Miracles from 2008

As I sat in meditation moments ago, my mind began contemplating the year that is about to end this evening. I opened my eyes, and was gazing out at the Atlantic from our winter rental here on the beautiful South Carolina beach. I marveled at the miracle that made it possible for us to leave our cold and snowy northern home for the winter – and as I marveled at that, I began to think of all the other miracles of this past year.

And I was inspired to write this post.

I have not yet attained millionaire status; however, if the miracles of 2008 are any indication, I am surely on my way – not only monetarily, but spiritually as well. May I share with you the multitude of things that awe and inspire me about this past year?

Thank you.

As I review the year, I realize that early in 2008, my focus began to sharpen. I am so grateful for the first 45 days of 2008, wherein I detoxified my body and mind to a state where mental clarity became the norm. How grateful I am.

In 2008, I made my first large affiliate sale, resulting in a real commission check – made out to me – and I no longer needed to visualize something that hadn’t yet happen. Because now it DID happen, and I could visualize even more of them. This first success made me realize that success truly is within my reach. How grateful I am.

I am so thankful for that experience, and thankful I didn’t quit the way I used to quit when success wasn’t mine overnight.

I am also thankful that, as 2008 continued, my other websites began producing sales. I didn’t quit 6 months after getting my websites up and running, even though I wasn’t yet earning enough to live on. How grateful I am.

I am extremely grateful that I have learned to calm my mind and become patient – and through this calmness and patience have seen my faith deepen.

Many times during 2008, I felt thankful that we had discarded our television 4 years prior. I am thankful that I avoided newspapers and newscasts, because I was unaffected by others’ pessimism about whatever was happening in their economy. The time I did not spend in front of the television set or newspapers was spent in learning to visualize my goals and intentions, and these were untainted by whatever was happening to others.

During 2008, as I walked along the quiet country road where we live in northern NH, I often found myself thankful that I didn’t really know or “hang out” with anyone in town – because my solitary walks became walking meditations wherein I could formulate new visions for my life. When I had first moved to that area, I felt lonely because I didn’t know a lot of people or have friends there. Once I turned my vision inward, I realized what a gift that the solitude truly has been for me. How grateful I am.

I am so grateful that 2 years ago I lost my job – another in a series of grant-funded work that always evaporated when the funds dried up. If I had been able to keep any of those jobs, I could not have packed up and left NH when the snows fell this year. I’d still be shoveling, scraping ice, driving on snowy mountain roads, and spending money on heating oil, plowing, and firewood. Instead, thanks to the fact that my jobs were gone, I was able to work on becoming an internet marketing entrepreneur – AND go to a beautiful southern climate for the winter. How grateful I am.

I am also thankful for laptop computers and cell phones which make it possible to work wherever I want to be.

Although this sounds sad, I cannot begin to say how thankful I was when, 6 days before we were to leave NH for SC, that we were both home when our beloved little cat, “Kitty,” suffered a stroke – and that we were both with her, petting her and loving her as she made her transition over the rainbow bridge. If we had both been at a job, our little Kitty would have suffered and died alone. Another miracle is that the vet – who is only in our rural area 3 days/week – was there and still open when this occurred. How grateful I am for the 9 years we had our pet. How grateful I am.

I am thankful that I reconnected with friends that I thought had moved on. I spent many pleasant hours with some of these folks, and heard new insights and gained a new appreciation for who they are. What a blessing these friends are.

We are told that the real estate market is doing poorly. There is a small city in northern NH where more than 120 single family homes are for sale, and few are selling. During 2008, we had a small single family house in that town that we needed to sell. How thankful I am for the miracle of the house selling within 7 days of being put on the market. How grateful I am, and awed, when I think of the person who bought the house – who we discovered was born 4 doors down the road, 68 years before, who had moved away 40 years earlier, and who just decided to “come home” to his hometown. How grateful I am.

I realize it is by no accident that, over the course of this last year, I have stumbled upon remarkable books, some written in the early 1900's, about the universal Law of Attraction. These books are not widely discussed today, as other, more contemporary books have since been written. Nonetheless, these older volumes resonated with me, and have quickened my progress in my own ability to visualize and act on my goals. How grateful I am.

I am overwhelmed with thanks that my husband joins me and supports me on my path, and that together, we spent the 2008 holiday season volunteering in our new winter community instead of purchasing and opening gifts. This experience was unlike any other we have ever had, and touched our hearts and changed our lives forever – and we will never be the same. How grateful I am.

Throughout the year 2008, I have learned to hear, listen, and follow the intuitive messages speaking within my spirit. I have been led along the path, guided to make certain turns – and have learned to trust the direction I find myself following.

I am seeing potential I never saw before.
I am meeting friends I never knew existed.
I am being introduced to business and marketing strategies that – a year ago – I had never even heard of.
I am trusting and loving myself as I never have before.
I am feeling a depth of love in my heart for others that I never thought could be so strong – so strong that tears come to my eyes whenever I contemplate it.

I am so grateful for the joys, miracles, and awe that 2008 has brought to me – and I have touched on but a few of them here. These words I have written come nowhere near the feelings and thoughts that are bubbling within my heart and mind.

But, I wanted to share them in the hope that they spur you to contemplate the miracles that may have occurred in your life – and to anticipate the miracles that are yet to occur in 2009 and beyond.

I wish you all a blessed and happy new year.

Christmas in Cherry Grove

Today is Christmas day and it is a very interesting feeling to be looking upon the ocean at Cherry Grove Beach here in South Carolina versus up in the White Mountains of New Hampshire.

Coming here to South Carolina definitely shifted me from snug within my comfort zone to just outside that zone. And that's a good thing. Because it made me think in new ways. For example, the act of preparing for the winter move insisted that I take a decidedly different focus and action than would have been necessary if I had just stayed home.

If I had just stayed home, I suspect that very little would have changed in my daily routine. I can guarantee that many hours each week would have been devoted to shovelling snow, scraping ice off the car, and working to keep wood in the stove. But making the decision to go south for the winter brought an excitment and feeling of anticipation that I haven't felt in years. It's a similar feeling to those that kids have as they wait for Christmas morning.

I'm finding myself exercising without even thinking about it, sitting at the computer to work without even thinking about it, and gazing meditatively out the window at the ever changing ocean - without even thinking about it.

Yes, it was worth pushing the limits of my comfort zone to come here. We left behind the trappings of Christmas past - we don't have the beautiful scent of the Balsam fir Christmas tree, we don't have our Christmas stockings or gifts, and we don't have family coming over for a feast.

Instead, we have a little Chia seed Christmas tree that my mother in law sent us (which looks awesome!), and are going to help the local Red Cross serve up 4,200 pounds of turkey today. We can't wait!

While I am sure I'll be glad to see my mountain home again in April, I am extremely thankful to be where I am right now. Merry Christmas to all who celebrate this holiday. And to everyone: Peace, blessings, harmony, and joy!

Timeshare: Deal or No Deal?

"Let's face it. Travel is big business. Huge business. Even in "this economy." Consider that international visitors to the United States spent more than $122.7 billion on travel and tourism-related activities in 2007 - that's just people coming to United States alone! (Source: Office of Travel & Tourism Industries (OTTI) March 11, 2008)

I've also seen estimates attributed to the Travel Industry Association that the travel and tourism industry itself generates more than $1+ trillion in economic activity.

These are significant figures. And a lot of people want a piece of that pie. Who can blame them? Traveling is fun, and it's a fun industry to work in if you enjoy traveling yourself."

And so I began this article earlier this year for the EzineArticles.com site (If you are interested, you can find this article there in its original state, along with my other articles.) With slight variations and some additional content, I share it with you here because the content is relevant to what I keep hearing about "this economy."

The idea to rework and republish this piece came to me as we winter here in Cherry Grove Beach, South Carolina. Down the road a space are numerous and lovely timeshare resorts inviting "walk ins" to tour their facilities. When we arrived here in Cherry Grove, I called the North Myrtle Beach Visitor Information Center with a specific question. Once the person answered my question, she tried to sign me up for a 120 minute "tour" and presentation of one of the timeshare resorts.

I tried to explain to her that I was not interested, and indeed market exclusive luxury vacation memberships, but she didn't give up. I was finally able to end the call, but the conversation stuck with me.

I've never cared for the timeshare sales tactics - I do not like feeling pressured. My husband and I purchased a timeshare ourselves years ago and have never been all that satisfied. We decided to sell it, but have been unable thus far to sell our timeshare week for even a fraction of what it cost us initially - not to mention how expensive it is to keep it up and running. We are truly caught between a rock and a hard place with this thing.

Never again.

Once we found the vacation membership we ultimately joined (and now market), it was the classic "no brainer." The differences between the concept of timeshare and our vacation memberships are staggering, which you will clearly see as you continue to read.

