10 Things For Kids To Do While Mom Is Working At Home

Balancing working at home and keeping the kids entertained can be a full time job in itself, especially when young children at home. When I first started working at home, my kids were 3 and 11 months and it was stressful to say the least. Mommy needed to work and the kids wanted and needed mommy. But like any other obstacle in life, there is a way around it. Sometimes we have to outsmart the situation and get down right creative. My first few months working at home, we worked on polishing the well oiled machine of keeping the kids entertained and stimulated while I worked. And even though the kids have entered many new phases and had little moments, WE are loving and enjoying mommy working at home!

I have always incorporated and included my kids in my business. After all, this is a family mission, not just mine. I let them know what OUR goals are and what WE need to do to reach them. As I type this, my son is sharing his ideas of what I should include in this article. I love to encourage him to participate in our family business, so I will proudly include his ideas!

1. Arts And Crafts

Arts and crafts can keep some kids busy for hours. Keep the activity simple so the kids can do the projects on their own. I have a play room setup for my children that includes an art station. It is fully equipped with art project kits (that I buy on sale at the art store), coloring books, painting and drawing paper, crayons, markers and paint (washable of course), colored pencils, the whole nine yards. I get them setup and it gives me quite a bit of quiet time to devote to my business. They have fun and mommy ends up with A LOT of refrigerator art!

2. Educational Online And Computer Games

If you have an extra computer, this is an awesome activity for your children. There are an enormous number of computer and online games to entertain and most importantly, educate your children. With computers being such a large part of our daily lives these days, it's great to teach them the basics while they're young and give them a nice head start. Many of these sites are recommended by our local school system.

www.edheads.org 
www.playhousedisney.com
www.nickjr.com
www.pbskids.org
www.scholastic.com
www.starfall.com
www.thekidzpage.com
www.funbrain.com
www.clubpenguin.com
www.learninggamesforkids.com

I set time limits for them, they each get an hour at a time. Kids can easily get addicted to computers just like us adults!

3. Reading/Audio Books

Though many kids younger than eight can read, for reading to be an independent activity children have to get to a certain level of proficiency. Let kids choose several library books. I encourage my older son to read chapter books to my youngest. However, it takes an effort to find books that interest him. Also there are many wordless or nearly wordless picture books that will engage kids of all ages, especially my 11 month old. For those who are not ready to read independently or don't have an older sibling to read to them, listening to kids' audio book is a great alternative!! Most importantly, the kids LOVE this activity! All while, it improves their reading skills and keeps children mentally engaged. Kids can learn to appreciate the art of storytelling before they can read. And kids who can read expand their horizons. Those who are not strong readers can enjoy a good book. They still should do actual reading at another time. But if a child struggles with reading, then while you are working is not the time for independent reading. Audio books are expensive, so I check them out of our local library.

4. Chores

 This may not sound like a whole lot of fun BUT my son thinks it is cool when I write him a list of chores to do. It helps him to feel independent. While preschoolers are capable of simple chores, often they can't do them independently. However, kids kindergarten age and up should be able to complete regular household tasks without your help. Teach them how to do the chores when you're not working, then make a daily list. And some jobs can be fun. And it will be one less job for mom. After all, a family is supposed to be a team and everyone is supposed to contribute. Teach that early in age and your family will run much smoother.

5. Creative Play

This is not something you can plan or completely depend on, but when it happens, it's a beautiful thing. Younger kids are naturals at this, creating elaborate fantasies with stuffed animals or action figures. With older kids, you can encourage imagination by suggesting they produce a play or write a story. My son loves to write stories while my daughter would sing and pull out all the linens from the closet and build a fort. It's such an amazing example of why I am working from home in the first place.

6. Naps

Some work-at-home moms work during nap time and get a lot done. But keep in mind that napping habits change frequently. Don't schedule important phone calls or figure on meeting a deadline during nap time. When I first started my home business, my son was three and my daughter was 11 months. Those three hour naps were a blessing to my business. That's when I would make my calls and any other things that required either full silence or my complete concentration. The nap times got shorter and shorter through the years but this still remained a great time for mommy to work.

7. Play Dates

Believe it or not, hosting a play date can actually be an opportunity to work. School age kids can, and should play together without a lot of adult intervention. If you plan to work while they play, remind your child of the ground rules in advance and invite a friend that they get along with well. If you're hosting a toddler or preschooler, you have to stay pretty close, so working is not an option. But this is a good opportunity for a kid swap. You host one day, and the child's parents reciprocate another.

8. Play Outside

 The feasibility of this depends on your home and yard's set up and children's ages, but it's something to think about when the kids are home, especially summer break. I personally take my laptop outside with me or ask them to play in front of my office window. But you absolutely must keep a close watch. This is a great option for those with fenced in back yards especially.

9. Play With Toys

Sounds obvious, but any parent who's sifted through the toy box just after the holidays knows how quickly kids lose interest in their toys. Put away some toys for a period of time. When they come back into rotation, they seem like new. I have been doing this every year since my kids were toddlers and it has worked brilliantly even at their ages now. Board games, cards, construction toys, trains, play set and puzzles can keep kids engaged for hours. But sometimes they have to be reminded of these toys. My kids are notorious for saying "There's nothing to do!!" until I go in to their playroom and pull out something they haven't done in a while. Then they become instantly engaged and happy and mommy can work.

