopping dollars which are great and another way to save money. Melaleuca gives all new customers $20 worth of free products for the five months and then you accumulate them every month after that. I average $30 worth of free products. Plus you get 30-40% off the retail price just for being a customer.

6. Melaleuca will replace your trips to Walmart or Target because Melaleuca offers your everyday products. They have the following lines of products; Bath & Body, Skincare, Cosmetics, Dental, Laundry, Cleaners, Nutritional Food Line, Vitamins, Pharmaceutical, Kids, and Sports Nutrition. Think of the time you will save and gas money. I can tell you I love not having to take my son to Walmart or Target, we save money just staying out of those stores. This is all because I decided to try a new store and it was a great decision.

7. Melaleuca offers so many other services like discounts on cell phones, security systems, health care and the MarketPlace is great. The MarketPlace allows you to order from your favorite stores like Target, Kohls, Best Buy, Overstock.com, and about 400 other popular stores. You get anywhere from 5-15% off plus, Loyalty Shopping products to use to get free products.

8. Melaeuca offers coupons every month to give you even better savings for your favorite products.

9. Melaleuca will send you a thank you check for referring new customers. How many stores do that? You can refer as many customers as you would like and every time they order what they need, you will receive a monthly thank you check. I can tell you I have been receiving a check every month for almost 3 years and it more than pays for my products every month. It is like getting free products and making a profit. I do not know any stores that offers that. Plus, I love sharing these awesome products/store with others.

10. Melaleuca is usually only $29 a year to join and $12 annually, but this month it is only a $1 and there is no risk to join. Everything is guaranteed and you can cancel at anytime. It is a month to month membership. There is no penalty to cancel at any time.

There are several more reasons to join Melaleuca but I will stop there. I love Melaleuca because it is a Direct Consumer Company, not a MLM or Pyramid. There is the option to build a business with Melaleuca with great residual income. The great thing is people can just be customers and not build. The products are so great most people end up sharing it with the people they love and therefore they receive a check. It is a great company with Christian values and it all starts with the CEO. Melaleuca has been in business for over 25 years and has won several awards for providing excellent service to their customers as well as their community. That is what really impresses me. Check out Melaleuca's awards at the top of my blog. They have grown every year since they opened their doors in 1985.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me at lannmc@live.com.

I hope this information is valuable to you!

To Your Success!

Lori

Lori McDowell

Anybody Can Achieve Anything? Do You Believe It?

As the story goes, Frank Sinatra got his big break while working as a waiter. One day, as he was waiting tables, who does he see sitting in the restaurant, but one of the biggest names in the music industry.

Old Blue Eyes did the unbelievable: He cleared off a table next to the gentleman and got up on it and sang! He knew he was done at the restaurant for doing so, but how many times would this door of opportunity open up? Needless to say, the rest is history.
You see, you never know when the door of opportunity is going to open wide. For some, the big break comes early in life and for others later on.

But for all of those who become successful, there is one key similarity: They were ready. And for every one of those who were ready, there were thousands more who were not.
So, the principle for us is: Be ready!
Are you ready? When that huge door of opportunity opens up, will you be able to walk boldly through it? Don’t just sit and wish and dream. Be proactive and make sure you are the closest to the door.


When it opens – Be Ready!


Shhh. Do you hear that? Hinges creaking! It is the sound of the door opening. Your door of opportunity! Are you ready?


If you’re ready to make some positive changes in your life,read my story and email me at lannmc@live.com for more information and let me know a good time to contact you. What do you have to lose? The information is FREE and there's no pressure or anything like that. Just the facts so you can decide if what we have a good fit for you and your family. I believe you'll be pleasantly impressed.

Those who succeed are those who walk through the door of opportunity when it swings open. We have helped thousands to achieve their goals, and we're looking forward to helping thousands more who are truly ready to open and walk through that door with us!

I think Donna Stewart is so right! She is the founder of Internet Ceo Moms and this article. One day I decided I really needed a positive change in my life, as well as to grow personally. I wanted to find the right business that I would be proud of and be able to stay home with my son. I have found the perfect fit for me, thanks to Donna and the Internet Ceo Moms. I love what I do right from home and I would love to share it with you. We all have choices to make in our lives and it is important we make the right choices for ourselves and our families. It is always a good idea to obtain all of the information before making a choice.

Enjoy a great day and to your success!

Lori

Lori McDowell
Internet Ceo Moms
Helping Moms Work From Home since 1999!

Can your ego kill your business?

This article is by MaryEllen Tribby.

During my career I have hired, trained and mentored hundreds of people.

I can usually determine after the first week of working with someone what their “make or break” is. I can conclude if they will excel or will be mediocre and the underlying characteristics that will prevail.

Over the years I have earned about a 95% success rate. Meaning my initial assessment turns out to be correct. You would think I would be elated with that number – but there is just something about that 5% that just plain saddens me.

I have banged my head against the wall trying to figure out why I care about that 5%. Why that damn 5% makes me so sad. And finally it hit me – it is because of the wasted potential!

It is seeing the extraordinary gift in someone go to waste.

Years ago while heading up a large financial publishing company, I hired a rising superstar. Because I recognized this early on, I spent a great deal of time mentoring her as well as introducing her to other people in the industry.

Our boss/employee relationship blossomed into a wonderful friendship and we began spending time together socially with our spouses and children.

When she was ready to move on, I encouraged her to do so. I even recommended her to an industry legend that was starting a new business.

On my recommendation he hired her and in the beginning she excelled.

But then she soon left that position to start her own little consulting company.

She quickly acquired clients using my name as bait.

Initially I did not have a problem with this until the “buzz” in the industry was that she is not always delivering assignments on time and is getting increasingly harder to deal with.

We hadn’t communicated since she went off on her own. Then, a few months ago, I received an e-mail from her.

She asked if we could have lunch so she could pick my brain regarding her consulting business. She admitted she was overwhelmed taking on too much work and did not know what to do about it. Because we both have busy schedules, we had to set the date for two weeks down the road.

Two days before our scheduled lunch, I e-mailed her to say I was looking forward to seeing her and to confirm the time and place.

I was shocked by her response. She had forgotten all about it. She said she was too busy, and asked if we could please meet the following day instead.

I couldn’t make it the following day. And I was understandably miffed, because I’d had to re-schedule several appointments to free up the day and time we’d originally set. As I tried to explain this to her, I felt sudden heartbreak. Here was someone whose ego was destroying her business.

Whether you are working in a corporate environment or on your own, you should always be building relationships. Relationships with your customers, your competitors, and certainly with your current and previous mentors.

The best and easiest way to do so is to:

Follow my simple business ABC’s for sucess:

A) Always put yourself on the same playing field: Never think you are more important than anyone else. Some people may be more famous – but we are all equally important. I pride myself on treating everyone I meet with mutual respect. It does not matter to me what someone’s job title is – when they do that job with dignity and urgency, they deserve my respect.