As an aside, it occurred to us as we were discussing "this economy" is that people are still vacationing - and if they aren't, they want to. They just don't want to pay through the nose. And they don't want to stay in some crummy and cramped hotel room, either. They want to be able to prepare some of their meals at their room instead of going out three times a day. Of course, the timeshare resorts are the perfect setup for vacations because they are typically roomy, have fully equipped kitchens, and are in lovely areas.

But, there are problems with purchasing a timeshare. And if you are seriously considering purchasing one, I only ask that you read on to see the truth in the numbers first. If what you read makes sense to you, then I invite you to go to our website to see how you can stay at these very same resorts without being shackeled to them or going into debt for the ability to vacation there.

I don't know if you have ever vacationed at a timeshare resort, or if you have purchased a timeshare in the past. If you have vacationed at a timeshare, then you already know what happens when you arrive: You are invited to a presentation about the property, and you are usually offered a gift certificate to a local restaurant or show in exchange for your time (typically 90 minutes - maybe more).

The resort isn't doing this to help you become acquainted with the area. They want you to purchase a timeshare at that specific location. After all - the resort is beautiful, and since you're having a wonderful vacation, why not purchase a week you can enjoy every year for years and years to come?

Whoa! Before you whip out your credit card or sign any financing papers in the magic of the moment, take a deep breath.... No... make that five or six deep breaths. Ask yourself these questions:

1) Do you really want to be locked into a contract where - after you pay thousands of dollars for the initial purchase - you'll be paying annual maintenance fees (which never seem to go down)? (According to Timeshares.com the industry average is $16,000 for a purchase. And, WorldMarkTheClub.com, says that the 2006 industry average for maintenance fees was $512 for a one-bedroom, and $614 for a two-bedroom unit.) My husband's and my annual fees are currently at $500 - just to keep the darned thing active.

2) In the event you'd like to exchange your week for a week at a completely different resort, do you want to pay annual membership dues to an exchange company and then pay for the exchange itself (cough up another couple hundred dollars a year). In our case, in order to trade for a week somewhere else, we have to belong to Interval International, and keeping that membership costs us about $80 per year. Then, to make the exchange itself, it costs us another $130 or more depending on where we're going. So, annually - if we want to use our timeshare at all, we are up over $700. And that's just for the right to go somewhere for one week!

3) Also, if you want to exchange your week for a week at another resort - even if you're willing to pay all those fees - are you prepared to be disappointed if you are told that the location you want to visit is not available (such as Hawaii, the Islands, etc... You might have to try Branson, MO - there are usually weeks available there ...)? In our case, we have never gotten the exact trade we have wanted. Ever. We have had our timeshare for at least 12 years, and while we certainly can travel with it, we have never gotten what we requested. We are extremely fortunate that we work our own schedules, and are very flexible, because otherwise we would be at the mercy of where a timeshare was available for a week possibly determined by our employer. For example, when I worked for a school system, I was limited to school vacations for our own travel. Hmmm. Think anyone else in the world has limitations? Again... we can almost always go to Branson, MO.

4) Are you absolutely sure that you only want to come back to this particular resort year after year? When we purchased our timeshare, we were in northern NH, and the liklihood of our actually staying at the property (only an hour from our own beautiful mountain home) was nil. For a few years, and when my husband's daughter was a little girl, we would occasionally drive over to the resort to use the swimming pools, but that's it.

Ok, if you answered yes to those questions, then by all means, buy a timeshare. And, in all fairness, we have met people who are extremely happy with timeshare ownership.

If, however, you are thinking twice, and taking another eight to ten deep breaths - you might be asking yourself, "Well, if not timeshare, how else can I vacation at these gorgeous resorts? Is there another way?"

The answer is "yes." And this is where I introduce to you the luxury vacation memberships that we now market through Global Resorts Network (GRN). GRN has the exclusive worldwide rights to market a private vacation club membership that has twenty-two years experience in outstanding customer satisfaction.

Since these memberships are now marketed via the internet, this trend is catching on very quickly. And why not?

You won't have to sit through a sales presentation, and the process is extremely simple. What you see is what you get.

When you visit my website, you can explore the membership at your leisure without someone pushing you to make a buying decision on the spot.
As you go through the website, you will see that a lifetime (Platinum) membership is only $2,995.00 and that there are no blackout dates for travel.

Hmm.

Then, if you need more information, you can either email or call me (or request a call from me) with your questions. Here are some of the questions you may have:

1. "Is there an annual maintenance fee to use this membership?" (The answer is, "No.")
2. "How much do I REALLY have to pay for a week at one of these resorts?" (The answer is, "Anywhere from $298 - $798, but not higher.")
3. "Yeah, sounds great, but what are the odds that I'll really get to use a resort in Hawaii or the Florida coast?" (The answer is, "Once you put in your request for a location and range of dates, customer service will be bending over backwards to find you your location - that's what they do. And because of the club's tremendous buying power, the odds are very, very good that they will find you a beautiful resort.") Note: I know this because I have experienced their customer service myself. It is second to none.
4. "If I purchase a membership, who will the travel club membership be with?" (The answer is, "Once you make your purchase through my GRN site - http://www.fineresortvacation.com/, you will become a member of Gold Crown Resort, our travel partner. Gold Crown Resort has more than 22 years of experience in outstanding customer service.")

So, let's recap the differences here:

• Timeshare ownership can cost an average of $16,000. Our vacation membership has one low cost to join - $2,995 for a lifetime membership.
  Timeshare ownership dues/fees range from $300 - $1,000. Vacation membership does not have annual dues or maintenance fees. You never pay for a vacation unless you actually take one, and then, your cost is only $298 to $799 for the week. And you can take as many vacations per year as you wish; you are not limited to one week.
• Timeshare ownership default on yearly dues could jeopardize ownership. Vacation membership means you join once, you're a member for life, with no extra fees.
• Timeshare ownership exchanges are difficult and costly. Vacation membership means no more exchanging, and members choose from more than 5,000 luxury resort properties worldwide.
• Timeshare ownership has maximum depreciation on the investment worth approximately 10 cents on the dollar. Vacation membership has retained its full value for the last 21 years (there is a $75 transfer fee).
• Timeshare ownership means that the owners may pay additional fees for property remodeling and renovations. Vacation membership means that the members do not share in remodeling or renovation costs.

It is ultimately up to you to do your due diligence and determine what really will work best for you. There are times when a timeshare purchase might initially seem to be the best way to go - as an example, perhaps if that resort is near family and you will always use that particular resort.

But again, compare apples to apples: Would it really be cost effective to do this? If you could purchase a vacation membership for $2,995 instead, and then simply book your subsequent vacations at one particular resort - I believe you would be better served through our membership. You would also not be locked in to one particular week.

After all is said and done, the best suggestion is that you do the math and carefully consider all your options and preferences before you purchase either a timeshare or a vacation club membership. After all, travel and vacation is supposed to make you feel good - not stressed!

Why I’m So Proud of My Portable Garages and Shelters Site!

A lot of people thought I was nuts when, in August 2007, I announced that I was launching a website dedicated to marketing portable garage and shelter structures. After all, I had been a writer, career coach, and resume writer for years! Many folks just didn’t see the connection between those former careers and marketing carports, party tents, and other such items.

You, too, may be scratching your head, wondering what the connection could possibly be. I mean… portable garages and shelters? Given the name of my blog – Truth & Integrity in Business – I assure you that there IS a connection.

To understand this, we need to go back to when I was about 7 years old, when my Dad asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up. I answered that I wanted to be either a fairy princess or a writer. My Dad, wise man that he is, assured me that being a writer would probably work better for me.

So, I have always had it in my mind that I would indeed, be a writer.

Being a writer is what initially enabled me to help others develop their resumes. I had studied copywriting (Yes, I’m one of those people who – if I were hired to do so – would be behind the catalogs and mail order offerings you all receive. I refuse to call it junk mail.), and used those skills to write winning resumes.

The problem I had with resume writing is that many of the people where I lived (in northern NH), were either out of work or going to be out of work and didn’t have a lot of money to pay for such services.

But, as I started looking around at how else I could market my writing skills, I came to realize that every website contains the written word. As I a little deeper, I further understood that my copywriting skills, along with my new-found knowledge of search engine optimization, are critical components in internet marketing.

I soon realized I could turn my skills and my values into marketing products online myself, and began searching for something to sell.

What is also important (at least to me), is that I really care about others. And I had to work with a company that cared about others the way I do.

I stumbled upon the good folks at MDM Rhino Shelters (who are the company behind all the products on my Portable Garages and Shelters website), and we hit it off instantly. A little more research on my part indicated a growing need for affordable, portable storage solutions. So, I became one of MDM’s dealers, and promptly began building my website.

I loved developing the site, because it was the perfect place for me to put my web copywriting skills to work while developing a stream of income.

In addition to loading the site with as much information as possible so that my customers could find answers, I also made it my goal to make my customers feel valued, and like family. In order to give everyone as much value as possible while still earning a few bucks, I took a hit on shipping charges and kept the product prices as low as I could.

