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Decked out in BBWO

Posted by Christine on June 14, 2008 at 12:19am

Hello all!I have had quite a busy day today and my post is not all about business, but I'll try to incorporate as much as I can. My son graduated from preschool today. Yes. Preschool. Next thing you know, he'll be in fourth grade. So in getting ready for my first of probably many graduation ceremonies, I "braced myself" with Myisha Croom Turner's lovely Boho Bracelet, which, I regret to inform you ladies, was a limited edition and has sold out. However, do visit her website at www.braceyourselfboutique.com where she is having a spring sale and I'm sure you'll find something lovely!My home smelled so good as we got dressed because I was burning incense from the Smell Goods Lady, Mrs. Itiel McVay. Shiloh is the scent that I LOVE! Needless to say this put me in an excellent mood! If you like high quality incense as well as other bath and body items that will leave you smelling good, check my girl out at Smell Goods 1998 (tm).Before I ran out the door, I sprayed my legs with my Body Oil Mist in Aloha and I touched up my son's knees with my handy Shea Butter Bar in Relentless (Unforgiven type) .Of course I was carrying my too cute turquoise sisal purse from Kala at Aseyori Market. Check it out ....by the way, the prices INCLUDE shipping (except perhaps for items from featured artists).Oh, and I cannot forget my girl that I met on Nappturality, Candace!!! I was totally clean and oil free with her Milan Minerals on my face. I've got so many little jars from Candace that I can't tell you all what I have. All I can say is check her out, she's got some fab colors and her makeup is VERY versatile. Take any of her colors and mix with a little lipbalm and you've got lipstick. If you like makeup and color, she's got it for you!! Check out the blush colors here.Take advantage of the talent that is here on this website because there's a lot of it. Go shopping!

Are You Tweeting?

Posted by Donna Maria Coles Johnson on May 26, 2008 at 7:00pm

Hi Ladies,I know it's a holiday, but hubby took the kids to the pool (I'm sure they are freezing right about now) and so I had a few minutes. I've been wondering if any of you know about Twitter. If you don't, here's a Twitter tutorial.Twitter is at http://www.twitter.comTwitter is sort of like blogging for dummies. Once you register for your free Twitter account, you are assigned a page of your own, where you can "Tweet" about whatever you want. That's as in, "chat" about what's on your mind -- which if you are reading this is probably your business, right?!!You can post up to 140 characters about whatever you want. It's sometimes a challenge to pare your thoughts down to 140 characters, but when you are sharing your business with others, you really shouldn't need to use too many words, right?I first used Twitter back in April to keep my clients up to date on my activities at a networking conference. Now, a month later, I love using Twitter not only to keep people up to date on what I'm doing, but also to meet new and exciting people like the ones I've met here, and keep up to date on what they are doing.If you have a business, you can't afford to overlook Twitter. Here are just a few ways you can use Twitter:1. When you publish a new blog post, podcast, newsletter or video, Tweet about it so people can enjoy it. If they like it, they just might use Twitter's efficiency to tell others.2. If you are featured in the media, Tweet about it so people can see that you are relevant and that the media thought enough of your work to feature it.3. When you meet someone new and exciting and want to share their work with others, Tweet about it by linking to their website, blog or other social media location.4. Sign up to follow people whose activities interest you, and always be in the know without having to read paragraph after paragraph.5. Put a Twitter feed on your blog so you automatically cross post your Tweets to your blog readers.The possibilities are endless.Here's how to follow me on Twitter.1. Visit my Twitter page at http://twitter.com/indiebusiness, and then choose "Join Today" to open your free Twitter account. If you have a business, consider using your brand name as your username since your Twitter page will correspond to that. Plus, by registering your brand name, you'll be able to prevent other people from registering it for their business.2. Once you have an account, go back to my Twitter link at http://twitter.com/indiebusiness and sign up to follow me. (Use the "Follow" link under my picture.) Also, leave a comment below and let me know your username so I can visit your Twitter page and maybe sign up to follow you. (I'll follow you if you use Twitter regularly, say interesting things and also put a picture of you in your profile.)3. When you meet a Twitterer you think I or other Indie Business owners would be interested in following (including you), share their Twitter link in the comments section here so we can all see.How fun is that?dM

Great Week so far...