B) Be thankful: Wake up everyday with a sense of gratitude. I am so grateful for the people in my live. Yes my family is a given, but also the mentors I have had that helped me achieve my success. It does not matter if they were a mentor from 10 years ago or 10 minutes ago, if anyone of them called me and asked for anything I would jump through hoops of fire to make it happen.

C) Communicate carefully: This starts with not over committing. It is a common blunder when starting out in business to take on too many clients in fear that the clients may not be there next month or next year. But when you actually turn down business and only accept the amount of business that you can handle your business will grow.

Remember if you take people for granted… and start putting yourself ahead of them… you’ll be burning valuable bridges that you will be sure to need down the road.


I think this is a great article and reminder for anyone in the corporate world or anyone who owns thier own business. You really need to care about people and respect people's time, as well as thier situation. Everyone had different circumstances and it is important to be aware of them at all times. I will help anyone who wants my help. It is such a great feeling to help others accomplish thier dreams.

I hope this gave you something to think about and can make a difference in your life.

To your Success!

Lori

Lori McDowell
Internet Ceo Moms
Helping Moms Work From Home since 1999!

Work At Home Moms Article - Great Information

This is another great article of information posted by another mom on Internet Ceo Moms Suzanne Conant. This is great advice.

Just because you're a WAHM, it doesn't mean you're the welcome mat for everyone else. You're a work at home Mom who's not only taking care of her family, but contributing to the family's income. Your job working at home is just as important as someone's job outside the home.

The challenge for many Moms working from home is not making it clear to family and especially to friends that being a WAHM means you have work or business priorities to tend to. Here are some tips to help you make it clear to the people around you aware of your work schedule.

Sit down with your family members and show them your schedule. This schedule can be posted somewhere prominent in the house for reference. Explain to them what your job or business is about. The more they understand what you do and why you can't be disturbed from so and so time the less interruptions you will get.

If you treat your work at home business like a real business, how you present yourself as being a business person will shine through and people will take you seriously. If you act like your business is no big deal then your friends will think it's just a hobby and expect you to have time to chat on the phone, go for coffee or even use you as their babysitter.

There are many advantages of being a WAHM because of the flexibility it offers, but also know when to say, "No." Doing occasional favors for family and friends are okay if they really need your help, but it's not okay to make it a regular thing.

One of the reasons you work from home is to have full control of what and when you do things. Take control of your work at home schedule, stick to it and don't let others disrupt it unnecessarily. Once people see you take your work at home job or business seriously, the more likely they will stop dropping by unannounced or calling you to chat.
Work does work but as Zig Ziglar says you have to live your day by a the clock and your life by your vision.

I agree with Suzanne, it can be challenging to work from home but, you do have to set a few guidelines in order to be successful. To have your family on the same page will make all of the difference.

I hope this information helped! I know it was beneficial for me.

Have a productive day!

Lori

Lori McDowell
Internet Ceo Moms
Helping Families Work From Home Since 1999

What Will You Be Doing In 7 Years From Now?

I thought this was a a great story to share with everyone! It is so true!

I graduated from Brazosport High School in Freeport, Texas in May 1972. Not dressed in white (honors), but I graduated.

That summer like the previous summer, I worked as a longshoreman loading corn, flour and corn sacks weighing 50 to 140 lbs. and 900 lbs. caustic soda drums on freight ships bound to other countries at nearby Brazos Harbor and Dow Chemical A2 Dock.

This was one of the better paying jobs in the area. It was grueling, hard, heavy work, but I loved it at the time. My father had been doing this job most of his life since it paid well.

Fall came around and I had already decided that I did not want to make my living as a longshoreman. Work was inconsistent and when it was there it only went to the ones with the most seniority, unless there was too much. There was very little opportunity for a better job when you got older.

I had always heard that a college education would get you a better job and decided to find out. So I went to nearby Brazosport College and set up an appointment with a counselor.

I got to his office at the appointed time and he asked me what work or profession interested me the most. I had taken Auto Mechanics I & II during my junior and senior years in high school and asked him if Brazosport College had an auto mechanics
program.

He said "no." I asked him if they had anything similar to it. He said that the Machine Tools Technology program was very similar and described the program to me.

I was very interested and asked him how long it would take if I went full time. He said "4 years." I said I couldn't go full time since I am working (whenever work was available).

I asked how long would it take if I go part time? He said "7 years." I was shocked. I said, "Man, I'll be old then, I'll be 25 years old. I don't think so."

He asked me, "what did you say you did for a living right now?" I told him again that I worked as a longshoreman throwing bags and manhandling drums. Then he bent over his desk and looked me square in the eye and asked me the most significant words I will never forget in my life:

"IF YOU DON'T TAKE ANY CLASSES. WHAT WILL YOU BE DOING 7 YEARS FROM NOW?"

These words hit me like a ton of bricks! I sheepishly told him that I would be doing the same thing. I signed up for the classes right then and there.

These prophetic words have inspired many of my relatives and friends. The sun will rise and fall 365 days a year. What you choose to do in between will determine many things in your life. This story alone has inspired relatives and friends to realize an age-old truth: Time will go on regardless and it waits on nobody.

Years later, I told a co-worker this story. He got inspired enough that he went on and got 3 different degrees in computers in less than 7 years! He said afterwards, "7 years ago I would've been saying to myself, 'If only I had the opportunity.'"

TIME WILL PASS REGARDLESS!Augie Mendoza

I am sure we have all felt this way at one time or another. I know I have missed opportunities in the past and I always wondered what if? That is why I am so proud that 3 years ago I did not let the Internet Ceo Moms opportunity pass me by. It has been such a blessing for our family because we are healthier, using better products, saving money and helping others families do the same thing.

To your Success!


Lori

Lori McDowell
Internet Ceo Moms
Helping Moms Work From Home since 1999!
www.MomsForGreen.com

7 Ways To Feel Good

1. Wake Up !!

Decide to have a good day.
'This is the day the Lord hath made;
let us rejoice and be glad in it.'
Psalms 118:24


2. Dress Up !!

The best way to dress up is to put on a smile.
A smile is an inexpensive way to improve your looks.
'The Lord does not look at the things man looks at.
Man looks at outward appearance,
but the Lord looks at the heart.'
I Samuel 16:7


3. Shut Up!!

Say nice things and learn to listen.
God gave us two ears and one mouth,
so He must have meant for us to do twice as much listening as talking.

