Last week a consultant with one of the gourmet food companies emailed me to ask me for my advice regarding home parties and pets. Her question was “Do I have the right to ask some of my party hosts to lock up their dogs if they are habitual barkers, growlers or dogs I feel that could be vicious?”

I thought this would be a good topic to discuss here on my blog and I am going to share my thoughts with you about this particular topic. (although I know there will be differing opinions out there).

You should ask all hosts during your host coaching sessions if they have pets and how they plan on controlling those pets during the home party. A lot of times when you bring this up during your host coaching sessions a host will freely talk about it with you and you both can come up with a plan that is beneficial to you both before the party date arrives.

With that said…you will find some party hosts that refuse to lock up pets or to secure pets (mainly dogs) in other rooms or the backyard during the home party session so you need to be tactful when discussing this issue with them.

You need to clearly explain to your host that it is important that you and the guests attending the party “feel” safe around the host’s pets and that you want the host and guests to not be distracted during the party from “unfriendly” pets in the home.

In my opinion…you can not demand or order the party host to “lock” up pets (dogs) during the home party show but you can indeed discuss this topic with the party host and the best time to do that is during all of your host coaching sessions.

If you feel that party host’s pets will be a problem for you or the party guests perhaps you should suggest to the host that he or she hold the home party in a different location…which would put everyone at ease regarding having pets loose during the party presentation.

What are your thoughts on this topic?

Do You Need More Bookings? If so, check out that site!

10 Real Ways to Make Money with Your Blog by Terri Seymour

These days we can all use a bigger income but it is definitely easier said than done. But the internet has given us all opportunities that were never possible before to create our own success. There are many people who make a good living online and many who claim to have gotten rich but there are also many people who are trying and trying but nothing is happening. I tried for several years before I started making a good living online so I would like to share some of the things that helped me increase my income. Although I have not tried every method listed below, I have tried several of them and they have worked for me.

1. Sell Resell eBooks and Software – You can easily add a digital product store script to your existing blog and sell ebooks and software with resell rights. Ebooks are very popular and the demand for them is increasing. You can also sell videos, music and other downloadable files from your digital store.

2. Write and Sell Your Own eBook – Write an ebook about your area of expertise and put it for sale on your site. You can sell it outright, offer resell rights or recruit affiliates to sell it for you as well. I did this with my first ebook and it worked out very well.

3. Affiliate Products – Find quality products and services that offer a commission and sell them on your site. Be sure they are relative to your site and if possible try the product out first so you can give a personal recommendation. Personal recommendations can help increase your sales. You can find affiliate products at AffiliateSeek, Clickbank, and AffiliateTips.

4. Sell Advertising – Offer advertising space on your blog. You can offer text ads, banner ads and even video and audio ads. You can charge monthly and annual fees to give your customers a better value.

5. Dropship Sales – Dropship means you can sell products without having to ship them or stock them. You find a company that offers dropshipping, sign up with them and start selling their products on your blog. Anytime you get an order, you send it to the main company and they ship the product out to your customer. The customer will think the product came from your store and you get a portion of the profits. You make money simply by taking orders and the dropship company does the rest. Dropship companies will usually require a membership fee, either monthly or annually.

6. Google Adsense – This is not my favorite but it does work well for some people. What this entails is placing numerous ads on your site, chosen by Google. Anytime these ads are clicked on, you will get paid a portion of what the advertiser has paid Google. Google will choose ads that are relevant to your site’s contents. So, what this means is that if you sell jewelry Google will place ads on your site to other people who sell jewelry and related products. So, in essence you are sending people to your competitor’s sites. Although I do not agree with this, many people claim to make a good chunk of change each month using Google Adsense!

7. Donation Button – You see this more and more often these days. People offer a lot of free resources and content on their sire and ask for donations from the people who utilize this information. You can get the buttons directly from Paypal and place them on your site. To do this, you must provide quality content and value to your visitors so they feel a donation would be appropriate.

8. Classes and Workshops – Organize some informative classes and workshops to teach your visitors how to “whatever”. Sell space to attend these events. Offer a variety of classes such as a week-long class, month long, etc. You could also produce some effective webinars. You can also recruit affiliates for these services as well.