Posted by Nirvana - Pure Romance on June 11, 2008 at 3:52am

This week has been really good so far, despite the HORRIBLE heat we have to deal with...I am NOT a summer person although I was born in August...go figure! :o)1. Sunday night, I was on meetup.com RSVPing to some upcoming events for the groups that I belong to and all of sudden it occured to me that I should have group! So I decided to set one up for 6 months, just to try a new and different way of targeting clients. I requested that I am listed under "Shopping" and described that the meet-ups happpen at my group members request!! I can't believe I had not thought of this before...in less than 24 hours I booked 3 additional parties from people who received the email blast from meetup.com and I now have parties booked into OCTOBER!! My calendar isn't competely full...but it's getting there!2. Monday, a hostess of one of my recent parties, contacted me and expressed and interest in starting her own Pure Romance business...she's signing up on Friday! My little team will now be a strong group of 5 :o) We are growing slowly, but I prefer quality over quantity!3. I also have made the decision to return to work full-time (for someone other than myself), although I love doing Pure Romance and will always continue to do so... I'm ready to return to non-profit program work. I love non-profit and I always hated that I let someone get to me to the point that I left a job that I really enjoyed doing...so now begins yet another task...my new job search!! I'm excited and interested to see what new possibilities will be out there!

More networking

Posted by Natasha Crawford on June 10, 2008 at 3:56am

I just came home from yet another networking event. With the oppressive heat here in New York City, the LAST thing I wanted to do was leave my air-conditioned apartment/home-office. But after arguing with myself for about 20 minutes (always an interesting thing to watch), I decided to go. And I'm glad I did. There were only 4 of us there. I got to really know the people who were there. It turned into a brainstorming session. It was a productive brainstorming session. I got to share my knowledge and get some useful advice. It proved to me a few things.1. I do know a thing or two about business (based on what I shared)2. I do know what is best for my business (based on the advice I received, which agreed with my previous thoughts)3. I can always learn more - surround myself with smart people4. Sometimes smaller events are better - quality vs. quantity5. Becoming a regular at a few networking groups is better than showing up to a bunch of different ones only once.So there it is. Keep networking. It works.Natashawww.NatashaCrawford.com

