Tips for Public Speaking

It’s called glossophobia (from the greek word glossa, meaning tongue, and phobos, meaning fear or dread) and it is the number one fear of most people, ranking above death, spiders, heights, AND the dark! That means that 3 out of every 4 people on the earth would rather die in the dark on a rooftop covered in spiders than give a speech.

Unfortunately, as a UFO there will be plenty of wonderful opportunities (or devastating obligations, depending on how you look at it) to get up in front of people and speak about your business, your products, and even your own experiences. But I’m here to tell you that it’s not that bad (and that’s not just because I was a Jr. National Debate champion in high school). If you can tell a stranger the time, buy a ticket for a movie, order at a restaurant, or tell your spouse about your day at work, you are absolutely capable of speaking in front of people successfully. (And if you can’t, you may have severe social anxiety, in which case you may want to consult with a trained professional.)

PICTURE THE AUDIENCE DOING WHAT??!???

The age-old theory of picturing everyone in the audience in their skivvies is, at face value, very bad advice (unless for some reason you are more comfortable talking to people who aren’t dressed). But if you break it down past its cliché level, the idea is to make the audience (in your mind) as uncomfortable or nervous as you are, putting you all on the same level. In my opinion, both of you being on the same level is great, but instead of everyone feeling awkward or negative, why don’t we all feel positive? Everyone in that audience would probably be quaking in their boots in your position, whether it’s 5 of them or 500 of them. So if you think YOU are as capable as any of them (and perhaps MORE SO) of giving this presentation or speech, you’ll feel a bit more relaxed. Make sure you don’t apologize for being nervous or “messing up”—chances are, nobody has noticed, but calling attention to it breaks their attention to your speech.

KNOW YOUR STUFF

If you know what you’re talking about; if you’re confident in what you have to say, and it’s information that the audience needs or wants, you’ll gain comfort and confidence from that. This also comes from practice: practice in front of your family, your pets, the mirror, a taxidermy squirrel. Keep practicing. The more the material comes naturally, the more your comfort level will too.

DON’T LOSE FOCUS

If you stumble over a few words, so what? If you say something differently than how it’s rehearsed, big deal. If you focus on your presentation, on the things you want to talk about, rather than the exact words, your meaning and your message will come through naturally. Just say what you’ve come to say, as though you were speaking to one or two people that you already know, and forget about trying to be perfect.

AND MOST OF ALL: LEARN!

Just be yourself, be proud to share your message, and most of all, think of it as an opportunity to PRACTICE public speaking. This is not the last time you’ll ever speak in front of people—so make sure you learn from it!

Public Speaking can help your business!

10 Grammar and Spelling Errors to Stop Making TODAY!

Let’s face it, English wasn’t your best subject (or first language, maybe). No matter how hard you try, you’ll never understand the who/whom dilemma. But there is no reason why you can’t project a confident, intelligent image of yourself by avoiding the easier, simpler errors that we all make from time-to-time.

I’ve worked as a proofreader and copyeditor at almost every job I’ve ever had, and I can’t stress this enough: READ YOUR WORDS before you post them. Read your emails before you send them. Sure, you have spell-check. But there’s a reason that, even all of these years after the invention of spell-check, proofreaders still have jobs (thank you!). Spell checks won’t detect words that are spelled correctly, but are the wrong word (for example, hear/here, wear/where, know/no, loose/lose, or grate/great). You also might discover you have left out words altogether.

The following are some of the most common mistakes I have seen, and how you can avoid them:

1. Then, Than. THEN indicates time, where THAN is a comparison between two things. Example: Let’s get dinner and THEN see a movie. Titanic 3D looks better THAN the other movies!
2. Your, You’re. YOUR indicates possession, where YOU’RE is a contraction of YOU ARE. Example: I borrowed YOUR car. YOU’RE going to want to get the brakes checked.
3. Their/They’re/There. This is probably the trickiest and most common of all mistakes. THEIR is possessive, THEY’RE is a contraction for THEY ARE, and THERE indicates a location. Example: THEIR dog ran away. THEY’RE driving to the park to look for him THERE.
4. It’s/Its/Its’. IT’S is a contraction for IT IS. Here’s where it gets tricky: ITS is the possessive form of IT, meaning where you would normally use an apostrophe (John’s, Ty’s), you skip it in ITS (it helps to think of it like his, hers, yours. You wouldn’t say hi’s, her’s, or your’s.) ITS’ does not exist. Never use it.
5. i.e./e.g. Most likely, you are using i.e. when you mean to use e.g. To use i.e. means you are saying “that is”, while e.g. means “for example.” If you use i.e., you are rephrasing the original thought; if you use e.g., you are providing further examples of the original thought. Example: You may want to cut back on sweets (i.e. any desserts). You may want to cut back on sweets (e.g. cookies, candy, cakes, pies, etc.).
6. Affect/Effect. AFFECT can mean two things: a mental state or general demeanor, and to influence, or produce an EFFECT. This is probably why it’s so confusing. An EFFECT is the result of a cause. Example: The girl’sAFFECT showed she had no remorse for the crime. This should not AFFECT the outcome of the case, but will have an EFFECT on how the jury sees her.
7.  Could of/Should of/Would of. This comes from the fact that, in speaking, we say “Could’ve, Would’ve,” which of course are contractions for could HAVE, and would HAVE, not could OF. Because we say it quickly and often, it becomes habit and is misinterpreted. Example: We COULD’VE had broccoli if you WOULD’VE gone to the store.
8. Phone’s/Car’s/Can’s/Tree’s/Etc. These are errors in making a word plural or possessive. My PHONE’S screen is too small means that your phone possesses the screen (which is too small). All these PHONES are awesomeindicates there are more than one phone. Additionally, My PHONE’S about to die is a contraction for My PHONE IS about to die
9. I/Me/Myself. This is one of those confusing little things where we always think it sounds weird or wrong, but is actually correct (or, we think it’s proper and we’re wrong). Gunther and I went to the store. This is correct, because if you remove Gunther, you still went to the store. Try it with ME or MYSELF, and it doesn’t work. The information was given to Gunther and ME. This sounds like it shouldn’t be right, but is. The information was given to ME still makes sense as a complete sentence. Take it from Gunther and MYSELFis wrong; Take it from Gunther and ME is right, even though it sounds wrong.
10. Couldn’t care less/Could care less. This is one of those clichés that you’ll be surprised to find you use incorrectly. “Did you like the movie? I COULD care less.” Well, that implies that you are capable of caring less than you do now, which means you DO care a bit. Whereas “Did you like the movie? I COULDN’T care less,” means it would be impossible to care any less than you already do.

And finally, if you were to ask me what the WORST language offense is, I would tell you “a whole nother.” When someone uses that phrase, it’s like nails on a chalkboard to me. What’s interesting is that people rarely write this phrase, because it’s very obviously wrong, but no one seems to have a problem saying it. I doubt I can change the way the world speaks with one blog post, but I can at least have an effect on a few readers (and hopefully AFFECT the way they speak. But that’s a whole OTHER story).

You will never change your life until you change something you do daily. The secret of success is found in your daily routine. -John Maxwell


Make a Change!

Social Media Tips: Why You Should be Tweeting

About a month ago, we published a blog on How to Get Started on Twitter, and overnight our twitter following for @marketamerica and @SHOPCOM increased.

While we love to see these numbers, because it means our UFOs are tapping into a wonderful, easy (AND FREE!) tool to market their business, the stats still tell us that plenty of you are not using twitter to its full advantage!

Common arguments from those opposed to “tweeting”:

“I don’t have the time for another social media site.” This is absolutely not an excuse, especially for our distributors. The minimal investment of time compared to the exponential opportunities for growth and client interaction are amazing. Tweet often; take two minutes 3-4 times a day and post a tweet. Respond to those tweeting at and about you, and thank new followers/retweeters. This is a commitment that takes under 20 minutes, and can be done from ANYWHERE with the twitter app on your phone (standing in line at the post office, waiting for water to boil, commercial breaks while watching TV, walking the dog, etc!). Click here to read reviews of the best social media apps!

 “I’m not sure how to use it,” or “I don’t know how to use it EFFECTIVELY as a business tool.” Well, we’re here to help! Refer to THIS article for help getting started. Now we can move on to using it effectively.

According to a Neilson survey, 53% of consumers active on Twitter follow a brand. Another study from Direct Marketing News, found that 94%(!) of consumers that interacted with a brand of a product they purchased felt positively about the experience. And research shows that sales are 45% more likely when a brand proactively reached out to a consumer via social media, with 62% of consumers making a purchase following a positive interaction.