'He who guards his lips guards his soul.'
Proverbs 13:3


4. Stand Up!!

. . . for what you believe in.
Stand for something or you will fall for anything.
'Let us not be weary in doing good; for at the proper time,
we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.
Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good...'
Galatians 6:9-10



5. Look Up !!

. . to the Lord.
'I can do everything through Christ who strengthens me'.
Philippians 4:13


6. Reach Up !!

. . for something higher.
'Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
and lean not unto your own understanding.
In all your ways, acknowledge Him, and He will direct your path.'
Proverbs 3:5-6



7. Lift Up !!

. . your Prayers.
'Do not worry about anything; instead
PRAY ABOUT EVERYTHING.'
Philippians 4:6


I hope this helps as you grow daily in the Lord. I know it helps me! This can help you get through the tough times you maybe facing in your life or in your business.

Have a Blessed Day!

Lori

Lori McDowell
Internet Ceo Moms
Helping Moms Work From Home since 1999!
www.MomsForGreen.com!

Would You Agree That Owning Your Own Business Is The Best Way To Get Ahead?

The truth is, most people that are in business for themselves are the people who have built the biggest fortunes and have created financial security for their families.

Sadly most don't have the means, entrepreneurial spirit or know-how to do it.
Think about it for a second. Suppose you wanted to start your own business, let's say a retail store. What do you need to have in place to do it?
• Huge Investment of Cash
• Money for building and/or rent.
• Money for inventory/product.
• Employees
• Payroll Staff
• Management Staff
• Ordering Staff
• Computers
• Racks etc. to hold products
• Cash Registers/Debit Machines
• Legal Department
• And the list goes on...
What if you could start your own successful business for $29 and everything was already in place for you.

What if:
• You had access to hundreds of consumable products backed by 25 years of research and patents that were better and less expensive than the competition?
• You had access to millions of square feet of manufacturing and distribution facilities?
• You had access to millions of dollars worth of computers to handle payroll, orders, taxes etc?
• You had access to a legal team ?
• You had access to hundreds of employees to take orders and service your customers?
• You had access to a research and development team and sales literature?
• Your customers purchased every month? They came back and shopped month after month after month?
• Everything was guaranteed?
• You could build your business to the size of thousands of dollars of residual income each month?
• You could see the average annual incomes of current business owners as well as the average time it takes business owners to achieve them?
• All you had to do to build your business was to promote the products/company and set up customer accounts?
• You had all of that, and your only investment was some of your time and $29 (that was guaranteed) ?
It amazes me why anyone that really wants to make some positive changes wouldn't jump in with both feet and create a great life! Or at the very least learn everything they could about to make an educated, informed decision.

Shhhhh...do you hear the door of opportunity opening?

Some Do, Some Don't.

Which one are you?


Donna Stewart
Proud Member of Internet Ceo Moms
Helping Families to Achieve Their Goals since 1999!

Donna is so right this is the best way to get ahead! I love the freedom to work from home and be able to stay with my son. It is the best thing in the world and I am so grateful to have found the Internet Ceo Moms.

To Your Success

Lori

Lori McDowell
Internet Ceo Moms
Helping Families Work From Home Since 1999!

Understanding "True" Residual Income

When it comes to choosing and having a home business, my advice would be to make sure that there is a "True" residual income.

What exactly is residual income anyway? Simply put, residual income can be defined as any payment system where you receive regular, ongoing payments as a result of a one time effort. Payments that are regular and ongoing with no further effort (except for a little maintenance) once the initial work has been done.

As you surf the net, you will come across a wide variety of business opportunities. Invariably, each one will claim to have the best compensation plan available and many will claim to offer "residual income". However, a quick examination of many of these pay plans will reveal that, although there may be an earning opportunity, it cannot truly be described as residual income.

For example: Let's say you are in a home business that promotes water softeners. Once a sale is made, that customer will no longer require any further water softeners. At least not for a while. It's a one time sale, not an ongoing income.

Now let's look at a cosmetic business or a jewelry business as another example. Although your customers may need cosmetics or jewelry on a regular basis, unless they are signed up as an ongoing member that commits to purchase a certain amount each month, you can only "hope" they come back to you to purchase their cosmetics or jewelry.

Picture this scene. You had several parties during a month where you made $2000 in sales of your cosmetics or jewelry (of which you receive a commission). No one signed up as a consistent monthly shopper, but rather simply made a one time purchase from you. What are the odds that those who shopped from you last month, will come back and shop for just as much or more this month or the next, or even the next? The chances are slim. What is required with this type of home business is a commitment to begin each month searching for new prospects to replace the ones from the month before.

With genuine residual income, the products should be needed and consumed on a monthly basis. With that type of reorder process your current customer base continues to shop every month. So when a new month starts, and you build your business, you are simply adding to your current customer bases, thereby continually growing your business with a true ongoing residual income.


This article is by Donna Stewart the Founder of Internet Ceo Moms. Love this article and Donna explains it well. I hope this has helped you in some way.

Lori

Lori McDowell
Internet Ceo Moms
Helping Families Work From Home Since 1999

ABC' s For Success

This article is by MaryEllen Tribby.

During my career I have hired, trained and mentored hundreds of people.

I can usually determine after the first week of working with someone what their “make or break” is. I can conclude if they will excel or will be mediocre and the underlying characteristics that will prevail.

Over the years I have earned about a 95% success rate. Meaning my initial assessment turns out to be correct. You would think I would be elated with that number – but there is just something about that 5% that just plain saddens me.

I have banged my head against the wall trying to figure out why I care about that 5%. Why that damn 5% makes me so sad. And finally it hit me – it is because of the wasted potential!

It is seeing the extraordinary gift in someone go to waste.

Years ago while heading up a large financial publishing company, I hired a rising superstar. Because I recognized this early on, I spent a great deal of time mentoring her as well as introducing her to other people in the industry.

Our boss/employee relationship blossomed into a wonderful friendship and we began spending time together socially with our spouses and children.

When she was ready to move on, I encouraged her to do so. I even recommended her to an industry legend that was starting a new business.

On my recommendation he hired her and in the beginning she excelled.

But then she soon left that position to start her own little consulting company.

She quickly acquired clients using my name as bait.

Initially I did not have a problem with this until the “buzz” in the industry was that she is not always delivering assignments on time and is getting increasingly harder to deal with.

We hadn’t communicated since she went off on her own. Then, a few months ago, I received an e-mail from her.

She asked if we could have lunch so she could pick my brain regarding her consulting business. She admitted she was overwhelmed taking on too much work and did not know what to do about it. Because we both have busy schedules, we had to set the date for two weeks down the road.

Two days before our scheduled lunch, I e-mailed her to say I was looking forward to seeing her and to confirm the time and place.

I was shocked by her response. She had forgotten all about it. She said she was too busy, and asked if we could please meet the following day instead.

I couldn’t make it the following day. And I was understandably miffed, because I’d had to re-schedule several appointments to free up the day and time we’d originally set. As I tried to explain this to her, I felt sudden heartbreak. Here was someone whose ego was destroying her business.