10. TV And Video Games

I know there are major mixed reviews on these two activities. I get both sides, I do! I am right in the middle, I find myself very balanced in this issue. I feel that everything in moderation is okay. My kids don't watch TV and play video games everyday. But if mommy has a special project or a deadline to meet, sure, I will absolutely pop in a movie for them. Or ask them to play Mario Kart on the Wii for a little while. Of course you don't want those things to be electronic babysitters but it is a good option every now and then. I truly hope this helps you find some balance with working at home with kiddos home. Create special memories with them, you won't get these years back!

Susan Cipolla

12 Mistakes That Cause Women To Fail In Their Home Business....And How To Avoid Them

You usually read tips of what you CAN do to help you grow your business. Well I'm putting a different spin on things today. I'm going to share things NOT to do in your business, the top 12 mistakes that cause women to fail in their home businesses. And hopefully, you will read with an open heart and learn from them.

Each one of these mistakes are very common and most business owners make at least one of them if not several. Once the mistakes are acknowledged, they can be easily reversed. However, these mistakes, if not caught early on, can lead to the failure of your business and some discouragement. And we want the majority of your days as work at home mom to be happy and encouraging! You will have bad days too, but avoiding these mistakes will help you eliminate quite a few of them!

Mistake #1: Waiting For Your Enroller To Call You And Offer Help

In this business it is crucial to make sure that you are connected to your enroller. But don't wait for them to call you! Your enroller is most likely leading a large team of people and focusing on the team memebers that are "in the game". The proper course of action is to contact your enroller anytime YOU need help. Your enroller does not know you are struggling unless you let them know. They are not mind readers. Call them, Instant Message them, Facebook then, let them know you are serious and "in the game" and that you have questions or need mentoring. ALWAYS remember that your enroller wants to hear from you! That is what this business is all about!

Mistake #2: Not Being Prepared For Dream Stealers

Without a doubt you will come across people, usually friends and loved ones, who might try to steal your dreams. They may tell you, "You can't do one of those things, that work at home stuff doesn't work". These people are called Dream Stealers. And most of them feel they are just trying to protect you. Unfortunately, most people are pre-programmed to believe that working a 40 hour a week job for 40 years is the only option and that a home based business is not going to work. And we know that's not true, that's why we're here. We are among the elite 3% that know there is a better way and are willing to go for it!!! As for those dream stealers, there is a simple fix: Don't let them!! No one can steal YOUR dreams unless YOU let them! And they will come around when you show them the money!

Mistake #3: Not Completing Your Training

An all too common mistake is when someone is just so excited to get into working their new business they skip the training steps. This is a short and easy mistake to explain and avoid. Simply, do your training, don't skip any steps. They are there because they are ALL very important to your success. Remember, when you need help, contact your enroller. They are there to help however, if you don't let them know you need help, they can't help.

Mistake #4: Spending Too Much Time On "Busy Work"

Starting a new home business is VERY exciting! There are a lot of things that you can do. You can get your home office all set up, you can load up on office supplies. You can spend weeks reading, training, listening to calls and watching videos online. All of these things are very exciting and will certainly benefit your business in the long run. However, your first goal is to make back your initial investment and get to the point where you are earning enough income to cover your overhead. So it's important to do just the basic necessities and then jump right into working your business. Sometimes in the beginning people are afraid to get out and start talking to people. It is new for them and it puts them outside their comfort zone. This is normal and about 70% of people experience these feelings and that it's perfectly okay. I know I did. The mistake is made when these people "hide behind" the busy work mentioned above. That keeps them from having to face their fears. The way to avoid this mistake is know from the beginning that 15% of your time should be focused on the "busy work" and 85% on actively marketing and prospecting. 

Mistake #5: Having Unrealistic Expectations With Income

Most home business owners are looking to be part of a legitimate business and not a "get rich quick scheme". For most of us this statement should be true. However, the mistake happens when people think, "Sure, I want a legitimate business, I don't want a get rich quick scheme but I do want to make money real fast." Well, there is a problem with this and don't worry if this is you because about 90% of people feel this way. There is an easy fix though. We have to remember the first part, we want a real, legitimate business and those don't create tons of money overnight. Most new businesses are in business for 1-3 years before they even make a profit. Fortunately for us it doesn't take nearly that long. In this industry, it's usually only 1-3 months maximum to start making a profit. Of course that is up to each individual person, how driven and committed they are. And it is very possible to make hundreds even thousands your first month, many of us have. I encourage you to strive for your financial goals from the start, however, I advise you to have realistic expectations. "Rome wasn't built in a day." But if you still feel like things are moving too slow, get with your enroller and they can advise you on how to get things moving quicker so you can start building those monthly residual checks we all love!