What does all of this fancy social media marketing talk mean for our distributors? For starters, while you may not, individually, be a “brand” or “company,” consider yourself an ambassador of sorts. Right now you have the ability to build a network and following of people who haven’t yet heard about SHOP.COM or Market America’s products, and you have the ability to LET THEM KNOW! The same social media power behind marketing a large company’s message is behind YOUR message. Your clients and customers are out there, you just have to find them (and interact with them!).

And finally, the worst excuse: “none of my friends are on it.” This is something you can easily change. First of all, unlike Facebook, your twitter followers will not be largely composed of people you have met personally.  Rather, they will be people who want to keep up with your updates, and those you can network with. By posting frequently, hashtagging appropriately (more on this later), and responding reliably, you should be able to build a sizeable following quite quickly.

Look for “Why You Should be Tweeting, Part 2” later this week, where we will go into even more detail on making Twitter work for you!

 Follow me on Twitter !

Free Isotonix Webinars on Wednesday, June 27 – two chances to attend! Register Now!

Science has proven nutritional supplements can have a positive impact on a person’s overall health and wellness. But with so many products on the market, it’s tough to determine which products are really benefiting you.

Join the Market America/
SHOP.COM product team, including Executive Director of Product Management Tanya Smith, on Wednesday (tomorrow) as they educate you on the basics of nutritional supplements, featuring the world’s most advanced nutraceutical: Isotonix. These free webinars will focus on a number of key issues regarding health and nutrition, including:

• The purpose and role of nutritional supplements
• How the body absorbs nutrients from different courses
• How science is providing consumers with the latest cutting-edge ingredients for specific health concerns
• How to choose the right nutritional supplements in a growing market

And, to accommodate as many people as possible, there will be TWO CHANCES to attend!

Wednesday, June 27 at noon EDT / 9 a.m. PDT: http://bitly.com/M0fjUM

Wednesday, June 27 at 7 p.m. EDT / 4 p.m. PDT: http://bitly.com/MV1jX4

These insightful, informative and interactive discussions will offer you the chance to learn how nutritional supplements can help improve your health and wellness.

Space is limited, and entry into each webinar is available on a first come, first served basis. So register today! Let's go!

Using a Facebook Page instead of a Profile to Grow Your Business

In the May 2012 issue of Powerline Magazine, we discussed the difference between Facebook Pages and Profiles, and we advised you to keep your business image and personal image separate by operating a Facebook page for your UnFranchise®. Here are some step-by-step instructions to get your business page up and running!

Log in to Facebook to view your profile. Scroll all the way to the bottom of the page (this may take a while if your feed keeps refreshing, but keep scrolling).

In the bottom right, you should see a few options (About, Advertising, Create a Page, etc). Click on “Create a Page.” You’ll be taken to a page with several options, and my recommendation is for you to choose the “Company or Organization” option, as this is best suited to your needs.

It will ask you to pick a category (chances are, one of those covers what you specialize in, but if not, you can just choose “company.”) Enter a name (since you are marketing yourself as a business, you’ll want to use your own name, but since you’ll also want to separate this profile from your personal profile, it might be helpful to call it “Dana Dillehunt – Market America” or “Dana Dillehunt—SHOP.COM consultant” and click “Get Started.”

In this next step you’ll want to add a profile picture; the best would be your headshot or another professional looking image of you. If you don’t have one right now, you can click “skip” and come back to add a photo later. Since I’m not a professional (and I don’t have a headshot!) I’m using a picture of my dog as an example, but I would strongly discourage you from using a photo that isn’t you.

Next, Facebook wants you to include some information about what you do. Remember that many people might not know what you do, or how you do it, so this is a great place to tell them. You can also include the link to your portal in the “website” section. Click “Save Info” when you’re done, and you should arrive at your newly-created page!
The next step is to customize your FB link, which I recommend leaving as facebook.com/_______ (the name you have chosen for your page). Now before you jump in and start inviting people to like your page, make sure you give them something to like! Just like your normal Facebook profile, you can make status updates and post information to your timeline. Give them a few updates, maybe add some product photos or links, and just build up the profile so when people visit it they see you’ve put work into it, and provided them with useful information.

Just like your profile timeline, this profile also needs a cover image. The more interesting your page looks, the longer someone will spend looking at it! How long would you spend on an empty profile?