The Beginning

Posted by Roberta Gregory-Maximin on June 12, 2008 at 8:50pm

For years now I have wanted to start my own business. I started out as wanting to open my very own upscale night club. What was I thinking? After looking into what it all entailed, I was like, HELZ NO. Then I wanted to start a home for girls, but it didn’t seem very feasible. After going thru idea after idea, I finally settled on exactly what I would LOVE to do…..Who would have thought.My name is Roberta and I live in sunny Orlando Florida. Everyone outside of Orlando thinks that there is so much to do in the land of Disney. But for those of us who live here 365 days a year we know better. There is only so many times that you can go to Disney, Sea World, Universal Studios, Island of Adventures and so on without getting tired of it all. And if you have lived here over 10 years, like I have, you don’t even want to think about those places, unless you have kids. Other than the theme parks and an occasional concert every five months, there is nothing to do in the “Land of Dreams”. For those of us around my age, 26, your only options for a night out on the town with your significant other or just friends are the dreaded NIGHT CLUBS, Bars/ Lounges, and of course the Movies. Now if I lived in New York City, Los Angeles, or even Miami, I would always have something to do. Some musician or socialite would be throwing a party somewhere in the city. There would be fashion shows, comedy shows; album release parties so on and so forth. But not here in Orlando.One night after I had my second daughter I really wanted to go out. I got all dolled up, put on my best new outfit and my pretty face. My girlfriends and I spent almost 3 hours shopping and planning for a great girl’s night out. I was all ready to go. After consider all our limited choices, we realized that we were all dressed up with nothing to do and nowhere to go. I was sooooo disappointed. Keep in mind this was after the birth of my second daughter and my first, I had had only a year before. So in reality, it was going to be my first night on the town after being pregnant for two long years. Boy was I devastated. That’s when the light bulbs started going off in my head.What if I could put together a number of events each month catering to people around my age? What if I could provide live music and entertainment, food, and great opportunity to socialize with new people? Then I started to think, I could definitely do this. It is done all the time in New York, Los Angeles, and Miami. Its only here in Orlando that we are behind the times.That’s when I had my aah haa moment that Donny (from the Big Idea) always talked about. I AM GOING TO START AN EVENT PLANNING / CONCERT PROMOTIONS COMPANY. I would cater to your adults who are interested in a night out with more to do than to just go to the club or the movies. People who would love to surround them selves with energetic people but not have to worry about someone stepping on their feet. So I started on my journey to make it happen.I ran the idea by a couple of my friends and colleagues and they were like no way, that will never work, but I asked to myself WHY NOT. Why must my only choices of entertainment here in Orlando be the same choices that I had when I was just turning 18 and 21? I am looking for something new. I know if I feel this way, there has got to be many people out there that feel the same way I do.Now I have done my research and the need is there it’s just up to me to fulfill the wants of my people. Here is where you come in! Please tell me what you want and what you like. Who would you like to see perform (keep in mind this would be a small intimate performance for at most 1500 people) what kid of food would you like to be served? How much would you pay to be entertained? Please take the time to fill out my short survey so that I can give you exactly what you are looking for. If I were filling out this survey, it would go something like this. I would love to see Carrin Bailey, Ayo, Tori Amos, John Legend, Eric Bennet, Heather Headley, Avante, Athony Hamilton, Leona Lewis, Mary J. Blidge, Syleena Johnson, Keke Wyatt, One Republic, Lyfe Jennings, and so much more. Just to name a few. I would be willing to spend any where up to $65 per person for such an event. Now being that I am a lover of food, anything would be to my satisfaction, as long as you are not giving me something to extravagant and I cant pronounce, I will eat just about anything. I just love food. So you know what I want, now tell me what you want. Help me to bring better entertainment to our sunny city of Orlando. Help me to help you have something to do when you have a little extra cash or a babysitter for the night. Help me to help you have an opportunity to meet new people and create new fabulous memories.

Bartering - can it work for you?

Posted by Christine on June 11, 2008 at 1:30pm

I was reading the newspaper the other day (in between wiping down my little'uns with a cool washcloth and supplying paper and crayons) and came across this article on bartering. I have referenced the link at the bottom of the blog post. Basically the article outlines how the depressed economy and rising unemployment are causing people to exchange services rather than services for cash. At worst, there is an ad on Craiglist where a man writes he will paint for groceries, and that many business participate in a formal services exchange program.Have you ever bartered for services? As long as both parties are in agreement about the value of the services exchanged, then bartering can be beneficial for all involved. For those of us involved in the Buy Black Collective, this is something to think about!Here is the link for the article: http://www.mycentraljersey.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2008806100341Please post any comments you may have!CeeCee

The Business of Being a Mother

Posted by DawnKA on May 11, 2008 at 2:11pm

Being a mother is no easy task - it's filled with challenges. As I reflect on this position that I have held for the past 22 years I realize that I have every right to run for the president of the United States of America if not the world.Culinary ExpertI have fed the kids when they have declared there is nothing there to eat -miraculously I managed to whip up meals without leaving the house.Office of AdministrationTime management - scheduling various appointments,parties, attending recitals and other related events while maintaining my own.Reviewing papers, filling out forms, signing permission slips, attend meetings.AdvocateI have served as a strong advocate on behalf of their education.Domestic Policy/Homeland SecurityI have successfully mediated and at times end major wars.Event PlannerSlumber Parties, Birthday Parties, Museum Trips, Broadway Shows, Amusement Parks, Vacation/Traveling Abroad, After Christmas Shopping, Concerts and more.Economic Council/AdviserI have had to balance budgets with next to nothing leftHealth CareOffice of Drug ControlI have experience in taking care of the sick children bringing them back to health without having to run to the emergency room and calming their hysterics at the sight of blood when they merely have a bruise.Official Spiritual AdviserVery close connection to God for the ultimate guide that I do not mess up this position.Office of Mental HealthListen to the constant reasons why the other person is stupidListen and counsel on having compassion, the importance of caring, being kind, and knowing when it's time to hit backEducation/Guidance CounselorSelecting the appropriate educational materials/courses/path/programsFilling out Financial Aid Forms for CollegeI can go on and on with the other duties but it may appear to be bragging. Well, I wont be running for anything as being a mother is a life term position and that's a major position that I wont trade for anything.I must go and celebrate this day although I am still on full duty..............