Mistake #6: Having Unrealistic Expectations With Advertising And Results

It takes time for advertising to work. In most cases you won't get tons and tones of replies from doing 1 or 2 forms of advertising only 1 or 2 times. Those familiar with the advertising industry will tell you that it's about repetition. Doing the advertising again and again is what creates true success. They say that it takes a person three times of looking at something to actually SEE it. Think of the work you do each day with advertising and marketing as planting seeds in your garden. This has to be done in order to see the flowers. It also takes time for the seeds to start to grow. The seeds are working and starting to grow under the soil, but you can't see it yet even though it's working or they're growing. Then, after several weeks you start to see a little bit of green poke out of the soil. You can actually now see some results of your planning seeds although still only very small results. And if you are patient, before long, you will see beautiful colorful flowers! A big thing that will help here is for you to work your way up to having five forms of advertising or marketing going on at the very same time each and every week. This can take months to accomplish but make it your goal. Those who master this have very successful businesses! If you feel you are not getting anywhere with your advertising, get with your enroller and revamp what you currently have going on. That's what they are there for and they can help!

Mistake #7: Not Seeing A Schedule

This step is so simple but SO many new home business owners don't follow it. You really need to start a set schedule for yourself. For example: I work Monday-Friday 8-5. Create a schedule that works best for you and try your very best to stick to it. This is your own business, so now and then it's okay to make some changes to your schedule. Life happens and other things come up, but if you miss some of your set hours try to make them up somewhere else in the week. I do this! If something interferes with my M-F schedule, I make the time up on Saturday. Also, and this is important, treat your business just like a part time job outside the home. If you stopped showing up to your part time job outside the home, were late every day, were not reliable or didn't put in 100% of your effort, you'd stop getting checks, because you'd be fired. With your home business, no one will fire you, however, you will still stop getting checks or worse not even start getting any. You wouldn't do those things with a job outside the home so don't do it to a job inside the home. TREAT YOUR BUSINESS WITH AS MUCH RESPECT, IF NOT MORE, THAN YOU WOULD TREAT A JOB WORKING FOR SOMEONE ELSE! I promise that if you don't value and respect your business, soon enough you will find yourself working outside the home. And everyday when you go to that J O B, you will think to yourself, "Man! I wish I didn't have to work this J O B!" Well, you don't, but NOW is the time to make sure you never have to go and get another J O B again. Work your business, set a schedule, make a commitment and give 100%!

Mistake #8: Not Setting Goals Or Having An Action Plan

You need to set goals for yourself so you can always know where you are and where you want to go. Your goals can be when you want to get to a certain promotion level or income level or how many pieces of business you wish to sign up per month, how many forms of advertising you want going on each and every week, how many full conversations you want to have with prospects each day. Set goals, define where you want to go, and hold yourself accountable. It isn't always whether or not you reach your goals, but sometimes it's just looking and asking yourself did you do everything possible this week to help you reach your goals.

Mistake #9: Failing To Participate In Your Team's Training Calls

A simple and easy to explain mistake. Most companies with successful teams have MANY training calls available to you each week and they are a HUGE part of your ongoing training to master your business. You will learn ways to market and advertise, how to talk to prospects, close them and overcome objections. You will learn about your products/services. You will even hear from other successful leaders as they share with you exactly what they did to reach their level of success. So the fix here, attend these calls! If you are part time you should be listening to at least two calls per week and if you are full time you should be listening to at least 3-5 calls per week. If your team doesn't have training calls, suggest they start them!

Mistake #10: Getting Emotionally Attached To Your Prospects

What this means is you talk to a prospect today, let's call her Mary....and you and Mary have an awesome conversation, you really hit it off and you talk on a friendly level with her and tells you at the end that she is very excited and will be ready to start on Friday and asks you to call her back at 1:00 on Friday to help her get started. Then you call her on Friday at 1:00 and she doesn't answer the phone. That's not a good feeling, I know. It got me down a lot in my business when I was new. And who knows why Mary didn't answer the phone, she may have just told you that because she couldn't tell you no, or maybe her husband talked her out of it or maybe she just got scared, who knows. The best way to avoid this is to always focus forward and not backwards. It's great that you had a nice conversation with Mary last week but don't focus on that. Only focus on talking to new people, focusing forward. If you call Mary back on Friday and she answers, that's great!! But if she doesn't (which happens sometimes) don't allow yourself to get upset, just bless and release and keep pressing forward.

Mistake #11: Going Into Management Mode

I see this one a lot. A new home business owner will enroll a team member or two or three and they go into complete management mode. A lot of new team leaders fall into this trap. They focus too heavily on training and leading their team members and discontinue looking for new people. This will kill your business and completely put a halt on earning new checks. You need to continue working on personal production. Not only will it help you earn more checks and find great leaders but it is a great example for your team. If you're adding business, your team will follow you. To build a successful team, it is so important to lead by example!!!!!! This business is a numbers game. To find the leaders you need to reach new levels and beyond, you will need to add the quantity to get the quality. Your first three or four team members will most likely NOT be the leaders that will help you promote to the next level. Trust me on that. You will need to add many more than that. Also, there is a power in numbers. The more people you have on your team that are also looking for new team members, that more your check will grow!!! Obviously 30 new team members can add more business than just you all by yourself. So, if you're looking to reach the top level and a six figure income with your company, you need to understand that volume equals results.

