When you run a home-based business it can be rather difficult to juggle all the responsibilities you have all in one place. Work at home moms (WAHM) may have even more difficulties making the time to work.

You live in your home but you are working out of it too, so what happens when those responsibilities begin to co-mingle? It seems there isn’t enough time for everything or everyone in the day and finding a balance can be frustrating at times. When the kids are at school this isn’t as difficult. You know what time they go to school and when they will arrive home. Every business has office hours and your home based business should be no exception. Set the work at home hours to coincide with the children’s schooling. You know just how much time you will have in between to take care of business. During the summer months and various holidays, however, this can be a more challenging task.

Because you are self-employed you can’t just take time off whenever you choose. Time means money and not working means not making any, so the alternative then becomes finding a way to juggle kids with work. The key here is to give them something constructive to do while you are working, something that makes them feel like they are important contributors to the task at hand. This way you will know what they doing at all times while still being able to take care of important business. Working while enjoying the kids events is a great way to mingle your WAH activities. Another is to give your children chores that relate to your business. This way they earn their allowance, learn business skills and help you out as well.

When it comes to computers, kids are usually just as, if not more, technically savvy as the adults. If you are going to let them use a computer, make sure it is one earmarked especially for leisure time. That way you have a computer for business and they have one for fun. Encourage them to use the computer while you are making important phone calls or sending out e-mails.

If you do not own two computers and allow the kids to use yours, give them specific times when this will be possible. Give them a separate log in so they won’t be able to access your important information. Back up everything in your computer. This is crucial even if you don’t have kids, but always remember accidents can happen. This may be especially true if you and the kids are using the same computer.

Manage your work at home time well. Most WAHMs are more likely to be diligent in working with a timetable when kids are around than if you are by themselves. This will make tasks much easier. Also keep in mind it may be necessary to work outside what are considered to be normal working hours and this can mean grabbing an hour or two when you can get it. One effective way to work around this is to try and match your off-hours work schedule with kids’ activities that don’t require your assistance or involvement. For example, you might choose to make calls or write your blog posts while the kids are doing their homework.

For smaller children give them constructive activities to accomplish. If your kids love to draw, stock up on art supplies. Allot them a workspace that is theirs and encourage them to be creative. Giving your little ones special games or activities that are only available when Mom is working will make them feel special and more apt to be cooperative when you are trying to get things done.

Working at home requires planning. When you make some plans and systems that will provide balance between family and work your WAH business is sure to prosper. When you incorporate WAHM time management systems into your business you will increase your income from your business on the long term basis. Learn more work at home tips at: http://www.CreateACashFlowShow.com

Direct selling is a popular career choice for many individuals in these tough economic conditions and there is nothing more self-satisfying that being successful. In the modern age, we can’t deny the fact that these companies such as Avon, Mary Kay, Amway etc have been well accepted by the general public. Therefore, it is no surprise find both men and women signing on their application forms and have these as their main source of income. In fact, many of these individuals succeeded in buying their own cars and even homes through direct selling; but just how do they do it? Just continue reading and you will find out.

The Internet is a potpourri of information. You can easily avail tips to be successful in direct selling. Having mentioned that, I have some personal 7 useful tips to share with you in order to be successful in direct selling.

• Manage your time – Time indeed equates to money! When it comes to direct selling, every minute you waste, is a dollar lost. You will need to manage your time well between setting appointments, going for product discussions, group discussions in addition to your own personal activities.
• Set realistic goals – When you enter the direct selling industry, it is important to know what are the things that you should be accomplishing. You can write down your goals and take the necessary steps needed in order to achieve them. Do not set goals that is impossible to achieve. Divide them into short and long-term goals.
• Have a positive attitude – Success is not just about working hard. Actually success is mainly made up of having a positive attitude (at least 90%). Having a positive attitude in direct selling means not giving up easily after failures in getting sales.
• Take control- It is most vital that you take control of your own course. Never be afraid to ask if you are unsure. When there is an opening for a business opportunity, take control and move in at the right time!
• Have a work space – Whether it is in an office or from your own home, it is imperative that you feel comfortable working in your work space. It should also be a space that will motivate you to work harder.
• Finance management – In direct selling, it is important to become a professional in managing your finances. This is because often than not, your income is mainly based on sales commissions; without which you will have practically little or no income at all even.
• Be excited – This means that you have to show your prospective customers that you yourself is every bit excited in the product/service that you are trying to sell.