Whether you are working in a corporate environment or on your own, you should always be building relationships. Relationships with your customers, your competitors, and certainly with your current and previous mentors.

The best and easiest way to do so is to:

Follow my simple business ABC’s for success:

A) Always put yourself on the same playing field: Never think you are more important than anyone else. Some people may be more famous – but we are all equally important. I pride myself on treating everyone I meet with mutual respect. It does not matter to me what someone’s job title is – when they do that job with dignity and urgency, they deserve my respect.

B) Be thankful: Wake up everyday with a sense of gratitude. I am so grateful for the people in my live. Yes my family is a given, but also the mentors I have had that helped me achieve my success. It does not matter if they were a mentor from 10 years ago or 10 minutes ago, if anyone of them called me and asked for anything I would jump through hoops of fire to make it happen.

C) Communicate carefully: This starts with not over committing. It is a common blunder when starting out in business to take on too many clients in fear that the clients may not be there next month or next year. But when you actually turn down business and only accept the amount of business that you can handle your business will grow.

Remember if you take people for granted… and start putting yourself ahead of them… you’ll be burning valuable bridges that you will be sure to need down the road.


I think this is a great article and reminder for anyone in the corporate world or anyone who owns their own business. You really need to care about people and respect people's time, as well as their situation. Everyone had different circumstances and it is important to be aware of them at all times. I will help anyone who wants my help. It is such a great feeling to help others accomplish their dreams.

I hope this gave you something to think about and can make a difference in your life.

To your Success!

Lori

Lori McDowell
Internet Ceo Moms
Helping Moms Work From Home since 1999!

What To Look For Regarding Online Business Opportunities

This is a great article by Mark Harriman on what to look for in a business opportunity. These were the type of attributes I was looking for in a business. The only thing I would add is you want a business that has high ethics and morals. At least, that was very important to me and I would think it is important to many people. It also has to be an opportunity that you are passionate about because if you are not passionate about the company you are representing you will not be successful.


1. First thing is a powerful business model. When you take a look at the company do you see a company with a firm foundation in the business world and are they using the latest technology and techniques to create wealth.

2. How they are marketing and what type of marketing are they using? This is a vast subject but one that is so key to your success, it can be the difference between success and failure. The world is at your fingertips in the 21st century. You can sit in your bedroom as I am doing now and in a few minutes or hours put together articles, blogs, classified ads or a number of others resources that are out there that will drive traffic you your business. You must be online and you must be online in a big way. So the company that you choose should have some kind of resources for powerful marketing.

3. A powerful mentoring program & educational tools. If you do not have the support that you need in a new venture it is going to be all that much harder. Support from your team and the tools and resources that you are able to tap into when you have time to do so are worth the wait in gold. Lets face it many of us that take the leap to start our own business are not sitting around all day with nothing to do. We have jobs, families and lives that need attending to. So finding a company with the educational tools that can help us make the most out of the time that we do have is key.

Online business opportunities are abundant and it is not easy separating the ones that will give you the best chance for success from the ones that will not. Be diligent in your research and look for the resources that they say that they will provide you with to help you succeed with the business. You have heard of location, location, location, well I would say the key here is resources, resources, resources.
Next find some key elements to marketing online and driving your business forward.

About the Author
Mark Harriman owns and operates an online marketing and mentoring business.

I hope this information helps you decide on what business you would like to pursue.

To your success!

Lori

Lori McDowell
Internet Ceo Moms
Helping Families Work From Home Since 1999!

For more information on Internet Ceo Moms, check out my website at: www.momsforgreen.com

Why MLM's Don't Work Long Term by Donna Stewart

I have had so many people come to me asking me if MLM’s work.

My short answer. No, definitely not long term.

Now, hear me out. I’m not saying Home Businesses don’t work. I’m saying any business that has an MLM business model will not work long term.

Question: Is there an MLM company that started in the USA in the past 30 years, that grew to 300 million in annual sales, and then continued to grow for each of the following 3 years?

Hmmmm? Interestesting question isn’t it. I have yet to find one MLM that meets that criteria.

Why? My theory: MLM’s have a poor business model yet hundreds of new ones pop up every day. (To replace the old ones that have gone under.)Some people will be successful. No question about that. But they are making serious money at the expense of thousands who do not and who will get hurt.

Another Question: If you are currently in an MLM, how many people are you willing to hurt to make money? Some of you may not even realize that you are involved in something that will hurt people and their families financially.

Most leaders that are in MLM companies have come from another and will eventually join another. Again, at the expense of hurting people for their own personal gain.

Now there are some MLM’s that have a product(s) like candles, skin care, Knick Knacks, Kitchen tools etc…and some have great products. However…can you build a long term residual income where you have a customer base that consistently shops month after month?

Then there are MLM’s where it seems just too good. Seriously, you’ve seen the emails and facebook posts right?

GET IN NOW!
SECURE YOUR SPOT!
PRE-LAUNCH
JOIN WHILE IT’S HOT
SEE HOW A 25 YEAR OLD…MADE MILLIONS
ETC…

Enough already! Below I’ve listed “some” MLM companies that are either closed, bankrupt, or on their way out. What MLM is going to be next? It’s just a matter of time. In my humble opinion, the business model does not work long term.