Mistake #12: Quitting Before The Blessing

The most amazing part of your home business is when you can really start to see amazing things happening in your business. You start to see growth on your team and real significant growth in your paychecks. This is something that takes time to start to see, it doesn't happen right away. Building a successful home business takes time. However, if you work your business consistently and with a strong desire to achieve greatness, you WILL reach your financial goals. When you do, your dreams become reality and it is an amazing blessing. The problem lies when a person quits the business before the blessing. All too many time we have heard people say, "It's going too slow", "Things are not happening", "It's not for me." The thing is, it is going to work. It works for EVERY single person who stays and works their business. Building a home business is a lot like being on a diet and exercise plan. It takes a lot of daily effort and dedication. A week or two can go by and you may not see the results JUST yet. Would you quit your diet and stop exercising just because you don't see results right away? No!! You keep going because you KNOW it WILL  work if you keep working hard at it. Same thing with building a home business! Easy fix here, do not let quitting be an option for you! If you are part of a great company, it will happen for you! The only difference between you and the successful leaders in your company is that they have been here longer and that's it!!

So there you have it ladies!! The 12 mistakes that cause women to fail their home businesses. Are you making any or many of them?? If son, no worries, a lot of us did in the beginning of our business. You can correct the mistakes and start moving forward in the direction of great success from home!! I TRULY wish that for all of you!! My home business has changed my life!! You ALL deserve that same amount of success and beyond!!! Much love and success.

Susan Cipolla

A Little Inspiration For You......Happy Friday

I came across this article this morning and wanted to share this with you. This one really touched me as there is just SO much truth to it and it very much applies to our journey here in the home based business world. ENJOY and have a very Happy Friday!

It is easy to come up with reasons why you aren't where you want to be.

It takes work and discipline to push yourself a little every day until one day you are where you want to be.

The amazing thing for those that have done it, you look back and realize somewhere a long the way, it stopped feeling like work.

Somewhere along the way a weight was lifted as you moved closer to your dreams.

You realized you were tired of focusing on what wasn't working and you were excited about what was.

For those that the rest of the world sees as "Lucky" those individuals have doubts, fears and missed opportunities just like us. 

Yet, somewhere along the way they decided to change their attitude, their approach and ultimately their life....

Start your journey today ~ C.Nordyke

MAKE TODAY GREAT!

Susan Cipolla 

What Residual Income Can Do For You

Having passive and residual income in today's economy is essential. People flocked to real estate to create their income and they did very well with it for quite some time. However, we all know where that market has gone....into the dirt. In these tough economic times of layoffs, and people's retirement accounts and dreams disappearing, the brilliant financial minds out there like Donald Trump, Robert Kiyosaki and Warren Buffett now recommend network marketing to people to create there residual income. And before turning your nose up at the thought of network marketing, know that it's SO much more than the "old school chasing family and friends down" days that have been embedded in people's minds. There is no more having to approach a friend or family member and don't ever plan to. LOVE them dearly, they are so important to me and I treasure them but it's just not my thing. There is a WHOLE world out there on the internet that are looking for a network marketing business from home that don't need to be "sold" on the concept.

When the big dogs, Robert Kiyosaki, Donald Trump and Warren Buffett put their seal of approval all over network marketing, people started to get their noses out of the air and started paying attention. The AWESOME thing about creating a residual income with network marketing is it doesn't require a lot of capital upfront, like real estate does for example. Anyone with a good attitude, persistence and a lot of self motivation can do it. And while those three qualities may weed out many, it still leaves the door open for average people...like me. So, what's the big deal about having a residual income? Residual income is great thing, you do the work one time and that income continues to follow you month after month, year after year. I'm still receiving residual income every month! You can't beat that! This type of income not only keeps you set financially, but it allows you to focus on things in your life that are most important, your family, your relationships, enjoying life, all those things we cherish but so many don't have themselves setup to put first.

The bottom line, it gives you freedom! My residual income has allowed me to be home with my kids, I'm truly grateful for my home business and my residual income for giving me the freedom to spend time on what is truly important to me. I work around my kids, my checks still come, my checks still grow!

We all have things come up in our lives, divorces, sick family members, injuries, child birth, spouses getting laid off, etc. Wouldn't it be nice to have a residual income already coming to you every month when those things come up? 

A guaranteed check in the mail every month certainly makes things a lot easier, I know from personal experience. If you are already working on building a residual income for yourself and your family, good for you! Keep on working hard to grow it. I know from personal experience. If you are already working on building a residual income for yourself and your family, good for you! Keep on working hard to grow it. It will come in handy through the years. If you haven't started to build your residual income, what are you waiting for? Find your opportunity and get to work on it, it is SO worth it!

So grateful for my residual income.

Susan Cipolla ~

21 Quick Tips To Help You Reach Success In Your Home Business

People ask me all the time "What is your secret? What is it that you are doing to reach success, can you give me tips? I want to be a successful work at home mom too!!" These 21 tips are my "Secret" and if you follow them everyday consistently, you too will be a six figure earner in the work at home industry! I TRULY believe that!

1. Better Listening Means More Enrollments

Focus on your prospects needs rather than yours. How can you help THEM? Listen for their why. Engage with them. You will create a connection with your prospect if they can hear that you care. This is how you will become a master recruiter.

2. Smile On Your Prospecting Calls

They will hear the kindness and excitement in your voice. Take the saying "Smile and Dial" to heart....it works!!

3. Focus On How Many People You Can Talk To Versus How Many People You Can Enroll

When you're focused on results, it can stress you out. Instead, focus on talking to as many people as you can. Think of each conversation whether they enroll or not as a success. When you do this, the enrollments WILL follow!

4. If An Advertising Method Isn't Working, Try Something Else

Don't dwell on what is not working, go out and find something that DOES work!

