UPDATE: The contest ended and the winners have been announced. Congratulations Marie and Ponn!

There’s a fun contest going on at MomWebs Hosting which inspired me to do something I don’t normally do, and that I’m not all that good at. I entered the contest with my video creation. I had a great time making the video, but more importantly, it’s great practice for me in the art of being less than perfect.

I’ve always been a bit of a perfectionist – in school, on the job, as a parent, and as a business owner. But guess what… I’m not perfect! There, I said it; I’m human and I just can’t be good at everything. Often, less than perfect is absolutely great!

Many of us tend to build our own obstacles, some of which can be paralyzing. Perfectionism is a huge obstacle. Waiting until a website or video is perfect before releasing it pretty much guarantees it will never get launched. A website is a work in progress that will never be complete, never mind perfect. And agonizing over every detail of a video will produce lots of self-doubt. There’s always something else that can be added or changed.

Does that mean that I think it’s okay to throw together a mess and put it out there? Of course not. Websites, marketing materials, and products should be well thought out, of good quality, and professional. Just don’t let fear stop you from trying. Less than perfect is definitely good enough.

And so, I’ve produced this great, less than perfect video. Enjoy!

The contest is closed, but voting is open. Check it out and pick your favorite… maybe me? Please! Vote at:
http://www.momwebs.com/vote-for-your-favorite-mom-webs-promo-video/

Thanks!

The contest deadline is tonight, but if you hurry, you can still practice the art of less than perfect and enter your own creation. Click: video promotion contest details.

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Recently someone asked me how to set up a navigation menu like the one here at the Business Opportunity Connection. My response was very short – it’s just part of my blog theme.

I’ve been using WordPress and various themes for just about 5 years (The 5th anniversary of this blog is coming up in a couple of weeks!) and am pretty comfortable with changing themes and customizing them to my liking. But if you are new to blogging or aren’t comfortable taking the plunge to change and customize your theme, Traci Knoppe has some great tips for you in her article below.

The WordPress (WP) Theme – How to Find, Install and Customize
By Traci Knoppe

So you have your WordPress (WP) blog installed, but the default WP theme definitely does not reflect your business message, nor convey your personality. Good thing WordPress makes installing a new theme quick and easy.

How to Find the Perfect WP Theme

Web Search: You can actually find WordPress themes quickly by either doing a web search. To help narrow down your search results, use specific elements you want in your theme; for example: “red 2 column wordpress theme”.

WordPress Admin Theme Search: with the newest version of WordPress, you can now search for, and install, wp themes all from within your administration dashboard! This handy admin dashboard search feature only searches the themes directory at the WordPress web site; however, you are given ability to search by keyword phrase or even select listed search parameters, such as color, how many columns you prefer and/or even if you want a theme with an easily customizeable header.

How to Install a WP Theme

Whether you find and download the zip file for your new WordPress theme via a web browser search engine find, or you find your new theme in the admin dashboard, installation is super easy. Follow these simple installation steps:

From a saved zip file

1. Log into your WP admin dashboard and in the left navigaton column, go to Appearance > Add New Themes
2. At the top of the page, below where it says Install Themes, click the Upload link
3. Cick the Browse button to find the zip file on your computer for the theme you wish to install
4. Click Install Now
5. After installation is complete, you will see a message asking if you want to Activate the theme. If you want to apply this theme to your blog, click Activate.
6. That’s it!

From a WP admin dashboard search

1. If you have found your theme using the search feature from within your admin dashboard (Appearance > Add New Theme), then below the preview listing for each theme name, you’ll see the Install Theme link right next to the Preview link.
2. Click the Install Theme link.
3. In the window that pops up, click the Install Now button
4. You will then get a successful installation message with a link to click to Activate the theme for your site, if you want to activate this theme, click Activate
5. That’s it!

Free WordPress Themes – Premium or Custom WordPress Themes: Which is Better?

There is a never ending supply of free wp themes available. That’s great news for your budget; but if you do not have the image editing software and/or the ability to at least customize a free theme, you run the risk of your site looking exactly like many others on the web using the same free theme.

Free WordPress Themes

My advice is to customize any free wp theme you intend to use. Change the header graphic, as well as any icons or graphics used within the theme, to reflect your business image or message. Use the search guidelines I mentioned above to get the core layout of the theme as you want it (i.e. 2 columns or 3 columns) because changing colors and a few graphics is much easier than changing the entire layout of a theme.

