Showing posts with label wahm strategies. successful business

Somewhere in mid-summer a key turned in a lock and the world of full-time professional blogging-writing walked right in that open door for me.  Even though I have been a work at home Mom for 15+ years and plan my days as any professional should, I found myself playing catch up because, quite simply, I didn’t have the proper tools and systems in place to keep up with my growth.


2015 monthly #planner #calendar


That won’t happen in 2015 because I already have an amazing monthly planner and wall calendar thanks to Shoplet.com, who asked if I would like to receive these two complementary At A Glance  products to try and share my thoughts with you.  


Let’s start with the monthly planner. I took this out of the package and loved the look and feel of it. This planner allows me to see the whole month without having to flip pages, which comes in very handy when you are planning several assignments and work commitments. 

There’s ample writing room in each day box and a place for notes on the top and right side margins.  The tabbed months are a plus as well, allowing me to easily plan projects in advance. There are ample notes pages in the back of this 13 month planner along with a page of contacts.  There’s even a plastic pocket holder in the back for you to tuck in notes, business cards and those fliers that get handed out when you attend business functions.

I couldn’t be happier with this At-A- Glance 2015 monthly planner and look forward to putting my first assignment in it. Since I already have campaigns that run through January, I’ll be setting up my planner this weekend.


2015 wall calendar #planning

The 2015 monthly wall calendar won’t be hung on a wall in my office, but will be tucked into my lifesaver of a sideboard that acts as a second desk for me.  This calendar will be my hub for all business commitments, not just for my blog and writing assignments, but for my husband’s business as well.

Like with the monthly planner, the day boxes on the wall calendar are big enough for me to write two or three notes on each day. There is an ample header margin where I can write notes or stick post-it notes and reminders there. The flip page method on this calendar will make it easy for me to go to each month without fear of ripping out pages.

2015 monthly #planner

With these two products, I feel confident that 2015 will be a well-organized, successful year for me. With the 4th quarter zooming past us, now is the time to purchase your planner and calendars for next year. I invite you to learn more about these two products and all the business supplies available at Shoplet.com


Please share in comments: Which of these two products would you most likely use in 2015?


Happy Friday my Blogging Friends! I have been busy doing some much-needed work offline this week. Yes, you can be productive and in touch while spending the bare minimum of time online! I'll admit,  it did feel odd at first, this break from my routine but I'm am happier for it.


Speaking of productive: I came across a wonderful website a couple of weeks ago. I learned a great deal there and I just have to share Julie Anne's Direct Sales Formula for Success with you today. 


Direct Sales Formula for Success
By Julie Anne Jones

Direct Sales Formula for success percentage


I've noticed that I write quite a bit on this blog about time and organization – how to manage your time so you have a successful business while still maintaining the harmony in your life. That's because it's the single most frustrating thing about working from home. I've broken down the direct sales time commitment into a formula for you. Hopefully, this will help you see where you're not on track (and where you are).


Here's my formula for a successful direct sales business:


60% Money Making Activities


These are things that have a high probability of producing income for you. We're talking the ACTIONS that will bring your business success. This includes (but isn't limited to) sales, bookings, parties, & sponsoring.


20% Preparation and Planning


I do yearly, quarterly, monthly, weekly and sometimes daily planning. It's the most important time I spend on my business (but notice its only 20% of the time I spend). You should also include team management in this piece of the pie. This allows you to solidify the foundation of your business so your long-term outlook is more profitable.


10% Administrative Tasks


By administrative, I mean anything that you do in support of your business that does not directly make you money. Pay attention to this category. My guess is you struggle to keep this from eating up less than 50% of your time, let alone 10%. I know it's the biggest issue I face. Nothing pulls me down a rabbit hole quicker than things like banking, e-mail, my website, etc. All are important to my overall business success, but none are income producing.


10% Raise-the-Bar Service


These are those extra touches that make you stand out in the crowd in your community, company, and industry. Do you send handwritten thank you notes to your hosts or make customer service calls to your party guests once they receive their products? How about sending birthday cards to your hosts and customers? What are you doing to build long-term relationships with super service to your representatives, hosts, and customers? My friend Jennifer Fitzgerald has created an amazing program called "The Client Angel" that will absolutely help you in this area. Check out her free trial membership here.
( *Julie Anne Jones is direct sales corporate consultant, coach, and trainer, and the CEO of Julie Anne Jones, Inc. She is known for her authentic and easy-to-use scripting and specializes in specific language and tools for success in direct sales. To learn more about Julie Anne and her products and services, and to read her weekly blog posts, visit her at www.julieannejones.com.*)




So there you have it. A simple, do-able formula for direct sales success!


Do you have a direct sales business? Please share your tips in comments. 


To good not to repost as we start our new year! 2011 is going to be one of my BEST! How about you?


Today on My WAHM Plan I'm working on my blog and I came across this timely article on wahm.com. I had to share it here.

You're a WAHM with a new business and wondering about successful business strategies. This guide will help you with a few of the ideas.

Strategy 1: Planning

"Plans are nothing; planning is everything." Eisenhower said it all with that statement. Plans always change--however it's important to plan your strategies. People think of planning as final decisions with no chance to change your mind later. However true planning involves looking at a number of choices and choosing the best path to take. Sometimes planning takes you off your chosen plan, and that's ok. Keep your eye on the goal and change accordingly.

Keep these steps in mind when planning.

•Set a realistic financial goal to achieve for the year.
•Consider the challenges you will need to overcome to reach your goal.
•Decide what you need to achieve to overcome those challenges.
•Calculate how much it will cost you to achieve those results.
•Evaluate how you are currently spending your time and money.
•At this point go over both your current spending and activities alongside the spending and activities you need to achieve your goal. Eliminate spending and activity that is not productive towards your goals.



You need not be set in your planning, in fact be prepared to adjust the plan. Things will change, and you will need to change with it. Planning is a continual process.

Strategy 2: Customer Service

Let's face it, customers keep you in business. Without your customers, you would have no revenue. Therefore, it is important to take care of your customers and make sure they are satisfied. Most revenue comes from repeat customers, not new ones. Keeping your customers should ALWAYS be the priority.

Strategy 3: Don't be Afraid of Risk

Business is fickle and ever changing. Neglecting risks will cause your industry to stagnate and lag behind your competitors. It is important to change with the times because return always increases with risk. However, it is important to balance risk taking with safety. Risky ventures have large payoffs because they are so risky. When deciding on taking on a new risk for your company, carefully evaluate the pros and cons and make sure that your return is worth the risk. This is where your planning comes in!

Strategy 4: Retain a Competitive Edge

To gain and keep customers, you need to provide a product or service that is better than anyone else has. It is always important to keep an edge over your competitors. If a rival business overshadows what you do best, you will need to discover another competitive edge. This is where you will usually need to take risks. If you discover a new and better way to perform a service or craft a product, seek out that edge and keep it private for as long as you can.

To run a successful business, it just takes a lot of planning. You want to provide a superior product or service to your customers, and always treat them well. Take risks if they benefit your company, and always retain the edge which makes you stand out over your rivals.
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