9. Exclusive Access – Offer private content, forums, classes, etc. to members only. Charge a monthly or annual fee for this membership. People will pay for valuable information they can’t seem to find anywhere else.

10. Sponsored Reviews – Companies like Blogvertiser will connect you with advertisers who will pay you to write reviews about their products and services and place them on your site. You will have the option of accepting or declining any deals the advertisers offer. Other sites that offer this service are PayPerPost, SponsoredReviews and ReviewMe.

The methods above might not make you rich but they can earn you a good income or add to your existing income. Selling ebooks and software has been very profitable for me and affiliate products, selling advertising space and dropshipping has also worked for me in the past. Some of these methods might not be for you but it could be worth your while to check them out. I wish you much success in whatever path you choose.

About the Author:
Don’t be one of the 95% of people who fail at their online business. Terri Seymour can help you make money online. Find out how to increase your traffic and sales with her popular “How to Build Your Online Business” ebook for FREE at: ==> http://www.SeymourProducts.com

Article Source: WAHM Articles

A couple of weeks ago I emailed a Direct Sales consultant with one of the beauty companies a particular question that I had about the company’s mascara line and she did promptly respond with the answer to my question.

About 2 weeks after that I started getting spammed by her once a week with her weekly customer email newsletter. Wow…I was shocked! I immediately clicked the unsubscribe link in the newsletter and realized it was disabled and not working! I then emailed her (nicely I might add) and asked her to unsubscribe me from her customer newsletter as I did not sign up for it nor did I tell her to add me to it.

The following week…I got another newsletter in my email box from her! ugh! I then fired off a second request for her to remove me. This entire back and forth process took a month or so before I was finally removed from her list!

When it comes to email marketing, customer newsletters and building your email subscriber’s list it is VERY IMPORTANT to never…ever…add a subscriber to your newsletter subscription list without asking their permission first! Better yet, don’t add anyone at all…have an online sign-up box so folks can sign-up for it themselves if they are interested!

Not only does this unprofessional behavior “irk” off customers and potential customers but it is also WRONG and ILLEGAL. You can not fire off emails and sign up folks to your newsletter just because you want to market your business to them. It is considered to be “SPAM” if that person did not sign up for it or request it.

A few weeks ago a very nice person emailed me to let me know that a competitor with a blog similar to my own had stolen and published 3 posts that they swiped from my blog and this competitor was not naming me or crediting me as the author of those posts. I was really “floored” that this blog owner was out swiping posts from other blogs instead of writing their own material or using free reprint articles.

Needless to say…my process began on getting the stolen content removed from their blog and here is how I did it.

The first thing that I did was email them an official email requesting that they had 48 hours to either remove the 3 stolen posts or edit them and list me as the author with a link back to my original post & blog. I then filed that request.

I waited 48 hours and fired off a second email to the blog owner stating that I was serious and that it was illegal for them to swipe content from other people’s web sites and/or blogs and they now had only 12 more hours to correct the situation or I would contact some of the advertisers on their blog to let their advertisers know that they practice stealing web content from other sites.

Wow…that finally got this persons attention! Within 3 hours of me firing off that email to them…the 3 posts were removed from the site and they replied back with a simple apology. I replied to that telling them that if they ever did this again to me…I would legally file a complaint and brief with my business attorney and come after them again.

If you find people swiping your original blog posts or web content you do have the LEGAL RIGHT to have that stolen material taken down and you should take the time to follow up and go after anyone who swipes content from you. If need be…report them to their advertisers and if that doesn’t work…get legal services involved!

Has anyone ever stolen your original content? If so, what did you do about it?

6 Email Marketing Tips that Build Trust & Increase Sales by Ms. Liz

Having an opt-in email list is more than just sending subscribers your newsletters, tips, promotions and sales letters; it’s about establishing a positive relationship with your readers. People rarely buy from those they don’t trust but by fostering fond relationships with your subscribers you’re increasing their confidence in you which in turn will dramatically increase sales.

Here are 6 tips that will create reader confidence, build lasting relationships with your subscribers, lessen your opt-out rate and best of all, boost sales.