Direct selling involves a lot of patience and effort. However, the efforts will be well worth it as you have every chance to succeed.

Pinky is a mom with 3 school children. A Systems Engineer, an Independent Medical Billing and Coding Consultant. Her blog focuses on stay-at-home moms, dads and students who wants to work at home, build home based business or just browsing her blog with a lot of information to gain! Visit her useful blog at http://ezonlinebusiness.blogspot.com/ and website at http://www.mommyisworkingathome.com

Let’s face it, most women didn’t start out with direct sales as a career goal, I know I didn’t. I did not start my working life with a degree in direct sales. I had no idea it even existed but somehow the women in direct sales did discover it, saw the potential and love it!

Here are five reasons why I love direct sales.

1. It allows me to do my own time management. Exactly what does this mean to me? It means that I can get up early or late. It means that I can have lunch with my friends…for two hours. When my grandchildren would like to go to the zoo or the park, I can take them.

2. I can work from anywhere. As long as I have access to a phone and the internet, I can work. Imagine the freedom of not being tied to a desk, a time clock and an office!

3. I can use my own creativity. What do I mean by that? Well, if I have an idea I can use it! There is no boss to tell me it’s a bad idea, it needs work, or have you thought this through? Only to find the boss has used it as his idea. There are women in direct sales from all walks of life, the confidence that independent thinking and implementation of those ideas bring is very liberating and powerful.

4. I can set my own salary. I have no cap on my earnings. I determine what I make by how much time and effort I invest in myself. The potential is unlimited and only limited by me.

5. I can give back to the community and I assist many people achieve their own goals and dreams. What could be better than giving back, when you have so many riches… and not just monetary. I look forward to each new day knowing it will be filled with new possibilities.

Women in direct sales can be very successful because it allows the flexibility that is needed when you are dealing with a busy household. The family benefits because there is no need for day care for your children. We, the women in direct sales, love what we do.

Barb Hauge is an online business owner who offers new and experienced entrepreneurs the secrets of how to succeed and a comprehensive online marketing education. Apply directly to become part of Barb’s entrepreneurial team at http://barbarahauge.net. Learn more about Barb and how she can help you. http://barbarahauge.com.

How do you know if you are in dire need of time management tips for unmanageable and disorganized people? Ask yourself: Do I feel as though I’m constantly busy and harassed and yet I never seem to get anything done? Why is it I can never find free time to do the things I want? Is my time even really my own? If you answered yes, I don’t know,  and no in that order  then it’s probably time to read up on helpful time management books or articles. One of the highly recommended books is, Time Management for Unmanageable People, by Anne Mcgee-Cooper.

Here are some time management tips that may help you manage time and enjoy a balanced life.

Organize and prioritize. Make a checklist of things to do. Finish each project before moving on to the next one rather than jumping from task to task, as this is counterproductive.

Deal with the deadliest deadlines first and work your way down to the least pressing item. You’ve probably heard it before: Start with the most difficult and the rest will seem that much easier to tackle. This time management tip doesn’t work for everyone though.

If you fall under that category, try doing it the other way around. Some prefer finishing all of the easy tasks first and getting them out of the way in order to focus more on the big task. Getting the smaller things done and seeing all those check marks on your to-do list can be very gratifying and could even give you the motivation you need to work on the bigger job at hand.

Pick a schedule and stick to it. You wouldn’t shirk on a meeting with the boss, would you? So treat every task as though it were an important and indispensable appointment.

The development of the discipline needed to give each the proper time of day is essential as well. But have some leeway for interruptions, social obligations, and personal emergencies, and even more for the bigger priorities so that you are not thrown off course and you don’t start panicking about your ruined schedule when something unexpected suddenly comes up.