1Network.com
1st Family
1Voice Worldwide
A Better Chance PTY
A1 Internet Service
Accelerated Internet Income Strategies
Acheivers Unlimited
Act II Jewelry – Lady Remington
Active Business Solutions
Adora LLC
AdSavers
Advantage Neutraceuticals
Affordable Luxuries
Albert Konder Collection
AlpineV
AMERICA’S TEAM
American Freeway 100
AmeriKare International
AmeriLat
AmeriTalks
Annasa
ART & SOUL, INC.
Artistic Impressions, Inc
ASN (dba) AMERICAN SHOPPERS NETWORK
Assured Nutrition Plus
ATG TECHNOLOGIES
ATI (dba) ALLIANCE TECHNOLOGY INT’L
ATN
AWARENESS
B & F SYSTEM, INC.
BigSmart
BIMINI ESSENTIALS
Blessed Hope Communications
BODY ELECTRIC
BRIDAL ACCENTS, LTD.
BROAD POINT COMMUNICATIONS
BULLETIN BOARD
Call the Planet ( CTP )
CALLS FOR KIDZ
CAMBRIDGE
CAROLINA FINE COOKIES
CDBN (dba) CONSUMERS DIRECT BUYERS NETWORK
Celestial Harvest
Chantal B – Paris
CharityFirst
Chef Selections
Chef Specialties Company
Cherish Designs
Claudia Jean Collection
Claytime Inc.
ClickIncomes.com
ClubDepot.com
CoffeeFair
COLESCE COUTURE DBA: CAMEO
COOKIE LIFE
CouponsMan
Custom Corner
Cutting Edge Vitamins
CYBERGOLD, INC.
Darswinkle’s Delights
Dashyn Delights
DEBT FREE PUBLISHING, INC. / DBA: DEBT ZAPPER
Denali Health Sciences
DIAMOND CLUB OF AMERICA
DIRECT HOME SHOPPING CLUB (DHSC)
DK FAMILY LEARNING EDUCATIONAL PRODUCTS
Dynasty of Diamonds
E-EXCELL INTERNATIONAL
E-ZINE LIBRARY.COM
EARTH SAFE & WELLNESS TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
EASY MARKETING, INC.
EASY WAY INTERNATIONAL
EMPOWER NET
English Collectables
Entertain with Ease!
ENVION
Environmental Nutrition Network
EonDeck.com
EPIC Network International
ePlanetParadise
ESA-STAR TOUCH INTERNATIONAL
ESSENTIALS BLUE LINE COSMETICS LTD.
Etherea Aromatics
EverydayWealth
Excel Communications
Extreme Research Corp
F.A.I.T.H. Company
FAMILY INTEGRITY BUYLINE, INCL (FIBI)
FAMILY SOLUTION (THE)
Fantasy Inc
FAX BOX NETWORK
Finest Accessories Inc. (The)
FIRST STEP (THE)
FOR YOU, INC.
Fortune21
Fragrant Lemon Peel (the) TFLP
Free Card Matrix
FREE NETWORK (THE)
FREEDOMSTAR COMMUNICATIONS
FuelZone
Fun For Life Club International
FUTURE CITY.COM
FUTURE WORLD
GCMI LONG DISTANCE
Gemcap Equity Management
Geminet
Global Cause
Global Nutrition Network
GLOBAL VILLAGE MARKET
GLOBION
GMT (Get Moving Today)
Gold Entertainment
Golden Neo-Life Diamite International
GOLDEN NEO-LIFE-DIAMITE
GOLDEN NUTRITION
Good Books & Company
Good Nature Company
Great American – The Wholefood Farmacy
GREAT LIFE PRODUCTS
Greeting Cake Company (The)
GULF COAST NUTRITIONAL INC. (dba) NOAH’S ARK
HAND TECHNOLOGIES
HARVEST HOME CANDLES
Harvesting America
HEALTH & NUTRITION NETWORK
HEALTH DYNAMICS RESEARCH
Heart Warming Creations, Inc.
Heart Warming Goodness
HIGHER IDEALS
Highlights-Jigsaw Toy Factory
Holbrook Cottage, Inc
Holiday Magic
Hsin Ten Enterprise USA
I Deal In Travel
I-LINK WORLDWIDE, LLC
IDEA CONCEPTS
IDEAL HEALTH INTERNATIONAL
IDEAL SOLUTIONS INT’L
IDN-NU SKIN INTERNATIONAL
IEXALT FAMILY
IMOGEN CONCEPTS, INC.
INCOMNET COM (SIMPLE2 NET)
INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGIES CORP OF AMERICA
Integrated Synergy
INTELLIGENT NUTRITION SYSTEMS, INC
International Team Works
INTERNET 4 FAMILIES (I4F)
IONX RESOURCE
iPowerBiz
IT’S LIFE
JAPAN LIFE AMERICA CORP.
JET SET LIFE TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
Jewel Way
Joielle
JS Homestyle
Just Add Guests
Kanosis
KAREMORE INTERNATIONAL
KASEY’S COUPONS
Kat’s Coffees
KIDZ BOULEVARD
KINETIC RESOURCE INTERNATIONAL
KINGS CHOICE
KINGSWAY, INC.
Kitchen Fair (Regal Ware)
KM.net 1/1/2005
L.E.A.P. (LIFE, EDUCATION & PROSPERITY, INC.)
Ladybug Garden Parties
Laga Designs
LAMETCO
Le Club Prive
LE NATUREL
Let’s Do Tea LLC
Lexli MD, Inc.
LIFE DYNAMICS INTERNATIONAL
LIFE LINK, LTC.
LIFE SCIENCE TECHNOLOGY
LIFE STYLES USA
LifeMist Home Products
LifesMiracle
LifeSpan International
LIFETEK CORPORATION
LIGHTHOUSE AMERICA
Longevity Network
LUXELLE INTERNATIONAL
LYC INTERNATIONAL
Magnus Enterprises
MARK I OF NORTH AMERICA
MARKET PLACE INTERNATIONAL
MARKET TO SUCCESS
MAXXIS 2000
Mayberry America
MIRACLE MAIL.COM
MLM BANNER EXCHANGE
MLM COMMUNITY.COM
MLM SEARCH.COM
MLM World News Today
MOUNTAIN GOURMET
Movie Club Plus
Muscle Dynamics Fitness Network
My Tax Man
N.A.T.A.L.
NANCI CORPORATION
NATIONAL BENEFITS & SERVICES
National Bodycare
NATIONAL CALLING CARD ASSOCIATES
National Companies
NATIONAL SAFETY ASSOCIATES (NSA)
Natural Air Products
NATURAL BODY LINES
Natural Health Trends Corp
Nature’s Gold International
NATURE’S HEALING AROMATHERAPY, INC.
NATURE’S VERY BEST
NATURES BODYCARE
NATURES WEALTH
NaturScience
NetmarkAid
NEURO-HEALTH (BECALM’D)
New Century Life
NEW LIFE TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
New Quest International
NEW RESOLUTION, INC. (NRI)
NSA
NTA (dba) NATIONAL TELECOM ASSOCIATION, INC.
NU BOTANIC INTERNATIONAL
Nutrition For Life
Oasis Lifesciences
OC Rebates
OceanCity Network
October Trading
ONE Group
ONE SOURCE WORLDWIDE NETWORK
ONE WORLD ONLINE
ORIGINAL SOLUTIONS INC.
Our Family Favorites
OXFORD SAVINGS CLUB
P.S. I Love You, Inc
PAINT BOX COMPANY (THE)
Pamper My Baby
Patchwork & Preserves
PetShop.biz
PetsParty
Phoenix Cookes
PixMeUp 1/1/2005
PlantMakers
Platinum Travel Club
Pola USA
Popular Club, Inc.
Power of Nature
PremierNet Plus
PriceNetUSA
Primebuy International
Pro-Ma Systems
PROFIT CENTRAL, INC.
prowealthSOLUTIONS
PTI
Purchase Plus Buyers
PurchasePro
Quiet Place for You
Quorum
R GARDEN INTERNATIONAL
RACHAEL INTERNATIONAL
REAL LIFE SOLUTIONS, INC.
ReferralWare International
RENAISSANCE FOR LIFE
Retire on Spending
RICH PLAN OF FLORIDA
RMC Group, Inc.
ROSEMARIE COLLECTIONS
Savory Naturals
SCRIPTURES
Sea Alive
Seaborne, LLC
SeAcai
SECURE INDEPENDENCE
Self Indulgence
SERENITY
Shades of Color
Shoppers Central
ShrimpUSA
SILVER BUYERS CLUB (THE)
SMART RESPONDER.COM
smartmall.biz
Solutions Immunity Enhancement
Sound Cafe.com
SOUND TRAVELS (div SOUNDS EXCITING)
SOUTHERN HERITAGE, INC.
Southwestern Company (THE)
SPRINGBOARD
SPRINGWELLNESS
STEAK BUYERS CLUB
Stella -n- Dot
Stoxrus
SUNRISE DIRECT
SUPRA/LIFE SOARING EAGLE VENTURES, INC.
Surfing2Cash
Sweet Berry Designs
Sweet Prairie Soap Company
T-Shirts with a Personal Touch
TALISMAN
TapCity
Taste D-Vine
TBN – The Benefits Network
Team Effort International
TEL-A-NATION
TERAFORMA HEALTH
Terra Mezzo
The Furnished Garden
The Topline
Total Life Changes (TLC)
TOTAL SUCCESS SOLUTIONS, INC.
Totally Tropical Interiors
TRADE EXCHANGE NETWORK
Traditions, Inc
TRAFFIC DIRECTORY.COM
Travel Legacy
Travel Promotions International
Travel Reaction
TravelMax International
Travelogia
Treasure Traders International
TRENDMARK INTERNATIONAL
Trilogy International
TruDynamics (Travel Dynamics)
UCS (dba) AMERICANS FOR CONSTITUTIONAL ACTION
UltimateMatch
Uni-Body International
UNIQUE OPPORTUNITIES, INC.
UNITED SUPER ACCOUNT PROGRAM
Universal Lifestyles
US DIAL1
US Health Advisors
USTELETRICITY NETWORK
VIRTUALLY FREE INTERNET
VISION QUEST WORLDWIDE, INC.
Vita Genesis
Vitacube
Vitagenex
VITALITY LABS
VITALITY LIFE CHOICE
VIVA MARKETING
Viva Toxic Free
Viviane Woodward
VOYAGER GROUP, INC. (THE)
WACHTER’S ORGANIC SEA PRODUCTS
WESTERN MARKETING
wfhTravel
WICKER PLUS, LTD.
WORLD GOLF CORP
WORLD NET INTERNATIONAL, INC.
World Wide Alliance Corp (WWA USA)
WORLD WIDE INTERNET MARKETING
WORLD WIDE LINK, INC. (dba) THEWWWLINK
WORLD X CHANGE COMMUNICATIONS
WORLDWIDE
WORLDWIDE NETWORK INCORPORATED (BETA SOURCE)
XPI Online
XtremeHealth Formulas
YOUNGER LIVING, INC.
Your Family First
YourNetPlus.Com
YouthFlow
ZeBlooms
ZENITH 4 THE PLANET