Tip #1 – Set Expectations for Your Subscribers

Be clear about what your subscribers are signing up for. That means telling them exactly what kind of emails they’ll get such as a newsletter, tips, ecourse, special report, etc. Also specify how often they can expect an email. Also, for easy recognition it’s a good idea to indicate what email address your emails will be coming from.

Tip #2 – Help Viewers Learn About You

Before asking for a sign-up, direct your viewers to your personal page where they can learn about you and your business. Share some personal trivia about yourself and include some pictures and a personal signature. Let your visitors see and relate to the ‘real’ you. The more they come to know and like you the more trust they will bestow in you.

Tip #3 – Respect your Subscribers Time

Your subscribers granted you permission to email them; this is a privilege, not a right so respect that. Send them only information and content that relates to what they signed up for. Introduce new products gradually. Sending blatant sales pitches are a sure way to increase opt-outs.

It’s also important to note that even though it may not be costing your subscribers money to opt-in to your list, it is costing them time to open your emails, read them and take action. Keeping your content relevant and to the point is recognizing that their time is valuable and they will appreciate that.

Tip #4 – Email on a Consistent Basis

Never flood your email subscribers in box, but don’t ignore them either. When you get a new subscriber send them a welcome letter but don’t wait a month or more to send them their next email. People subscribe to things all the time, so without consistent communication they often forget they signed up. Waiting long between emails increases the chance they’ll opt-out or worse yet, hit the spam button. Instead, use a good email autoresponder and send messages consistently.

Tip #5 – Always provide an Unsubscribe Option

No one wants subscribers to opt-out but you must give your subscribers the option. It not only shows your professionalism it also indicates that you’re a legitimate business and not a spammer. Use the double opt-in feature provided with most email autoresponders, it will considerably reduce the number of unsubscribes.

Tip #6 – Promote Less and Help More

People don’t like to be sold to; they like to buy on their own terms. Before they buy they need reasons, benefits and most importantly, trust in who they’re purchasing from. The “buy this because I like it” approach rarely woks and will annoy your readers.

If you have a product to sell use a slow paced approach by demonstrating how your product will benefit your viewers. A subscriber is not likely to stick around if they see you as someone only interested in making a quick sale. Your subscribers have come to you as a resource for help and information so be respectful of that. The more you help them, the more they will see you as genuine resource, then when the time comes for them to buy; they will look to you first.

In summary, don’t target your subscriber list as a way to make money, instead focus on building a strong relationship with them. Treat your subscribers well and they will treat you well.

Check in with Elizabeth for More Free Yet Dynamic Email Marketing Tips that will instantly boost sales no matter what size email list you have.

Article Source: WAHM Articles

Home Based, Work At Home, WAHM, Direct Sales, Home Party Business Owners – Get Organized! by Deb Bixler

The New Year is a time when home party business consultants can revamp their office and add some new organizational techniques to their home business business systems. The classic New Year’s resolution is a perfect excuse to add some new systems to your direct selling office management repetoire.

Becoming More Organized in Party Plan Businesses Next Year

The old year is almost over and the new year is right around the corner. Time to think about a New Year?s resolution or two. If you own a home party business, one of the most common resolutions is to become more organized in the new year. Party plan office organization is one of the best things you can do for your business and your stress level!

As a home based business business owner, it is important to think of January as ?Get Organized Month.? WAHM Business owners often get so busy and consumed by the actual operation of their business that organization begins to crumble and things start to get messy. Use the start of 2012 to get your business organized.

Get Your Party Plan Business Organized In New Year

* Create a WAHM business plan. Every business needs one to succeed. Even if you already have a business plan, the start of a new year is the ideal time to revise the old one. A business plan is the outline for your business and should incorporate all aspects of your business.

* Create a filing system for all your papers and documents. If you already have a filing system, the new year marks a great time to clean it out. Your filing should consist of papers that require immediate action, papers that are important but are not of immediate concern, important documents, reference materials, and stuff you should have thrown out a long time ago. Throw that old junk out!

* For all your papers that you need for reference, create an easy to use system. Many business owners spend an inordinate amount of time looking for information or documents. Start the new year by organizing these papers and you?ll save tons of time during the remainder of the year.

* Go through all your papers, documents, and materials one more time. A large percentage of all saved materials are never used again. When people clean out their closets, they apply the rule that if it hasn?t been worn during the past year, it can be eliminated. This rule works for much of your paperwork, though there are obviously some documents you will need as long as you are in business.