Once you have your page looking good, and you’ve provided tons of helpful information, it’s time to start inviting people you know! A list of your friends appears in the top right, while in the “New Likes” section on the left you’ll be able to invite people you know via email. This part of the profile also becomes extremely helpful once you have several “Likes,” since you’ll be able to track how many people have visited your page, and view all of your notifications and messages.

We want to know, have you made a Facebook page for your business? If so, how’s it going?

Check out BenjaminWebSolutions !

Does Google+ Add Anything to Your Business?

Chances are by now you’ve heard talk about Google+ (and maybe you’ve noticed that talk has kind of fizzled out).  The reality of Google+ is that most people will never stray too far from Facebook or Twitter, unless they were to roll out some really groundbreaking features.

          The main draw of Google+ is the creation of “circles” of friends. Instead of everyone seeing every post, you can actually tailor and groom posts for certain groups of people. You can avoid the awkwardness of pondering over friend requests from church members, coworkers, teachers or students—just accept them and add them to a specific circle (Church, Work, School, etc.)! When you post, you can select each circle you’d like to see that post. You can also quickly and easily contact all the members of one circle at a time (For example, the Family circle: “BBQ at our place for Father’s Day!” or the Softball circle: “Practice cancelled tonight!”).

          Another stand-out feature is the concept of “Hangouts”: a group video chat closed to the public but open to any circle you choose to include. I’ve personally used this feature to communicate with family members scattered across the country all at once, and while video chats will never be as seamless and smooth as they are on TV, it actually wasn’t that slow! The only issue is everyone talking at once (which is just my family)!

          The mobile app for iPhone and Droid does add a neat feature: all the photos taken with your phone will be uploaded and saved in a private gallery in your Google+ account, so if you lost your phone, your pictures would still exist in cyberspace!

          The benefits of creating a Google+ profile or business page would be to increase free exposure for yourself and for your business, and to increase positive search results for your name. For example, when people run a Google search on your name, the top result is usually your Facebook profile, followed by a domain name you have registered, and anything else the internet might dredge up. By adding more positive or good search results that rank higher in the search engine (definitely a feature of Google+), you’ll push the less savory or less professional search results further down on the list.

          In my opinion, it doesn’t hurt to have another positive search engine hit out there attached to your name; just be cautious of how much information you choose to give away, as Google+ profiles have fields for address and phone number, and those would be absolutely searchable to anyone. Visit Google+ now and just start clicking around! Maybe you’ll find a new social media tool that works for you and your business.

Launching Today: the maCARES Website!

Now there’s a home on the internet forMACares: a charitable giving and fundraising organization! Visit the site regularly to learn about upcoming projects, and check in on ongoing volunteer efforts, like the Patriot Rovers, Victory Junction and Earlier.org.

For more than a decade, Market America has been working to:

• Provide disaster relief
• Donate to the cause of disease prevention and intervention
• Raise awareness and donations for organizations that assist abandoned and abused animals
• Organize events to raise support for children that are less fortunate or struggling with illness
• Assist a variety of non-profit organizations through donations
• Send teams of volunteers to support community projects

We’re proud of the work we do to give back, and we’d love to have your support behind us! Find out how you can help today by visiting the website here.

For a limited time: SHOP.COM is pleased to offer SHIPFREE

Big news from SHOP.COM: Presenting SHIPFREE, a campaign that provides free shipping for any SHOP.COM Market America product orders of $99 or more (and $5 flat rate shipping for orders under $99). Many of our UFOs had questions about what this means, so two hours after the announcement went live on SHOP.COM’s Facebook page, we hosted a live Facebook chat with Director of Social Media Steve Ashley, and Director of Marketing Mark Ward, who answered questions in real-time as they were asked.

Starting May 21, 2012 until June 21, 2012, use the code SHIPFREE when checking out and the discounts will be applied to eligible orders. This will only be around for a brief time, so take advantage while you can! For all of the details, see below. Happy ordering!
SHIPFREE or $5 Flat Rate Terms & Conditions

• SHIPFREE eligibility only applies to Market America products and brands. All non-eligible item will be charged normal shipping rates.
• To qualify, orders must be at least $99 or more in qualifying products excluding taxes or other fees. All orders under $99 of qualifying products are eligible for $5 flat rate shipping.
• Items that qualify for SHIPFREE or $5 flat rate shipping will have a tag indicating it’s eligibility.
• SHIPFREE and $5 Flat Rate are only available for shipping to U.S. delivery addresses in the 50 US States and the U.S. Territories of American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands as well as the Bahamas. Applies to APO/FPO addresses when using a United States Zip Code only.
• Applies to APO/FPO addresses when using a United States ZIP Code only.
• Weekend delivery is unavailable.
• All returned deliveries due to undeliverability or refusal will be charged a normal shipping and handling fee if reshipment is requested. This fee is $7.50 or 7.5% of item cost, whichever is greater.
• We reserve the right to change or discontinue SHIPFREE at any time.