Learn these time management tips for unmanageable and disorganized people and rein in your unruly calendar. Manage your time wisely and watch the rest of your life fall perfectly into place.

Michael Lee is generously giving away over $2355.00 worth of the best self-help ebooks FREE at http://www.20daypersuasion.com/goldaccess.htm for a limited time. Download as many as you want before you miss out!

We can do nothing to increase time and we must always remember that time is one of the few things in modern life that is not recyclable. However time management training and getting good at time management skills can provide you with the feeling of achieving a certain amount of work at the end of each day, as opposed to going home from work and feeling although you have worked long hours you have achieved nothing during the day.

Good time management skills is about many things, prioritising,managing interruptions, avoiding procrastination etc. But time management really starts with having a plan of action which clearly states the tasks you are hoping to complete on any given day—other wise known as a to do list.

I am not a fan per se of to do lists however I do believe you need an action list outlining the actions you are going to take to achieve your tasks on a daily basis. Time management training will always speak of the importance of planning your work and working your plan

I have set out below some key points for getting into the habit of writing a list and managing the list.

Before writing a list as part of your time management skills, you should always check your diary for that day, as if you use effective diary control to make appointments with yourself for the tasks you need to carry out, there will always be daily entries in the diary.

Remember the 80/20 principle 80% of things on your time management list will produce 20% of the results and 20% of the list will produce 80% of the results. A key element of time management training is to always remember this rule and work on the key areas that produce the important results.

Get yourself in to the habit of writing a time management list every day, try to write the list at the same time daily so as it forms a habit. Some will do the time management list first thing in the morning whilst others will use time management skills to prepare the list the night before, just before you leave work—leaving it on your desk for as soon as you arrive the following morning.

Time management training courses will tell you that the important thing is to get into the habit of writing a list each day on one piece of paper (not a thousand yellow stickies all over your pc)The list should take no more than 10 minutes maximum to compile. Time management is not about having loads of things on your list, it is about having the most important things on your list. Time management skill training will teach you it is not the amount of items on the list but the importance of the items.

You must allow time for emergency changes in your daily schedule. No matter how effective you are at training yourself in the skills of time management, there will always be the possibility of unscheduled important tasks popping up or interruptions etc.

Be realistic with your time management lists and try your best to allocate each task a start time and finish time. Group similar tasks together for momentum and remember to carry forward items from one day to the other (only if they are important and must be actioned.)

Even think of rewarding yourself after each task has been done and crossed off the time management list. Remember the key saying in effective time management skills training:

Is what I am dong now helping me to achieve my objective?

Would you achieve more from your day through time management training? Frank O’Toole from Premier Training is helping people to achieve with time management training courses, let’s achieve.

I wish I had more time.

How often have you said that to someone?

Some say that time is much more important than wealth. Most effective people think so and top business leaders mention this in interviews and biographies. They know how to get more time in a day, and they have mastered the art of utilizing time effectively to do more productive things that contribute to their advancement or success. So how do they do it? What is different about their time management and ours?

We all have the same 24 hours in a day. Some people do seem to have more time than others, but no one gets it any differently. So what is the difference? What can we do to become like them? Don’t you deserve to find the time to get things done, have time for your family and enjoy the freedom you desire? Time management is about you being in control of your time instead of letting it control you.

Anyone with a dust-covered day planner on the shelf, or a PDA with nothing entered in the calendar knows that the concept of “time management” can seem like a hollow promise. The harder we try to get a handle on those passing minutes, the more minutes that seem to pass by. Perhaps it is time for you to look at your paradigm of time management. Are you really in control?

The less time you think you have, the more critical it is for you to plan. You might say that you’re so busy you don’t even have time to plan. If this is you, then you know where you need to change. If you want to enjoy the harvest, so you must plant. Can you imagine a farmer that doesn’t put out any seed and then expects a bountiful crop? The planning phase is very important in organizing your thoughts to carry out the desired effects.