5. Do Something Today Completely Out Of Your Comfort Zone

Like TODAY, when you're done reading this! Whatever makes you uncomfortable but you know in the back of your mind that not doing it is holding you back from success....DO IT!!!!!

6. Instead Of Focusing On The Negative, Find Something Positive To Focus On

Don't let negativity overpower your day. You have a choice, is this going to be a good day or a bad day? Also, your team is watching you, your prospects are listening to you, attitudes are contagious, what you feel, they will feel.

7. Be Grateful For What You Already Have

When you're focusing on the good things in your life (and you have them, even if you think you don't), it's hard to be negative or feel down. Living with an attitude of gratitude makes all the difference.

8. Make Someone Smile Today

Spread happiness. Be Kind. Not only will you make someone's day, they will turn around and bless someone else with their happiness. And this in turn will put a smile on your face!

9. Readers Are Leaders

What are you currently reading? Grab a good book, read a chapter a day and watch your life and your business transform into greatness!

10. Have You Listened To A Training Call This Week?

Your team's training calls are part of your lifeline. No matter what level you are with your business, don't ever feel as if you've arrived. You must always focus on growing!

11. Stay In Contact With Your Enroller

This is the other half of your lifeline. Don't wait for them to contact you. They are waiting and excited to hear from you! That's when they know you're serious about your business.

12. Make Your Team Members Feel As Special As They Are

Be a cheerleader for your team! Recognize them for every victory, big or small. It will make their day and push them to work harder!

13. Cheer For Yourself

Believe in YOU! YOU CAN DO THIS!!!!! Your business will be as successful as you think you can make it!

14. Laugh Off Your Mistakes And Keep Pressing Forward

Take each mistake and learn from it. Embrace them, they will make you better!

15. Take One Day Off Per Week To Enjoy Family

After all, aren't they what you are working for?

16. Make A To-Do-List Every Morning

Sounds simple right? This one tip will help you to stay organized and on task. Try it and enjoy the feeling at the end of the day when you know you've had a productive day.

17. Treat Your Business Like A Business, Not A Hobby

You have to be THE HARDEST BOSS YOU'VE EVER HAD! Respect your business, show up for work, be consistent, and you will earn business income instead of hobby income.

18. Don't Spend Too Much Time On Facebook, Pick Up The Phone

Facebook is an amazing marketing tool for us in this industry, use it. But don't get sucked in to just sitting there all day scrolling through the news feed.

19. Lead By Example

Don't just talk about it, get out there and DO IT! I never ask my team to do anything I'm not willing to get out there and do myself. If you want your team to be top producers, BE a top producer yourself!

20. Small Action Steps Compounded Over Time Turn Into Something great

CONSISTENCY is the secret to building a successful home business!!! Touch your business every single day.

21. Don't Quit Before The Blessing

The first year in network marketing is the hardest. It's new, your learning the ropes, finding your niche, programming yourself to have a business mindset. All the successful people that you see in this industry that have the success that you want, they ALL went thought their first year, they all had bumps and obstacles. YOU are not the only one that is hitting obstacles. Obstacles are a part of life. They are a test to see what you're made of. So it you want success, know that you have to go through all of that first before you reach the blessing. And blessing guys.....is so worth it!

GO for greatness!! You deserve it!

Which one tip is your favorite? Leave me a comment below: I would love to hear from you!

I believe in you!

Susan ~

Here Are 10 Tips That Will Help You Write A Strong Business Plan:

1.   Know your competition

Be prepared to name them and tell what makes you different from (and better than) each of them. But do not disparage your competition.

2.   Know your audience

You’ll probably want several versions of your business plan—one for bankers or venture capitalists, one for individual investors, one for companies that may want to do a joint venture with you rather than fund you, etc.

3.   Have proof to back up every claim you make

If you expect to be the leader in your field in six months, you have to say why you think so. If you say your product will take the market by storm, you have to support this statement with facts. If you say your management team is fully qualified to make the business a success, be sure staff resumes demonstrate the experience needed.

4.   Be conservative in all financial estimates and projections

If you feel certain you'll capture 50 percent of the market in the first year, you can say why you think so and hint at what those numbers may be. But make your financial projections more conservative—for example, a 10 percent market share is much more credible.

5.   Be realistic with time and resources available

If you're working with a big company now, you may think things will happen faster than they will once you have to buy the supplies, write the checks and answer the phones yourself. Being overly optimistic with time and resources is a common error entrepreneurs make. Being realistic is important because it lends credibility to your presentation. Always assume things will take 15 percent longer than you anticipated. Therefore, 20 weeks is now 23 weeks.

6.   Be logical

Think like a banker, and write what they would want to see.

7.   Have a strong management team

Make sure it has good credentials and expertise. Your team members don’t have to have worked in the field, but you do need to draw parallels between what they've done and the skills needed to make your venture succeed. Don’t have all the skills you need? Consider adding an advisory board of people skilled in your field, and include their resumes.

8.   Document why your idea will work

Have others done something similar that was successful? Have you made a prototype? Include all the variables that can have an impact on the result or outcome of your idea. Show why some of the variables don’t apply to your situation or explain how you intend to overcome them or make them better.

9.   Describe your facilities and location for performing the work

If you'll need to expand, discuss when, where and why.

