Preparation and Productivity

Congratulations! You are a business owner and the owner of a business that can create more income in a month for you than most people earn in a year. Sounds exciting, right?

This is very exciting and in order to accomplish this, it's going to require a serious commitment and action steps from you!

The first step you want to take is to get out your calendar and block off those times that are devoted to your business. That may mean you need to block off every other time commitment first and then find time for your business with what is remaining.

Decide how many hours per week you are going to put into your business. Please know that it really does require a minimum of ten hours to really create growth and momentum. Here's the good news. That time does not have to be in big chunks. Thirty minutes here, one hour there, spread out over seven days will make a huge difference in your business.

Now, what are you going to do with that time?

Here is where it is very important to note and track the difference between Preparation and Productivity.

Obviously, you must be prepared for your business to take you in many different directions.

And, you must also spend productive hours to get those results you want.

Here are some activities that can be defined as Preparation Activities –

Going through your company website and studying the back office.

Getting on Conference Calls.

Going through Training Materials.

Making Business Product Samples.

Emails pertaining to ANYTHING other than customer or business prospects.

Working on your personal website.

These are all very important activities, and sometimes, it is easy to get so caught up in doing these things that all of one's time is spent in the preparation mode. But, this will not put cash in your pocket and grow your business. Set aside a block of time right up front to complete what needs to be done and then schedule no more than one to two hours a week after that.

While multi-tasking can be very distracting and ultimately a detriment if one isn't careful, there are some tasks that can be multi-tasked and provide more hours.

An example would be making product samples while listening in to conference calls. A bad example would be sorting through email while listening to conference calls!

Ah, caught you! Yes, I know. Most of us are or have been guilty of this. Let me ask you though, how well can you listen and actually digest what is being said while you also read something of a totally different topic?

Do yourself a favor and unless it is something that doesn't require a lot of brain power, give your full attention to conference calls.

Moving on to Productivity, this is where you will want to spend the bulk of your daily and weekly business hours.

Activities that fall under the Productivity category include –

Making your list of at least 100 names and mailing them the Dear Friends and Family Letter, announcing your business and asking for referrals.

Contacting groups about fundraising.

Attending local networking events and sharing your products and business.

Calling potential Home Party Prospects.

Calling leads from an ad coop or other source.

Follow up phone calls to prospects and customers.

Networking out online and building relationships.

Decide today if your business is a hobby or if you intend to create a major income producing business venture. There is not a right or wrong answer to this. Only what you truly desire.

Know the realities of building a successful business. They are –

Building a solid, successful organization and income takes time. You should plan on two to five years. Know this going in and don't get discouraged when your first pay check is not enough to allow you to quit your job. Rome was not built in a day, neither is a strong, solid business. Of any kind!

It is possible for the average person to make a well above average income.

There has never been a better time to build a successful business.

Network Marketing has been written about favorably by major publications such as Forbes, Fortune, Success, Fast Company, USA Today and the Wall Street Journal. Warren Buffet owns a direct sales company and Donald Trump and Robert Kiyosaki endorse Network Marketing as a great way to create wealth. They even wrote a book!

Some people very close to you, including some of your friends and family, will not join you or support you in your business. Be prepared for this and know that you can still be wildly successful! Let go of any bad feelings you may harbor because of this. It will only slow you down and you don't need them!

Some people that tell you "no" in the beginning will eventually join you and build a strong business. You just have to be there when they are ready. Never burn any bridges and always be positive even when they say no. I promise some of them will partner with you later.

Making mistakes is just part of the learning process. The more mistakes you make, the more money you will make over time! (Learn from those mistakes, though!)

You are in an industry that promotes amazing personal growth while you build an income working from home. Embrace the possibilities and commit to your own success!

Preparation is important and Productivity is essential! Make sure your time is planned out to make the most of your available time.

EXPECT Success!

Jackie Ulmer