Your plan will be your road map for time management. Spend enough time to ponder through the different approaches and activities. Stephen Covey, in his new book The 8th Habit, explains an excellent metaphor of “big rocks.” Your important tasks are the “big rocks” and all the other things are like “sand.” If you let the sand fill up your day, you will not be able to fit in the big rocks, but if you instead schedule in the big rocks, you’ll have room for the sand as it easily fits in between the big rocks.

Know what your big rocks are. The key to effective time management is to honestly manage all of the things which need you. Is spending time with your family important to you? Then it is a big rock and should be in your schedule.

Time management skills require practice and balance. If you only apply time management to work, you will still have the feeling you lack control outside of work. Effective time management is about striving to be effective and honest with yourself when things don’t work the way you planned. It is through this adaptive learning process that we can achieve freedom and balance in life.

Dave Saunders is a professional lecturer, and successful entrepreneur. He enjoys creating interconnections through his writings and lectures to help others create context and see new discoveries and technologies in more a practical light. You can find more time management tips at www.endless abundance.net.

I found this great YouTube video published by a direct sales consultant. In the video she addresses what she learned from the book “The Last Lecture”.  This is a FANTASTIC book that I also recommend reading. 

Take a look and listen to her great time management lessons that you can help work into your direct sales business plan.

When it comes to recruiting in Direct Sales, not everyone is a born leader or recruiter. To become efficient with leading and recruiting, you need to first educate yourself on what it takes to lead a quality Direct Sales team.

In this article, I would like to discuss and point out what I think it takes to be a Direct Sales Recruiter and Team Leader.

1. Lead By Example: You will need to lead your team by setting a good professional example. Where the leader goes, the team will follow. What the leaders does, the team will do.

You can not expect your team to be out doing home parties, selling products, recruiting and doing fundraisers if you yourself are not out doing them.

You need to lead your team and set an example of what they should be doing.

2. Time Management: When it comes to managing a Direct Sales team, you will need to set aside time every day to assist your team. You will need to answer emails, take phone calls, do team training, and hold team meetings.

When you bring in new members to your team, it is not solely your uplines responsibility to train them, some of the responsibility also falls upon the person who has recruited them.

Ask yourself, Do I have time to take on new team members at this point and time? If you are leading a really busy life, then perhaps you should refrain from recruiting, at least at this particular time.

3. Knowledge: If you are going to start recruiting new team members into your Direct Sales business, you need to first educate yourself on your Direct Sales Company policies. You should know the policy inside and out before recruiting new teammates.

New team members will be full of questions for you before and after they join your team. It will be your job to answer these questions.

Way too often, I see people join a Direct Sales Business and immediately (within days) are out advertising and trying to recruit new team members, often times before their consultant business kit has been delivered to them. There is no possible way that this recruiter knows enough about the company to provide correct information to any of their newly recruited consultants.

4. Experience: Being a successful team leader also deals with experience. You will be responsible for teaching your new teammates how to demonstrate products, how to advertise their businesses, how to deal with their customers, how to manage their consultant web sites and more.

I recommend that before you go out and start recruiting that you take time out to gain some experience and to educate yourself on all of these business areas before recruiting new teammates. When it comes to business, experience does count!

5. Longevity: How long do you foresee yourself in this business? Is this a short term or long term business for you? If you are in it for the long term, then yes, you should be recruiting. If you are doing your business just as a short term thing to earn some pocket change, then no, you should not be recruiting.

When new consultants join a Direct Sales business, they want to be joining a team that will be there for the long run. As a consultant, there is nothing more irritating than being shoved around from team to team because their previous leader(s) have left the business.

6. People Person: Do you enjoy being around people? Are you outgoing? Do you enjoy talking to people? Helping people?

As a Direct Sales team leader, you will be communicating with people every day, so if you have a shy and reserved personality, then maybe recruiting and leading a team isn’t for you.

There are a lot of things to consider when it comes to recruiting and being a team leader, today I have only scratched the surface. I hope it has given you a few things to think about before you start building your team.

Shelly Hill

Shelly has been working from home in Direct Sales since 1989. Shelly is a Manager with Tupperware. You can contact Shelly at:
Web: http://www.classybusinesswomen.com
Recipe Blog: http://wahmshelly.blogspot.com