This strategy evidently works, because I have amazing customers! I get calls from customers who will buy from me simply because they know I care about them. Sure, they save money and get good value for their dollar, but just as important, I value each one of them. I’ve helped get motorcycle shelters out to soldiers overseas (yes, we ship to APO and FPO addresses), mini greenhouses to families who have kids who want to learn about gardening, party tents to churches for their functions, portable garages to contracting companies who need shelter for their workers and equipment… The list goes on and on.

I have had the site up since late August, 2007, made my first garage sale by the first week of September, 2007, and today my business gets sales on a regular basis. I’m not knocking the cover off the ball yet, but I’m definitely getting on base! I will soon be adding our largest structure – a commercial 40x60x18 Domed Truss building – to the site so that I can serve an even wider, commercial clientele.

My customers get great service not only from me, but also from everyone at MDM – from the owner to his mom (it IS a family business!), to all the account managers, to all the guys loading the trucks day after day in the warehouse – everyone at the facility (and especially my own account manager and true right-hand man, Dave Clayton). Everyone there treats my customers with the same care and respect that I do. They are a family business, and they treat me like family as well.

So, aside from the products we sell – from the popular “evergreen” 1-car round top portable garage to the new “Cycle Shelter,” which is a cool tent-like shelter for motorcycles to the large commercial buildings – the fact that I’m dealing with a company of great integrity has resulted in a growing business for me. I’m proud of my website and my affiliation with everyone at MDM Rhino Shelters.

It all makes perfect sense to me!

Forming SMART Goals to Crystallize Your Vision

I recently wrote about how positive thoughts and mindset are your most powerful tools in Internet Marketing.

We reviewed the importance of staying in the present moment. If you missed that article, please feel free to either scroll down to below.

Today I'll talk about formulating goals that are S.M.A.R.T.

Before we discuss this, however, please be sure you understand the importance of keeping your thoughts in the present moment. This is critical, because all of your goals MUST use words that keep each goal in the only moment when ANYTHING can be accomplished – and that is now. This very moment. Not yesterday, and not tomorrow. Now. Again, I briefly review this topic in the article mentioned above.

As we move into making S.M.A.R.T. goals for ourselves, I want to point out that there are entire websites dedicated to this well-known and well-used acronym. If this is a topic that resonates with you, I recommend that you visit one of the many excellent sites that cover this in great detail. Simply type in the search term “SMART Goal Setting” or some similar term. You will find numerous variations on the acronym, but, for our purposes, we’ll break it down as follows:
S = Specific.
M = Measurable.
A = Attainable.
R = Relevant or Rewarding (some sources use “Realistic” – we’ll stick with Relevant and Rewarding for our purposes).
T = Time-Based.

Let’s review each term separately:
S = Specific. When we write goals, they should have a razor-sharp focus about what, exactly, you want to have happen. It answers the question “What?” What is it that you want?
Example: Instead of having a goal to “have a lot of money someday,” try “have $10,000 cash flow every single month by October 2009, over and above business expenses.”

M = Measurable. How will you tell whether or not you are making progress toward your goal? Different goals will call for different types of measuring criteria. This answers the question “How?” How is this going to be accomplished?
Example: If your goal is to walk for 30 minutes each day, the way you measure progress towards that goal will be somewhat different than if your goal is to walk 5 miles every day. Your measurement criteria for the goal of walking 30 minutes each day may be to begin with 10 minute increments for the week, 20 minute increments for the second week, etc. If your goal is to walk 5 miles every day, your measurement criteria may be in half-mile increments for each week. In either case, the way you see your progress is easily determined by the criteria you have chosen.

A = Attainable. You want your goal to be something you can commit to reaching without giving up. The goal should push you – but not overwhelm you.
Example: Instead of having an initial goal of running 10 miles without stopping within the next month if you have never been a runner, how about starting out with a goal of running 2 miles without stopping? Again, I’m not saying don’t reach for the stars – I just want to be sure you stick with your commitment towards your goals. If you find yourself running 2 miles without stopping fairly easily, then by all means, up the ante and go for that 10 miles!

R = Relevant (also, Rewarding). Your goal should have meaning to your life and purpose. If it isn’t relevant to your life, or rewarding, you won’t want to spend a whole lot of time or effort on it, will you? It not only needs to impact who you are and what you’re doing – it also needs to be completed by you, and not someone else.
Example: Let’s say you love to sing, and want to find a way to earn some extra money through your singing. As you brainstorm goals to move you in that direction, the goal of “By March 10th, research 10 different venues in town that are open to auditioning new singers” is relevant – because YOU are the one who will need to attend the audition, and singing is important to YOUR life. However, forming the goal: “listen to 10 new CDs of different famous singers by March 10th” isn’t relevant to your desired result. How would committing to listening to some CDs get you closer to earning extra money by singing? Certainly, listening to others can be inspiring, but unless it compels you into taking some action, it’s not relevant – and if you’re not taking action, it’s not a rewarding goal either.

T = Time-based. When will you reach this goal? In a month? 6 months? If you don’t put some kind of time commitment to your goal, when will you actually make any progress toward your goal? Without any sense of urgency and importance to accomplishing your goal, it can get very easy to fall into, “Oh, I’ll start tomorrow,” or “Maybe I’ll get going next week sometime…” Setting a timeframe for your goal will help keep you accountable. It answers the question “When?”
Example: You may have a goal of earning $10,000 per month online. When do you intend to get to work on this goal? If it’s that important to you, you should crystallize your starting point, as well as mid term points where you can account for your activities toward the goal. In what month and year are you anticipating reaching this goal? Without a starting and ending point framing your goal, at what points would you know to do a check up on your progress?

Ok. So that briefly reviews the idea of the SMART goal. Let’s see if we can come up with a goal that meets all the points we just touched on.

NOTE: For purposes of this example, this goal assumes that I am already earning some money through online marketing, and the starting point is December 1, 2008. Here’s the goal statement (notice that the wording is in present tense – it’s happening right now, even though I am using certain calendar timeframes to help define measurement criteria):
GOAL:
“Beginning today, I implement one new strategy from the ABC Training Manual daily until each of the 10 named strategies is in effect – an effort which, monitored and updated on a daily basis, results in my earning an extra $1,500 or more per month from my website’s sales, building up sales each month so that I am earning $5,000 or more from my website’s sales each month by March, 2009.”

S = Specific: Is the goal specific? Yes, it gives an exact figure that we can visualize occurring – for example, we can picture deposits being placed in our checking account as they add up to the goal.

M = Measurable: Is the goal measurable? Yes, it gives us a “ruler” in the form of the method we will use (the strategies of our company’s training module) so we can begin looking at our progress. We also have the measure of progress by days for the 10 strategies – we either implement one each day, or we don’t. At any point, we can stop and examine what it is we are doing and adjust our activities to bring us back into alignment with the goal.

A = Attainable: Is the goal attainable? Yes, because it is something that, due to our plan and right attitude will be well within our reach in the given amount of time. It is definitely going to stretch us – but it isn’t going to overwhelm us. We will feel great as each day we see the progress that keeps us going.

R = Relevant and Rewarding: Is the goal relevant and rewarding? Yes, because once we see ourselves implementing the strategies and seeing the income grow, we will feel that our efforts are rewarding. We have the relevant strategies at hand that will help propel us to the goal. Just because we may not yet have implemented the marketing strategies, they are a critical part of the goal that will prove to be very rewarding as we move forward.

T = Time-Based: Is the goal time-based? Yes, because we have given ourselves a sense of urgency but at the same time have given ourselves a reasonable timeframe in which to accomplish the task. By outlining the initial 10 days of activity (implementing one new strategy per day), and giving ourselves a few months to monitor and update – all of which can be checked and accounted for on a daily basis – we have an excellent starting point as well as a finish line to aim for.

I have one further clarification to make regarding the way I worded this goal. I mention that “I implement one new strategy from the ABC Training Manual daily until each of the 10 named strategies is in effect.” You may be thinking that this is the only vehicle that will result in my earning the extra $1,500 or month per more.

This wording is not meant to limit the ways in which the extra money may come to me – it is a starting point. This goal may well be a “sub goal” – one of several smaller goals that are part of a bigger picture or bigger goal that is not evident in these examples.

I believe it is important to remain open to how goals might be accomplished. Please do not limit yourself to attaining goals through means that you can only perceive with your five senses, because there are possibilities you may not yet have been exposed to or introduced to yet that could far exceed any expectation (again, see the article I wrote earlier about mindset).

There are certain spiritual proclivities that I have when it comes to my own goal setting that may or may not agree with your own ideas or beliefs. In my case, I may indeed word a mini goal as I did in the above example, but I may also add that I am open to receiving the extra $5,000 per month in a way that has yet to be revealed to me.

I believe that it is perfectly acceptable to change goals as circumstances change. But, the important thing is that you have a starting point, and that it is written down. At very least it will help you to crystallize in your mind the picture of what it is you want to achieve!

