Feb 28, 2007

WHY Today?

Today's article was sent to me in an email and I wanted to share it. It's a great article about your "Why today" for building your business. I like the way the author expresses he's thoughts... very well written!

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Have you thought about your WHY today?
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Do you keep your reason for doing this business in front of you?

If it was just to make a few extra hundred dollars a month, are you doing that? If it was to be able to pay for the kid's hot lunch at school, new clothes, the camps, lessons, programs or a new vehicle for the family?

Are you getting close?
If it was to be able to afford those vacations you always dream of, can you now? If it was to move into or build your dream home, retire your spouse, buy a luxury vehicle or yacht, or perhaps your own tropical island, do you remember WHY you wanted it?

Your reason, your motivation, your desire, your need, your want, your "Gotta Have", your "Must Do", your compelling force, the thing that made you reach out for more . . . Have you thought about it lately? Do you remember what it is you wanted and what you were willing to do to get it?

It's still there, you know!
Waiting for YOU or whoever will dare to claim it.
Whoever will dare to dream!
Whoever will dare to work and strive!
Whoever will dare to learn and grow!
Whoever will dare to realize the power that lies within themselves!

There are LOTS of "how-to" techniques. There are ideas and suggestions for building your business, making crafts, finding fund-raisers, getting leads, sponsoring partners, etc.

But these "Ways" of building your business cannot replace your "Why" for building your business. None of them will give you that fire, that spark, that internal force and drive that can't be explained and won't be denied.

It is the difference !!! It is the separator. It divides the Doers from the Dreamers! If your "WHY" is big enough you will find your own "WAYS" of getting it done.

NOTHING can stop you !!!
Don't waste time looking for "shortcuts" or searching for "secrets". No one out there has it easier than you. There are no "Golden Tickets" or "Silver Spoons."

No "magic formula" exists.
There is simply YOU and your personal reasons for applying yourself to the realization of the dreams you know you have in your life. You know you have them. Just admit it! You Dream !!! You Have Dreams!!! You dream of more, dream of better, dream of different, dream of "what-if !!!"

Will you realize them? Will you do what it takes to make them happen! You can have them if you try! If you move from Wanting and Wishing to Working! ACTION is the only thing that will produce results !!!

So get started today ~ take action!
Start by reminding yourself of your "WHY"! Keep it in front of you and let it remind you that there is and can be MORE !!! More for YOU! More for your Family! More for your friends! More for your LIFE!

Author Unknown
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A REMINDER
Always add your "Signature" and "Website Address" (if you have one) at the bottom of your articles. You deserve the recognition, it's a great way to receive... "Exposure"!

Have yourself a fantastic day!

Feb 23, 2007

10 Tricks To Setting Goals

Welcome To Flo's Home Biz & Fun...

Setting effective goals does not have to be challenging. Remember that all goals should support what is best for your company, while at the same time being realistic, obtainable, and measurable. Following these goal setting guidelines will ensure that both you and your associate achieve success.

So here are some ideas to apply to your businesses and or downlines.

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10 Tricks for Setting Effective Goals
by - www.CareerBuilders.com
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SUMMARY: Setting effective associate goals can be a challenging process. However, goal setting should be easy, interactive, encouraging, and motivational. Use the 10 techniques in this article as you leverage goals to drive your associates to success.

Setting associates goals can be a challenging process. tell them you want goals that are easy to reach, but over-achievers typically want a challenge. Regardless of a associates personal desire, goals should always be challenging, obtainable, and measurable. Work with each associate to determine what is reasonably challenging, but obtainable in a set time span. By doing this, the set goals will be more effective and beneficial to both the company and associate.

As you work with your associate to set goals, use the following 10 items to help create personal goals that will achieve the larger corporate objectives.

#1 - Allow Your associate to Own Their Goals
For your associate to succeed, he or she needs to feel some sense of ownership in the goal. Each goal should generate excitement in the associate. You can save time and increase associate buy-in by having your associate request goals. Make sure that your associate understand the corporate objectives before asking for their requests. Review the requested goals with each associate and tweak as necessary. Some associate will be great at setting their own goals, others will need guidance. Asking for his or her input will help you learn more about what motivates each individual, and will make it easier to capitalize on intrinsic motivation.

#2 - Set Deadlines
Open-ended goals encourage procrastination and complacency. In most organizations, it works well to have quarterly goals. Larger annual targets are also helpful, but those should be supported by short-term smaller goals.

#3 - Make Sure the Goals are Measurable
Every goal should produce some sort of quantifiable data. If you are unsure how to make a goal quantifiable, ask your employee to propose a solution. By eliminating subjective measurements, both you and your associate know he or she met the goal, and it is difficult to dispute the measurement once the due date arrives.

#4 - Have Your Associate Write Their Goals Down
Regardless of the goal's origin, it is important to have them personally re-write the goal and measurement. This practice helps your employee visualize exactly what it is they are trying to achieve. It also encourages a personal commitment to focus on accomplishing the goal.

