Think Pink!

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Edit Blog PostsFriends, I am sure that by now you know October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Strange, but I can remember in my lifetime you would have gotten slapped by your mother for saying the word breast in public. Now you see them on TV selling everything from bubble gum to motor oil! As the old cig commercial use to say, "You've come a long way baby!" Still women are diagnosed and die everyday needlessly from this disease because so many refuse to stand up, speak out, or simply have a mammagram. The only shame is that this disease is treatable and can be controlled by early detection. Do your self exam. Teach your daughters the process, no matter if they are developed yet or not. Have your mammagram done. Be proactive.In addition to my HOPE candle which I am sure you have read about, I am offering during this month a beautiful Swaovsky Crystal pink bracelet designed especially to raise awareness and funds for breast cancer research. I have partnered locally with The West Tennessee Healthcare Breast Cancer Awareness Fund and will be contributing a portion of my proceeds during this entire month to help educate and treat women in my own home town.If you would like to help, email me at info@candlesgiftsandmusic.biz. The life you save may be your own.

ITS YOUR TIME!

Good Morning friends. It is 2:43 a.m. and I can not sleep. My mind is racing this morning on this, a new month and and the HUGE potential that the upcoming season brings for all of us.

A number of years ago I owned a small candy and gift store. I created my own homemade candies (still do!) and gift-baskets (still do!) and a few other lines. I was renting the space, paying the note to the previous owner, trying to keep lots of stock on hand for my customers, and trying to advertise in both print and radio. Keeping the lights on and the doors open was a constant struggle. But then came the Holiday Season! I knew if I could just hang on til then I would be ok for the rest of the year.

Today it is so much easier to operate a small business than it was back then. I have all the same opportunities with only a fraction of the cost. Thanks to the internet and social media, customers from across town or across the country can shop my store right from their recliners and have products shipped right to their door. I don't have tons of merchandise, tons of overhead, or tons of headache! I can have a little stock and a few catalogs and make as much in one evening at a home party as I did in a week with a storefront. And better yet, by introducing people to the work at home lifestyle, I can help other people start their own home business and earn residual income for myself.

PEOPLE! THIS IS OUR TIME! The summer months have been lean. But now is the time to reap the harvest! There are more people shopping right now than any other time of the year. There are more people looking for part or full time employment to supplement their incomes than any other time of year. Grab your sickle and head for the fields!

I challenge you to put in a little effort during this holiday season and watch your increase come. You can think it, sure! You can believe for it, most definately! You can work for it, and achieve it. It's up to you. The sky is the limit! CHARGE!

Who Tells You How To Spend 'Your Money?

The other evening a friend and I decided to go to dinner. I had been working furiously all day and had not had a decent meal so we opted for a local buffet establishment.

As we walked to the counter to pay I could tell that the gentleman in front of me was angry at something and he was taking out on the cashier and the hostess. His language to the teen cashier was completely inappropriate and she stared as a deer in headlights. He was upset because he only wanted s beverage and nothing more. The problem was, this was a buffet restaraunt. Everything they serve is a buffet, there is no menu or a la carte. If he wanted anything he had to pay the full price. Though I could somewhat see his point, he was at an eatery with the word BUFFET in the title.

He kept insisting that "nobody tells me how to spend my @#*^& money. I can turn around and walk my @#$ out the door." In the end, he handed over the money and paid for a full buffet. The entire time I was there he walked around the place insisting that "nobody told him how to spend his money." After several minutes, I commented to my friend that apparently they do or he would not be there drinking at $11.95 glass of tea!

As businessmen and women, we can sometimes feel trapped by vendors or stores or whatever that have such a high premium on the products we need. I guess that I could explain it better like this....Too many times we go to a large wholesale store to buy supplies or other items we need. We really don't need 40,000 paperclips, but to get a good deal, that is what we have to buy. I read recently about three businesses who formed a co-op when they were needing new computers. They went together and shopped and got the best deal because they were buying in bulk. What a novel idea!

I am going to put some time and effort into thinking about this and looking for a way to save money and still not end up with 2000 pencils. I challenge you to do the same and get back with me on how you feel we can be beneficial to each other.

What If I could Be Positive In My Own Outlook

I don't watch the news anymore. I read the newspaper even less. It's not that I am not interested in what is happening in the world or that I am illiterate. It's simply the barrage of negativity that flows from the teleprompter and out of the anchors mouth. I simply can n0t pick up another news paper and read about the depravity of this world. It's like Tyler Perry's character Madea telling her granddaughter to throw hot grits on the man who is beating her because, "it sticks."

What we think and ponder on affects every area of our lives: our family, our finances, our relationships, and yes, even our business. Thoughts often become deeds. There is hardly an action that we speak or a word we say that did not start as a thought. Therefore, I believe, our thoughts are to us as a rudder is to a ship. They guide and steer us in every direction we take.