Premium WordPress Themes

A premium WP theme is one that you pay for; however, it still needs a bit of tweaking to make it uniquely yours. Since many folks will be going for and using the free themes, buying a pre-made theme is the next step up to not having your site look like every other one on the web. You can find premium themes on template sites, or by doing a web search. They aren’t hard to find, but there are far fewer choices of premium themes.

Custom WordPress Themes

This is an option that requires hiring a wp theme designer. Yes, this is going to cost you money to have done; but your returns in the long run may be better, as you can truly get a theme designed exactly as you want that will uniquely brand you and your company. Before you hire a WordPress theme designer, make sure you see samples of their work. Any experienced professional web designer will have a portfolio of their work. Another key thing to screen new web designers for is their ability to communicate; more specifically to listen to your needs and then comprehend what your needs are and translate that into a blog theme design that meets those needs. Communication skills are essential and the designer should be able to translate your non-tech requests into appropriate and applicable tech needs for your blog theme.

Once you have chosen your blog’s theme, it’s easier to select a theme for your blog, whether a free theme, premium or custom. Keep your branding mind and go from there.

If you find that you need more help with WordPress issues, feel free to join my free newsletter at http://GenesisBlogging.com.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Traci_Knoppe
http://EzineArticles.com/?The-WordPress-(WP)-Theme—How-to-Find,-Install-and-Customize&id=2903419

In catching up on email this morning I read a recent lesson from Bob the Teacher titled “Pick a Lane.” In it, he talks about the importance of focus in business. Too many people try to build two or more businesses at once and end up struggling with them all.

All too often direct sales consultants will respond to a struggling business by adding a second or third business. If you aren’t earning enough from your current business, resist the temptation to offer your customers another product line in the hopes that the more things you offer them the more likely they are to buy from you. Before you add a second business, learn how to make your first one a success. Or if it wasn’t the right business to start with, switch businesses. But don’t make the mistake of adding additional businesses to struggle with.

Nearly five years ago I posted about this same topic in “Is joining another direct sales company the right answer?” You might find that article and the linked resource helpful.

As I said in that earlier post, I think it’s a good idea to have multiple streams of income. But to succeed at any of them, you have to get one running smoothly and successfully before adding another.

According to an article at Reuters.com last year’s big surge in the number of new direct sales consultants did not translate to more sales. Hopefully the 2009 figures, which aren’t yet available, will show better results, but direct sales revenues have been dropping over the past couple of years according to DSA reports. In 2006 direct sales were $32.18 billion; in 2007 the figure was $30.8 billion, and sales dropped again last yer to $29.6 billion.

The full article, “Avon calling: More workers try direct sales” can be found at
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE5BF55A20091216

Does that mean people shouldn’t start a direct sales business or should drop the one they already have? I don’t think so. What I think it means is that direct sellers should adjust their marketing and their approach. Market what your customers are want to buy and focus on providing extra customer service and amenities. When you can’t compete on price, compete on a more personal level.

People would still rather buy from someone they know and trust. When you go the extra mile to provide personal attention they can’t get elsewhere you often gain a customer for life.

For some direct sales consultants it becomes difficult to maintain a steady schedule of sales parties. Direct sales business coach, Lisa Young shares some of the secrets to staying booked.

In Direct Sales – 5 Secrets to Fill Your Calendar Without Overcoming Objections
By Lisa Young

With the grim economic outlook, some direct sales consultants are pulling out their hair trying to secure bookings and keep their calendar full. Some of the most experienced consultants are scrambling, buckling down, and “getting back to basics” in an effort to fortify their fading calendar.

But the savvy direct sales and home party consultants are still holding a consistent book of shows, with calendars that are full and steady. As a business coach, I work with consultants with many different companies, and the successful consultants are revealing their dirty little secrets to massive success – even during the economic slump we’re facing today. At first blush, these “secrets” are common sense ideas that will make you roll your eyes into the back of your head. Before you get dizzy, however, ask yourself how well you are implementing these secrets.