10.       Discuss payout options for the investors

Some investors want a hands-on role; some want to put associates on your board of directors; some don’t want to be involved in day-to-day activities. All investors want to know when they can get their money back and at what rate of return. Most want out within three to five years. Provide a brief description of options for investors, or at least mention that you're ready to discuss options with any serious prospect.

And here's what not to include in your business plan:

1. Form over substance

If it looks good but doesn’t have a solid basis in fact and research, you might as well save your energy.

2. Empty claims

If you make a statement without supporting it, you may as well leave it out. You need to follow-up what you say in the next sentence with a statistic, fact or even a quote from a knowledgeable source that supports the claim.

3. Rumors about the competition

If you know for sure a competitor is going out of business, you can allude to it, but avoid listing its weaknesses or hearsay. Stick to facts.

4. Superlatives and strong adjectives

Words like “major,” “incredible,” “amazing,” “outstanding,” “unbelievable,” “terrific,” “great,” “most,” “best” and “fabulous” don’t have a place in a business plan. Avoid “unique” unless you can demonstrate with facts that the product or service is truly one of a kind. (Hint: Chances are, it isn’t.) 

5. Long documents

If readers want more, they'll ask.

6. Overestimating on your financial projections

Sure you want to look good, but resist optimism here. Use half of what you think is reasonable. It's better to underestimate than set expectations that aren’t fulfilled.

7. Overly optimistic time frames

Ask around or do research on the Internet. If it takes most companies six to 12 months to get up and running, that's what it'll take yours. If you think it'll take three months to develop your prototype, double it. You'll face delays you don’t know about yet—ones you can’t control. Remember to be conservative in your time predictions.

8. Gimmicks

Serious investors want facts, not gimmicks. They may eat the chocolate rose that accompanies the business plan for your new florist shop, but it won’t make them any more interested in investing in the venture.

9. Amateurish financial projections

Spend some money and get an accountant to do these for you. They’ll help you think through the financial side of your venture, plus put the numbers into a standard business format that a businessperson expects.

I hope you got value in these 10 Tips. If you have any questions, you can reach me directly at 803-391-6268. 

I believe in you!

Susan Cipolla~

5 Keys To Success In A Home Based Business

Success in a new home based business isn't about some complicated game plan...it can be simplified. These 5 keys to success, if followed, can help you achieve your financial goals.

It is not uncommon for new home based business owners to feel overwhelmed and frustrated when they are just getting started. Everyone has struggles in their business and goes through a period of doubt, but with these five keys to success you can stay on track.

1. Be Committed

Your decision to start a new business is not something that should be taken lightly. You need a game plan and some goals....both short term and long term. How are you going to implement those goals? Take some time and seriously think about what you want to accomplish and the steps you need to take to get there. Then put it into practice. Only consistent actions will help you reach your goals.

2. Be Willing To Invest In Your Business

If you want to earn significant income in your home based business, it is important to understand that in order for your business to grow at a rapid pace, you must be willing to invest in yourself and your business. Building your business with free methods or on a tight budget may be your only alternative in the beginning, but re-invest in your business when you start making some money. This might be more product, supplies, or investing in some books and/or the occasional online course.

3. Create A Daily Success Plan

There is no get rich quick when it comes to building a long lasting and profitable business. Let me repeat that....there is no get rich quick business. There is, however, lots of hard work. Begin by having a daily routine that keeps you on track and focused on income producing activities is the key to your success. You only have 24 hours in a day - and those that use their work hours wisely see the most success. Replace non-income producing habits with ones that will maximize your profits. Make sure the work you are doing isn't "busy" work, but actions that will produce income. Limit your time on social networks, as I am sure you already know, time can get away from you when you are on Facebook. Set your timer! 30 minutes for Facebook, 10 minutes to answer emails, etc. Keep yourself on track.

4. Attend Hangouts, Or Events

Give your business a chance to expand and grow by attending events. Not only company events, but industry events. Events are a great place to learn many of the basic business building principles that can grow your income quickly. Events are also excellent for networking and developing partnerships.

5. Be Realistic

 You will make mistakes, that is part of learning this business. Not every decision is a Home Run. Like all businesses there will be ups and downs. The true sign of a professional is how you ride those out. 

Home based businesses are hard work, and, if you stay involved long enough, it's a guarantee that you will hit some bumps in the road. Don't let the first bump derail you. The key is to learn from that "bump" and move forward. Keep moving forward.

Don't wait until things are perfect before you begin trusting your business will succeed, others have proved that it is possible!

Understand that we all started at the bottom, but we got started. So utilize the 5 Keys To Success.

I believe in you!

Susan Cipolla ~

8 Ways To Keep Your Home Based Business Running Smoothly

Leaving corporate America to run a home based business is the ideal situation for many people. There's no boss breathing down your neck, no boring meetings to attend and no 45 minute drive in rush hour traffic. Working from home can be a rewarding experience, but it's easy to forget the basic rules of running a successful business when it's 10 hours of just you, your computer and the distractions of home.

1. Structure Your Day

The problem a lot of home based business owners have is that they no longer have a boss standing over them making sure they get their work done, or a tangible start and end of each work day. It's easy to let time slip by as you head to the refrigerator, catch a few minutes of TV, or dive into a project first thing in the morning, neglecting the other tasks you need to perform to keep your business running smoothly.