I once worked with a lady who had been divorced for over twenty years. Still every day she talked about how her ex-husband had cheated on her and left her. She spent so much time being bitter that there was nothing in her life she enjoyed. She had two wonderful and attentive children and some beautiful grandchildren that she could hardly enjoy because of the bitterness and anger she had allowed to take root in her life. Soon it began to manifest in physical ailments that evetually caused her to go into an early retirement.

Friend, you and I know that is no way to live. If you look around you, you will notice that on every corner there are businesses folding and closing their doors. They leave behind unemployed men and women with families. For you and I, failure is not an option. Our business is the lifeblood to not only us, but to our community. Small business is the mainstay in any economy. We are blessed to be our own boss and to have the freedom that small or home businesses offer. Since we are the backbone of our financial society, then we must no fall by the wayside. Instead, we must thrive and grow and multiply.

We can not afford to let our rudders be moved by the story tides of negativity. So keep your head held high. Put on blinders if you must. Do whatever you have to do to perservere in your business. Think possitive. Act possitive. Live possitive. Take each step in faith. Be strong and courageous and prove the naysayers wrong. It is our time to shine!

How To Be Green While Making Green

This morning I was sipping my coffee and working online when something struck me. My company is doing it's dead level best to produce GREEN products that are friendly to the environment. In fact, many corporations now are seeing the damage done to the planet by our excessive use of chemicals and products that are not biodegradable. It's a common fact, if we continue to use up the environment, someday it will have to fight back.

So, anyway........I'm sitting here in my undies and working while the dog sleeps on the sofa next to me. All of the sudden it dawns on me how working at home has caused me to be GREEN with little to no effort. By working from home I am GREEN because I:

1. Do not have to do laundry so often since I am not in an office every day. That means that I save money on clothes that I would not ordinarily have to wear. In addition, it means that I do less laundry which uses energy, water, and chemical detergents often sold in non-biodegradable plastics or paper.

2. I burn less gas in my vehicle since I am not out on the road everyday. That means less carbon monoxide in the air from my engine. It means less oil and other fluids needed to make the vehicle run properly.

3. It means that I am not generating mounds of paperwork, memo's and etc. that I would working in an office that depletes our natural woodlands.......we all know the devestation that brings to the air and the animal kingdom.

These are just a few of the things that changed when I started working from home, I wonder how many more I could think of if I really tried.

Have you considered moving your office into your home? Starting your own home based business? GREEN is just one more reason to give it some serious thought.

When It Just Does Not Seem To Be Working

So, I have been in my business going on two years now and I have hit a slump. I admit, the media keeps telling us the economy is bad and that folks have not spent what they would normally spend this summer. Taking that into account, I can honestly tell you that, for me, right now it is just not working. So then what are my alternatives?

Well, the obvious alternative is to just fold it in like so many other businesses have and call it quits. I would be fully justified having invested so much time, money, and energy into it with nothing to show at the present.

The other alternative is to keep plugging on and see what happens. Economies change, people change spending habits, and you can go from the bottom to the top in a matter of weeks or even days.

I am sure that we have all felt this way at times. Life interrupts us and throws us off our game. It's during these times that our resolve is tested and we show ourselves what we are truly made of. As I write this I look around me and see very little promise for my business. If that is what I focus on, then I will have succeded in failure and will follow the first alternative.

However, I can use some of the same reasons to quit to stand my ground and perservere. The best reasons to keep pressing forward are the facts that I have invested so much time, money and energy into this business. I believe in the product and the company that I represent. I believe in myself and my desire to achieve financial independence. Seriously, "What if I could achieve financial freedom?"

Returning to an office or a factory line or a cash register is not an option for me. I have seen the potential in what I do and so those investments were in myself, not just my business. So, I will keep plugging along. I will keep struggling for excellence, and I will win. I will get my mind focused and set for success. Join me, won't you?

Maintaing Distance Between Personal and Professional

It's inevitable, the two worlds must collide. No matter how hard we try, eventually our personal and professional lives will collide, especially if you are managing your business from your home. So, how then do we keep each from being a distraction from the other?

First and foremost, plan each day to perfection. Have a game plan for what you want to accomplish that day, write it out, and list action steps that must be taken to achieve these goals. As you accomplish one, mark it off the list. Do not move onto another until you have made an attempt to complete the previous ones.

Secondly, if at all possible, have a specified time and place for work and make a serious effort not to allow any distractions. Separate yourself from any person, place, or thing that can keep you from achieving that days goals. Make it plain that, although you are your own boss, you are working and can not be interrupted during business hours. I suggest working 45 minutes and taking a 15 minute break to stretch your legs, use the restroom, replenish your coffee, or whatever and then get back to work.

Third, and perhaps my biggest personal struggle, when you sit down to work, avoid giving thought to any financial, physical, or emotional things that you may be going through. While those things may be of definate concern, they will only keep you from focusing on your impending success and derail your entire day.