The Power of Testimonials and References

Posted by The Black Business Cafe on June 10, 2008 at 1:48pm

Every entrepreneur should have an understanding of the power of business testimonials and references. They are nothing more or less than personal endorsements, but they can make a huge difference to your company's bottom line.People are extremely skeptical about doing business with companies they are unfamiliar with - especially if you're strictly online. Something as simple as a good testimony can give them the confirmation they need to buy whatever you're selling.Here's how to maximize on this:Take your best 5-10 clients and put their contact info on a list that you can easily email to interested ones. Be sure to let your clients know that from time to time, you may have someone contact them. Usually, most clients don't mind this - as long as people aren't calling them every single week.In addition, post some testimonials on your web site. Use pictures if you can.It sounds simple, but doing this will drastically increase your chances of converting a potential client into an actual client. This well demonstrates the power of word-of-mouth advertising; What satisfied customers have to say can be very influential to others.On the flip-side, be careful yourself when you are contemplating doing business with an unfamiliar company. Search their web site for testimonials. If there are none, call the company and ask for a list of references. This way you can talk to their actual clients, who can tell you whether or not they are legit.If a company tells you that they have no testimonials or references, this may be a sign that they are running a scam. Don't jump to conclusions too fast though - It could just be a new company, with no existing clients. This, however, is rarely the case.Dante LeeGet More Business Building Strategies atThe Black Business Cafe~www.theblackbusinesscafe.ning.com

The Price of Parenthood - A CNN Study

Posted by Diana on June 4, 2008 at 8:05pm

Beneath CNN's top news of the Democratic Nomination sits an article that reads, "The Price of Parenthood - Mother's love worth $117,000 per year, study says". You can read the article here.I probably would have passed this article but decided to take a gander. In brief it states that SAHM work 94.4 hrs/wk. The basis of the dollar amount is due to all the overtime hours we put in for a typical day. And get this a woman that works outside the home makes in comparison (average) over 68K. Now I worked outside the home and have come close to that salary ( I cringe ever time I think about it) But whether you are Mom who works outside the home, stay at home, work at home are far more worth all the rubies and diamonds in the world. There is no dollar amount to equate what my Mother did for me or what I do for my kids now. Although I would like for someone to write me a check for $1,000,000.00 once in a while. LOLWhat about you? Is there really a price value for what you do as a mother or what our mothers did for us? Comments are welcome.