1. Create a schedule and stick to it. Top direct sales consultants will tell you that they work when they want to, and fill their work calendar around their life calendar. This is a critical component for any successful consultant. You need to know WHEN you want to (and are able) to work. Mark it down and do your work when you’re working. By scheduling and utilizing time that is set aside to work, you’ll be a million miles ahead of the consultant that prays for bookings to fill the empty white space on her calendar. When you know your next two or three available work dates at a moment’s notice, people take you and your business more seriously. And if you don’t have a show planned on a day you have scheduled to work? Work anyway! Practice your demo, download a teleclass, read up on product knowledge or network. Do SOMETHING to grow your business.
2. Desperation stinks. Customers and clients can smell desperation a mile away. When you need shows, and start doing “Crazy Eddie” antics to get them, people stop taking you seriously. You don’t see Bill Gates jumping up and down on begging people to buy Windows. Neither should you. This is where most consultants develop their fear of “being too pushy”. You should ALWAYS present the opportunity to join, host, or buy, but once a client says no, and you’ve answered her questions, leave it alone. I can’t count the number of recruits I’ve signed at a later date because I was patient and didn’t sit on their doorstep waiting for them to join my opportunity. Attraction marketing (aka gravitational marketing) helps you create an identity, establish yourself as an expert in your field and draws interested, like-minded people into your circle of influence. They naturally gravitate to you and, ultimately, choose to do business with you – no desperation required.
3. Touch your business daily. While you can bet that Donald Trump isn’t sitting in the office every day making deals, he is touching his business in SOME way every day. Be it a public appearance, speaking engagement, television episode, or contract closing, he’s busy being an entrepreneur and making sure that his delegates are tending to business in his absence. Likewise, you as a consultant need to be making contact with your business on a daily basis. Your store is essentially “closed” any day you’re not working. Working doesn’t mean doing parties. It means preparing hostess packets, making coaching calls, holding recruiting interviews, doing customer care and follow up. You don’t have to work all day everyday, but you should make a point of doing SOMETHING connected to your business that propels you and your company forward. By the way, YOU are the CEO of your own company as an independent Direct Sales consultant. Legitimate networking, travel and mastermind groups all count as toughing your business. Organizing your desk, socializing on the phone, cleaning your stapler and vacuuming the floor do NOT count.
4. Keep in touch. Regardless of the method, hostesses, customers and recruits want (and need) to hear from us. A Hostesses number one complaint is that their consultant didn’t make enough contact with them. Most coaching programs recommend ten different times to contact a hostess before, during and after a party. Customers should be contacted at least once every two months – and preferred customers at least monthly. Attraction marketing pros use ezines, conference calls, and newsletters to keep in touch, automatically and en masse, with a personal feel. These lead generating, rapport building tools are only part of the arsenal that propel the big money earners to the top of their company rankings.
5. Be “REAL” and talk to everyone. This is not exactly the same as the old-school 3-foot rule, where you would talk to anyone that would listen about your “amazing, ground floor opportunity.” Rather, this is an invitation to release inhibitions and strike up conversations with anyone and everyone about anything and everything. Be friendly. People like and gravitate toward friendly. Opening channels of communication help you to discover common interests, and open doors to natural conversations about booking, sales, and recruiting. When you are likable, and easy to talk with, people enjoy your presentations more. Enjoyable presentations lead to more bookings, more sales and more recruits – without having to beg for “just one more host” at any party.

As direct sales consultants around the globe are waking up to the power of the Internet, and the potential of automating contact with their prospects, more leaders are growing into powerful, marketing savvy machines. These attraction marketing whiz-bangs are raking in recruits, selling up a storm, and breaking booking records – without ever having to overcome a single objection, because people are seeking THEM out for their expertise and professionalism. They have become the hunted, instead of the hunter. Begin implementing these five secrets today and watch your business soar. Who knows? Maybe YOU’LL be the next top achiever at your company’s National Conference.

Tired of trading hours for money, Lisa Young gave up her 8 to 5 for a direct sales career that now spans over 10 years. Lisa’s blog, Real Life Marketing, reveals the realities of what it takes to be successful in the eyes of your customer, using real-life examples you can learn from today. You can visit Real Life Marketing at http://lisamrobbin.blogspot.com

Unlike other industry writers, who left direct sales to pursue speaking careers, Lisa is still in the trenches, running her direct sales business and leading her teams to success. Her book, Home Party Solution is a step-by-step method to harness the Internet to boost bookings, sales and recruits. Read the first chapter free and subscribe to the monthly business boosting e-zine, “PartyOn!” at http://www.homepartysolution.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Lisa_Young
http://EzineArticles.com/?In-Direct-Sales—5-Secrets-to-Fill-Your-Calendar-Without-Overcoming-Objections&id=1268425

—————-
For more home party tips, visit Direct Sales Assistant.