Your professional and personal lives can coexist without being a distraction if you plan in advance and set aside time for both. Remember, you are in control of your time and talents. Make them both work for you.

How To Handle Discouragement In Your Business

Prepare yourself now. After the initial adrenaline rush, there will be a crash. It may take a week, a month, or a year, but inevitably it will happen. I have experienced this on more than one occassion, and I have learned that if I prepare in advance, it will pass.

So how, you ask, do you overcome these bouts of discouragement and depression? Well, first and foremost, review your "why". You should have established your "why" within the first few days of kicking off your business. Your "why" is the reason that you started your own business in the first place. I would suggest writing it on a card or cards and having it handy at all times. That way, when the first sign of discouragement comes along, you can win the battle from the beginning and, in the words of Barney Fife, just "nip it in the bud."

Secondly, do a self inventory of the people, places, or things that trigger defeatism in you. This not only applies to your business, but in ever area of your life. It is critical that you surround yourself with people and things that are possitive and uplifting. There can be no place for negativity, because if you do not watch closely, it will take root in your mind and spirit and choke out everything that is good and wholesome. Read motivational and uplifting books. Listen to affirming music, seminars, webinars, etc. This will enable you to lay a solid foundation that will serve you well in periods of discouragement.

And, for some of you, this is gonna be a stretch. It has proven to be the most difficult for me. Speak possitive and affirming things out loud to yourself. You may be the only one who will ever do this and your ears need to hear you say it. Say it out loud. Be repetitious. An excellent example of this can be found in the movie Corinna Corinna with Whoopie Goldberg and Ray Liota. Goldberg's character, Corinna, tells Liotta's daughter to say to herself whenever she is scared or uncertain, "My name is Molly Singer and there is nobody any better than me!" So, dear friend, head back, chest out, and speak loudly!

Remember, basically, what you are selling is yourself. Your company may have the best product or idea ever known to man, but if you do not develop a good marketing strategy for yourself, you will never be able to sell anything else. In other words, people are waiting to grasp your excitemnent for your particular product or opportunity. If they see that you are enthusiastic, confident and self-assured, they are more likely to follow your lead and jump into your business. Now I am not saying be narcicistic or self-absorbed, just confident.

There is sooooo much more that could be said about this topic, but these are just a few things that I have learned and am applying in my own life and business. I hope they are as beneficial to you as they are to me.

Why is MLM a bad word?

For decades, friends and acquaintances tried to introduce me to the 'latest' and "greatest" get rich scheme. I even fell for it once and ended up with an overdraft and a closet full of products I could not use or sell. urns out, what I had joined was a pyramid and the only people who were making any money were the folks at the top. The rest of us were just minions who were there to pad their pockets.
So imagine my suprise when, a little over a year ago, I ended up as a distributor in an MLM company. It was not really my intention, it just kinda worked into that. What sold me was the compensation plan and the abilitiy to make a serious income. I suppose t he turning point for me was Tim Sales "Brilliant Compensation" cd/dvd.
So what is the difference between MLM and a pyramid? Basically this: In an MLM EVERYBODY has the potential to earn income. Lets say you build a team based on the "five and five" principle. At the top is you. You enlist five (5) friend to join your team. Your company pays you a percentage of what your team sells. Your team grows as either you or your team members enlist new people. At each level EVERYONE is making an income.
In my personal company, it is not mandantory that I enlist anyone to make money. Revenue is generated through retail sales, fundraising, and team building. Three ways for me personally to make money operating my own business from my own home. What more could I ask for? I spent a whole year with the company before I ever introduced it to anyone. I wanted to know that the products were reputable and that the company was honest and sound from top to bottom.
Are you looking for a way to make money at your own leisure? Are you looking for a company you can trust? There are company's out there who are honest and sound, you just have to know what to look for. Let me help you find what you are looking for. Contact me today at chuckhatfield09@yahoo.com and lets get you started on your way to financial freedom today

MY FIRST BLOG!

I am so excited to be blogging. I am not the most computer savvy person in the world, so I have been terrified to even attempt this. I see now that it is not really all that difficult. In fact, I find it quite rewarding!

I guess we all have fears that must be overcome. For me, there are many. In the past I have been a starter and a stopper. Completing tasks, or goals for that matter, has not been my strong suit. It appears that each time I put forth the effort and success is just within reach, I withdraw. Why am I so afraid of success? I'm not sure I will ever be able to answer that question

So imagine my suprise when I looked at the calendar and realized that I have owned and managed my own home based business now for well over a year. IT has been a time of both success and failure but I have learned so much about business, people and myself. Now, I believe is the time that I am going to see a breakthrough, and I would like to take you along for the journey with me.

Along the way we will laugh, cry, and learn about how to make a decent living while being free from all the constraints of the regular "rat-race" job. I will share with you what I am learning from books, personal meetings, and research. Feel free to jump in at any time with ideas, suggestions, and questions.

Thanks for joining me. I am thrilled to have you along for the ride!