25 October 2007

Website builders, autoresponders and sanity

I'll bet you didn't realize when you became excited about growing your business online, that you would first need to be a computer techie? Neither did I. There have been no postings in the last few weeks because I've been consumed with building a website.

I have to say that the website building and hosting company I used were really helpful. I called tech support about 3 times per day for the last two weeks and was never even put on hold!! But as I learned, I didn't always know the right question to ask, and so I didn't always get all the information I needed. But now I know what Linux is and what javascript is. I even learned how to create forms that work like an autoresponder, that I can place on my website using "html", and they actually work the way they're supposed to.

So what do I recommend if you're trying to do this? If you have the money, you might want to hire professional website builder and someone skilled in search engine optimization. It will cost a bunch..but you will keep your sanity. If you have a lot of time, or you're compulsive about wanting to understand how things work, you can do it yourself. Be prepared for devoting the majority of your time to it for a few weeks. You will not have time to "work" on your business..that is, meeting with people, talking about your product, doing workshops or parties, etc... during that time. But in the end, you will be creating some tools which hopefully will grow your business faster and more easily.

Ultimately remember that sometimes laying the foundation and putting all the tools in order is the most important step of building the project. If you are committed to your business then taking time away from the "main event" to do this, is time well spent.

09 October 2007

MLM Information...An Overwhelming Amount

When you start really looking into this industry, it's amazing the sheer quantity of information that exists. From a psychological perspective, sometimes too much information causes action paralysis. You know the feeling, you're surfing the net and you find a page that perfectly describes your struggles or frustrations. So you read it and it sends you to other links and you then you read those. Then you google another phrase or question and read three more websites, or newletters, or latest and greatest ideas for gathering leads or reaching you target audience. And then...you're stuck....too much input but no way of figuring out what's actually worthwhile.

I would love to hear some other people's experience with this. Often in this world of free and abundant information people seem less able to take action. We used to go to the library and look things up in a few books. Or make a few phone calls to other professionals for advice. We then took the information we gathered and made a decision, or took some kind of action. Now we spend hours doing "research" but end up with so many options from so many different sources, most of them strangers. How do we decide what action to take?

In our field of direct selling/network marketing, it's important to have a plan that is essentially steps towards reaching a goal. It is also crucial to have support or coaching from someone who has been in the industry for awhile and has the financial success to prove that they know what they are doing. Anyone can get on the internet,create a web page, and sell you their SYSTEM. You have no idea though if that person was ever successful using the system they are selling you...or if their true financial gains have been from the sale of the SYSTEM.

04 October 2007

Working From Home and Creating Success

Did you know that according the Mark Yarnell, author of Your First Year in Network Marketing, the often quoted statistic about 97% of Network Marketers failing is incorrect? The reason it's wrong is that most people assume it means that 97% of people involved with Network Marketing fail no matter how hard or how long they work. In fact, what it really means is that most beginners in the MLM industry "fail" because they quit too soon and/or because nobody took the time to train them and tell them the truth about the industry. The truth is that you have to work hard and work smart in the MLM business. You also have to understand that even though there are people who've made big money in a short period of time, most have to put in their time.

The BEST thing is that putting in your time is usually fun, often exciting and it's totally under your own control. According to Mr. Yarnell, most MLM professionals work hard for 3-4 years and can then reap the rewards of their efforts. That doesn't mean they stop working necessarily, but it may mean that they work 2-3 hours per day and spend the rest of their time doing other things that they love to do. In other professions, most people work for 40 years, 8-10 hours per day, 5 days per week and only then can they sit back and reap the rewards. And the scary part about that is that in these days of no pensions, a rocky stock market and a social security system that is hurting financially, the "rewards" might not be what you were expecting.

Be cautious about opportunities that indicate fast and easy money. Everything takes some kind of effort whether it's time or energy or education. But being self-employed, working at home, choosing your hours and your company, and having control over your destiny sure surpasses 9-5 in a cubicle with no windows. Network Marketing seems to have the best opportunities, in that it often costs little to get involved, you can "ramp-up" quickly-especially if your upline is supportive and knowledgable, and anyone can do it. You don't need a Master's degree or even a College degree. What you do need it focus, consistency, commitment, and a burning desire to succeed in this business.

03 October 2007

Internet Marketing How to Get Started

If you are going to market yourself on the internet you will need a domain name and eventually a website. Being a non-technical person, I was looking for a company that it made it easy for me to get a domain name and create a website without hiring a website designer. I found one called 1and1. I was so excited because with no prior experience I was able to create a website that looks professional and works well. (I'll post the link to it once is completed.) The best part was that at 10:00 on a saturday evening there was a live person who was able to help me and answer all my questions for FREE. Now that's service.

I'm not planning to focus much on this type of thing in my blog...but I know that I was thrilled when someone told me about 1and1 and so I thought other beginners would like to know about it too. Working from home should be so much easier now that we have computers. My understanding is that if you can optimize your website so that it can be found by the search engines, many, many, many people will see it and hopefully be interested in your business.

02 October 2007

Start at the beginning ...working from home

It’s really amazing!! The day before I was planning on beginning this blog I found a book by Mark and Rene Reid Yarnell called Your First year in Network Marketing. For those of you who don’t know, Mark Yarnell is considered a master Network Marketer. I believe at one point he was named the best Network Marketer in the WORLD!! Anyway, I’ve just started reading the book and the first thing that struck me was the idea that success in network marketing is about staying with it. He wrote that so many people get discouraged and drop out of the business in the first year, but that those who stick it out are usually successful.

Hmm….The focus of my upcoming website and soon-to-be ebook, is the idea that It’s All Success. What I mean by that is that even something that feels like failure, can be success if you learn from it and use it to propel you forward towards your goal. It appears that Mr. Yarnell might be saying a similar thing. In the field of psychology there’s something called “reframing”. It’s a fancy name for taking an event and using the power of your intellect to change the meaning that you give to that event. An event or situation has power to effect you emotionally, either negatively or positively depending on the meaning that you give to it.

I like what I’ve read so far in this book because it helps me feel that my results so far after only 6 months as a network marketer are actually OK. So many people in my company have catapulted to the top levels in 6-9 months. I’m doing well, but not that well. Mr. Yarnell says that the goal of the first year as a network marketer is just to stay in the game…not to quit. I’ll let you know what he says next, as I keep reading. Meanwhile…stay positive and stay with it. We’ll learn how together, as we become successful in our work at home businesses.

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