Quite the list isn’t it? Sadly, there are more.

I will be writing a follow up article about “True Residual Income” as well as the MLM “Guru’s” who have created ways to get fellow MLM’ers to purchase their training to help them build their MLM business.

Really?? You’re going to help someone become successful in something that is eventually going to fail? Perhaps they do this to earn more money for themselves and so that they have a list of people to promote the next venture they jump in to?

My personal goal is to educate people on the realities of having a real, lucritive, long term home business and to help to achieve whatever their goals might be.

So what did you think? I always love hearing your feedback, so please leave me a comment down below with questions, thoughts, or feedback. And (yes, here’s my call to action) please share this post with your Twitter and FB friends by clicking on the share buttons below. I totally appreciate it!! Thanks so much for spending time with me here today!

To your success!

Donna Stewart
Founder of Internet Ceo Moms
Helping Families Work From Home Since 1999!

For more information check out my website: www.momsforgreen.com
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Another Great Coachable Article

This is another great article on how to be coachable By Yoji Cole

Here are five other tips on how to be coachable and get the most from your mentor:

1. Ask for feedback
To learn who you are as a worker, ask your supervisor for feedback on your work ethic, strengths and weaknesses.

"Ask pointed questions right after you complete a project or important meeting," says Anne Marie Yarwood, vice president of human resources and head of diversity for JPMorgan Chase's investment bank (JPMorgan Chase is No. 13 on the DiversityInc Top 50 list). "During the walk back to your desk and while it is fresh in someone's mind, test their perceptions to learn their suggestions for your improvement. That tells them you want to be developed."

"Have the courage to ask the question even if you don't like the answer," says Douglas. "Have the ability to ask the questions, because often when I'm coaching people or giving feedback, I encourage them to go to a person, such as their boss--break through the fears."

If you are aware of your strengths and weaknesses, you will not take criticism as a personal affront, says Kym Ward Gaffney, national director of coaching at PricewaterhouseCoopers, No. 4 on the DiversityInc Top 50 list.

"Know how to not get defensive when your leader offers alternative behaviors or disagrees with your approach, because self-awareness is knowing when you become sensitive," says Ward Gaffney. "Be able to suspend judgment; be aware of your strengths and weaknesses; it all signals maturity. It means we can objectively listen to feedback without having the need to be right."

2. Reach out to a mentor who is different from you
A male executive who seeks a mentor who is a senior female executive, or an executive without a disability who seeks a mentor with a disability, for example, will learn more because they're reaching outside familiar territory.

"If your network is not diverse, then you're most likely to get stuck because people in your network will see things like you do, which is affirming but not helpful when you're stuck, "says Yarwood.

She also suggested a method of approaching a mentor who does not share an executive's personal traits. "You might want to think of what you can do for the person," says Yarwood. "Offer to get involved in something they're working on."

Seek the common areas about which people can bond, says Ward Gaffney: "When you are being coached [by] someone who appears different from you, then you make the extra effort to seek points of commonality. Just because someone is physically disabled doesn't mean you don't share some interests. You should look beyond the physical to the core values that you both share."

A method of developing that personal relationship is revealing extra involvement with projects outside of an executive's division, involvement with an employee-resource group or external professional groups. Dr. Cole says taking a mentor to a favorite food spot or event can reveal an executive's interests outside of work. Developing a relationship with a mentor can also be accomplished by inviting "one's coach to a meeting of their LGBT employee-resource group or [inviting a coach to one's] church or synagogue or temple," she says.

3. Know your prospective mentor
Research the senior executive you want as a mentor to learn his or her educational and professional background. The information learned can serve as an opening to ask for the executive's mentoring expertise.

Dr. Cole says this is a great way to open the request for mentoring: "'I've read your biography and certainly know who you are; would you allow me to briefly share my story?'"