5 Myths About Entrepreneurs

Posted by Christine on June 5, 2008 at 12:34am

This is a reprint of an article that I located on isnare.com. I am using this as an example of how you can find free content for your website and/or for your blog. Remember, search engines love new content - gives the spiders that crawl your site something new to munch. The only thing you must do is include a link and give credit.5 Myths About EntrepreneursBy Joe LeeThe media has made lots of reports about entrepreneurs. Somemay be true, some are not. Here are the 5 myths about being anentrepreneur.Myth #1: Entrepreneurs only care about making moneyMany people think entrepreneurs do what they do strictly forthe money, and that taking risks is all about entrepreneur'spersonal reward.While fear of poverty or use of money as a scorecard may havesome relevance - and there are, of course, some entrepreneursfocused primarily on financial profits - generally, money is notthe ultimate motivator for the majority of entrepreneurs.Many successful entrepreneurs do not live a lavish lifestylesthat reflect their financial success. Their motives are oftenmore about ego and emotion. For most entrepreneurs, money isjust a way to keep score.Money is also a way to do bigger and more exciting deals. Thethrill of challenge, the motivation of a new idea, and the risksinvolved have far more power to motivate the entrepreneurialspirit than money.Myth #2: Winning means somebody else is losingYou may have heard of people speak of success in business asbeing "on the backs of other," suggesting that if anentrepreneur is winning, somebody else must be losing.This attitude makes it seem like the only possible outcome of abusiness deal is to have one side win and the other side lose.The resulting bottom line is zero. This is sometimes referred toas the "zero-sum game."Entrepreneurs are creative and expansionary thinkers. Ratherthan accepting a zero-sum result, and, contrary to the myth thatan entrepreneur's success comes at the expense of others,entrepreneurs often try to figure out ways that both sides canwin.Myth #3: The greater the risk, the greater the rewardThis myth is always passed on to young entrepreneurs aseconomic gospel. The theoretical relationship between risk andreward is coincidental at best, and then only in certainsituations.Risk is a relative concept. All else being equal, real risksare modified by knowledge, experience, hard work, passion, andunforeseen circumstances. Applying knowledge to any investmentcan change the risk profile.Equally important in considering risks, perception of risks isoften different from reality. What one person considers highrisk might be from another's perspective a sure thing. Who thencan say what's a great risk or a great reward?Myth #4: As an entrepreneur, you can get rich quickHave you heard of those dotcom millionaires? In the internetworld, it sure seemed like people got rich overnight. But alwaysremember that things often seem easier than they are.It may seem to you that entrepreneurs made the huge amount ofmoney, but do you know that there are lots of hardwork before hemade it. Think twice about becoming an entrepreneur, if youthink you can get rich quick.Myth #5: A good business plan is the entrepreneur's criticalroadmap to successVenture capitalists often make business plans the key criteriain deciding whether or not to fund new companies. Businesseducators often talk about business plans like they are the HolyBible of business success. The theory is that the better andmore complete the business plan, the better the business willgo. This is a myth.While having an idea or a goal is critical, believing that youcan create a structured, believeing that you can create astructured business plan that will endure time or place issimply naive. In the real world,it rarely happens.Business plans can be useful initial tools, but they should beused only as guidelines. Trial and error, luck, creativity,flexibility, and adapting to unforeseeable developmentsultimately are what make an entrepreneurial venture succeed.Successful entrepreneurs know when to use creative problemsolving rather than theoretical business plans.About the Author: Joe is an enlightened entrepreneur startinghis business in an out-of-the-box way. With his experience , hecompiled a report, "49 Compelling Headlines to increase yourprofit by 433%".If you are frustrated with your advertisementresponse rate, you may want to get this report athttp://www.millionaire-idea.comSource: http://www.isnare.comPermanent Link: http://www.isnare.com/?aid=117479&ca=Business

Personal Development Plan-We All Need To Have One

Posted by Monique Hawkins on June 8, 2008 at 3:03pm

As women entrepreneurs, we all know how crucial it is to work on ourselves in the area of personal development.We all see people who are very successful in the same business that we are in, yet we seem to be stuck and struggling. I myself know what this is like. The problem is not the business, but in ourselves.The truth is, all of us need a personal development plan; a plan that we work on day in and day out. While we may not seen results right away, consistent action will bring positive results.Have you ever considered doing a 30 Day Mental Cleanse?You might be asking what are we talking about? Too often we let things into our minds that should not be there and it hinders our progress. The best way to get your mind focused is to clean it up with what it should have. Think of it like rebooting your hard drive.We have found this process to be more effective when people can do this together and share the result. What are you going to get? By joining this 30-day cleanse, we will send you ebook(s) to read and have weekly calls associated with this specific 30-day mental cleanse to assist you along the way. All that is required by you is your commitment to doing the program. If you are ready to become the right kind of person, then complete the form below. You will be sent the full instructions and Michael & Linda will keep in touch with you by email as well as myself and on the weekly calls.If this is something that interests you, go to http://www.30daycleanse.com/All of this personal development training is free and will be a tremendous asset to your personal development plan.Let me know if you join up.I wish you success,Monique540-858-2885Skype: Monique371mentormonique@gmail.com

Do you do what you say you're going to do?

