While it may be somewhat true that if you have the plan and the skills, you could make any business profitable – the old “selling Ice to an Eskimo” idea…. but the truth is, not all business opportunities (and I’m talking about the network marketing industry here) are created equal – and we all know that.

So with the “net” constantly swirling and turning out a new “biz op” every 15 minutes or so… what does one use to filter these? Let’s look at some at some key indicators here and then have you, my reader and or group member, contribute your own criteria!

1. One of the BIG deals that has come up recently is Company Ownership – this happened because some of the newer “ops” out there have had very questionable ownership – so there has been a trend on “who owns the company” kind of questions. I think disclosure of the ownership and corporate officers is a reasonable thing to expect if you are buying into a company and so, if that information doesn’t exist, that should be a red -flag. If it DOES exist, do your due diligence (and NOT just a GOOGLE search because anyone can write anything).

2. Business Model – does the company have a business model and business plan that makes sense and that can be reviewed before you buy in? The home-based business industry generally revolves around the direct sales of products, services or both. The questions then become, does the product line offer real value to an end customer that is either on par with or cannot otherwise be found in the regular consumer modality? One thing that kills me is when I see folks trying to make a living with a company that is competing directly against them in their own marketplace by offering direct to the consumer channels (I hate to name names but there is an AVON store at my local shopping gallery). Or how about “me too” products like in the health/nutrition genre – look there’s nothing wrong with that and every company has their own proprietary “blends or delivery mechanisms” – the general challenge here is getting people to buy into the new products – think about how hard an established company like Kraft or Coca-Cola have to work to introduce new products in an effort to increase market-share. They test market before they roll out and even then, it sometimes doesn’t work – anyone remember “New Coke”? The moral is, the public is fickle but also loyal and getting people to change, even for their own good, can be a losing battle and a big hit to the wallet in the meantime.

3. Compensation Plan – Okay.. this is a big one. How do you get paid AND where does that Money Come From? The “rule” is that compensation must be derived in whole or in a majority part, from product sales and not from business kits or marketing tools. But the one thing that is not stipulated is WHO is buying the products – if your customers ARE your distributors… well that pretty much becomes a problem because it’s really hard to make money on product sales if you are more likely to get another distributor than you are to convert an actual retail customer. I worked for Gap, Inc after college for a while and the employees, at that time, got a HUGE discount on EVERYTHING even sale items (I could buy a $70 sweater off the sale rack for like $3.00 – NOT even kidding) but Gap did not make it’s money from sales to employees or even on sale items – it made it’s money on the retail customer buying first run fashions at generous mark-ups. Those folks were actual customers, even the sale shoppers were still revenue generators – but not the employees buying deep discounts on everything in the store. Okay.. so… if your compensation is REALLY dependent only on new distributors, and those same people are your customers… well… what happens when your distributors start to quit or become inactive? Your PAYCHECK goes away! And this discussion doesn’t even go into the many actual compensation plans, qualification requirements and pin levels …. suffice it to say… KNOW your PLAN and UNDERSTAND where your $$ comes from.

4. Who Shows Up For Dinner? – A lot of companies have “celebrity” endorsers – the question is who and why? Are the endorsements from Paid Endorsers or from folks actually wanting to be associated with the company? There’s nothing wrong with paid endorsements of course and they can do a LOT for sales – look at Nike or Gatorade! But in the home-based business there is a culture of trust that is slightly different than in the “regular world” and that has to do with the idea that “regular” folks can make “extraordinary” financial returns by really caring about each other an helping each other to succeed. So… an endorsement that is come by “organically” because the company is really offering something of value to the global community is a great thing to be able to point to. Hey I’m not naive here, I know that everyone get’s something out of it – it’s not just pure altruism – but corporate giving is something that “regular” businesses take great pride in and that should not be any different here.

5. The Balance Sheet – This may be one of the most elusive areas to research and many companies out there will state they are solvent or debt free but that may or may not be true and since most are NOT publicly traded, they don’t have to “show” their books. The trouble these are, for the most part, expensive endeavors to start up and keep running. Remember, in the U.S. more than 70% of small businesses fail in the first 3 to 5 years. Imagine now, all the moving parts required to keep a business that has to manage people, products, and down-lines all moving in the same, profitable, direction. This business is really BIG business, wearing a robe and slippers and pretending to be “grass roots”. If you are looking at a more established company this issue will be easier to ferret out but with so many start-ups out there and the propensity for OP-HOPPING, it’s worth it to consider if your money is going directly to “start up capital” and therefore if your ability to get paid will be questionable.