Ok. If you are feeling up to a little exercise, here are a few hypothetical scenarios and corresponding goal statements that do NOT meet the SMART criteria. What can you do to change them?

Have fun!
Scenario #1: You want to get back into your old jeans which stopped fitting you approximately 20 pounds ago. You want to slim down before your college reunion, which is scheduled for November 2009. It is now July 2009. You know you need to cut back on the junk food, which you indulge in nearly 3 times a week. You also don’t exercise much – there’s just no time.
Ok… here’s the goal:
“On November 1, 2009, I weigh 20 pounds less than I do on July 1, 2009 by eating less junk food and beginning and sticking to an exercise program.”

Scenario #2: You want to start a home based business, preferably online. You don’t know where to begin – but you do have a good computer and high speed internet access. You would like to earn $1,000 extra per month for starters since you are still working full-time. It is April, 2009, and you would like to have something started by June, 2009, and be earning $1,000 extra per month by December, 2009. Some of the things you have decided you could enjoy marketing include luxury travel memberships.
Ok… here’s the goal:
“I have an online business selling luxury travel memberships for XYZ Company, and since each sale brings approximately $1,000 commissions, I am selling one or more memberships each month, beginning in November 2009.”

I hope this goal exercise has been helpful to you! Again, if you want more training regarding the S.M.A.R.T. goal, type the term into your favorite search engine, and study the various sites out there.

Remember the theme of the James Allen book, “As a Man Thinketh:” As you think, so you are, and so you will become. So, let's get SMART with our goals now!

And Yet ANOTHER Cool Thing About Legitimate Home Based Business

Today is Thursday, December 4, 2008, and just the other day, John and I arrived at our "winter headquarters" on the beautiful coast of South Carolina - the Cherry Grove Beach section of North Myrtle Beach, to be precise. So, working from home this winter will be a bit more comfortable and fun (no shoveling or scraping ice from the car!)

While we traveled down the coast from snowy (and cold) northern New Hampshire, we visited with John's brother in Massachusetts, and then with my family in New Jersey over Thanksgiving. We had a nice, leisurly drive (except during a bit of a rainstorm en route), and arrived safe and sound here in Cherry Grove Beach.

While we were driving down here, neither of us did any actual work - other than returning a couple of emails to potential customers. The interesting thing thing, however, is that our businesses earned us money while we traveled.

When we got to our winter condo - the cutest little oceanfront place that will serve our purposes perfectly - and I turned on the computer, my email announced several new sales that we had made while we traveled. How cool is that! Just another thing to be thankful for this Thanksgiving...

We also noted that while we were traveling, other people were on line, looking for legitimate home based businesses and opting in to get informaton at our Global Resorts Network marketing site - which is a great testimonial for how important it is to have a system to use when promoting your business.

Anyway, I just wanted to get this out there while I was thinking of it. Now, it's time to get unpacked, organize my office here in Cherry Grove Beach, and get back to work! Because, even when one has a system to work with, we still need to work the system and promote it!

:)

What I did about a Telemarketing Call. After all, I'm an INTERNET Entrepreneur!

This is a draft of my thoughts which I've just submitted for publication. Perhaps it will resonate with some of you! :) It's all true, by the way...

This morning, I received a call from “Unknown Caller” as the caller ID displayed. My first reaction – as I’m sure many of you may recognize from your own experiences – was to ignore the call. “After all,” I thought smugly, “who would be calling me without allowing me to see his or her phone number?”

With shame, I admit to you that my first thought was, ‘Hmmm… must be someone trying to sell me something.” And my next shameful thought was, “I’ll just let the machine pick it up – after all, I’m busy working on my internet marketing strategy.”

Ahh, yes. That obnoxious, self-righteous thought that “I’m an internet marketing expert. I don’t have time for sales calls…” Shame on me!

Ok. Important Lesson #1:
Ask yourself – and please be honest with your answer, because no one but you will know how you answer: If or when you receive a similar phone call, what is your first thought? Do you think similarly, as I did? Or, do you look at the phone, smile, and think, “This may be the very call that is going to bring me some new business or other good news!”

There’s no need to discuss your answer. I’m glad to report that I corrected my initial thought, released the smug attitude, and began quickly thinking in terms of the call being one that changes my life for the better.

Let’s move on…

Fortunately, my husband – who is a pretty wise guy (I mean that seriously), said, “It’s probably for you!” He answered the phone, and sure enough it was for me. Well, as it turns out it was a telemarketer after all! It was a woman who mentioned that she had my name as one who was interested in earning some extra money from home. She asked if that was the case with me.

I will step back just a moment and mention that I have had this call – or a variation of this call – at least 50 times within the last year. And why is that? Why, because I am interested in earning money from home – have been for years – and am probably on a list somewhere that shouts out: “Live One Here!” or “Call This One!”

Important Lesson #2:
If you are a business builder, in an internet marketing venture, in a direct sales or network marketing organization, or otherwise deal with prospects and customers – it really could be just about anyone on the phone. Yes, it could be a telemarketer. It could also be a prospect who found your website and just wanted to speak with a human to see if one was actually there.

So, the point is, you should not only expect these calls, but you should answer them. I’ll explain in a minute. First I acknowledge that I am well aware of the strategies that teach us to ignore the phone or turn it off when we are following a schedule designed to maximize efficiency. And I agree with that. I’m talking about other times.

You may be wondering why I believe you should “waste your time” talking with telemarketers and callers such as the one I spoke with this morning.

Here is Important Lesson #3 – and possibly the most important point:
Think about your business. Maybe some of you are in a business where you do not have to call people in order to gather customers or prospects – if so, lucky you.

But I’ll bet a lot of you do have to call people. You may need to invite people to a home business presentation, if that’s how your business works. You may need to call a company and get past the receptionist – who already knows you are in sales – to your eventual prospect.

So, here it was – not even 9:00 am, and this cheerful voice was calling me and asking if I was still interested in earning extra income from home. Wow! Right there – I had to give her 10 points – no, 100 points! Because here is the point:
She DID SOMETHING. She actually picked up the phone, and made the call.

Hey, I don’t know about you, but cold calling is NOT for me. I find myself feeling sick just thinking about it. But this morning, the caller woke up and told herself she was going to do it, and she did it. Just like that! Her voice was pleasant. Confident. Did she actually feel like smiling when she placed that call – probably only one of many? I don’t know. It doesn’t matter. Because her voice was smiling, and I could pick up on it.

Here is another question for you – again, only you need to know the answer: When you receive calls like that, and – assuming you answer them – how do you treat the caller? Do you hang up? Do you yell at the caller, telling him or her to never darken your telephone threshold ever again? Cuss at the caller?

If this is how you respond – or have responded in the past, why? Why respond in that way?

From a common sense, just plain ol’ good-manners, polite, golden-rule standpoint, it’s just plain rude. You probably wouldn’t talk to your best customer that way. You probably wouldn’t talk to your top producer that way. And, you probably wouldn’t talk with your next hot prospect that way. Would you?

Ahh. But, here, it wasn’t your customer. It wasn’t your top producer. And it wasn’t your next hot prospect. But – you were. You were the next hot prospect – or so the caller hoped. You were the potential next customer. You were the next potential top producer.

And so was I, when the phone rang, just before 9:00 this morning.

And so, you may be wondering how I answered the call.

I smiled before I spoke. Because – again, I had no way of knowing how this call might affect my life. I wanted to be prepared for it to affect my life in the best possible way! Plus, it’s always good to put a smile on your face before answering the phone – your smile shows in your voice.

I said, “Hello!” The caller gave me her well-practiced scripted question. I smiled and answered, “You are right! I have indeed been interested in earning extra money from home for a long time – and I’m glad to report that I’ve found a business that I’ve committed to, and am now concentrating on. I’ve decided to concentrate solely on that – so I will not be considering any other opportunities! But, I wish you the best of luck in your work!”

And it was true. Every word of it. I hope it gave the caller the strength and confidence to make the next call.

And I hope this little case-study has given you, dear reader and fellow entrepreneur, some food for thought as well. Because, one way or another – we are all hoping that the next prospects we call or run into will join our opportunity or buy our product. We are all hoping that the next people we speak with will treat us with respect, accept our invitation to our next home presentation, and have a smile in their voice when we make that call.

Your Mindset and Thoughts: The Most Powerful Tool You Have in Internet Marketing

Here is the copy of an article I just submitted to an eZine - hopefully you will find it helpful!

Ok. So you have bought into an internet marketing program. You did your homework, and found a product that you really would like to sell, because you enjoy using it – or would like to use it – yourself.

You went ahead and jumped right in. You bought the whole program, and you also bought into an automated marketing system. You feel great about this! The system you bought is the perfect vehicle for getting potential customers to your site!

So… You straighten out your folders, neaten your desk, sharpen your pencils, and then you… You what? What do you do?

Hmmm. Perhaps you log in to your site – maybe it’s an affiliate program back office where there are lots of links to training tips. Perhaps you start searching the internet to see who else is marketing your product, and to see how they’re doing it. Your mind begins buzzing with confusion.