#5 - The Goal Post
Seeing the goals daily keeps them fresh in your associate mind. Encourage your associate to post his or her goals in sight of where they are easily visible. Allowing associate to see other team members' goals can also provide a better understanding of the role each plays in the company. Posting associate goals also helps to establish a sense of unity amongst the staff. Knowing he or she is not the only one with a difficult goal can be a powerful motivator.

#6 - Schedule Regular Progress Meetings
Once the goals are set, make sure to schedule periodic progress meetings to keep your associate on pace. This is not micro-management, but support to help him or her stay focused. associate will often spend too much time on one goal while neglecting the others on the list. Progress meetings help to give goals the appropriate emphasis and help to ensure that nothing slips through the cracks.

#7 - Limit the Number of Goals
One of the most important tricks for setting effective goals is quality over quantity. Do not assign a goal just to add more to an associate list. It is far more effective to make sure that all goals are meaningful. If it is not going to provide measurable value to the company, eliminate it and try again.

#8 - Base Goals on Company Values
Defined corporate values should serve as the base for setting effective goals. For example, if diversity in the workplace is a value of your company, then a goal that furthers diversity would be appropriate. Supporting an associate goal derived from your company's core values makes accomplishing the goal more likely.

#9 - Provide Positive Feedback
Separate from scheduled progress meetings, try to find opportunities to give encouragement. Words of affirmation keep v motivated and working hard. Periodic positive feedback can make the difference between a goal accomplished and a goal exceeded far beyond expectations.

#10 - Make the Reward Worth It
What does the employee receive once all of his or her goals are met? Is it an emassociate bonus, a raise, additional vacation days, a new title? Make sure it is something valued by the employee. Personal satisfaction is good, but sustained hard work and effort should come with rewards for exceptional performance.

Enjoy the weekend!

Feb 17, 2007

Putting You in Your E-zine

Welcome to Flo's Home Biz & Fun...

Want More Sales From Your Ezine? Put in More YOU!

In today's article, Alexandria reveals when her clients ask her what is the simplest, easiest way to increase sales in their ezines (and websites, for that matter), she actually tell them to put in more of "them".

That may sound crazy, but it works!
The "KLT" factor is one of her major secrets to success with online selling. To understand what Alexandria mean, see today's article below...

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"Putting the YOU in Your E-zine"
by Alexandria K. Brown
"The E-zine Queen"

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I get many e-zines in my inbox every week, and they all offer useful information. But there are some I enjoy more than others.

What do the ones I love have in common?

They feel like they come from a REAL person. These publishers put some heart-and-soul into their e-zines. They share information about themselves. And because I FEEL like I know them personally, I'm more likely to buy from them at some point.

In the traditional sales world, they call this the "know, like, and trust" factor -- I abbreviate it to "KLT".

I was amazed to find that once I began sharing a bit about ME (the real Ali) in my e-zine, my response rates increased dramatically. More readers wrote me back, more clicked on my links, and more bought my products and services.

So, how can YOU put more you in your e-zine? Very easily. Here are a few ideas to get you started.

What's Going on With YOU?

Quick: Think of three things going on in your life right now that you could share with your readers. Have you won an award? Were you mentioned in a national newspaper? Did you pull a hamstring doing Tae Bo? Are you teary-eyed because your daughter's wedding is right around the corner? These are all events your readers can relate to and will appreciate you sharing.

One e-zine I used to get a real chuckle out of was Dave Balch's "Big Bucks in a Bathrobe." (His business has changed, so unfortunately he no longer publishes it.) In each issue, Dave not only shared useful information on running a profitable business, but also hysterical stories about "life on the ranch." Dave and his wife own many animals, including horses, dogs, and "the parrot that just won't die." Whenever I saw Dave's e-zine in my mailbox, I read it right away because I knew it would brighten my mood.

Reach Out for Help

Have a question you'd like answered? Why not ask your readers for help? Example: In 2005 I bought a new VW Beetle Convertible, and in my e-zine I asked my readers who had owned convertibles to share their tips on how to care for them.

You wouldn't believe how many people wrote me back, telling me about their own cars, how much they love them, even sending me photos, and giving me some great tips on "topless" driving! I was delighted with the response.

Readers also love quick polls that allow them to give you their opinion. For multiple choice answers, I have used http://www.SurveyMonkey.com. It's free for up to 100 responses, and reasonably priced for more. For a single question and open-ended answers, use www.AskMyEzine.com.

Give Us the Picture

Photos help your visitors and your e-zine readers feel closer to you instantly -- it's as if they know you better than before.

Unless you're ugly as a toad, a decent photo will only help your sales. (Remember you're building the KLT factor.) If you publish an HTML e-zine, put your photo in your top banner if you have room.

Also don't be afraid of sharing photos of your family, pets, business associates, etc. (I post mine at a personal blog which is FREE to create at www.blogger.com.) You'll be surprised how often your readers will click-through to see them. Example: "Click here to see me in action at my first swing dancing competition!"

After taking my course, one client of mine decided to share a photo of his pet pug, and he said his readers went NUTS! They wrote him back with photos of their dogs and it opened up a new level of communication for him with his subscribers.

