Multi-level marketing mergers and how to handle them

Mergers happen, sometimes it's unavoidable. I get it this is your business. The business that kept food on the table, kept the light bill on and now it feels as though the company you were selling through has slapped you in the face with what you consider devastating news. You were apart of something big and you were successful with it. Whether you have been with the company since it started or you just signed up, the only thing that changes is that your starting at the beginning, again.

You may be thinking, "That's a deal breaker right there!" Look if the product that you have been selling is still going to be sold why do you need to back down. So the inventory falls to a small amount. Hang tight, with a merger the new company has to adjust and it will take time for new and more products to become available. If the products that were the main factor for you selling are no longer being sold, contact the person that you signed under to find out if the equipment was purchased in the merger. If it has then you can pretty much be assured that yes it is coming back. It will just take some time.

Don't be an unprofessional business owner or even a cocky Charlotte and bash or attack others in the forums where you were sharing information regarding your business. Show professionalism. You are still a business owner. Find out all the key facts and factors to determine how this affects your business. Sometimes you have to pay a fee and/or sign with the company that bought your parent company.

Things will get better. So your able to address a new market and a new list of clients. In all honesty I don't see a problem with that. I see an opportunity to expand your base, your horizons. To stick with your business that you created is your choice. To walk away is your choice too. But don't attack others. Don't make someone feel lower than low because you're mad. All you are showing is a side that no one wants to ever see from a business owner. Word does get out and it will taint your business and how you sell the products.

If your on the fence to whether or not you should transition over grab a pen and some paper and write your pros and cons list. This will help you decide to continue with your business or walk away. Mergers take time and you should have a couple of weeks to fully decided what is in the best interest for you and your business.

If you have family members that are telling you, you were stupid to sign with your business. Well, you know who to avoid. And in all honesty they are the people that will always be toxic to your business. They are the ones secretly hoping that you fail. When it comes to business, as a business owner you stick with like minded people. If you are the one that is hoping the business fails, just back out. Don't look back, back out because all you are going to manage to do is kill your own business. Tainting your reputation along the way. Any MLM (multi-level marketing) business that you sign up with after that to sell for you're going to fail in that too because of the attitude that you had during a merger.

Sit down with a cup of tea or coffee. Don't let distractions pester you and write out your list. See where you stand and make your decision from there. Don't be hasty with anger. Be vigilant about your business and don't let your passion run away from you.

Re-do the To Do List

I read a lot of business magazines when I get the free chance. It's my dirty little secret, much like that hidden Halloween candy in the kitchen. One thing that that has been written in an article is the dreaded to do list. Why is it so dreaded. Well, really when was the last time you did a to do list? They make you feel as though not a lot is getting accomplished. And who doesn't have things that don't roll over to the next day. Back when I worked a full 9-5 job for other companies I kept a To Do List. Every couple of months I would need to get a new notebook and start the whole process all over again. Yeah, there are trees out there that I owe an apologies to.

So when was the last time you didn't get stressed out from your to do list? It's one of the things that stress me out to no end. The article I read takes all the stress out of the unfinished work making it finished work in the correct amount of time. My to do lists always consisted of trying to get more then 25 things done in a day. now that is pretty stressful and not every day it could be done. As long as everything was finished by Friday before I left work for the weekend I think I was doing pretty good. According to this article I can still get all 25+ things done but in a better time line.

Some companies are moving towards to do lists that take a week not a day to get things done. In some cases the to do list are for the month or more depending on the projects. Why didn't I ever think to do that? Because before I became an entrepreneur I never had a reason to think outside of the box. Put a special needs child into the mix and you've got a to do list that's gone to a to don't get done list. And believe me as busy as life can get having a to do list where you actually mark things off the list and feel more gets accomplished keeps you moving forward. It's kind of like a mini evaluation at the time frame end. Seeing that you are able to get what needs to be done actually done motivates you more to add just a bit more at a time. You see what you need to work on time wise and are able to find your time wasters.

Time wasters are the little things that keep you from getting your work done. Finding time to place time wasters in their own "time zone". Time Zone's are a certain that you set aside for things that need to get done but not during your time for your projects. Think about it the way that a doctor's office get their call backs done. Time set aside in the morning for call backs and time in the afternoon for the call backs. Yes we all have to deal with phone calls but when it comes to getting all your projects done and phone calls are the killers set aside time to tackle them and don't go over that time. Don't forget to stay organized. Even messy organization is okay as long as you know where everything is. Not being able to locate what your looking for kills you on being able to stay on track and marking things off the to do list.