Perhaps you see a bunch of people out there all of a sudden, and it seems like everyone is marketing – gulp – the same program. “Oh no!” you may wonder. “How can I compete with them?”

A chill runs through you. What do you do now? Your thoughts go from excitement to fear to doubt…

Ok. This is where your mindset comes into play.

The first thing you do is take a deep breath, and let it out – and while you are letting it out, you say to yourself, “Well, of course there are other people using this system! Of course other people are marketing this product! If they weren’t, there would be no demand for it! If there wasn’t any competition, I’d be in big trouble, because that would me no one wants the product. Boy, am I glad I have a product people want!”

Do you get it? First of all, to put the fear of competition to rest, understand that competition is important! When you market your product, you are not going to use the exact same words in your advertising as everyone else does! You are not going to have the exact same ideas for ezine articles or press releases that others do!

You will have your own moments of inspiration. You will have your own ideas for what might be a good advertisement. You will have your own story to tell. But – not if you keep harboring fear and doubt.

The important thing here is to have your mindset right. Here are some quick tips (and believe me, if you ever have browsed through the “Self Help” section of a bookstore, you’ll notice that there is no shortage of material on this subject! – so, when I say “quick tips,” I mean it! Take these as starting points!). And please remember – we are only concentrating on mindset and thoughts in this article.

We’re going to concentrate on getting your THINKING straight.

In a nutshell, this is the age old wisdom repeated in volume after volume of self-help works: “What you THINK about, you BRING about.”

Ever heard that? It’s in the Bible, quoted by the famed James Allen in his landmark book “As A Man Thinketh,” and many, many others. If you’ve ever heard of the movie “The Secret,” this is one of the main topics. If you have ever heard of the universal law of attraction, this is one of the primary points.

Your thoughts determine your ultimate outcomes. Have you ever heard people say that they want something, but their voices say otherwise. They may say, “Oh, yes! I just know I really want to succeed,” but their faces are saying, “Yeah, right. It’ll never happen to me.”

Don’t laugh! Have you ever caught yourself in that negative thought habit? Thinking things such as: “If I’m lucky…” “Well, we’ll see what happens…” “I’d better not get my hopes up too high…” – stuff like that?

Well… STOP IT! Decide to release or surrender any negative thought habit you have RIGHT NOW. You must if you are going to master your thoughts and mind – rather than have THEM master YOU.

“Kath, that’s not so easy,” you may be saying. Perhaps not on your first go around. But, once you get into the habit of correcting and releasing your self-limiting thoughts, and replace them with “can do” thoughts, it’ll get easier.

But, to begin with, you need the right thoughts to think - to replace the negative self-limiting thoughts with, right? Of course! So, this is where you take your goals and intentions, and put them into words of abundance so that you can begin to feed your mind with positive self-fulfilling thoughts (Note: The topic of proper wording for goals and goal-setting will be covered in a different article.).

Let’s say you have a goal to earn $1,000 extra this month. Instead of saying to yourself, “Oh, I sure would like to have $1,000 extra this month,” picture yourself looking at $1,000 deposit in your checkbook, $1,000 added to your balance column – and think, “Oh, it sure is nice having this $1,000 extra this month!” (Another Note: You need to FEEL it, too – and yes, there is a lot of literature out there on this, as well.)

Picture having the $1,000 – instead of wanting the $1,000. The mind doesn’t play favorites – if it sees you wanting, then wanting - or the feeling of wanting – is what you will continue to have. Do you really want to want it? Or do you prefer to have it?

You see, all things you can perceive with your 5 senses that are man-made began with a thought. For example, a table or a chair didn’t just appear one day out of thin air.

Someone, somewhere along the way had to have had a thought about a structure or tool that would somehow make life a little more comfortable. The thoughts might have been of a more comfortable posture, perhaps a more comfortable feeling while eating. Maybe sitting on a rock gave them the idea of a more comfortable feeling. The thoughts probably were not about “wishing” to be more comfortable. They probably thought about the postures that made them more comfortable, and opened their minds until the inspiration came to help them develop the tools. Again, this is just a simple example. But, again, primitive man’s thoughts were probably fairly simple too.

Which brings me to the next point – While you are training your mind to think in terms of your present state of abundance as a result of your business success (Again, think in the present – not the past or future.

Think in terms of “having,” not “wanting.” Think and picture having your goals right now. Practice!), don’t cram your thoughts with worry about how you are going to achieve your goals. You could not even possibly begin to imagine the multitude of ways you might find to achieve your goals. Remain completely open minded to what is out there. Help, guidance, intuition, etc., may come from a place you least expect it.

This is not “fluff.” It’s real. May I give you a true example of something that just happened to us? I’ll make it very short. We had a small property to sell, and were told over and over that we’d have a tough time in “this poor economy,” (by the way, another limiting thought), and in “this area, where nothing is selling!”

We chose to ignore such things, and we pushed on. While working on the house, and engaging a realtor to sell it, what kept going through our minds was this: “This is the perfect little house for someone who really is looking for an easy-to-heat, easy-to-maintain place here…This house is great for someone who wants a place in move-in condition…” etc. When I tell you that we had an offer within 1 week of the house being on the market, I am not exaggerating. Furthermore, the person who bought it was born on that very street – 4 doors up – and had been wanting to come back to that town for years.

You see, we absolutely refused to listen to nay-sayers. We had the idea and thought that this was going to work out. We never wavered on our faith that this was the perfect house for someone, and that the perfect someone would appear to purchase it. We completely released and surrendered any thoughts as to where this person would come from - and the person came from two states away! There is no way we could have even remotely imagined this buyer. We handed him the keys to the house today (as I write this article).

And that is just ONE example. There are many others. Don’t you want to have your own examples to tell others?

So, this is how important your thoughts are. Replace any fears about your marketing efforts by thinking about all the great things your product has to offer. Begin picturing people finding your website, and purchasing your product. Begin picturing the emails as they come in, informing you that you have an order! Begin seeing your checkbook balance grow. And – as you do so, keep your mind open to the possibilities as they come to you with regard to the actions you will take. And remember to not try to second-guess how or where or when these customers and prospects are going to come to you.

Embrace your competition. Look at what they are doing with an objective eye – one that is not fearful, but is curious. Hmm. What are they doing? Is there something that strikes you as an interesting method they are using? Use your competition as a learning tool. Be glad for competition, because it means your product or opportunity is in demand.

Once you get your mindset and thoughts working WITH you, with YOU mastering your mind and thoughts, instead of being mastered by them, you will soon find that you are ablaze with ideas and energy to help you get to your goals more quickly.

Remember to stick with it! Again, you may not have any idea where, who, how, or when your customer is coming – just keep those thoughts of abundance going. Keep your mind open. Keep the faith. And, while you are releasing all your previously limiting thoughts and replacing them with positive ones, keep working towards your goals with the knowledge you have, knowing full well that the knowledge you need will be revealed. Because you now have success on your side!

Truth & Integrity Review of a Recent Direct Mail - "Salba" vs "Chia"

Ok. I admit it. I'm a closet "junk mail" reader. Because I enjoy copywriting, I review a lot of direct mail pieces in order to keep up with trends in copywriting - particularly in alternative or naural health, since this is a field of great interest to me. I am also keenly interested in how truthful these mailings are - and even more importantly, whether they are advertised with integrity.

(Quick disclaimer: I have nothing against people making money. I have nothing against people making a lot of money. I just like to work honestly and with integrity - and I want to buy from people who value honesty and integrity.)

So - back to the topic at hand. I recently received a mailing regarding a particular superfood that - according to the copy, "leaves broccoli, blueberries, flaxseed, soy and salmon in the dust!"

I love hearing and learning about various high-octane superfoods, so I read through the mailing. It discussed this near "perfect food" which has so many benefits, one would think that there would never be any need to eat any other food again. Throughout the mailing (by NorthStar Nutritionals, Frederick, MD), this miracle food was first referred to by the name "Salvia Hispanica L."

It was the next paragraph that made me smile - "And when modern researchers ran tests, THEY NEARLY FELL OVER...They noticed that Salvia Hispanica L. came in two colors - black and white. The black ones proved unremarkable. But the white ones tested off the charts!"

(I have to chuckle when I picture researchers nearly falling over in their excitement over a discovery. It's a great image!) The mailing talks about about how scientists bred a strain of white seeds, and named this "supergrain" Salba.

Right there, my little spider senses began tingling, and I stopped reading and went to the computer and looked up Salvia Hispanica L. which was clearly identified as "chia" seed within about 3 seconds on my Google search.

So, now I felt forearmed, and read the rest of the mailing, which goes on to sing the praises of Salba for a good 22 pages.

I sensed that the writers and nutritional company anticipated people like me looking Salvia Hispanica L. up on the internet, because later in the mailing, in a shaded box at the bottom of the page, we are warned not to be fooled by "wanna-be" seeds - which are the common black chia seeds that are offered for sale to consumers.