Posted by Christine on June 9, 2008 at 7:23pm

Good morning!As I write this post, it is about 80 degrees here in NJ and it's only 10:30 am. Now I do love the Garden State, but when it decides to get hot here, it's not kidding!I like to take a look around the Internet and use information from different sources. As such, I've had quite a bit of exposure to business folks who are off the beaten path. One of my favorites of this bunch is Larry Winget. First of all, he's....let's say, interesting. He's bald, wears .....flamboyant shirts and interesting cowboy boots. Not exactly my style of dress for me, but hey, it works for him - makes him distinctive to say the least.I like what he has to say. He's to the point, simple, no-holds barred type of person who simply tells it like it is. What I want to share with you today is some of his rules of business. Here are a few of them for you to ponder on:1. Do the right thing every time. Not the cheap thing or the easy thing, but the right thing.2. Work hard on your job and harder on yourself.3. Be the person others can count on to get things done.4. A deal is a deal.And my personal favorite:Do what you say you would do, when you said you would do it, the way you said you would do it.Believe me, although these words are simple and straightforward, with so much going on in our lives, it is easy (yes it is) easy to let things slide. Take a break, reconnoiter, then start again.If you're interested, check him out at Larry Winget

CeeCee
neosoulessentials.com
naturally you!

Article Marketing and How It Works

Posted by Barbara Howard on June 9, 2008 at 9:01am

It is an estabilished fact that Article Marketing works by a large number of Internet Marketers in wide variety of niches. This has been repeatedly proven. However, those who have not ever attempted article marketing tend to think that it is harder or more time consuming than it actually is.Starts by writing an article. This can be done by yourself or you can hire a ghost writer. The cost of ghost written articles is usually less than $10.00 for a 300 to 500 word article. It is important that the article be informative and related to your niche. The article should not sound like a sales letter.At the end of the article, you include your ‘resource box.’ A resource box is simply information about the author, and it usually includes a link to the authors related website, a link to subscribe to a newsletter, and possibly even an email address to contact the author. If your article is ghost written, you are still the author.Underneath the resource box, you type a statement giving others the right to reprint the article for free, as long as they don’t change it and keep your resource box attached. This allows others to help make your article viral.Once the article is written, you should distribute it to as many article directories as you can find. It helps to also send the article to ezine publishers within your niche for consideration. You can find lists of ezines in the various ezine directories that are available on the Internet.There is article-submission software that can be used to speed up submitting your article in. One example of this type of software is Instant Article Submitter at www.instantarticlesubmitter.com . There are also services that will manually submit your article to directories. This is highly recommended because many article directories do not allow and will not accept articles submitted with software. One such recommended article submission service is We Submit Articles at:www.wesubmitarticles.com .Submitting the articles yourself is a time consuming task. If you can hire someone else to do that work, you will have more time overall to concentrate your efforts on other marketing tasks, including producing more articles.

Neosoul Essentials!

Posted by candacem907-Ms.MilanMinerals on June 9, 2008 at 7:00pm

Today with much anticipation I picked up my order from Neosoul Essentials! Ladies let me tell you, if you haven't tried these products you NEED to! Your skin will love you for it. My ordering experience with Christines company was wonderful,my much loved Zen-Tea scent was out of stock and I was promptly contacted by Christine and given options (customer service makes ALL the difference to me!)I've also fallen in love with 3 more wonderful scents! Purple Orchid,Mango Sunrise and Island Potion. Not to mention the free samples. So to anyone on the fence about ordering, her products are great!,Have a great day,CandaceEdited to add Pictures of my Neosoul Essentials haul!