Create a structure that mimics what you had in the workplace. Structure your day so you have a start and finish time, with certain hours set aside for specific activities. A general rule is to spend the first hours of the day prospecting for new clients. Send your emails, write your letters and make your phone calls first thing so you don't forget to do it later.

Use Outlook or some sort of contact management software to serve as a visual reminder of what you need to accomplish that day. Live or die by your to-do-list. Try to have everything crossed off by the end of the day. Even my own children know that it they want me to do something for them during working hours, they have to put it on my to-do-list or it will never get done.

2. Stay Connected

Carry an organizer wherever you go. If you're still using a day planner or similar dinosaur, consider upgrading to a Smartphone or other high-tech gadget. You don't need to go crazy and spend a lot of money, but invest wisely in something that will hold everything you need and allow you to instantly access it on the go. Another good idea is to not keep all of your information in one location, such as the hard drive of your home computer. Keep your data hosted on a virtual exchange server so you can access it anywhere that has an internet connection. A big misconception about home based business owners is that they stay at home all day, every day. And as you know, that's just not always true.

3. Organize Your Family Time

Once your professional life is organized, you may need to consider organizing your personal life. Maybe you noticed right away, or maybe it's just becoming apparent, that you tend to work around the schedule of your family members. This is especially true if you have children. A lot of people, especially young moms, decide that they're going to quit their jobs in corporate america and work from home in order to care for their children and save on daycare expenses. But in reality, if you're serious about running a home based business and earning a descent income, you're going to have to make arrangements for childcare in or outside the home. Otherwise it becomes too distracting. Consider hiring a babysitter so you're guaranteed five to six solid hours to get your work done.

4. Motivate Yourself

Sit down and set some goals for yourself. You no longer have quarterly reviews or progress reports, so it's important to keep track of whether or not you're making progress in your business. It's one thing to set small goals like completing your to-do-list you also have to set goals to motivate yourself to succeed. Hopefully by now you're making as much, if not more money at your home based business than you were at your former job. If you aren't begin by setting a goal to bring in the same amount of income you were, and slowly raise the bar to increase your income by a couple of thousand a month. Once you've met a goal, make time to reward yourself by doing something fun, which brings us to the next tip.

5. Take Time Out For Good Behavior

It's no uncommon to find yourself working 60-70 hour weeks. But the good thing is, if you want to sneak out and see a movie at two in the afternoon, nobody's going to tell you not to do it. You have that freedom and flexibility as a home based owner. It can be tempting to work all the time when you start seeing how successful your business has become, but know when to relax. You've already established a smooth running business. Take a break every now and then so you don't get burned out.

6. Be A Jack Of All Trades

There are a lot of roles you play as a home based business owner. You're the CEO, president, secretary, office manager and tech support. Learn the basic skills of running an office, including how to troubleshoot some rudimentary technical problems. You don't need to become an expert, but make sure you have a basic understanding of tech support issues, bookkeeping etc. Otherwise it will become too expensive to have to pay someone to do everything for you.

7. Network

Network with other home based business owners in either a formal or informal setting. This is a good way to find service providers, leads and potential clients. Surrounding yourself with people who also work from home will give you the support you need, and refer you to people who can help you grow your business.

8. Consider Moving Out Of Your Home

For a lot of people, working from home is a launching pad. In the beginning, many business owners work from home in order to keep overhead low. If you have more than one person with different roles working from your home office, you should ideally be working in separate rooms. It can be difficult having two people work side by side, even if those two people are spouses and love each other very much. It's distracting for anyone to have someone three feet away from you talking on the phone. Be prepared for expansion. At the point when your business becomes so successful that you cannot efficiently work close together, start considering moving your office outside the home. 

I hope you found value in 8 ways to keep your home based business running smoothly. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach me directly at 803-391-6268.

I believe in you!

Susan Cipolla ~

10 Advanced Facebook Tips And Tricks

To get the most out of your time and money in social media, take it to the next level with these tips and tricks.

1. Trial Run

Test engagement for different times of day. A lot of companies post on Facebook only during traditional business hours. But what if you constituents are mostly abroad? How about those night owls? Tap into your inner scientist and experiment by posting on your Facebook feed during different times throughout the day (and night). Different studies will point to different conclusions, but the truth is, results will vary depending on the kind of users your brand attracts. The only way to ensure optimal engagement is through old-fashioned trial and error. While I would never suggest anyone automate their posting, if you feel like you have to, Facebook now offers a scheduling tool so you can deliver late-night posts without disturbing your own beauty sleep. But keep in mind that when a company makes a post, people assume there's someone there live. If you don't reply back or address the issue because it was  a scheduled post and you aren't actually there, you look bad.

2. Let The People Speak

Launching a new product? Deciding on a new design? Ask your fans for their input and actually act on their feedback. Whether you ask them to vote on a new logo or product color, use their input to reasonably guide the direction of your next business decision. Not only will it increase your audience's brand loyalty, it also helps you get a sense of what your fan base wants.

3. Take A Picture - It'll Last Longer

More importantly, pictures are shared more. In fact, one study showed that picture posts receive twice as much engagement as posts with just text or links. Fan's news feeds are constantly cluttered with friends and business pages, so including a photo or graphic with your content helps your post stand out. And you don't need an expensive camera. Download Instagram to your smartphone to instantly snap and upload shots to your Facebook page.