There is no doubt that the company is warning us, because this little box begins with the word, "WARNING:" (it reminds me of the warning label one might see on packs of smokes or on bottles of liquor).

I am not going to get into the debate about the virtues of "white chia" versus "black chia." If you would like to read a lively discussion on this topic, there is a great forum at Wordpress, with a thread started by "LeisureGuy" - and I highly recommend visiting and reading this discussion. Let's just agree that chia is, indeed, an outstanding food. I use it nearly every day, and I love it - it's the primary ingredient in my breakfast drink.

What I want to bring to the reader's attention is that - as exciting as this mailing makes Salba sound - remember that it is advertising copy. If the copywriter did his or her job correctly, the company's phones are undoubtedly ringing off the hook. And, hopefully the copywriter made a bunch of money on the mailing.

The other thing I want to bring the reader's attention to is the price. You have probably already guessed that this product is not cheap. They didn't spring for more than 22 pages of advertising to sell you something you can buy at your local health food store or favorite online vendor for just a few dollars.

Here are your price comparisons: The product being sold as Salba is approximately $30/pound (plus shipping and handling).

To be fair to that company, if I purchased their product on their auto-ship program, they wouldn't charge shipping. If I purchase 6 bottles, they would only charge $159.70 with free shipping - which drops the price to only $26.66 per pound.

Anyway, if we mosey over to our friendly and nutty buddies at one of my favorite online stores - Nuts Online (Yes, I'm partial to them, and No, they don't pay me to advertise their name - they don't even know I'm doing it) we can buy white chia seeds ($7.99/pound at this writing) OR black chia seeds ($6.99/pound at this writing). Plus shipping and handling. But, I can guarantee that they won't be charging you $26 to ship it. I just experimented with purchasing 5 Yummy pounds of white chia seeds - which dropped the price to $7.75/pound. Then, shipping to my address was only $7.87 via either FedEx or UPS, 2-day delivery.

So, for whatever my thoughts are worth: At the end of the day, I did feel that the mailing regarding Salba was truthful overall - at least about chia seed's benefits as a wonderful food source. I don't know enough about the company to voice an opinion on whether or not they value integrity. My only misgivings - if they be called that - were about the "warning," which I feel was uncalled for, and the price, which seems extremely high for what the product actually is.

Thanks for reading!

Law of Attraction and Attraction Marketing

Most people in the online marketing or home based business industry have probably heard of the Law of Attraction by now. And from the many forums and discussions I've seen surrounding the subject, it appears that a lot of people are looking to tap into this universal principle to help improve their business - and therefore, their cash flow.

Fair enough. After all, why be in business if not, ultimately, to earn one's daily bread?

It seems that a natural direction to take would be to figure out how to market in such a way that attracts the right customer or prospect to one's product and/or business opportunity. Hence, we can now find the term "attraction marketing" springing up everywhere.

Regardless of whether you own a bricks and mortar business on Main Street or your own a home based business opportunity that you are marketing on the internet - you need customers. The Main Street business - if you are selling something that a good number of people in town or passing by want and need - will most likely get buyers stopping in since they see your sign and store. Or, if you advertise in the local flyers, the local buyers will visit.

CAVEAT: We must hope that before you put up your shingle on Main Street, that you did some market research to ensure that there was enough demand for your product in your area. After all, if you absolutely love surfing, and really want to sell surfboards but live 4 hours from the coast in the mountains, would it make sense for you to have a surf shop?

It is not much different on the internet or in network marketing prospecting (Again, we must hope that you have done some market research to see what people are buying online before you start your business). We need to target our market. We need to learn how to attract the right people to our product, service, or opportunity. How do we do that?

Fortunately, this is a learned skill. You won't master it overnight, but you can - and should learn how to understand and use the universal principle of the Law of Attraction and how it pertains to business. I am not going to go into this here. There are dozens - if not hundreds of sites out there now who can teach you these principles. Just do a "Google Search" for "Law of Attraction."

However, 2 of my personal favorites include http://humanscience.wikia.com/wiki/The_Secret_Project, and http://mental-science.com/.

In addition, I'd like to turn your attention to a few other specific learning resources to get you started on some action steps that you can begin using the second you read them.

If you are of a spiritual temperament, you can learn a lot through a very interesting site called "Growth Online," which discusses "fundamental factors that enable an individual to grow and evolve." From my own experience, whenever I feel that I am "stuck" or otherwise not succeeding, I have found that 100% of the time it's because I have somehow hindered my success through limiting thoughts and behaviors - essentially, not being able to "get out of my own way" as the saying goes.

This extensive site uses a little different terminology than you might ordinarily hear in more mainstream Law of Attraction sites. But, Growth Online, run by an individual speeding on his way to true enlightenment (if he's not already there), discusses techniques to encourage positive "Life Response."

I have utmost respect for this individual, whom you'll meet at his site. He's taught me more about self and business growth in months than any number of other experts have in years. I'll not say more - just visit and decide for yourself.

Another site that has helped me understand at a very deep level that "people do not join a business - they join YOU," is Magnetic Sponsoring which offers a very inexpensive book on the subject. Also visit another one of my sites, http://www.truthtowealthonline.com/ to get a great free ebook on the subject of why a lot of folks just don't make it in internet marketing. It's no-nonsense, and no-excuses. All business. Again. See for yourself.

Finally - and I don't have a specific site to send you to on this topic - if people don't join a business, and they join YOU, then it stands to reason that YOU are also a good part of the reason someone may PURCHASE something from you. Those of you who know me know that I have a small commercial website from which I market Portable Garages and Shelters - hence the name, http://www.portablegaragesandshelters.com/ (pretty clever, huh? :)

Now... I won't pretend that these structures are something that everyone just can't live without - but a lot of folks can and do use them. There are also many, many dealers out there selling them, and also several manufacturers for them.

So, if a lot of us are selling the same or similar items, why should they buy from me? I employ what is (in the advertising copywriting lingo) a USP - Unique Selling Proposition. What is unique isn't the product. It isn't necessarily the price.

It is this: I make sure that my customers know that I CARE about them more than the average salesperson does (or at least appears to). I make sure they see it in my writing, when I answer the phone, or when I respond to an email. Do I get every order? No. Of course not. But I get the orders from people who want to know someone cares about them as a person, and not just the money I earn from the sale. After all, we are all one in this universe. If I show caring for others, I'm showing the same for my self and business.

So, at the end of the day, it comes down to this: We need to learn how to dissolve our self-induced limitations, and get out of our own way to allow the universal principles to work through us.

The concepts can be learned. Practice them consistently and with faith, and you WILL succeed.

Poor Economy? Who Says So? And Why Do You Listen?

I was just on the phone with one of my business partners. We got into a great conversation about how awesome our Global Resorts Network (GRN) business is, and how our product (the luxury vacation memberships) is truly changing the way the world looks at travel.

One of us (I don't remember who) mentioned something about how some folks really believe that "the economy is poor." We both kind of chuckled - we are both into practicing the principles expounded in what is commonly referred to these days as "The Law of Attraction," and my business partner said something to the effect that he sees this as a time of fantastic opportunity - and I fully agree!

Whenever I think of the Law of Attraction in terms of society and what the media report, I always go back to "you bring about what you think about," and if people are stuck on listening to reports that boo-hoo our economy, and if these same people complain to others about their finances, and then everyone at the party starts boo-hooing the perceived woes of the economy, well... Guess what?

So, as we were chuckling over the perception of "poor economy" he went on to say that:
1) People want to SAVE MONEY - which means they don't want to WASTE it! And our product SAVES people money on things that they really love to do - and they can do it totally without guilt! Kind of like eating chocolate, now that we know it's good for us. :) Besides, there are PLENTY of people who have the money to go on vacation. Ever been to the beach in summer? Ever visited New England during Leaf-Peeping time?

2) People are looking for ways to earn a few extra dollars. And we so happen to have an exceptionally sound, exciting, and even prestigious way to do so (if you're into the prestige of selling high end stuff)!

None of these ideas has "worry about the economy" attached. Instead, we are attaching "think about the opportunities" to our business and strategies to grow it.

By the way, it helps to stop watching so much TV. :)

Decisions...Decisions...How to Decide?

In my last entry, we discussed finding legitimate home based businesses.

I also mentioned my own preference for marketing online versus home meetings - again, just my personal peference. There IS another reason for this preference, apart from my aversion to rejection. :) This other reason is that the internet gives us a far wider customer and prospect base than say, a community of 200 people might give us. Note: This is NOT to be used as an excuse to not join an opportunity. I personally know people who have made a LOT of money in Network Marketing (MLM) who started in their own little towns. So, don't use "I don't know a lot of people" as an excuse. I've used it myself. No more. Be done with excuses! Remember the old saying: "You can make excuses or progress, but you cannot make both."