6. Income Potential – How many times have you seen the chart with your “perfect world” scenario and then that gets knocked back to “real world” of just 10% production and you think ‘Yeah, I can do that much’… but those boards are always built on the idea of “sponsoring”. Do you know that 97% of people in business opportunities fail to sponsor more than 2.7 people, ever. And have you ever considered that the “$10,000/mo” benchmark is $120,000 /yr and the average annual income, nationwide in the United States in 2008 was: $50,303 (US Census Report INCOME, POVERTY AND HEALTH INSURANCE COVERAGE IN THE UNITED STATES: 2008). That includes skilled, unskilled and professional labor. So if the entire country cannot average more than $50K how likely is the average distributor to earn $120K per year? I’m not saying that it is impossible, in fact, it’s more possible in the network marketing industry than in any other, however, it is improbable since we do know that barely 3% make a living (not make 6 or 7 figures, just make a living) in the industry at any given time. So when you look, be wary of income claims, know HOW you get paid and for what activities and be sure you can plug in an income figure that is realistic and then that the pay plan allows for that – anything over a “living” is bonus!

7. Training and Support – Okay… here is where there is a BUNCH of concern. When you change jobs or change careers, you have to get trained to do the new job or career right? I mean, unless you are the Dos Equis Guy, you just don’t innately know what to do. That being said, the old saying in Network Marketing is that we have all been doing it all our lives whenever we tell people about a movie or a mechanic… we are using word of mouth or network marketing. However, that does not mean that we instantly know how to employ this skill in our new career as a home based business owner. In fact, most of us don’t and most of us fail, not because we don’t have a “WHY” or our “WHY” isn’t big enough. Not because we don’t believe in our product or our company. Not because we aren’t putting in the hours. But because we either don’t have the right training and right skills OR we are not actually following what works. For some reason, unlike pretty much any other part of life, we think that when it comes to network marketing, we can build a better mousetrap than our up-line who has had years of success, even though we have never earned a dime in network marketing. Another old saying is – if you want to be wealthy, hang out with wealthy people – but it’s not Osmosis, folks.. it’s skills, vitalized by people that teach those skills and then perform them with you – in other words, learn what they do, do what they do and don’t think you can suddenly do it your way and get the results they did.

I think I will leave it here… I am sure there are many other criteria and I hope you will add to the discussion by posting your comments. As always, until next time…
Peace~
Leanne

1. I always wanted to be an entertainer and I have done the following things: Danced the Part of Jelly Lorum in CATS (off, off Broadway), played the part of the March Hare in Alice in Wonderland, Danced on a Fundraiser Telethon, Backup Singer for a Country Band, Lead Singer in a Rock Band, Karaoke Host! LOL! And other such things… I had a lot of fun doing all of it and would do it all again in a heartbeat!

2.  I was a competitive equestrian as a pre-teen riding English Hunter/Jumper and Cross Country.

3.  My very FIRST job was developing film in a family owned photography business. (not my family, just a mom and pop shop).

4. I have one sibling, an older brother, who is the funniest, smartest and most talented person I have ever known.

5. My two favorite movies of all time are Blade Runner and Mary Poppins – I know it’s weird… like me!

6. When I was little, back in Toledo, we had a big brick house with gas fireplaces and a laundry shoot and a player piano – this was my favorite house I have ever lived in.  I found it on Google Maps – here it is:

7. My favorite newscaster was and always will be Walter Cronkite.  Also, he used to narrate a school program called “And You Were There…” We used to watch them in grade school.

8. I have a Bachelor’s in Anthropology and a Master’s in Public Health.

9. We have three cats.  Two are litter mates that we got from a breeder. They are American Curls. Their names are Joliet Jake BluesCurl and and Elwood BluesCurl   The third is a little girl named Zoe – she’s a gray shorthair that was rescued from a drain pipe. In fact, Elwood is sleeping right on my shoulder right now!

10. I got married at the Little White Chapel Drive Thru in Las Vegas!  We both wore all BLACK!!! LOL!  It was GREAT! (this is a photo of the drivethru, not our wedding though)

11. I was named after the women in my dad’s family – My Grandmother Lee, Aunt Annette, and Aunt Susan (Leanne Sue)

12. Thanksgiving is my ALL TIME FAVORITE HOLIDAY!!!  I love the parade, the food, the football and the family… there’s nothing better and no better time of year! Autumn is the BEST!