Challenges of a WAHM

Posted by Christine on May 30, 2008 at 11:34am

Many of us on this board are mothers who work out of our homes, which presents special challenges. This subject has been weighing on my mind this week, so I decided to write about it.I am a full time mom, and I am certainly blessed to be one. I used to be a teacher and a staff trainer in mathematics, so to finally stop taking care of other people's children and focus totally on my own was truly a relief!! Although some teachers do it, I can't imagine dealing with 20 children every day, then coming home and dealing with my own. Why work to pay someone else to raise my children while I raise someone else's. (And for those who don't think teachers have a large part in raising children - at least the good ones - has never been a teacher.)As much as I am glad to be home, it is not easy to run a business from your home with three little ones 5 and under puttering about. Plus, I'm that silly stay at home mom who doesn't depend on the TV to take care of the children and instead engages them in reading, crafts and the like. So to take the time to complete something during the day, whether it be computer work, formulating new recipes or whipping up orders - well, sometimes it's catch as catch can. I can hear them now, as I write, singing and chatting in their room.So how do I do it? I've gotten to the point where I have to schedule my work in 15 min segments and keep a notebook next to my computer so that I can write down any to-dos or next steps that I need to complete. Believe me, children have a way of interrupting you just as you were about to get the best idea. And it's not always frivolous stuff. My daughter is polite enough to let me know that she's about to use the bathroom, that she's finished using the bathroom, that she's flushed the toilet AND that she's washed her hands. How in the world can I run a business without these updates? She's better than the Bloomberg report!To all of your WAHMs out there, here's a list of what I do to keep sane. Note, this does not work all the time, as those creatures we call children are unpredictable, and on a bad day will do almost anything to get your attention (to learn more about their shenanigans, check out www.blackdomesticgoddess.com1. Make a to-do list the night before, after the children go to sleep. Mine hit the sack at 7 pm. (yes, they do!) This way you can recap the day and have a list in place before those angels jostle you out of sleep at 6 am the next morning.2. Keep a notepad or sticky notes by your computer at all times. That way, when the potty annoucements, requests for juice, or a loud commotion from the other room yanks you out of 15 businesswoman mode, you can (sort of) jump right in where you left off.3. Reach out for help: One time I just showed up on my mom's doorstep with a diaper bag and a desperate look. All I needed was to be away from them for 3 hours to get my head together!4. Remember - it's not that important. If the interruptions are too much, then just stop. If you try to continue and they continue to interrupt, it will just lead to frustration for you and for the little ones. Make a note to pick up where you left off after they go to bed. Some of you early birds may get up early, but I'm not one of that elite group. I'm a night owl. :)5. Take a break from the business. Schedule a weekday where you don't touch the computer until after they go to bed. It's hard, but it's worth it. They'll love the fact that you're looking at them instead of a computer and/or in my case whipping a bowl of shea butter. (Ok, honestly, I've checked my email on these days, but didn't respond until they were asleep. No, really, I didn't. Ok, maybe responded to one or two.....maybe three.)Above all have fun. Yes, we are all trying to grow our business, but remember why you stayed at home in the first place. I didn't leave my educators job to be a bath and body maker - I left it to take care of my children. In my mind, they come first right now.Thanks for reading!

CeeCee

Oh Happy Day

Posted by Bella Roushall on June 10, 2008 at 12:39am

I am so happy and overjoyed to find a group of professional women trying to help themselves, and help others. I look forward to many happy hours chatting and getting to know a new group of friends.