That's not to say you should join an opportunity just because you feel you might be the only one missing the boat if you DON'T join - Your opportunity MUST resonate with you - of course, this is my opinion. My reasoning is this: If you do not just love the product, how excited do you think you will be when it comes time to share it? Hmmm.

Ok... Back to the subject at hand.

While you are searching for the right opportunity, here is another thing to consider:
DEMAND: What is the demand? What are people searching for on line? Example: A lot of people are looking for ways to recruit others to their opportunity. This is a biggie. There are ways to capitalize on this need. I don't know about you, but I have a strong dislike for prospecting. I say that prospecting stinks, and if I need to prospect (and who doesn't), then I need some help. You can become an affiliate of a few different prospecting and marketing programs, and advertise these to earn some cash. I personally use a few of these.

DETERMINE THE MARKET: But, how can you determine the market? How do you know whether people are looking for a particular item or not? If you sign up for an account at www.WordButler.com, you can use their reverse keyword search tool for about $20 per month or so. You can also get these tools if you sign up for Yahoo Sponsored Search or Google Ad Words.

There are other places to get reverse keword search tools, too. I am a Stores OnLine customer, and have a few websites hosted by them - and one of their tools for merchants is a Reverse Search Lookup - where we put in a keyword and we get a report on how many people are searching the internet for that particular term. Pretty valuable stuff! Search the internet for "keyword research tools" and you'll find something that can help you.

COMPETITION: Then, of course, you need competition. If no one else is selling the thing that you're interested in, chances are good it's not a strong enough product to sink your teeth into.

BACK TO WHAT INTERESTS YOU: I do think it's important to stay within your range of interests. For example, I mentioned that I don't particularly care for jewelry - but one of my friends does, and is a representative for a jewelry company that markets via home parties - and she's earning a nice chunk of cash doing so. She's not earning it from me - but evidently a lot of people like jewelry out there!

In my case, my husband and I really enjoy travel. So, that's why we market for Global Resorts Network (GRN). We love it! And some of the reasons we love it so much is because:
1) GRN's travel partner has more than 22 years experience in customer satisfaction;
2) We get paid fairly ($500 - $1,000 per sale before our expenses);
3) We had experience with some of the resorts even before we joined and they are top-notch; and
4) We can market the memberships without EVER having to tell someone that there is a business opportunity attached to it. Talk about a true stand-alone product. We have a retail-only site - where there is NO mention whatsoever of a business opportunity. Let's face it, not everyone who travels or loves to vacation is necessarily interested in going into the business end of things. It would be like trying to sell a car to someone who doesn't have or want a driver's license.

And YOU may not be interested in travel at all... So let's move on.

STAND ALONE PRODUCT: So... that's another thing you might want to consider - marketing a product that does not require that you build a sales organization. In our case, we welcome both aspects, as mentioned above. If you have a strong interest in natural health products, study the business model and see if you can market the product without the need to market the opportunity. Same goes with any area of interest to you.

Well, that's about all I have today on this topic! I'll write more as I become inspired.

Finding Legitimate Home Based Businesses

I have been receiving a lot of emails and ads lately from people who know that I have some history in network marketing and home based business in general. I guess up here in New Hampshire, where the area boasts beautiful scenery - but not a whole lot of diversity in employment options - a lot of us are attracted to the idea of working at home.

Naturally, when someone gets involved with a network marketing group (aka MLM), the phones begin ringing while new representatives call up the top 10 people on their list (MLM folks, you know what I'm talking about!) :) and give invitations to their various home meetings.

I cannot tell you how many of these meetings I have been invited to - and how many times I have personally invited people to my own meetings. There is nothing wrong with this - many fortunes have been made in this way!

If I do not join a particular organization, it's not necessarily that I'm not interested in selling the product itself - in my case, it's just that I do not want to have to contacta network of people I know. I think I'm pretty much done with that method of marketing (I don't have a very thick skin for rejection).

But, because I do love selling, my own preference is to market via the internet.

Ah. Usually, when I'm having this discussion with someone about internet marketing, I get this question, "But Kathy, aren't there a log of internet scams out there?"

My answer is: "I don't know. I don't look for internet scams. I look for legitimate products, legitimate companies, and legitimate home based businesses." Kind of using the Law of Attraction... If I were thinking about being scammed, I'd probably find all sorts of ways to be scammed. Personally, I find lots of terrific products, and equally terrific companies.

As an aside: Because I enjoy copywriting, I do tend to look at my daily direct mail pieces I receive here at home (aka "Junk Mail"). And, because I do look fairly carefully at this stuff to see how other writers are promoting products and opportunities, I have to say that the ONLY time I have personally seen MLM or Network Marketing organizations that are scams or untrustworthy are some of the "Get Rich Quick" schemes, chain letters or astrology reports (from psychics who tell me that they are sincerely alarmed about what is about to happen to me - and that they can help me, but only if I respond to their offer) I've received via Direct Mail.

Most of the programs I've been involved with or invited to view are all high class, first rate programs with excellent products. It's just that a lot of them don't resonate with me on a gut level.

As an example, I love candles in my home - but I'm not interested in selling them. The same goes for jewelry. I just don't really care about it.

Now we can talk about selling things via Internet Marketing though! I love internet marketing. Again, I prefer to see the positive, real products and opportunities - and not spend my time looking for scams.

So, how can a person find a great internet marketing opportunity? Well, for starters - ignore all your spam emails. If you don't know the person writing to you, or it's just an advertisement for the latest "get rich quick" scam - just delete it. Don't spend any of your time or energy on it. None.

When you are searching for a product, check out the scam or ripoff websites to see who is saying what about a product or company (keep in mind that there will always be people who are merely complaining - ignore them. Go for the well-balanced, well-thought-out responses.

Check out the Better Business Bureau Online - and again, keep in mind that no one is perfect. Even the best business opportunity or product will have someone who is a detractor or has a complaint. Hey, it's a big world out there, and lots of people having lots of reactions to things. So, look for balance. If it seems like there is a heavy leaning towards problems with a company, and not a good enough rating, then keep on searching.

That's good for starters... I'll write again on this topic, because there is a lot to say! Suffice it to say that doing your due diligence BEFORE you join an opportunity is the prevention that is the best medicine!

Article Published in Ezine Articles!

I am so pleased to announce that I just had one of my articles published in Ezine Articles (http://ezinearticles.com/?id=988616)! I have reprinted it here for your enjoyment! :) I hope you get something of value from it.

Internet Home Based Business - Scam, Hype, or the Real Deal? Due Diligence is the Key!

With all the online business opportunities flooding the market today it is becoming more difficult to tell the difference between the real deal and one that exists simply to take your money and disappear the next day.

On the other hand, an online business opportunity may NOT be a scam - but it may be so steeped in hype that you don't know WHAT to believe!

Remember, there is a difference between a scam and hype. "Hype" usually overstates the value of the opportunity and a "scam" presents an opportunity that does not usually exist.

Scams usually rear their ugly heads at the beginning of the sale pitch. You may read something like "make tons of money with little or no effort" (ask ANYONE who really works a successful home based business if they "did it in their sleep!").

Another popular come-on claims that you will be making money within 10 minutes of signing up (again - ask someone who IS making it if they turned a profit within 10 minutes! I know I didn't!).

There are NO business opportunities where you can make tons of money and not do anything. Yes, it IS possible to make enormous sums of money online. But overnight?

Not likely.

It can take weeks, if not months to generate enough traffic to your site to begin making money online! Is it worth the effort? Absolutely yes! ...IF you want it badly enough to actually do the work., and IF you are investing in an opportunity built on truth, integrity, and value.

Invest in a home based business opportunity only after doing your due diligence. A lot of the hype you read is designed to entice you act right now - impulsively, based on your emotions at the moment rather than based on calm, patient, and rational review of the opportunity.

Let me ask you this: If you have a hankering for a donut one day, and happen upon a donut franchise offered for sale, would you buy it, based on your immediate craving for a donut? Of course not!

Instead, you might ask: What is the demand is for a donut shop in the area (after all - why is it for sale to begin with?)? Is there enough traffic driving by to sustain a donut shop?

In other words, you would certainly not invest in a business based on your immediate emotional response. Well, the same logic should rule your decisions regarding a home based business opportunity.

Here are some things to consider as you continue your due diligence:

1) Can you speak with someone to get your questions answered before you invest? For example, in my case, I am fortunate that we have real humans who are ready to speak with a prospect about any questions they have - sometimes within 15 minutes of filling out a simple request - BEFORE they invest!

2) What is the demand for the product you will be marketing? Don't depend on the hyped advertising and testimonials to determine actual demand. Search the internet for the product you are considering. Is there a wealth of information, and numerous vendors selling the similar products? If so - that's a good thing!

If, however, the only listings showing up on your internet search happen to be the opportunity you're looking at - well... you might be better off finding a different product to market!
The particular opportunity that I represent taps into the luxury travel market. But I'm far from the ONLY person on the internet involved in the travel industry! Travel happens to be a multi-billion dollar a year business - and not likely to be monopolized by one product or opportunity.