13.  I took a flying less once in a Cessna (single engine, top wing)… it was the most fun thing I have ever done – I would have loved to continue lessons but it was very expensive – maybe I can pick that up again when my business get’s more successful!

14.  I sold Apple Macintosh Computers when the Macintosh SE was the first portable Mac!  I also Zenith Lap Tops – they were HORRIBLE! LOL!  My first cell phone was a carphone – the block went in the trunk of the car… oy! Am I dating myself eh?

15.  I have never needed braces – my teeth aren’t perfect but I have had people tell me that there is no way I didn’t have braces!  Sorry – naturally straight teeth do happen! LOL!

16.  I have NEVER been a Bridesmaid!

17.  Birds fly into my car at higher rate of probability than for other people! I am not kidding – In fact, I got hit by a bird the other day – just flew right into my windshield! I’m so used to it that it doesn’t even freak me out anymore!

18. I drove from Oswego, NY to Tucson, AZ with my Mom in 1992… that was the most fun road trip I have ever been on! And the longest!  It took us a week.

19.  I was in my mid-20′s before I had meatloaf for the first time!  My friends were amazed!  I was older than that before I ever tried tarter sauce!

20.  I have held 23 different jobs at 23 different places in the last 26 years (some simultaneously). I have also started 4 businesses.  Never be “content”. Always keep learning, keep growing, never give up.

21. Our 7yo daughter is the best thing we have ever done – she is a joy and the light of our life – I’m not sure if this really counts but it counts to me! My dream for her is that she realizes that she doesn’t have to follow a set path in life – there is so much to see and do and try and I hope I will be more open-minded than my parents were in terms of letting her explore her world.

22. I have a very hard time getting rid of books.  I have tons of them, some of which I have never read!  I never say “no” when Sarah wants to buy a book, go to the library or the bookstore.

23. Music is one of the most important parts of our lives.  We listen to all kinds of music. We watch music based movies, we sing, we dance we play a LOT of Rockband!  We can’t get enough of it – Music, Music, Music!

24.  My favorite song is Solsbury Hill by Peter Gabriel – we saw him in 2006 – this is exactly what it looked like!

25.  My goal in life is to make a legacy, a mark, a small impression on the world and to leave behind something of merit and meaning for my Daughter.  I want the “dash” on my marker to be filled with stuff that people remember fondly because something I did or said made their part of the world just a little more interesting or fun or meaningful.

BOY! this was a challenge – 25 things really take some thinking!  I hope you enjoyed my list and if you read this and have not done one yet, I challenge YOU to put up your own!

Cheers~
Leanne

Can't. Type. Any...more.

Who doesn’t love a three-day weekend? This weekend, of course, we are to celebrate “Labor Day” (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Labor_day) here in the USA and for us it does usually mean a lot of backyard Bar-B-Ques, Beer Drinking and Parades. We rejoice in the end of summer, the kids going BACK to school and generally have a grand old time! So… I want you to share your weekend with me! Tell me what you did? Where you did it and with whom! (PLEASE – G-RATED STUFF ONLY – this is a FAMILY SITE!) If you took photos or videos – post your links! I’ll be posting mine so keep your eyes peeled! (YIKES!!! That sounds sorta creepy!)

CHEERS!! ~

WOW!!! Well, our weekend has started off a bit “WET!”

Leanne

BUT LATER…..

Alas.. there are no recordings or photos from Sunday – it was a day of rest!!!

Then on Monday – it was a LOVELY day for a BBQ and Pool Time at the Neighbor’s Place!

So, today I found out my best friend just started her first blog – www.Menus4Life.com - I could not be more proud of her or more excited for her – I have tweeted her up on both of my twitter accounts and hope that I will be helping to drive traffic for her!  This simple thing got me to thinking.

She and I spoke this evening and she was thanking me for helping her – to be honest, I didn’t really think I had done anything but I said to her “Well, I’m happy to help because I get to learn too! – AND in this case, I got a really yummy meal out of it to boot!”

So.. the point of this post is this: what good is learning anything if you never use it to provide value in the world.  One of the most valuable things we all have (or need more of ) is TIME.  So when we use a few moments of precious time to TEACH what we have learned then we have provided more value than can really be measured in dollars.

I”m not suggesting we just all go out and give away all the training and knowledge that we have paid so much for – both financially and in time away from other activities, sometimes even family time. But I am suggesting that the value of these BLOGS and of the Social Media frenzy and, indeed the entire sales process, should be that of adding value. The returns are not just a list we can build, or sales we can make but the opportunity to receive back more education through teaching.