Last week Jennifer Fong notified her readers about a new policy at WordPress.com which bans MLMs blogs on their service. While the main purpose of her post, Important Information for WordPress.com Users, is to inform bloggers about the new policy and to offer tips on continuing to blog there and stay within their policies, she also asked, “What do you think about these rules? Do you think the actions of a few “bad apples” is messing it up for the rest of us? Is it fair?” This is my response to those questions.

As someone who offers free and paid advertising and marketing services for direct sellers, I have a lot of sympathy for WordPress.com’s position. Of course I don’t think all MLMs are pyramid schemes. There are many legitimate, worthwhile MLMs, but I also think there are more than a few bad apples in the industry. Personally, I don’t want to do anything to help any scams and schemes promote themselves, so I do what I can to avoid accepting advertisements from them on my sites. But how do I draw the line?

The frustration over trying to decide whether the relatively few questionable requests I get each week are legitimate MLMs or a schemes or scams led me to also set new rules. I now don’t accept listings for companies more commonly referred to as MLMs, and accept only what I call “party plan” companies. Yet at times I still struggle over classifying some companies that are more like hybrids than like one or the other.

At WordPress.com, more than 450,000 new blogs were created just last month. If they don’t just ban MLMs outright, how much time can they be expected to devote to making determinations of who should stay and who should go? Or should they not have rules at all?

Perhaps it is unfair to ban all MLMs, but I think it’s also unfair to call it discrimination as some did in Tweets. In a sense, they are simply setting an advertising policy the same way any other publication does. If everyone had played by the rules in the first place, and not created WordPress.com blogs “to direct readers to external domains for commercial purposes,” new rules wouldn’t be necessary. But like everything else, there are too many people willing to exploit, and they make it harder for the rest of us. More restrictive policies become necessary.

And by the way…. while they are lumped together in one category I don’t think WordPress.com called all MLMs pyramid schemes. The sentence reads, “This includes multi-level marketing (MLM) blogs and pyramid schemes.” (Emphasis on the “and” added by me.) However, I would say that some more clarity there is probably a good idea.

Ask any experienced business owner how important their customers are and they will tell you that customers are the lifeblood of their business. Because of that, many direct sales consultants believe that the key is to constantly find new customers. Successful consultants know that it’s just as important, perhaps even more important, to develop long-standing business relationships with existing customers and to keep them coming back.

Recommended Resource
Not sure how to ask for repeat business? Enroll in
the Magnetic Followup Video / Audio Workshop
today and stop leaving money on the table.

There are many benefits of repeat customers.

First of all, when customers come back for repeat purchases, you will not need to spend as much time finding new customers.

Your business income will be more consistent with purchases coming in regularly, instead of always having to chase down new customer orders.

It is also a more cost-effective way to do business. You won’t need to invest as much in marketing and advertising campaigns.

Happy, long-term customers are also more likely to send referrals to a business. If a satisfied customer runs into a friend or colleague needing what you offer, they will give that person your contact information resulting in a new customer you didn’t have to chase after.

If you like the sound of enjoying repeat business with your current customers while spending less time and money attracting new clients, here are some tips on how to keep your customers happy and coming back.

• Offer quality products
  Without a quality product, there really no reason for your customers to come back.
• Provide exceptional customer service.
  This is one area where direct sales consultants really have a chance to shine by providing the personal attention that is often missing from the big box stores. A general rule of thumb is to always treat your customers the way you would like to be treated. That simple statement will ensure you will have customers coming back time and time again.
• Practice effective communication.
  Stay in touch with customers and keep them informed of new products, special offers, and notify them of any problems like delivery issues or back orders.

Keeping your existing customers happy is one of the most effective and efficient ways to build your business.

Again, the Recommended Resource
for gaining repeat customers is:
Magnetic Followup Video / Audio Workshop

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Image courtesy of Photo Mojo.

It’s always wise to research and question any business opportunity before signing up. And as explained in Adrian Jock’s article below, income claims that you see as part of a sales letter or opportunity promotion don’t tell the whole story. Read on for the question you need to ask.