3) Finally, does the company offer value to the customer? Does it operate based on truth, honesty, and integrity? Follow your gut instincts! If something doesn't sound right - if you feel that the customer isn't really getting something of value, then you are wise to have second thoughts before committing. After all - how hard are you going to work promoting a product that you don't feel good about?

So, learn the truth and the facts about what it really takes to start, build, and - most importantly - sustain a home based business BEFORE you invest! You will thank yourself later!

Kathy Tremblay loves internet marketing, which allows her to reach out to people all over the globe. She is an active affiliate of the ground-breaking Global Resorts Network business opportunity. "It's much easier to succed in home based business if you start with and build on Truth and Integrity - and this includes having a real product with real value to your customers!" she says. For more info, please visit her websites here: http://truthtowealthonline.com/ or http://jointhesuccessteam.com/
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kathy_Tremblay

What's In YOUR Self-Development Library?

I belong to a number of entrepreneurial and self-growth communities, and I'm always interested in hearing about what people are reading and learning from. What inspires them?

I started thinking about my own journey on the spiritual and entrepreneurial path, and noticed a trend in the types of books I was attracted to. I thought I'd share them with you now. If you are a person attracted to spiritual matters, home based business, self-development, the Law of Attraction, Quantum Physics, then some of these might sound familiar!

My all time favorite - probably because this book REALLY started me on "the path" is Autobiography of a Yogi by Paramahansa Yogananda, founder of the enlightened organization, Self Realization Fellowship (SRF). I continue to bow to this amazing guru, and learn something new every time I pick up the book (or anything else that comes from SRF).

Other favorites on my shelf include:
The Sedona Method, by Hale Dwoskin
Creating Affluence, by Deepak Chopra, M.D.
Quantum Healing, by Deepak Chopra, M.D.
Think & Grow Rich, by Napoleon Hill
The Magic of Thinking Big, by David J. Schwartz, Ph.D.
Master Key System, by Charles F. Haanel
Mystic Christianity, By Yogi Ramacharaka (a pen name of William Walker Atkinson, a leader in the "New Thought Movement" of the early 1900's)
Money Freedom, by Patricia Remele
The Unmistakable Touch of Grace, by Cheryl Richardson
The Science of Getting Rich, by Wallace Wattles
Ask and It Is Given - Learning to Manifest Your Desires, by Esther and Jerry Hicks (The Teachings of Abraham)
A New Earth - Awakening to Your Life's Purpose, by Eckhart Tolle

As I look at this list of books (oh, there are many more!), it occurs to me that the reader may come away with the impression that all I care about is money since so many of these titles deal with financial gain.

But, while monetary gain IS important in this world (after all, how can I GIVE if I don't have something to give to begin with!?), I have come to understand that everything is interconnected - that there is no separation between anything.

And all of these titles - while there may be a reference to material wealth in the title - delve far, far deeper than the superficial "want for money."

When I talk about home based business (especially internet based business and marketing), my thoughts and excitement are not just about what's in it for me, but what's in it for others, as well. The more, the merrier!

What's got me so excited about home based business (especially Network Marketing - aka MLM)? In case you have missed my other entries, it's the fact that we are finally aligned with a business that's based on truth, integrity and value. Learn more here: http://www.truthtowealthonline.com/ or here: http://www.PresentingGRN.com

So what DOES one do with an English degree?

I was just looking over my profile, and I chuckled at the part where I mention receiving a B.A. in English. Really... What WAS I thinking?

Actually, what I was NOT thinking was "Internet Marketing," or "Home Based Business." No. I think I had "Writer for National Geographic" on my mind - but since I feel out of place in Corporate America, I guess I'm glad it didn't go that way.

But, once - while working as a helo scheduler on the Ice (see my profile about Antarctica) I had the distinct pleasure of being on a helo trip with an absolutely brilliant National Geographic photographer (I think George Mobley is the name...), and watching him work really was an honor.

When I was about 7 years old, my dad asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up. I told him, "Either a fairy princess or a writer." He then wisely suggested that being a writer might be the way to go.

But who knew, in the late 1970's, what a writer would be doing in the 2000's? A short journey in the land of the freelance magazine writer proved quickly to pay about $2.00 per hour. That was my first foray into the world of "home based business." Surely, I was good and stuck if something didn't happen.

I almost gave up. I nearly bought into the idea that I just needed a "good job." Oh... the shudder of it all...

I played around with a variety of early models of home based businesses such as mail order. Once, my first husband and I tried an early model of network marketing. I think, if I could locate the bottles of the fiber wafers we stocked up on, they would probably be pretty moldy now - but the guy who introduced us to the concept was pretty successful. He drove a new Chrysler that his commissions paid for. Considering the fact that we drove around in a '72 Duster, that Chrysler looked pretty good.

I think that very short experience set the stage though. I have ALWAYS loved the concept of network marketing or direct selling as a home based business. Of course I never succeeded in those early years - but I never forgot about it (thank goodness!)!

Fast forward to the world of the Internet. It was on the Internet that I learned about the skill of copywriting (aka advertising writing). I love it! I have finally found a use for my writing skills. I now use them to create all the text on web pages on my Portable Garages website, http://www.portablegaragesandshelters.com/.

As far as my GRN business landing pages (http://www.truthtowealthonline.com/ and http://www.PresentingGRN.com hint... hint... hint) I have to hand the kudos for the development and writing of them to others! I've had a lot of people comment on the retail page (to sell vacation memberships to people who are not interested in the business opportunity end of things) - and while I wish I could take the credit for it, I cannot! Again, the great work of other copywriters: http://www.FineResortVacations.com

I use my skills when creating ads, running pay per click campaigns, doing internet research... and all sorts of things! I used help others develop resumes and cover letters - but I don't do much of that anymore. It's far too tempting for me to tell clients to forget about a 9-5 job and go for a home based business - preferrably an internet based marketing business - instead.

Anyway, to any of you aspiring writers or English majors out there - don't lose hope! While teaching is a grand and necessary occupation - it's certainly not the only one! Get some copywriting classes under your belt, join with a good home based business opportunity (pick me! pick me!), and broaden those horizons!

Truth & Integrity in my Home Business - Why Write About It?

Me? A "blogger?" A friend said, "Why not? After all, you like to write - and you can type fast."

Well. This is only half-true. The true part is everything the friend said. The part that's not the half-true part is the "friend" part.

Actually the friend who said this was an imaginary friend - the one who lives in my hyperactive imagination and tells me all sorts of wonderful things about me when no one else will.

This is probably because I live in a very isolated part of the country and hardly ever interact with real people - but that's why I do business online! Where else can I get customers?

I digress... Perhaps we can chat more about that later.

But this helps me get straight to the point - which is Truth & Integrity in Business. The reason I'm really doing this.

I stopped working the "9 to 5" stint over a year ago. It just didn't resonate with me anymore. Probably because there was no money in it.

Every single J.O.B. (translate either "Just Over Broke" or "Jerked Outa Bed" - take your pick) I have had in the last 15 years started with:
1) Grant funds and
2) The hint of a glorious future ahead - uh... IF funding continued. Which it never did. Ever. And I suspect I'm not the only victim of this sad state of affairs.

So. All the stuff my guidance counselor in High School would have said if he had actually ever taken the time to speak with me (stuff like: "Go to college, and get a good job with a good company and good benefits - give them your best, and come time for retirement, you'll have a nice pension with nothing to worry about...") was the FIRST pack of lies I believed regarding business.

I've heard a LOT of lies in my life. Lies from kids, lies from an ex - and lies even from my imaginary friend who talked me into "just one more grant-funded job - because this one will be different."

But, I don't want to harp on lies. Being the positive and philisophical thinker that I think I am, I prefer to accentuate the positive, and talk about Truth and Integrity.

I actually practice truth and integrity in my home based businesses. That's why I named this blog the way I did.

I suppose if I ever become a real jerk, I can rename it. But, after all I've gone through to make it in business, and to build some business ventures that really do reflect truth, integrity, and value - I sincerely doubt that I'll turn to the dark side.

If you happen to be someone who wonders, "Gee, How can I also become a person who operates a home business based on Truth, Integrity, and Value?" I invite you visit my sites and explore a great opportunity with a terrific stand-alone product - and I invite you to get in touch with me to get your questions answered. The company has integrity. The product has value. We operate from Truth. A winner!

This is a blatant advertisement - I want you to visit my sites. I want you to examine the membership. I also want you to know that there is a growing population in the home business industry who are awakening to a higher consciousness - and our lives are amazing and peaceful.

Start here: http://www.truthtowealthonline.com/ - or, here: http://www.PresentingGRN.com - and check the retail site here: http://www.FineResortVacations.com It's fun!

If you happen to be in the market for a nice portable garage, greenhouse, motorcycle shelter or party tent, visit one of my other sites - where you will see how I put my money where my mouth is: http://www.portablegaragesandshelters.com/

Well. That oughta do it for now!