Let's shop at www.shopben.com and get your free shipping today !

National Conference Call with Dennis Franks THIS SUNDAY, June 24!

Join Dennis Franks, Executive Vice President of Sales, as he speaks to two outstanding Million Dollar Club members who have been consistent high six-figure earners, as well as being exceptional in creating Distributor success stories.

Dennis will also discuss some of his key principles that have helped him stay in the top one percent of all earners in the direct-selling industry over the past 30 years. Don’t miss this opportunity to learn from some of the best as we build to the 20th Anniversary International Convention this August 9-12, 2012.

This is the time to leverage yourself and your team, and make this a record-setting year for your UnFranchise Business. Make your best effort to get your team to join EVP Dennis Franks this Sunday night at 8:30 p.m. EST. and WIN BIG! Get ready, get excited, get on this national conference call, get informed and get yourself positioned to win.

Sunday night, June 24, 2012 at 8:30 p.m. EDT       

646.519.5815 pin 1314 #

Join us!

Get your tickets to International Convention TODAY (or regret it tomorrow)!

We can’t believe it’s already time for International Convention again! If your calendar isn’t already blocked off for August 9-11, it’s time to get in gear because tickets are going FAST! Time is almost up for reservations (Gala tickets are sold out, but there are some regular tickets remaining), and this is one convention you DON’T want to miss.
The 20^th Anniversary of Market America is a gigantic milestone in the company’s history, and we’ll certainly be making history this August. Don’t regret missing it when your tickets are only a click or call away!
And now there’s even MORE incentive: in honor of the 20^th anniversary, we’ll be giving away some pretty amazing prizes.
To reserve your tickets, visit your UnFranchise® Business Account or call Market America at 800-232-8590.
For additional accommodation information, please visit the Market America events page: http://www.marketamericaevents.com/
We are looking forward to seeing you!
2012 International Convention – August 9-11
Receptions – August 8th
Tradeshow – August 12th
Venue: Greensboro Coliseum Complex
Host Hotel: Sheraton Greensboro/Koury Conv. Center
Phone: 336-292-9161

Follow me for more information!

Market America Launches in Mexico with Tremendous Success

What a successful launch for Market America Mexico this past weekend — we are in yet another country! It was quite a turnout with many enthusiastic new Independent Shop Consultants. Carmelo Anthony, Duane McLaughlin and Amber Ridinger were all in attendance, helping to build momentum and motivate!

These are certainly exciting times for all of us and Market America Worldwide/SHOP.COM!  Our global community of entrepreneurs continues to grow as we duplicate the UnFranchise® business, our brands and our technology into new markets.

CLICK below to watch Eva Longoria introduce Market America to Mexico!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=zk0TiSfN_MY

For further information, go to www.benjaminpang.com .

Get Out The Vote! Market America Competes For Top Honors in National Social Media Competition

Help us get out the vote! We need 1,000 votes TODAY to keep OPC-3 alive!

As entrepreneurs, we must always look upon the challenges we face as opportunities – and today I have an exciting challenge for all of us. Our company has entered BizJournals.com’s Social Madness competition – which measures companies’ social media presence. This is a great opportunity for Market America to show the social media world what we’re made of!

At Market America, we live by our motto – Powered by People, and now it’s time to leverage our people power in the Social Madness competition! As the social shopping leader, we are in a unique position to capitalize off of this competition and to show them what people power is all about!

During Social Madness, companies will be ranked based on a scoring algorithm that measures social influence. The algorithm will gauge votes on BizJournals.com, LinkedIn Connections, Facebook activity and Twitter Followers during the challenge.

Help us win the Social Madness competition by following these simple steps today! 

1) Visit the Social Madness website and select Greensboro / Winston-Salem / High Point (since this is where our headquarters is located).

2) You’ll then arrive at the Social Madness Page for our local area. On this page, select the tab which says “Large Companies.”

3) Locate Market America on the list you see, and vote for us!