Re-think how you keep up with your work and projects by re-thinking how you tackle your to do list and change it from daily to weekly.

Up-cycling or refashioning: It's Game On!

We touched on this last year on the radio show regarding up-cycling. Now this has turned into quiet the little business. Thanks in part to a young woman whose blog is making a lot of us re-think fashion. Refashioning is a hot topic. From pinterest tutorials to step by step instructions from Jillian the Fashionista and her friends, women everywhere are creating new etsy businesses every day. I will admit it. I have tried my hand at it too. My project was a winter cloak. And not just any cloak a thick warm winter cloak. If you can't find what you need you make it. It does remind me of a time when women did make what they wanted and needed by patterns. Back when if something was broken you fixed it, not throwing it out.

That is a lot of what refashioning is. Taking something old and making it new. Taking what some would consider garbage and turning it into expensive beautiful creations. And it's not just stopping in the etsy market people are opening stores just for their one of a kind pieces of fashion.

Ugly Christmas sweaters become skirts and leggings. In some cases they become skirts. Jewelry gets a new fresh look and lives on further. Purses and bags are created from tires, old bags and clothing. Because everything is new different and one of a kind, it becomes products that people want unable to live without it. It's a great thing, making sure that a lot of these items don't end up land fills.

Up-cycling is fun, inventive and unique. Not many pinterest fails with up-cycling because this is the fashion that you create. Yeah, some do it far better then others but that's because practice makes perfect. Face it very rarely someone can create the first piece perfectly without practice.

If up-cycling is something that you have been debating with your crafts, there is a market for you. You have others that are interested in your work. Remember if you do what you love you never work. And on that note I have a few projects that I'm refashioning. Have fun everyone!

Direct Marketing at Vendor Events (Are you doing it right?)

Direct marketing is the fastest and easiest way to create a business. Where you can start making money the very moment you sign up. In order to be successful you really need to have a passion for what you're selling. A small sampling of direct marketing businesses are Thirty-one, Younique Products, Jewel Kade, Origami Owl, Tupper ware, Young Living Essential oils, Plexus, Avon, Mary Kay and the list goes on and on! There are plenty of options for selling and many are taking advantage of Vendor events.

Your town, city or parrish has plenty of events where everyone can get together and sell their goods or services, but at a higher cost. And then you have individuals who offer a great location for the direct marketers to sell their goods for a better price, but at what cost?

JW and I had both two vendor events put together by one young lady. She has a lot of promise but not a lot of public relations sense. Getting the word out about an event that you are hosting is the key to everyone being a success. And if you can't make sure that your events are a success you won't get return business. After all, not all vendors at these type of events are solely for direct marketing only. You also have vendors who create their own products to sell. Soaps, bows, frames, art, dolls and accessories.

The point with this blog is that you have to have a smile and knowledge about the products that your sell. Don't let the fact that you can make a lot of money with these companies that your focus on what the customer needs and is looking for that you don't know what you're selling. This weekend I was lucky enough to encounter a woman who wandered around the event scoping out who else was there. Now I can tell you for a fact that the way that I live my life I live by essentials oils. I could sell for Young Living if I wanted too but that's not my forte. I was there with a different direct marketing business. This woman was selling tupperware. She arrived late, set up late and snubbed just about every business that she passed by saying they were not as good as the businesses that she does. "And what all do you sell?" I asked her. "I sell it all, baby!" was her reply to me. "And that includes Young Living essential oils."

I am grateful that she can go and spend money to wear multiple hats but shunning everyone, even those that are not your competition like we are all encompassed with leprosy is not the way to make sure that other vendors ever come to you for anything you would ever offer. Vendor events no matter how big or small means your first and only priority is to make contacts. Contacts, are your bread and butter. And vendors even though you are competing with them for a customers money, are your best contacts.