"Do your homework to learn who the coach is as a person," says Ward Gaffney. Your research can also help you determine whether or not the mentor is likely to be good for you. Earlier in her career, Ward Gaffney's excitement at being assigned to work with a female leader turned to disappointment when Ward Gaffney discovered that none of the female leader's past mentees were promoted after their time with her.


4. Set up specific expectations
The more specific you and your mentor are about each of your goals for the relationship, the more beneficial the relationship will be to both parties. Yarwood says using broad terms to define a mentoring relationship and not reporting the results will set up the relationship to fail. A common mistake she says is to use broad terms instead of being specific.

"Ask specific questions about where you want feedback or coaching, and when someone has invested time helping you, then let them know the result. That lets them know you're willing to get feedback and act on it," says Yarwood.

"You should always set up a professional-development contract, and that means you are proactively seeking an agreement with your coach that you will create a receptive relationship where you are willing to receive feedback," says Ward Gaffney. "The first thing you can say is that you want to be receptive and you want to have a dialogue with them. You have to establish intentions and actions at the beginning. You're trying to set up mutual accountability."

Mutual accountability gives both parties a framework for formal follow-up meetings at which you and your mentor share in your professional growth. Scheduling formal meetings will ensure that a mentor has set aside time for tutoring and is mentally present.

"[The person being coached] must develop the spirit around which you will receive feedback," says Ward Gaffney. "Consistently and strategically ask for feedback. Don't ask for feedback when the coach is pressed for time. You want to make sure you are letting the coach know you expect feedback. If you don't make time to receive feedback, then it looks like you don't want the feedback."

Make sure your goals include what you can do for your mentor. "This is a business relationship that is expected to benefit both parties. Establish that reciprocity is going on," says Dr. Cole.

Mentoring relationships that focus only on what the mentor can provide dissolve because of a lack of reciprocity, says Dr. Cole: "Any human relationship involves reciprocity." She adds that an executive should involve their mentor in their extracurricular business activities.


5. Show that you learn from mistakes; don't be afraid to fail
It is the demonstration of leadership skills that eventually earns an executive a leadership position. One method to show leadership is by admitting you don't know it all and that you can and do make mistakes.

"I think a good leader is willing to show other people that they don't know everything, that they have frailties and that they're willing to honestly share that with other people," says Douglas. "That opens them up to learning when they admit they don't know everything."

And do not fear failure. "Failure is one of the best ways to grow and learn. Until we have some [failures], we go through life merrily thinking about life one way. Failure is about growth and learning from that," says Douglas.

Tell your mentor what you've learned. "Always indicate you're learning and willing to stretch yourself because then people see you're not stuck in your comfort zone and seek continued improvement and to stretch your skill set," says Ward Gaffney. "If after receiving feedback, you crumble, people will say, 'I'll never coach that person again. We should critique ourselves but not so that we critique ourselves out of action."

These are great tips on how everyone can be coachable.

To your success!

Lori

Lori McDowell
Internet Ceo Moms
Helping Moms Work From Home since 1999!

Are You Coachable?

Are you coachable? This is a great question! To be successful in any business, you have to be coachable. Let's face it when we start a business we do not know all of the answers and we need to look to our mentor or whoever for advice.

Let us look at he definition of coachable which is from the Webster Dictionary:
The state or condition of being coachable or coachable - Able to be coached effectively.

The following article is from Management Craft, which can help put you on the right track of being coachable.

Are you Being Coachable?

Want to have a breakthrough? Breakthroughs happen when we let them - which for most of us, rarely occurs. Our habits, hang-ups, assumptions, and lack of self-confidence get in the way. I call this collection of internal mental responses coachability.
Coachability is the extent that we hear and utilize outside input and influences. To produce breakthroughs, we need to be coachable.

Here's what it looks like when we are coachable:
We do not get defensive when people offer alternatives or disagree.
We invite and appreciate feedback.
We ask peers, team members, managers and others to offer coaching - yes, we think being coached is a GOOD thing!
We think about, process, consider, and occasionally use ideas we get from others.
We stay on a learning curve - keep challenging ourselves.
We know and can openly discuss our strengths and weaknesses.
We handle failures well (hostestly, constructively, quickly getting into action to solve).

And when we are being uncoachable:
We don't listen and an invisible barrier goes up when others offer ideas.
We get defensive - we need to be right!
We do all our own thinking - only the weak ask for input!
We are not interested in being coached.
We are neither aware of nor willing to talk about our weaknesses.
We intrpret suggestions as criticism - we take everything personally.
We dismiss the ideas and assistance of others.
We can improve our coachability by:
Adopting a belief that to achieve our goals, we need to be highly coachable. When we are coachable, success comes easily and quickly.
Change how we define “looking good” or “doing a good job.”
Reverse our belief that we need to be right to be a success. We will create more success if we focus on getting results and utilizing many ideas and perspectives.
Recognize that there are times when we are more coachable than others. For me, 3pm to 5pm is the time I find toughest to concentrate unless I consume vast quantities of chocolate. This would be a bad time to seek input or coaching (unless the aforementioned chocolate had hit my bloodstream, then it would be fine).
Ask for coaching. Ask for ideas. Ask for input. Get into dialogue about the things that matter to you.

A few things to consider about coachability:
We are all coachable some of the time and uncoachable some of the time.
Some of us are uncoachable most of the time - yikes! (and a joy to work with, I am sure).
You can go from being uncoachable to being coachable in an instant. Breakthroughs can occur in a moment.

How coachable are you - I mean right now? Be honest with yourself because if you want to succeed being coachable is very important.

To your success,

Lori

Lori McDowell
Internet Ceo Moms
Helping Moms Work From Home since 1999!

Handling Change

Change: We can actually choose to embrace it; or completely resist it!

We are at a time in our lives when there is much change occurring; and we are more frequently being faced with choices! We often don't see them
as choices; but that's what they are!

We are being given a multitude of opportunities to actually embrace change; or to resist it! This applies equally in our business and personal lives.

Sometimes the necessity for change just happens, and sometimes it is forced upon us quite unexpectedly!

Either way, we are often faced with tough decisions to make and our attitude towards our circumstance s are critical to whether we just survive, or come out thriving!

At other times we need to investigate the change ourselves: and its times
like these that we often have to admit to ourselves that something, or
someone, just isn't working in our lives any more. You might be feeling
like you're in one of those ruts which creep into our lives from time
to time? If you are, remember that a rut is really a grave with the
ends kicked out of it, and it is time to do something, perhaps!

Sure, we have very challenging choices to make when this sort of stuff occurs
in our lives; but we need to make those choices; act upon them; and
move on as wiser people.

Whether you are faced with change that creeps up and bites you on the butt; or whether you have to create a change for your own sake; the ability to accept things as they are, and move forward, is critical. One door closes; another one opens!