(And I highly recommend Adrian’s newsletter, even though it is “the worst.”)

The Secret Behind the Earning Claims
by Adrian Jock

If you didn’t land yesterday on the wonder planet called Internet, it’s impossible not to have seen a lot of testimonials, headlines or calls to action that contain earning claims similar with this one: “Using this great marketing system I made $x,xxx last week”. Many salesletters even show you some proofs of earnings like screen captures taken from seller’s or members’ PayPal accounts. Did you know that there is a well guarded secret behind them?

Let’s put aside the fact that in many cases the testimonials are signed by a John Doe and you will never know whether they are true or not. Let’s pretend they are real.

Let’s put aside also the fact that the PayPal account that is shown may contain also earnings resulted from selling also many OTHER stuff. Let’s pretend that the earnings shown are resulted only from using that “great marketing system”, or that “great ebook”, or whatever it was advertised.

You know what the problem is? This is only HALF of the truth. The second half of the truth I noticed that no one tells you about includes many data, but the most important one is this: What were the MARKETING COSTS spent in order to get that figure?

This information is CRUCIAL. If you need to spend $5k in order to get $1k, what’s the deal?

So … always remember this: only half of the truth means really nothing.

When you see such figures, just pretend you didn’t see them and don’t let your buying/joining decision be influenced by such earning claims. Or ask upfront the customers support for the HIDDEN COSTS that are required and that include the MARKETING BUDGET that usually someone needs to spend in order to achieve that impressive figure.

To Your Success,
Adrian Jock

P.S. If you want to read more internet marketing tips, you’re invited to subscribe free to the Worst Newsletter in the World. Why would someone call his own newsletter “the worst”? The mystery is revealed here:
http://www.adsmarket.biz/internet-marketing-tips-news.html

It’s unfortunate that there are so many schemes and scams being promoted to people looking for a home business opportunity or way to make money online. Everyday I read stories of victims of scams who have lost a lot of money and who are now afraid to start any kind of home business or online opportunity. And everyday I see the question “Is it a scam?” asked about many different types of companies and opportunities.

Sometimes I think that if you’re asking the question, there must be something about the company or opportunity that makes you uncomfortable. If that’s the case, no matter what answer you get, it might be best to just move on and find something that doesn’t raise issues for you.

But in many cases, starting a new business or online job is just outside our comfort zone and asking the question can provide a bit of a reassurance.

Here are some things to keep in mind when looking for online opportunities:

• Legitimate companies sell a tangible product or service.
• Beware of promises of earning large sums of money in a short amount of time. Get rich schemes and scams abound.
• Similarly, be cautious about opportunities and jobs that promise that you don’t have to do a thing. You’ll have to work to make money.
• You should never pay to get a job. A business opportunity will likely have start up costs, but don’t send money or provide bank or credit card information before you’re sure the company is legitimate and that you want to move ahead with the opportunity. Legitimate opportunities will explain exactly what you get for your money and almost always have a product return policy.
• Legitimate companies provide full contact information including a physical address and a phone number. They will also name their management team.
• Use the Better Business Bureau and FTC’s websites as well as other online resources to search for information about the company and its leaders. But also be aware that on some websites it can be difficult to sort through accusations made by people who simply failed at a legitimate business vs. real concerns about schemes and scams. It’s best to use several sources for information and…
• … Don’t forget to use your common sense!

There are many real, legitimate opportunities to work from home and make money online. It’s good to be cautious and ask a lot of questions before signing up for anything, but don’t let fear paralyze you. Research completely, make sure you feel absolutely comfortable with the company and its products or services, and be prepared to put in the work necessary for success. Be careful out there!

While many of us have always dreamed of working from home, it’s not the right choice for everyone. If you’ve been thinking of starting a home business, but aren’t sure if it’s right for you, I just found something that might help. It’s a quick quiz that will show you if you’re suited for working at home and what type of business might be best.

The quiz only takes a couple of minutes and it’s anonymous. Click the link to try it out:
Work at Home Readiness Quiz.

It’s just 10 quick questions and you get your results immediately, along with some tips and resources to help you get started. Yes, some of the suggested resources are paid resources, but you don’t have to buy them. For the few minutes it takes for the quiz you’ll get some interesting insight into what might work for you.

Good luck!

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