This woman walked to the booth right next to me, turned and screamed out that I, Beth of Something Building, needed to purchase $110 worth of lotions. Okay, I'm going to let you all in on a little secret. I don't buy commercially made beauty products. Most carry the chemical sls and my child who has autism and is extremely sensitive to sls. And guess what. There is going to be a time where this expensive product is going to find it's way all over the floors, the beds, the dressers, the bathroom, etc. Because my child will be getting into it and will enjoy painting it all over the house when mommy is busy with working or cleaning.

Looking at her, I told her that I didn't need it. I used Rose Hip oil. Her face dropped from cocky to wtf in less then 2 seconds flat and said, "What's that?" At this point I leaned forward and said, "It's an essential oil, you know those things you sell with Young Living." "Oh it didn't come in my kit, so I don't have to worry about it."

Alright, let me just slow the roll of the blog right here. If you are going to be selling direct market then you darn well know what products that you are selling and you had better have a passion for the products. I could sell essential oils in my sleep if I wanted to because there is such a huge market for it if you know how to sell direct marketing. I was a prime person that she could have sold anything too when it comes to essential oils. But people that are getting into direct marketing are going to be having a harder time selling with cocky attitudes and lack of knowledge on the products being sold.

Go above and beyond and look around you. Learn who your customers are and where they are. Every opportunity is an opportunity to sell but for the love of all things shiny don't be like cocky Charlotte and brag about everything you do and sell and not know what it is that you are selling! There is a list of names that goes with Cocky Charlotte and clueless happens to be that the top of that list.

And if the event your at doesn't fair well at all, do yourself a favor and go around to all other vendor booths. Collect up their business cards. At least you will have emails for your data base. So no matter how you look at it you still have an opportunity to sell, sell, sell. Don't set yourself up for failure.

How can I keep up my business with my special needs child?

This is a question that I can relate to with all my heart. One of the things that I am fortunate enough to have is friends who have small businesses and special needs children. I myself have a child with autism and they have such strange habits, like not sleeping at night.

I've gone far past the times when I can work when she can sleep. My child has never slept and for me not much work was getting done. And with summer being in full bloom and school being out for a few months how much work can I get done. A lot more now then when she was diagnosed and I was still trying to figure out having a business and the business of therapy and doctor's appointments for me child. Having a regular job where I punch a clock with someone else isn't an option for me. My child has missed so many days due to bad illnesses that it's not funny at all. But here's some of my tips and tricks that I use to get all the work done without having a nanny or babysitter and it's you caring for your child and your business begging for your attention as well.

Day or night there are plenty of times for me to work. My child enjoys stemming and that soothes her, doesn't calm her down to sleep but it does help her function in her chaotic world. My business deals with being solely online. So the computer is my work station and the laptop goes everywhere that I go just about. But for others who create things that they sell that can be a bit of a challenge. A structured schedule can help for not only your special needs child but for other children that you have as well.

Picture schedules are great for keeping children on schedule and yourself as well. Playtime outside if the weather permits is a great break for not only your child but for yourself. Sometimes depending what type of business that you have your child can do work sheets for learning while they sit right beside you and you can help guide them with their education. Some of the things that helps with my child and her autism is the ipad, an exercise ball for stemming, a trampoline and the all important swing. We also do a lot of crafts together where she ends up with something that she can play with. Playdoughs are her favorite and clay is easy and simple to use for her as art is her talent. When it comes to my child I have to make sure that she is always in my eye sight including when we ride bikes together. Call me a helicopter mom if you want but you have to remember that children with special needs are different. They require just as much attention as your business.
Time together with your child is time you will never get back if you don't put forth time and attention for both your business, child and your sanity. Enjoy the break times outside, your child(ren) are only young once.

Too busy to do social media, try these tips

Well, we are all a little too busy with our business and families but what can you do to keep your name in the streams? Put everything on auto pilot!

Blog posts can be scheduled. Facebook statuses can also be scheduled. The only thing I have not been scheduled would be twitter. But you know as they say, where there is a will there is a way. I'll let you in on Something Buildings big secret. It's not easy having to do blogs for Something Building and my own business and Jason stays on the road a lot with his business. So how do we do it?

I'll admit there were times that we were so busy we just couldn't keep up with all things social media. But scheduling everything to go out on certain times and dates makes it so much easier. For all the posts that go out on facebook I just look up business advice and then share that as scheduled. That keeps us in the news feeds, which is also known as "viral visibility". On your regular facebook page you can type in facebook.com/twitter and use this to link your fan page to your twitter account. Everything that you schedule on facebook will be shared on your twitter account.

