Maintain a Success Circle in Direct Sales & Relationship Marketing

Archive for June, 2009

During my years in the corporate world, I found that the
majority of employees fell into two major categories:

1)     
The clock-watchers who were at the door at 4:30
p.m.; 5:00 p.m. or whatever time the workday officially ended.

2)     
Workaholics who saw the stampede for the door
and usually asked, “Is it that time already?

Which category did you fall in?  Now that you are working from home and you set your
own schedule, what is your attitude toward quitting time? Do you have a
schedule for your office hours that include a closing time for your home-based
business? Do your family, associates and clients know when your workday is over?

It is essential to your continued success as a home-based
business owner to set a fixed time for your work and allow only emergencies to
break your schedule. A key benefit is that if you have a family you will avoid
hearing the words, “You are ALWAYS working!” 
Another benefit if you do not have family around you is that you will
avoid ‘burnout’ while working from home.

You have the burning desire to become your own boss, but you still have doubts if this is the right thing to do.  Only you can make the choice and the decision because you know yourself better than anyone else does.  Other people can only give you advice and make suggestions as to what has worked for them and what could possibly work for you.

There is a valuable assessment tool available to everyone that may assist you in making a decision.  It is provided by the Small Business Administration at : http://www.sba.gov/assessmenttool/index.html.  According to the SBA it takes about 5 minutes to complete.  Why not take advantage of that tool to help determine realistically if this is what you want to do.

Once you decide to go ahead, keep in mind that as humans to
some extent we resist change, and this is often designed to protect us. 
But with a positive attitude you can either remove the obstacles, learn to leap
over them, or use them as stepping stones to reach your goal of starting your
home-based business.

Recently this question was raised at an event and it made me stop and think.  I've cherished the goal of being by own boss for years and took steps toward this goal by becoming involved in Direct Sales as a Skin Care and Beauty Consultant in 1999, while working in Corporate America.  Since that time I've become involved with another Direct Sales company (Send Out Cards) that compliments my Skin Care business as it allows me to stay in contact with my customers easily and effectively.  Being my own boss has advantages and disadvantages but I've found that the advantages far outweigh the disadvantages of working from home.

It was not as easy when I decided to start an Internet business.  I had no clue where to begin and made many mistakes that cost me a lot of money.  We will go into that in more detail at a later time because my goal is to help you avoid costly mistakes if you are just starting out.

What characteristics make someone a good fit to be their own boss?  Before taking the plunge to get in business for yourself, what are some questions you should ask yourself to determine if starting a home-based business is right for you?

1) Do you feel that working for someone else allows you to unlock your full potential?
2) It's said that we all have a giant within that's rearing to get out.  If you are still working for someone else, will that giant ever be released so you can do what you enjoy doing and bring you satisfaction and happiness?
3) Do you have a burning desire to be your own boss?  This is one of the most important questions that you must answer honestly because it a very important element to your success in starting your own home-based business.

I invite you to visit my website at www.sendoutcards.com/62219 to test-drive our web-based greeting card system by sending a greeting card with my compliments. This system allows you to create a card at your computer for less than $1.00 and it's delivered through the US Mail.  Before you go, go to the box on the upper-right column of this page and enter your name and e-mail address to receive my Free Report on "12 Reasons to Send a Follow-up Card."

It has been determined by researchers that a major cause of procrastination is the fear of something.  The major types of fears that affect home-based business owners are:

• Fear of Change:  A critical concern to entrepreneurs who've taken the step to work from home for themselves is money.  Many persons were accustomed to receiving a fixed salary and until you become well-established in your niche, you may not make money on a regular, consistent basis.  There is also the change in routine.  Although the decisions have been made, if allowed, just these two aspects of change can immobilize you so that you fail to take the necessary steps to success in your home-based business.
• Fear of Failure: We have been conditioned from childhood that our worth and self-worth equate with success.  In school it was important to maintain high grades; pass tests and exams; strive to be one of the 'gifted', be in first place or at least be in the Top 5.  Anything less was not acceptable.  Starting a home-based business could cause these fears to rear their ugly head and create doubts in your ability to achieve.  Turn "What if I fail?" into "If I fail to procrastinate, I will succeed."
• Fear of Success:  This may seem very odd.  Why would anyone fear success?  Succeeding in the goals you've set for working from home may actually increase your revenues and therefore increase the steps you may need to take to maintain the level you've achieved or expand and grow.  Not everyone wants this type of success.  You could therefore sabotage your progress by putting off what needs to be done, procrastinating as a measure to defeat your progress. 

These fears are very real to the persons who are affected by them, but every effort should be made to determine how you would handle them if you should be affected.  This will allow you to proceed with the required tasks and not allow procrastination to hold you back.

Do you procrastinate in keeping in touch with your clients and customers because you fear you will hear of areas of dissatisfaction?  Keeping the lines of communication open is the best method for success. Send Out Cards allows you to do this efficiently and effectively.  Visit my website at http://www.sendoutcards.com/62219 to send a free card and review the system. Please contact me by e-mail at yjones@mysuccesscircleonline.com with questions.