4) SHARE this message with your friends and family – and help us reach new people!

If you need help with any part of this process, please don’t hesitate to contact the Market America Social Media Team for assistance. They are more than happy to help! Just drop them a line at socialmedia@marketamerica.com!

This is the perfect opportunity for you to help promote your business – so join the Social Madness today!

Marc Ashley Speaks at the 2012 IRCE

The Internet Retailer Conference in Chicago is the nation’s largest E-commerce expo, with over 500 of the top vendors present. The expo is also one of the largest exhibitions of cutting-edge E-commerce technology in the world, giving those in attendance the opportunity to experience the latest and greatest e-commerce solutions first hand.

In addition to all of the great technology on display, over 175 industry experts speak at this incredible event - sharing their insights into connecting with customers in the digital age. One of this year’s featured speakers was none other than our very own Marc Ashley!

Marc had the opportunity to speak yesterday at the IRCE, and mesmerized the internet retailing world as he shared his insights about developing a cutting-edge e-commerce platform. Having a presence at this prestigious conference is critical, but having the opportunity to speak at this event is an honor – and one that Marc truly deserves.

Congratulations to Marc for a job well done! This is great exposure for Market America and Shop.com – so be sure to share it with your friends!  We are leading the parade!

Share !

5 Best Social Media Apps

You may have a profile or account on most social networks by now, but if you’re not accessing them on your smart phone or tablet, you’re not making the most of either! In addition to finding apps for all of your social media accounts you check (or should check) daily, we found others that are sure to round out the social media capabilities of any device!

1. Twitter/Facebook for iPhone/Droid/Blackberry/etc. Twitter and Facebook have their own apps for practically every device, and both are extremely useful for updating statuses, checking messages, responding to clients and friend requests, etc. But did you know that you can “check in” to a location via the Facebook app? By letting the company or business know you’re there, you can build rapport, establish yourself as a reliable customer, and even access exclusive deals and discounts sometimes, depending on the business. You can also let friends of yours know about that business, which is great promotion for small local businesses that rely on word of mouth.

2. Instagram for iPhone and now Droid, too! If you have a device that supports Instagram, download it today! It’s so much fun to take and share the vintage-looking photos of your every life, documenting in photos instead of words. It’s also fun to scroll through the feed and see the images friends and family have shared to represent what they’re doing. Instagram integrates into Twitter and Facebook to share your photos, and is great for self-promotion if you want people to see the life you’re living (and wonder how they can make it happen for themselves!).

3. Yelp! Find food recommendations based on your location with this great app. You can also get deals, find check-in offers, find the nearest gas station, AND the best part? Write reviews based on your experiences.

4. QR Reader. There are many variations of this app and most of them work great (look for the higher rated versions when searching your app store). In a world where most on-site marketing now includes these funky little barcodes (the black and white square that urges you to “scan this with your smart phone” to learn more), it’s essential that you have a way to scan and view these codes.  Often they lead to coupons and deals, or easy ordering/purchasing like at Starbucks and Moe’s Burritos. A definite MUST-have!

5. Words with Friends.  Chances are, at least ONE of your friends is playing this extremely popular online version of the board game “Scrabble,” and if not, you can invite them! Words or spelling not your thing? Have no fear, “Draw Something” is basically Pictionary and requires little actual drawing skill.

What is your favorite social media app?

My favorite one is Shop.com Mobile!

10 Time Management Techniques for Entrepreneurs

When you work a standard 9-5 office job, your own ideas about time management are rarely considered as you work away on someone else’s clock, under someone else’s priorities (which of course, become your own). But for those of us that have succeeded at breaking away from that cycle (or come home after a day at the office and then go to work on your own business), you’re working on your OWN clock, at your OWN goals, and this freedom can be overwhelming. Knowing that each second now matters and is directly linked to your own potential income, versus getting paid a flat rate no matter what you accomplish, is incredibly daunting. When you work for yourself, time literally is money, and you want to make sure you’re spending it in the best possible way.

So how do you stay focused? Here are 10 techniques to keep yourself on-task, when there’s no one around to keep you there.

1. Don’t work first thing in the morning. Take some time, ease yourself into the day. Do some yoga, take the dog on a long walk, enjoy your coffee with the news. Don’t get out of bed and sit down at the computer. You’ll find it more difficult to stay on task if you jump right in. (READ “Seven Minutes in Heaven” for ways to relax when your time is limited.)