From your blog type up enough blog material to last you a month if you need. When you schedule your posts make sure that some time during the day you go into your blog and share out to your facebook, and google and any other accounts that you may have. It's easier this way to spread the word about what your business is doing and you can spend plenty of time with your family or focus a little more time with your family.

Technology makes it easier to keep up with what's important. Well these are our tricks that we use. Enjoy using them yourself.

I sell for a company but not sure how to increase my sales

I have been asked this question on more then one occasion. People sell for other companies to bring in the extra income for the family but they are starting to think differently about it because they aren't achieving the success that they thought they would. First and foremost make sure that you are selling a product that you truly believe in. Secondly, make sure that you use every single outlet that you have. And they are all free, through social media sites.

If you have a facebook page you can set up a community and add a lot of your friends and encourage them to add their friends. Share information about your business. Say for instance you sell essential oils. Share meme's and fun facts about the benefits of essential oils for a person's health and well being. People will leave the community but there will be plenty of people who will join as long as you keep it an open community. Allow people to like the page. Remember that when you use social media for your business you have to keep posting and working social media for at least 7- 8 hours a day. This is your business and it needs your time and attention. People want to feel that if they ask a question you can answer it at any time. People need an expert, someone that they can trust and that would be you. Know your product but most importantly know your clients. Sales will come in tidal waves as long as you are persistent and continue to work at your business which you only took on as a side job to help with the family finances.  

Is blogging for me?

Blogging is a great way to share information and also help you to get your information out there to your perspective customers. One thing you have to realize is that blogging takes time and attention. And just like time that's what it takes to get in the search engines for google. There are plenty of blogging websites to use.
I devote a whole day to create up as many blog posts as I possibly can and schedule them to be released on certain days. For my own website I do the same exact same thing. My website runs on wordpress so blogging is pretty simple to do and my website shares all the information out to all my social media sites that it's attached to. So all I have to do is take one day out of my schedule and just type up a months' worth of work and schedule them for certain days. If you notice Something Building's blog posts on Sunday's, Tuesday's and Thursday's. For my own company I send out all my blogging on Monday, Wednesday and Fridays.

By keeping a strict schedule of posting 3-4 times a week you give yourself a higher chance of getting in the google search engines. You have a better chance of someone finding your product and services when you keep this strict schedule. Beth, I have no time to blog I'm trying to sell products and grow my business. Well dear, aren't we all? Go on auto pilot. Auto pilot will assure that you still have time for everything else and all it takes is just a day to get everything written up and scheduled for certain times and days and you will never fail. You can also share pictures to your blog just like in Instagram and Vine. All you have to do is just write about your product and how it helps someone or many other people.

Your blog is the extension of your business. Keep a clear message and if you can only do 200-300 words that's still fine and always make sure you keep it fresh. And don't forget the 4 E's: Educate, Entertain, Engage and Enrich. The same exact E's that you should be applying to your business.

Get the help you need how you need it

This was covered on our radio show awhile back and I wanted to go a little more in dept with www.fiverr.com and how it can help your business. Lots of us use blogs and need testimonials to help out with growing the trust with our business.  With Fiverr yes with two r's you get graphics, marketing, video testimonials, reports and many more online services starting at just $5.00. Now this is a website that Jason actually found and I love it.

Some of the best things about fiverr is if you can't do you're own logo's for your company you can pay to get it done for you. Need t-shirts designed, Photoshop edits and/or radio quality voice overs but can't think of how you want to do it. They help with that as well. Need your blog written but don't have the time. Yes, they handle that as well. Beth, did you hire out to create the Something Building Blog. No, I don't. As you can tell there are a lot of time spaces in our blog and that shows you how busy I am. I can't get to the blog all the time. The only reason there hasn't been a miss in awhile for our blog is because of a little secret that I will share in a later post.

Just about anything that you could ever possibly need to have done that you don't have the time for or even don't know how to do, you can find a person to do what you need on www.fiverr.com. So get out there and get your work done, now you have no excuse!