4. Be Your Own Biggest Fan

In order to fully understand the latest trends and fads on Facebook, you have to actually use Facebook outside your business page. So if you haven't already, it's time to join the rest of the world and create a personal Facebook account. This will allow you to see how fans are seeing your own business as well as what the competition is doing and how other users are innovating online.

5. Get Your Fans Off Facebook...and onto your email list

By giving fans an incentive to subscribe to your email list, you can expand your touch points. Keep your Facebook content upbeat and fun, while saving more targeted marketing and upselling for your email campaigns. The results will speak for themselves.

6. A Call To Action

Because you don't want your Facebook fans to visit once and then leave, place a "call to action" graphic on your page's tab. It an be something as simple as "Like Us!" with arrows pointing toward the like button. Make it easy for visitors to convert into fans by giving them every opportunity to add you to their feeds.

7. Hide And Seek

Make people want what you have: Create content that's exclusive to fans only, which will encourage visitors to like your page. This could be special product information, interviews, menus - whatever fits in with your particular business.

8. But Be Easy To Find

Create a vanity URL for your Facebook business page. This makes you more discoverable so that your fans can just go to www.facebook.com/yourbusinessname. Just go to www.facebook.com to update your business page name.

9. Post Weekly Pins

Not to be confused with a Pinterest pin, Facebook allows businesses to pick one post a week to be featured at the top of your page. So whatever information you're trying to push each week, be it a sale or promotion or event, be sure to anchor it to the top of your timeline. It's very simple: Just hover over the post you've selected to anchor, click the pencil icon, and select "Pin To Top." These pins expire every seven days, which make it a great way to highlight your most up-to-date posts.

10. Show Off Your Milestone

Facebook milestones don't just have to be about relationship updates or graduations. Highlight your company's accomplishments, whether it's an anniversary, meeting a fan growth goal or launching a new product. You can create a milestone in the status update box, then fill in information such as date and location. Be sure to add a picture with each one!

I hope you found value in today's post. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach me directly at 803-391-6268.

I believe in you!

Susan Cipolla

Become More Positive With These 5 Tips

History has shown that those with an optimistic outlook on life are the ones who usually find the most success.

For me, changing my negative mental attitude to a positive one resulted in a completely different lifestyle, both personally and professionally. When I changed my mindset and increased my positive attitude, I went from multiple failed startups and a depressed state to starting a successful business.

Here are five tips that have helped me release my negative mentality and become more positive:

1. Express gratitude

One of the easiest ways to increase your positiveness is to express gratitude. Being thankful for what you currently have immediately releases any negativity that you might be holding onto. Gratitude instantly puts you in touch with the feeling of love. Where love resides, fear and all other negative emotions cannot.

The best and most effective way to implement gratitude in your life is to express it every morning. Upon waking up, express 10 things you are grateful for. This list can either be spoken out loud or within the confines of your mind, but they must be detailed and come from your heart. Closing your eyes can further help you feel gratitude.

2. Be a giver

Many times, negative feelings can be caused by focusing on the perceived negative aspects of your life. You can instantly shift this feeling by giving unconditionally to others.

Share your skills with the people around you. If someone is looking for advice, help them out. Do not hesitate or doubt your value. Even the smallest of gestures or thoughts shared can cause a massive shift in another individual's perspective.

3. Control your breath

It has been said that those who have the ability to control their breath have the ability to control their life. In many aspects, this statement is very true. Look back to a time when you lost control. What happened to your breathing pattern? In anger, your breath became short and quick. If you control your breath, you can understand and change your negative emotions.

Either in a quiet space or during meditation, practice following your breathing. As you take a breath in (through your nose), feel the air enter your body and go deep into your lungs. As it hits the deepest part of your lungs, feel it slowly leave your body (through your mouth) and release any and all tension.

 4. Visualize Success

Tapping into your ability to visualize or imagine can be used as a powerful tool to become more positive. Many of the world's greatest minds, including Oprah Winfrey, Will Smith, Tiger Woods and Arnold Schwarzenegger, have been known to use the power of visualization to attract what they desire throughout life, so why aren't you?

Begin by closing your eyes. Think of a positive event that occurred in your past. In your mind's eye, see the event exactly as it happened. Place yourself within the event and feel the positive emotions as they occurred. When you open your eyes, allow yourself to stay in this positive state. The effects of visualization can be multiplied if meditation is practiced beforehand.

5. Meditate

Meditation is one of the most effective ways to increase your positivity. The practice of meditation expands awareness within the individual and allows for a clear connection between mind, body and soul. Through meditation, you can learn to release negative emotions that are holding you back and connect with your higher self.

Find a quiet and comfortable place to sit, lie down or do whatever feels right to you. Close your eyes, take a few deep breaths and allow yourself to relax. While breathing deeply, feel yourself letting go of all the emotions you are holding onto. With each breathe, let go a little more. As you let go, realize everything around you is made of love and allow yourself to live within this love.

If you implement these tactics and practice these techniques, you will be connected to the flow of life and you will find more "luck" than you ever have before.

Please feel free to share this with your team. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to me directly at 803-391-6268.

I believe in you!

Susan Cipolla~