2. Set a schedule, and stick to it. When you work (or worked) a regular job, you ideally showed up every day at the same time. This is important for entrepreneurs as well. Doesn’t mean you can’t work in your pajamas, but that you should keep to a regimen.

3. Take breaks. It’s easy to get caught up in what you’re doing, and without a set “lunch hour” or break, you’ll feel guilty stepping away. But remember that keeping yourself refreshed and motivated makes your working time more productive, so don’t be afraid to take a (reasonable) meal or relaxation break. You’ve earned it!

4. Talk to family/partners/spouses/children about your new schedule and help them understand: just because you are home doesn’t mean you aren’t working. Make it clear whether or not you want to be bothered, and how. Create an understanding between you and your partner as to what household chores you are willing/able to do during the hours you are working, and make sure that everyone’s expectations are clear.

5. Make lists. A great list to have is “Things I don’t need to worry about right now.” These are the little distractions that creep up when we’re trying to be productive. Tasks like bill paying, phone calls, grocery shopping, checking the dog for ticks, beating the carpets, etc. can go on this list. Once it’s on the paper, it’s out of your mind, and you will get to it when you are done working.

6. Stay organized. A messy work area is a great excuse not to get work done. At the end of your “work day” or right before you take a break, straighten up so that when you sit down and start to work, your area is always clear.

7. Work in an area where you feel relaxed, creative, and charged with entrepreneurial spirit! This could be your laptop on your porch with a mug of herbal tea, or in an office you’ve painted and decorated to feel like a beach cottage. It could be at a café or in the library, or at the kitchen table. Wherever you feel your most creative and energized is where you should set up shop.

8. Set goals. Daily, weekly, monthly, etc. Make sure that there is always a task or project to be working toward completing, even abstract things, so you are always using your time purposefully.

9. Set time limits. Example: If your goal is “write a blog post to promote my business,” you should set a reasonable time limit for that goal, like “one hour.” This helps you avoid wasting time pretending to work. If it’s not done, move on, and come back to it later.

10. ENJOY YOURSELF! Remember: You are your own boss! You’re working for YOU now! This is what you wanted, and you’ve achieved it. Don’t lose sight of why you wanted to work for yourself. Chances are, it was to make more time for your family or other priorities, so make sure that you are doing just that!

**Additional Information

The True Power of the Portal

This is an incredible testimonial showing the true power of the portal, and how important it is for you to step up and become a full service product broker, one to one marketer and Independent Shop Consultant for your preferred customers, friends and acquaintances. It’s all about helping them get the most out of their shopping experience!

This example shows the power of FREE SHIPPING and Cashback, and what they can do for your customers. It also shows the incredible power of our unique business opportunity, SHOP.COM and Market America products!

Take a look at this incredible example, and ask yourself: “What would happen if I did this with all of my customers, and got everyone in my organization to do the same?” All you have to do is get with the program and make it happen! Congratulations, Yvonne – this is how you do it!

You might also like to check this out.

Creating Opportunity through Social Networking

The Social Shopping Revolution is taking the world of sales and marketing by storm. Customers are turning to their social networks more and more, for word-of-mouth recommendations and product reviews. They don’t want to waste time shopping for products they know nothing about – they want to hear about the experiences of others. Shoppers of the social media era want to be a dynamic part of the product experience.

Facebook has become an incredible tool for shoppers and entrepreneurs alike to find the right products at the right time, all while getting to enjoy the experience with their friends. All it takes for a business owner to skyrocket to success is a little innovation and interaction.

One young entrepreneur has created a buzz about his business, taking advantage of his social network to match some people to products. Professional Coordinator Jason Barter used his know-how with Internet marketing to get his network talking. After sending free product samples to volunteers from his social networks, he sent each person a short questionnaire that helped him match participants to ma ® branded products.

Social media offers shoppers a unique opportunity to have a voice in their product satisfaction, and makes it easier than ever for them to share opinions. By creating a situation that starts a conversation, an entrepreneurial-minded individual can generate loyal customers and retail sales.

Utilizing Facebook to create sales and satisfied customers is all about engaging others and thinking about what they want and need. Entrepreneurs have to ask themselves how they can help customers discover a product that will improve their lives. Free products are a great way to stir up a buzz, but by following up the investment of a product giveaway with a simple, short questionnaire, Jason created a situation where he could uncover the wants and needs of potential customers. If a customer wasn’t interested in the free product after trying it, he could then recommend a number of alternative products that could be purchased through his business.