Instagram & Vine for your business

As we all know Instagram and Vine are social media sites that are geared towards pictures and short short video's. Instagram is owned by facebook and Vine is owned by twitter. Visual imagery is great for sharing your business using sight only. We have asked several people that we help with their businesses to create an Instagram account. They did and they have received positive reviews and new clients from sharing their work. Before and after pictures are great for this site. So if you have a business where what you do can be seen this is a great opportunity to showcase your work and generate new leads. 

So you own a lawn business and you need to spread the word about your business. You have your vehicle wrapped and you put your business cards everywhere including putting a yard sign in the person's yard. Go a little further and take before and after pictures of the work that you are doing and post them to Instagram or Vine. This two apps are your portfolio to generate new leads and new interest in your business. It's not that hard. If you are a nail technician this is perfect for you as well because the nails that you share are just like a fantastical work of art. And everyone loves looking forward to seeing your next art piece. 

Well Beth I never thought that I would be able to showcase my business like this. Well, wait it gets a little more interesting because there are still people out there that don't see how important it is to visualize their business in a creative way. There are people out there that sell make up or do photography. For those selling Avon or even Younique you can have tons of before and after photo's. For Photography these are great for showcasing your work.

For creating those eye catching video's of how your product works the before and after and you don't have a video editing software. I highly recommend the Gimp program. It's 100% free and there even tons of tutorials showing you step by step how to create video's also known as gif's. Gif's are video's that have no sound and using this program depending on the camera you use won't come out all blurry. Gimp is a program that you can use to also edit images or your pictures with ease.

Now you have no excuse for not being able to get your visual message across. 

Meeting people interested in your business

In the book Success Secrets of the Social Media Marketing Superstars by Mitch Meyerson; chapter 5 has a tidbit that I never would have realized could have been used as finding prospective clients. Hashtags are all the craze, but did you know that you can spy on conversations using hashtags? Yes, you read that correctly, spy. Using certain hashtags can get you into conversations without people knowing that you are there, reading everything that they are discussing. Even if their page on facebook is locked up tighter then Fort Knox thanks to the hashtag you have easy open access to their conversation.

Using this technique you can find people that are interested in your products or services. Now is the time to add them to your circle of your social media site if they allow you. Don't jump right into, I've got something that can help you. See our Blog post on Using social media for business. Grow that trust, grow that friendship. Become the expert not the freak. Remember that if people trust you they will continue to come back for more of your products or services.

Using Social Media for Business

The first rule of thumb for using social media to increase your business is to get to know your "friends" first. Look at it this way: You're invited to a party. You don't just walk in and start selling your product. You walk around and to meet and know new people. Well that's the same way that social media works. You have to get to know people first before you start offering advice or your services. Most of your friends will be able to use your services the other half might not be able to use those services. And you want people that will refer your business to others. You want to build a solid trust with people where they can feel they can trust you. To feel as if you are the expert in your field. That's what your seeking. Not a way to have people turn a deaf ear and a blind eye to you.

If you turn people off to you and your business can't grow. Another example is you're at the party and someone comes up to you reeking of the party they started way before they got there. But they see you as a wall. Someone that will hold them up and listen to them. You don't like people like this being all over you so please use common courtesy on your social media site and don't throw yourself all over people. You don't want to be looked upon as the "lush at the party that ralph's on the hostess' shoes."

Remember if you feel people are too pushy with the way they try to sell their products or business don't be like them. Get to know others, your opportunity to share your business will come but you have to get to know your clients and friends first.

Business apps

Well, last season we discussed apps that would possibly help you with your business. As a radio show  that needs just as much attention as a business I figured this would be a great opportunity to try it out. This time around I'm condensing as much work together to split the correct amount of time between the radio show marketing and my own business. I have a lot of things on my plate with having a child with autism and running my own business along with marketing for Something Building. Doctors appointments, iep's, carpool, publishing, and all the things that go along with having a family, especially a special needs child, there's a lot to do. And honestly very little time to do it. This week I downloaded a few apps to help with this other wise tricky schedule. If you only do facebook and twitter hootsuite is your best option. We do facebook, twitter, our blog and now google+. With just one message I can post to all but the blog.