Building Relationships

Posted by Nirvana - Pure Romance on June 3, 2008 at 12:45am

Building relationships are a huge part of direct sales and the most important relationships are with my hostesses and then my customers! Especially considering the personal nature of the products that I am selling.My hostesses are the ones who are allowing me to come into their homes and do a prensation in front of all of their friends and family. The process of building that relationship, for me, starts with our initial conversation. Whether this is someone who has approached me or was given to me as a corporate lead, I always start off by just telling them a little about myself and the benefits of hosting a party and then I just the conversation flow. I have never been a fan of the "being sold" on something so I do my best to never come off like that.Many of the women I have done parties for have never been to a "toy" party and now they are the host! So I do my best to make sure they are always comfortable with the items I will be showing and if there are any items they are not comfortable with, I won't show it! That may surprise some of you, because you may be thinking that that may effect my sales, but it never has, my objective is to make everyone feel comfortable with a very touchy subject and all it takes is one woman to say "EWWWW" :o) to turn everyone off!My customer are next, now since I meet the majority of them the night of the party, this relationship is on speed! :-) One the things I love about Pure Romance is that they require that we always have a private ordering room for our customers, while some don't think this is needed, they are wrong!! This is where the crux of the relationship between myself and my buying customers is built. This is where they get to ask questions that they may not have wanted to ask in front of their friends, mom, auntie, or boss! This also gives them the chance to buy any items they want without judgement from everyone else in the room and I always assure them that the only way anyone will ever know what they bought is if they tell them, it will NEVER come from me!

$1 Million in Revenue - It Is Possible

Posted by Natasha Crawford on June 5, 2008 at 2:41am

Yesterday I attended the Make Mine a Million $ Business event by Count Me In, an organization whose mission is to "inspire 1 million women entrepreneurs to reach annual revenues of $1 million by the year 2010"They offer a variety of online resources for women entrepreneurs. They also have events around the country - the focus of which is a competition to become a part of their program that provides coaching, mentorship, and a variety of REALLY COOL prizes by sponsors like Dell, FedEx, and American Express. All to get your business to become a million dollar business.They also had a raffle to allow attendees to pitch their business to the audience (unfortunately I wasn't selected). It was a great day, I was extremely inspired and can't wait to compete to be a part of their Micro to Millions program. AND I got a free signed copy of Duct Tape MarketingCheck out the websites! If there's an upcoming event near you, GO. How amazing it would be for our BBWO members to hit $1 million (and more!) in revenue.Make Mine a Million Dollar Business Count Me InNatashawww.NatashaCrawford.com

May 2008: Most Popular Indie Business Blog Posts

Posted by Donna Maria Coles Johnson on June 6, 2008 at 10:02am

I upload numerous posts to my blog each week. Some get lots of comments while others, well let's just say there's an echo. Sometimes, people prefer to send me private emails, all of which I read and enjoy because they help me know what matters to you so I can focus my blogging efforts on things that you will most enjoy and benefit from. Thanks for the love!

Beginning this month, I'm starting to share the most popular blog posts from the prior month. This will be a great way for me to monitor and summarize popular topics, and you can also use the information to decide what to write about at your blog. Summarizing popular posts also allows me to highlight the most popular posts for people who are too busy (and I know that's everyone ...) to read a new post each time it's added.Here are the 3 most popular Indie Business Blog posts of May 2008, based on comments and discussion here and at other social sites where I cross post.* The New Family Business: Nine Reasons Why Home-Based Business Ownership Works For Parents. This post seemed to really hit a nerve with young women who are considering marriage and family. I think more and more young parents will see business ownership as a necessity, not an option.* Indie Confidential: Prepare For 5 Indie Business Pitfalls. This post covers things that most business experts don't comment much on. The most popular aspect of this post seemed to revolve around my common that, in business, "your spouse or significant other may not support you." Ouch.* Who to Follow On Twitter: If Susie Asked You To Jump Off a Bridge, Would You? This post is all about how to use Twitter efficiently and effectively. Who wants to follow Twitters who are not actually tweeting? And who wants to spend all day tweeting? Not me, and apparently not a lot of you either!

WOW!!!!

Posted by Kelly Laws on May 10, 2008 at 12:48pm

It is such a blessing to see other African American Women using their gifts and talents to fill this world with color. I am blessed and elated to know that I am in the presence of other beautiful women who have decided to live out the dream that called out to them in the quite of the wee hours of the morning. Thank you for answering the call because I too answered it.Kelly

Note: this page contains paid content.

Note: this page contains paid content.

Note: this page contains paid content.

Note: this page contains paid content.