Success

You’re a mom and an entrepreneur. Often there’s a fine line between the two and the back and forth juggle from one to the other can make it difficult to stay motivated. Here are a few tips to help savvy mompreneurs stay focused and motivated.

#1 – Set a schedule. One of the best ways to stay productive when working from home is to separate work from home. By setting work hours you say to the world and to yourself “I’m now working and can only deal with work.” Once your work hours are finished you can then move on to other tasks. This is exactly what you would do if you worked outside the home.

Being strict with yourself and setting a work schedule means that you not only get more done but you keep motivation at an all time high. It’s very demoralizing to fall behind on your work and this can really send any motivation you have into a nose dive. Avoid this trap by working to a set schedule.

As an entrepreneur you may hear a lot about networking and wonder what all the hubbub is about. Networking, both online and off, is a wonderful way to build connections in your industry. It’s a great way to increase awareness for your business and to build your customer base and ultimately your profits. You probably know that already. What you may not know is networking is also a great way to motivate yourself.

Networking exposes you to other business leaders, entrepreneurs and motivated individuals. Even if you don’t have a single competitive bone in your body, when you network online and offline, you’re going to be inspired by the energy, ideas and productivity you see in those around you. It’s actually a great reality check. It gives you the unique ability to mingle with like-minded individuals who may have a different perspective, a different experience or a different story than you do and have achieved success.

How to Let Go of Negative Thoughts and Unlock Your Business Potential

Mired by negative thoughts? They can hold you back from achieving all you’re capable of. Negative thinking can be considered as habit, created by lifelong limiting beliefs, comparing yourself to others and some is just plain old procrastination. When you learn the cause for your negative thoughts you can release them and unlock your business potential. Here are a few ideas to help you get started.

Start by catching yourself whenever you have a negative thought. It’ll probably contain the words,

• “I can’t”
• “I’m not good at”
• “I’m afraid”
• “I never have”

You get the picture, right? It’ll be negative. When you’re first starting on this road to letting go of your negative thoughts, don’t judge yourself. Simply recognize when you have negative thoughts and what they are. You may even want to write them down. Keeping a journal of your negative thoughts for a couple of days will help you analyze where they’re coming from.

Today’s talk is with Maura Perry from Craft Sassy.  Learn more about Maura, why she started her custom scrapbook business as well as some success tips she learned along the way on her scrapbook business journey.

Tell us about your scrapbook business?

CraftSassy is a custom scrapbook paper printing business that allows both retail and wholesale customers to design and print their own unique custom papers by the sheet or in smaller quantities than usual for wholesale contracts- respectively. This is “real” acid/lignin free scrapbook paper, we do not use photo paper. Our papers are printed using environmentally friendly inks.

Why did you decide to start your scrapbook business creating custom papers?

It was a bit of a fluke. I was not working at the time and doing a lot of scrapbooking. I was frustrated because I wanted specific papers and couldn’t find them. My husband’s company had recently started offering their customers web-to-print and digital printing, and I was able to print my own papers. I figured that I couldn’t be alone in wanting this type of custom service.

How did you first get started in your scrapbooking business?

More than likely, you will reach various times when you do not have the appropriate expertise to accomplish something.  This is the time collaboration and/or networking is valuable.  These relationships can help you answer questions, provide guidance, and provide the ongoing support and encouragement you will need.

“Teamwork divides the task and multiplies the success.” - Author Unknown

“Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up! Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.” – King Solomon

3 More Steps to Building a Successful Direct Sales Business

It takes determination, perseverance and stamina to build your direct sales business into a strong-standing, thriving company that will continue to grow and multiply. So, how do you do that? How do you build your business when the excitement, rush and newness wears off?

Here are 3 things you should do immediately to lay the foundation and create a successful direct sales business.

1. Attend your first team meeting right away. Don’t make the mistake of procrastinating on this one. It’s not wise to put this step off until after your first show. Thinking you’ll start going later is also a mistake. If you were recruited today, and there’s a meeting tomorrow, go.

You will learn so much at the meeting, meet other goal oriented people who are making their direct sales dreams come true and it will help build a strong foundation for your business. You will most likely receive materials that will help you build your business and keep you motivated.

Monday Motivator

To succeed, you need to learn how to listen first. Pay attention to other people who have enjoyed successes in their life, attend seminars given by people that can motivate and encourage, or be open to hearing that a particular idea is not a good one. Good listening takes time to learn but in the end, it will be your greatest tool.

“It is better to listen in order to understand than to listen in order to reply”

“Know how to listen, and you will profit even from those who talk badly.” ~Plutarch

Today’s talk is with Julie Vander Pol of Remembered Moments.  Learn more about Julie, why she started her scrapbook business as well as some success tips she learned along the way on her scrapbook business journey.

Why did you decide to start a scrapbook business creating albums for others?

I had several people say that they wished someone could scrapbook and create memory albums for them since they either 1.  didn’t have the time 2.  didn’t like to scrapbook or  have the creativity 3.  various other reasons  thus Remembered Moments was born.  I thought I could help many of these people out-I had many years of experience and thought this was a great way to help other people while doing what I love.  I am experienced in both digital design and traditional papercrafting.

How did you first get started in your scrapbooking business?

I started out with A LOT of research and just doing word of mouth marketing.

What tools/resources would you say are essential to succeeding in this type of business?

Understanding finances and pricing structures.

What are some mistakes you may have made getting started in your own business?

Although this may be more at the end of the process, it is important.  When you finally do reach your success, use your experience to teach, guide, and mentor others so that they too might succeed.

“Strive not to be a success, but rather to be of value.” ~Albert Einstein

When things in your plan need to change, unless necessary, do not make quick decisions. Just as it took time to plan in the beginning, it will take time to change. You want to make sure you are making the right decisions when changes come up. Do your research just as you did in the beginning and then make educated choices.

Quick decisions are unsafe decisions. ~Sophocles

Imagine yourself in a canoe with another person.  The day is beautiful.  The two of you are floating along without a care in the world.  Suddenly, ripples of water start rocking the canoe and without proper balance, both of you, along with all your belongings, are thrown into the cold water. It is the same when you strive for success.  You have to find balance not only for yourself but also for others around you.  Balance means providing time away from work for pleasure, working extra hours when required, knowing when a new direction is required, etc.

Take time to enjoy the holiday season with family and friends.  As we enter in to a new year and begin making plans, remember to create a balanced plan.

Balance in your life between work and your personal life is very important. Without balance, you eventually burnout negatively affecting your performance at work. ~Byron & Catherine Pulsifer

Just as your car runs more smoothly and requires less energy to go
faster and farther when the wheels are in perfect alignment, you perform better when your thoughts, feelings, emotions, goals, and values are in balance.~Brian Tracy

Do not burn any bridges in life. Appreciate life, people, everything around you. Learn as much as you can from every person you meet. Do not turn people away just because you do not agree with them. You never know, the very people you turn away may be the very people that come to your rescue during a time of difficulty.

As you wrap up your business for the year, take some time to enjoy the holiday season with family and friends. Appreciate what Christmas is all about!

Any man’s life will be filled with constant and unexpected encouragement if he makes up his mind to do his level best each day. ~Booker T. Washington

Make it a habit to tell people thank you. To express your appreciation, sincerely and without the expectation of anything in return. Truly appreciate those around you, and you’ll soon find many others around you. Truly appreciate life, and you’ll find that you have more of it. ~Ralph Marston