Don't Be Afraid to Have Opinions

Real people have real opinions. So voice yours, and people will perk up. I've found that my readers often respond best when they're provoked and encouraged to see things in a new light.

If some don't agree with you (and some won't), their response can lead to a brand new discussion or article topic. Remember, if someone takes the time to write you back to disagree with anything you've said, be happy. It means they're actually reading your e-zine!

Where, and How Much?

A great place to put this personal information is at the beginning of your e-zine in an "editor's note" or "welcome message." This welcomes the reader with a warm greeting from you and is the perfect spot to share these positive, personal tidbits.

Once you get the hang of giving more YOU to your readers, you'll come to enjoy the art of sharing and the increased reader-interaction it brings. Just make sure that it doesn't take over your e-zine. The bulk of your content should still be your main article, list of tips, etc.

Think of your personal information as the introduction that leads up to the main event!

© 2003-2007 Alexandria K. Brown

WANT TO SEE MORE ARTICLES LIKE THIS ONE?
See Alexandria's Small Business Marketing Blog.

Online entrepreneur Alexandria K. Brown, "The E-zine Queen," publishes the award-winning 'Straight Shooter Marketing' weekly ezine with 21,000+ subscribers. If you're ready to jump-start your marketing, make more money, and have more fun in your small business, get your FREE tips now at www.EzineQueen.com

Have yourself a SUPER weekend!

Feb 8, 2007

Windows 5 Cool Shortcuts

Welcome to Flo's Home Biz & Fun...

Jim Edwards published an article I think you'll really like. It has EVERYTHING to do with saving you time and frustration using your computer.

Enjoy the article...

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5 Cool Time-Saving Shortcuts for Windows
- by Jim Edwards
© Jim Edwards - All Rights reserved
www.TheNetReporter.com
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I think most of us feel that expensive operating systems like Windows can do more things than just keep the computer running, the problem is we don't know what they are!

Well, over the years I've discovered a few shortcuts that rate extremely handy for saving time, recovering from mistakes, or avoiding effort.

Now, a few geeks among us may immediately say I could have read the manual to discover these instead of tripping on them over the years, but that would take out all the fun!

And now dear reader, I pass these magical secrets on to you.

The Ultimate "Do Over" -

Does this sound familiar?

You spend 30 minutes typing up and email message, get ready to hit send, your hand slips, and the message disappears.

You feel a rush of anger, fear and sadness in your gut, take a deep breath, and start typing again.

Next time something like that happens, just hit the "Ctrl+Z" keys and it should undo the last action you took in a web browser, form, word processor, spreadsheet or virtually anyother Windows application.

I can't tell you how many times "Ctrl+Z" has pulled my bacon out of the fire when I accidentally hit the wrong button or key.

File Finders -

The more you use your computer, the more files you seem to create and collect.

Often, finding files you already created rates harder than just creating a new one, especially after any significant length of time passes.

Two shortcuts can help you quickly find the files you need with just a few keystrokes.

< Windows >+F -
This combination of the Windows logo key and the F key at the same time launches the Windows Search
utility.

This enables you to search for files based on partial filename (because if you could remember the entire filename, you would have found it already), file type (all your MP3 files), contents of the file (I know the spreadsheet contains these words), creation date (I created this filelast month), and more.

< Windows >+E -
This allows you to open up the Windows explorer feature in Windows to explore your hard drives, memory sticks, CD and DVD drives.

Windows Explorer makes it very easy to get your hands on a file if you know where it is (or, at least where it should be the last time you used it).

Zoom IN / Zoom OUT -

Okay, I'll admit it.

My eyes seem to suffer from a combination of too much computer time and the slow creeping wheels of Father Time (I'm getting older).

Bottom line: sometimes the words on the screen are just too darn small!

You can solve this problem with < Ctrl >+Mouse Wheel.

Just hold the < Ctrl > key down and roll your mouse wheel up and down to adjust the zoom.

This little shortcut works in many applications, including Word, Internet Explorer, FireFox, and Excel.

Shields Down Captain! -

Ever look down at your task bar and see 20 open windows and realize you need to make your way to the desktop in a hurry?

< Windows >+D will minimize all open windows on your computer to expose your desktop.

Hit the keys again and your open windows spring back to life and allow you to continue working.

I've Got a Case! -

Ever need to convert text to all CAPS, or change to Title Case, or convert to all lower case?

Simply highlight the text in your word processor and hit < Shift >+< F3 > to cycle between all caps, lowercase and title case.

This shortcut rates very handy when you don't want to retype blocks of text.

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Jim Edwards is a syndicated newspaper columnist and the co-author of an amazing new ebook that will teach you how to use free articles to quickly drive thousands of targeted visitors to your website, affiliate links, or blogs…

Need MORE TRAFFIC to your website or affiliate links?
"Turn Words Into Traffic" reveals the secrets for driving Thousands of NEW visitors to your website or affiliate links… without spending a dime on advertising! Click Here> www.TurnWordsIntoTraffic.com
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Have yourself a great day!