When you take the time to clean house you will be more effective in the new year. All businesses are a work in progress and yours should be no exception. A short afternoon of office re-organization will kick your WAHM business off on a good trackfor the new year.

When you incorporate these home party and other home party
business tips into your business you will create a consistent income year round. Learn more direct sales business success systems that work for all companies at: http://www.CreateACashFlowShow.com

Article Source: WAHM Articles

Do You Need More Bookings? If so, check out that site!

The holidays are finally over so it’s time to get back down to business and January is the perfect time for you to buckle down & get busy building your direct sales home business!

The majority of direct sales companies launch all kinds of great booking incentives for the month of January each & every year and it is YOUR JOB to use those booking incentives to fill up your January and February booking calendar.

A lot of companies will offer double host rewards, extra 1/2 price off items, attendance specials and other great deals to get people to book parties during the month of January. In addition, they often offer deep discounts and unbeatable deals to guests/customers who attend those booked parties!

Let’s get busy today calling up all of your past party hosts and asking them to book a party right away! They can call up those they want to invite or send them email invitations to the party. You can plan and get a party onto the books and ready to go in just one week. Trust me, it can be done! 

You also want to call up potential hosts who have been dragging their feet in booking a party with you and let them know about all those great booking incentives you have going on for the month. While you are at it let them know about the customer sales deals too…give it all to them and “rev them up” for a party booking! Make sure you sound super excited when speaking to them so that your excitement becomes contagious and they catch it!

If you work hard this first week in January lining up bookings/datings for the month of January that will carry you over into February and March because you will get bookings from those January parties to feed the next 2 months on your calendar.

So what are you waiting for? Time to get busy, make those calls and book those parties!!!

Do You Need More Bookings? If so, check out that site!

Even though this article is geared towards those of you who still work outside the home with an in-office career…I still wanted to post it as it has some awesome tips that you can use now until you transition to a work at home position or telecommuting position. ~ Shelly

_____________________________________________________

New Year’s Career Resolutions

10 Resolutions to advance your career in 2012

New York – Creating career resolutions are a critical component for your success, and a new year brings new opportunities.  Julie Redfield, talent management expert at PA Consulting Group, offers the following New Year’s career resolutions to take on in 2012 to help advance your career: 

1.    Build my professional network: reconnect with school friends, prior employers and others in my profession. You never know where that next opportunity will come from!
2.    Identify a mentor, at least two levels up from me, and ask them for career advice. (People love being asked for their opinion, and often mentors will open up doors for you)
3.    Clarify my priorities and 2012 objectives with my boss. Ask what a “great” performance would look like for me.
4.    Identify one person in the office that I don’t know, and make an effort to get to know them and learn what their career aspirations are.
5.    Make sure my boss knows my career aspirations.
6.    Dress like I’m the CEO. (You always want to dress for the job you want to have.)
7.    Set a daily list of priorities for myself.
8.    Ask my boss every Monday what’s on his or her worry list, and offer my help.
9.    Give at least one person a genuine compliment every day. Be specific with what I appreciate about that person.
10.    Rather than join in the water cooler conversation about something negative, I’m going to ask people what they are going to do about solving the problem.

Julie Redfield is a talent management expert at PA Consulting Group. She brings crisp clear solutions to complex people issues, combining the human perspective with sound business practices, preparing companies to have the right people ready for the right roles at the right time. She brings a commercial focus to the HR function by having it motivate and engage employees, focus on business outcomes and drive bottom line growth.

About PA Consulting Group

PA Consulting Group is a leading management and IT consulting and technology firm. Independent and employee-owned, PA Consulting operates globally in more than 30 countries and transforms the performance of major organizations in both private and public sectors. From initial idea generation and strategy development through to detailed implementation, PA Consulting delivers significant and tangible results. PA Consulting has outstanding technology development capability; a unique breadth of skills from strategy to performance improvement, HR to IT; and strong expertise in communications, defense, energy, financial services, government and public services, healthcare and manufacturing.  For more information about PA Consulting Group, please visit www.paconsulting.com.

Are Customers Always Right?