When you spend time helping a friend, even if you are still new too, you not only provide them something they didn’t have but you reinforce what you have learned as well AND you are also paying the highest tribute back to the person that taught you!  Imagine the giant ripple caused by such a seemingly simple act!

The greatest thing about this is that you don’t have to be an expert to teach someone something.  You don’t need a certification or a degree. In my real estate business I get asked a LOT of questions.  There are times I really don’t have an answer and you know what I say?  I say “You know, that is really not my area of expertise BUT, I do know an expert and would be happy to refer you over to him/her.”  It’s okay to not know, it’s okay to make suggestions even “Google It” can be an answer!

When I provide answers, especially when I refer other resources, it builds more confidence in my colleagues about contacting me when they need something.  They can count on me to either know the answer or know how to find the answer.  And for me, I get to learn something new everytime I get asked a question I don’t have an answer to!  Learn, Teach, Learn MORE!

So… be well, be happy, keep learning and I’ll talk to you soon!
Peace~

Leanne

I’ll skip the part about where I grew up and fast forward to 1996, NYC.  I was working at a major medical center in the City in a post graduate fellowship and I discovered something … I had been working since I was 15 and I HATED IT! I mean, it was not the work I hated, I just got so bored so fast and there was never enough money or satisfaction in what I was doing to keep me happy for very long. Plus I usually came to despise my bosses and coworkers for either not doing their share of the work OR for not recognizing who actually WAS doing the work.  I always felt confused by good reviews and annoyed that they really didn’t mean much in terms of raises or promotions.  So.. I began my journey to find a way to work for myself.

In 1996 there was not the vast array of opportunities bombarding us like today. So the first thing I found was that good old standby… AMWAY.  Now I’m not here to knock Amway or even network marketing – in fact I am still a big fan of network marketing and still have my hand in the industry today (although no longer with Amway or a host of other NM businesses that I have started and stopped along the way).  Suffice to say that, between 1996 and 2005… I moved from Hospital Administration to Healthcare Consulting, to IT Consulting, to Corporate IT… and then to BURN OUT.

In 1998 I met my husband, in 2001 we had our first and only child and in 2004 I found real estate!  Okay.. I know what it sounds like but I told you, I get bored easily – real estate offered a whole new world of opportunity – unrelated to anything I had ever studied or tried – it was like finding a gold mine! I was licensed in July of ’04 and quit my corporate career (and the corporate world) FOREVER in January 2005! Unfortunately, the timing could not have been better – yes, I meant to say that.  The timing was perfect because I was suddenly faced with two very sick parents both of whom I ultimately lost (Dad in August ’05 and Mom and December ’05).  Becuase I was able to quit my J.O.B… I was able to spend an amazing amount of high quality time with both of them in the months prior – a lot of it was taking care of things for them but nonetheless, I could never have done it if I was still an employee.

By 2007 boredom set in with regular real estate so I founded a compay with two partners and learned to be a mortgage loan officer – talk about bad timing! By August of 2007 the Mortgage meltdown was in full force and our company closed it’s doors. In January 2008, I started another real estate based company with two partners that was poised to take advantage of the housing crisis – we negotiated short sales.  TOUGH WORK and by September I was BURNED OUT. BUT in February of 2007 I had attended my very first ever training on Internet Marketing -Armand Morin‘s Internet Marketing Explained – I WAS HOOKED!  But.. didn’t do anything with it because I was so busy WORKING…

Now I don’t  mind hard work, but I want to do what I like, I want to control what I am doing, and I want create … but the kind of work my new company had me doing was not any of those things so I gave my part of the company to the partners and wished them well (they are doing just fine, in case you are wondering).  I started my current, and what will be my LAST, real estate company in October/November of 2008 – I now have one partner, we have a really good working model and I enjoy what we do but the Internet Marketing and Network Marketing Bugs never go away for me so…..

I found a coaching program offered by a great guy, Jason Dinner. Jason’s course started from the basics and even though I had that down already, I followed right along, step by step, video by video, resource by resource and before I knew it I had built a squeeze page, had google analytics hooked up and had a list being built!  Then came an endorsement from Jason for Alex Jeffreys and his coaching program. I was hesitant to go off on another program but when I saw what Alex was offering and how it would allow me to build on the skills I learned from Jason, I was convinced to take that step.  Today, we are five weeks in and the program is everything Alex promised it would be and far more!

So… that’s where we are now… week 5 and building and I’m having the time of my life!!  And now, I’m off – it’s 110 degrees out and time for a swim!

Speak to you soon!

Peace~

Leanne