Easypost as the app is called is fantastic. We have no reason to do Instagram or tumblr. Instagram is not an option with easypost but tumbler is. If you need an app to keep up with all you media marketing this is the app to go with. You will have a little trouble with google+ plus but in the FAQ section gives you some help with that. www.google.com/accounts/DisplayUnlockCaptcha is where you need to go to make the changes to allow google+ on this app. I can not stress enough how wonderful this app is. And the best part for us is it is free. 100% free! Another little problem you might run into is fb for pages don't freak when it wants to add your personal account. Accept that because you can pick after this to the fan page you work under.

Another draw back is that you will not have a clue if anyone likes or comments. I suggest that you personally got into your social media accounts and check them 30 minutes after you make a post using this app. I have apps for each of our social media sites for Something Building and can go straight into them from my ipad. Notifications are usually sent to my ipad on the app of the social media site that I'm on. So if you don't want to check on them, just down load the regular apps and you'll get messages letting you know, "Hey someone comments or used your @.

Teamwork in business

The best part of doing a radio show is that Jason and I work together as a team. We both have businesses and both have lives outside of business. I do all the creative parts of Something Building and Jason does all the rest. I get to do the blog because its writing and that falls into my area. The photo's and ads I get to create them because, well that falls into my area as well. While I work on one area of what we need he's busy fixing the website, twitter, the blog or google+ tying up the loose ends.

He does half and I do half. It's teamwork and that's the best type of work to do. Do what you love and you will never work a day in your life. And it's true. I could not image doing the business of the radio show if I had to do it myself. Sometimes you have to have a partner, someone to have teamwork with. Reading through EntreLeadership book by Dave Ramsey, the people that you work with always consider them your team members. And let the golden rule shine. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. It's no secret, Jason is my best friend and so I will always treat him as such. We bounce ideas off it other. We are team members as friends and team members as co-hosts of the show. Keep it real but most importantly keep it as team work.

Becoming an Entrepreneur

Checking through our emails today I received one that I had to share. And with special permission Jamie allowed me to share it and even sent in a picture. Here it is:

Dear Jason and Beth,

I was a stay at home mom of two children one being a special needs child. My husband is deployed with the Army and I wanted something that I could do to help keep me sane since I speak to my husband once a day if I'm lucky. I saw your video on youtube and decided what would it hurt to listen to the show. I was surprised to hear that Beth was a mother of a child with Autism and she had her own business. Having a child with special needs is tough and I never thought I would be able to have my own business and still be able to give full attention to my child. You even gave businesses that real people on a tight budget could do with little money invested. Now whenever I'm out and about or at doctors appointments for my child I give everyone my business card and a little bit of information about my business. No longer am I on a tight budget thanks to all the medical bills. I'm able to be the mom I always dreamed of being and it's because of the great advice that I got from your show!

Thank you again!

Jamie O.

Business for you!

There have been plenty of times I've been out and about and met people that I speak with and one thing they almost always say is I want to start a business but I don't know what type business to do, so I want to start this blog off by letting you know the businesses that you too can have. It's confusing I will admit that. Let's get the confusing out of the way. If you have ever questioned what type of business you can start then question no more!

1.

I would like to introduce an AMAZING new ALL NATURAL Cosmetics line, Younique Products by Christy! Younique is a newer Direct Sales Company just over a year old and is booming with their Top Selling 3D Green Tea Fiber Mascara. In addition to the 3D Mascara there is a wonderful full line of other make-up including the BEST Mineral Pigments I have ever used! I hope if you are considering adding an extra income to your life with a Home Based Business that you will contact me! All sales are done online so there is no inventory you have to stock and you get paid DAILY! Message me for more details www.youniqueproducts.com/christyreed

2.

http://www.jjplexus.com/

3.

https://kristis.jewelkade.com

4.

http://robersonowl0618.origamiowl.com/

5.

https://sethbreding.kyani.net/r/usa-can/en/core/main

6.

https://www.youniqueproducts.com/kerryprybil

7.

 http://kerryprybil.makeuperaser.com/


8.

http://lashes.makeuperaser.com/

9.

https://www.youniqueproducts.com/saradeutsch

10.

And when you join our team by the end of May, you will receive $500 in FREE clothing! Anything you want, any size, any color!!!

http://www.myjockeyp2p.com/web/michellewilder/home/overview.do

11.

https://tmacs.myrandf.com/Home

12.

http://www.ameeker.arealbreakthrough.com

13.

 http://tmac.makeuperaser.com/

14.

http://tmacshairstudio.com/