The first step is creating a conversation. It’s not about aggressively advertising products to people. It’s about sharing experiences, or asking others to share theirs. By inviting feedback – both good and bad – for a new product or a favorite product, a dialog develops that engages others throughout a network.

The most essential part of using social media to create a loyal, happy customer base, however, is follow-up. Without follow-up, the conversation ends, and the relationship grinds to a halt. The right questions can help an entrepreneur match a dissatisfied customer with the right product to meet their needs. Success is all about matching products to people and people to products.

It’s simple to transform a network of friends, family and acquaintances into a community of satisfied shoppers. Just like networking with individuals face-to-face, it’s about getting the conversation started and following up. People hate to be sold, but they love to buy; Facebook is a whole new way for people to find items they love to buy, without ever being sold! Start a conversation today, and discover how social media is today’s essential tool for business success.

You might also like to Learn More!

Advanced Twitter Concepts: Utilizing Hashtags and Trends to Grow Your Business

So now you’ve created your twitter account, you’re tweeting and retweeting fairly regularly, and you have more followers than you’re following, right? Have you been @-mentioned by a brand? Well, Twitter Powerhouse, let’s take it one step further and have you using these two social media buzzwords (that, if said in front of your kids or grandkids, might just have some tiny jaws dropping!).

Hashtagging. Ever wonder what those #things are that show up at the end of people’s #tweets? These are called hashtags, and they denote an important word or subject to help your tweet be more easily found by those searching for that subject. (Incidentally, they also can serve a humorous or ironic purpose by adding another dimension to your tweet) A few examples of hashtags:

Dana Dillehunt ‏ @DanaDillehunt
Tonight, it’s doing my #taxes, watching #StorageWars, and eating leftovers. #glamorous

Dana Dillehunt ‏ @DanaDillehunt
the time I spend wearing exercise clothes is inversely proportional to the time I spend exercising. #fitness

By hashtagging the subject #taxes, it’s very likely that many other people are talking about the same thing, and I will gain followers as well as show up in searches by participating in the “conversation.” Since #StorageWars is both a popular show and was airing at the time I posted my tweet, it was very likely that many others were ALSO talking about it, and I joined the conversation. Hashtags are also links, so when you click on one, twitter will re-direct you to a list of every tweet mentioning that same subject right now. You can start tweeting at them and joining the conversation, which is a great way to interact with people all talking about the same subject (#isotonix, perhaps?). This leads us to TRENDING.

Trending. If enough people are all tweeting about the same subject (by hashtagging it), the subject will be “trending.” This means that, in your twitter sidebar [see IMAGE below], you’ll see all of the most popular topics in real-time.

Mine is set to my location (Greensboro, NC), but you can change yours to represent where you are (which might be helpful if you plan to promote your business locally or interact with those talking about local issues), or Worldwide, so you can see what’s happening everywhere. This is a great opportunity to capitalize on what’s popular to jump into even BIGGER conversations with even MORE people talking about the same subject.

Right now, you should be a tweeting like a pro (probably almost as well as your 4-year-old). Don’t forget to bring it all back here later this week to learn how to put all of these new skills to work for your UnFranchise®! http://www.benjaminpang.com

Have any examples of how you’ve successfully used hashtags or trends for your business? We’d love to hear about them in the comments!

LinkedIn: Jump in!

Have you created a LinkedIn profile yet? If not, you should consider it. Unlike Facebook or Twitter, LinkedIn is limited to professionals and streamlines networking based on both personal connections, as well as by industry and company. It’s essentially an online resume, and is often one of the first searches performed by a potential employer when researching you as an applicant. With three new users every second, LinkedIn is the sleeping giant of social media and is quickly scrambling to the top of professional users’ daily internet repertoire.

Mashable has provided a fantastic walkthrough to create your profile, and to make those first steps forward in developing your network. We recommend that you use this guide to get started!

Now that you’re all set up and ready to go, you can get networking! One of the best things you can do to build your rapport on LinkedIn is to request recommendations (and don’t forget to provide them to friends/colleagues requesting them of you!). Don’t feel obligated to connect with people you don’t know, and conversely, don’t attempt to connect with people who don’t know you. If in doubt, send a message.

We invite you to visit and follow Benjamin Pang on LinkedIn. Connect with us!