Do your best to remember this paradox of life: We can often stare for so long at the door which has closed; that we can miss a new one which has opened!

It is actually very easy to resist change; but keep in mind that resisting
change is actually hard work! Quite often, we don't even know that we
are resisting it; so like most other things in life, it's about being
aware!

Right now, change is being forced upon us in many ways; and for some of us, that could possibly be overwhelming. My suggestion for anyone who is feeling the pinch, is to remember that, necessity is the mother of invention so if you can get yourself into embracing the change which is forcing itself upon you, and get creative, then you may come out of your own situation absolutely shining!

Yes folks, our attitude towards change, does make all the difference!

We can choose to Embrace it ... or Resist it!

Remember: None of us have to do it tough on our own ... ever!
Because: doing it tough on our own ... is also a choice!

Phil Evans
Phil Evans is a Motivator, Business Coach and Inspirational Writer based in Australia.

I love this article and it is so true, it is all about how we respond! So, I choose to embrace it!

I hope this has helped you in some way.

To Your Future!

Lori

Lori McDowell
Internet Ceo Moms
Helping Families Work From Home Since 1999

Thinking For A Change

"Thinking for a Change"
by John C. Maxwell

"You can find many big-picture thinkers who
aren't leaders, but you will find few leaders who are
not big-picture thinkers. Leaders must be able to do
many important things for their people:

1. See the Vision Before Their people.
That's one of the reasons they are able to lead.
Leaders not only see the big picture before others
do, they also see more of it. This allows them to...
2. Size up situations, taking into account many
variables.
Leaders who see the big picture discern possible
possibilities as well as problems. As Max De
Pree says, the first responsibility of a leader is to
define reality. Doing that allows the leader to form
a foundation to build the vision. Once leaders
have done that, they can ..
3. Sketch a picture of where the team is going.
Too often when people present the big picture, it is
drawn up as a bright image without any challenges
or obstacles. That false portrait leads only to
discouragement when followers actually take the
journey.
The goals of leaders shouldn't be merely to make
their people feel good, but to help them be good
and accomplish the dream. The vision, shown
accurately, will allow leaders to. . .
4. Seize the moment when the timing is right. In
leadership, when to move is as important as what you
do. As Winston Churchill said, "There comes a special
moment in everyone's life, a moment for which that
person was born. When he seizes it . . . it is his
finest hour."
"People who are constantly looking at the whole
picture have the best chance of succeeding in any
endeavor." John Maxwell
This incredible book teaches not what to think,
but how to think - how to best use one of your most
precious possessions - your mind. He's considered
one of the foremost experts on leadership and has
written many books on the subject of leadership.
In this book he explores the topics such as
Focused Thinking, Creative Thinking, Strategic
Thinking and Possibility Thinking.


I hope this helps you in some way.

To Your Success!

Lori

Lori McDowell
Internet Ceo Moms
Helping Families Work From Home Since 1999

I Do It Right - Remember These 10 Keys!

• Integrity: Means always be honest. Know your principles and stand by them.
• Determination: Make up your mind to be successful. Resolve to let nothing stand in your way.
• Openness: To people, ideas and situations broadens our options and widens our perspective.
• Initiative: Means to act independently when necessary. Make a plan, and then begin to work on it. No plan is perfect, so do not wait until yours is before you begin to act.
• Resilience: Picks you up when a setback knocks you down. Recommit to your vision of success. Reaffirm your confidence in yourself. Then move on toward your goal.
• Imagination: Allows us to see the future. Develop and maintain the perspective of a child. Wonder why not and what if. Many successes come from seeing an old idea in a new way.
• Gratitude: Is an active way to thank others. Pass on to others the same help and prosperity you have received.
• Humility: Recognizes that success is usually the result of the effort and cooperation of many people. It is seldom the product of solitary actions.
• Think of others first: All of us serve others in some capacity. Use your abilities fully to help others benefit from their contact with you.

Read these 10 keys until you have them memorized and you can recall them simply by remembering “I do it right.” If you review these keys a few times a day they will help you remember what you have done so far that day. This should keep you focus regarding the path to follow that leads to your success.

I hope this has helped you in some way!

Lori

Lori McDowell
Internet Ceo Moms
Helping Families Work From Home Since 1999!

Tips For Starting A Business

We know what it’s like. You have a great idea and are ready to begin building your business, but how do you know where to start? What are the first steps that you should take? Below are a few tips to get you started in the right direction.


Have a Plan & Work That Plan
The first step toward starting a business is to have a plan in place. Most successful businesses take the time to make sure they have a blueprint to success, a plan. When you have a blueprint and a direction to go, you will be so much more successful. There are many free resources across the Internet that can aid you in structuring and thinking through the writing of your business plan. Once you get the plan in place, follow it!

Don’t Try To Do It All Yourself
A wise business owner knows that they can’t do it alone. Even if you have a small budget to begin with, you can enlist the help of a virtual assistant or possibly volunteers or mentors. Get more on board who have experience that can help you in your business.

Know Your Audience (and why they would be interested in your products or services)
Who are you trying to reach? Who needs your product or information? Take the time to do market research and list out who you are selling to and where you can find them – both online and offline. This will help you both when creating the product/service and in your marketing efforts. Also, make sure you keep in touch with your audience and find out how they feel. You can easily create surveys and find out valuable information about what they really think.

Be Clear On Your Rates
You must be clear not only with potential clients, but you must know for yourself what you need to earn. Be brutally honest with yourself about how much you need to earn to keep your business afloat. Now set realistic goals and figure out how to make that happen. Remember in setting your rates that often times you are selling the value of your services or products, and not necessarily the service or product itself.

You Gotta Want It
Someone asked me once why I thought some entrepreneurs succeeded while others, just as talented, failed. My answer? Those that succeeded wanted it bad enough to do whatever it took to make it happen. Running a business isn’t easy, especially in the beginning. There will be long hours, tough critics and disappointments that can’t be prepared for. The entrepreneur who works through the tough times is the one who succeeds in the end.

Get Busy
Don’t wait until you “have it all together” to take that first step – it will never happen. If you have a great idea and have done enough planning to know where you’re headed, go for it. Be prepared to learn some lessons. Be prepared to make changes along the way. But, if you never take the first step you’ll never know the joy of the journey.

———–
Jill Hart of Christian Work at Home Moms, CWAHM.com. and Diana Ennen of VirtualWordPublishing.com are the co-authors of So You Want To Be a Work-at-Home Mom. For more tips visit http://SoYouWantToBeaWAHM.com.

I love this article from Jill Hart and Diana Ennen. They give such great advice and it is very realistic, as well as honest advice. Check out their website for more great information, www.cwahm.com. I listen to their tips!


To your Success!

Lori

Lori McDowell
Internet Ceo Moms
Helping Moms Work From Home since 1999!
www.MomsForGreen.com!