Fear - The Four Letter “F” Word

The number one question I get from my direct selling clients is about the four-letter F word – Fear.  Fear of making phone calls, fear of approaching women, fear of building a business, the list goes on and on.  And the thing that breaks my heart, is these women all feel like they are the only ones feeling fear. So first let me say, you are not alone!  This kind of fear grips us all from time to time.  The trick is to know how to deal with it so it doesn’t paralyze you permanently. 

If you feel like fear has you in it’s grip, take a minute to try and discover what is underneath your fear.  What belief is driving it?  For example, “I am afraid of rejection”, may really mean “I believe that no one will want what I have to offer and I will be a failure.”  “I am afraid to pick up the phone” may really mean “I believe I will be an interruption.  People don’t want to be bothered with what I have to offer.”  Write down what you fear and then try to get at what belief is underneath the fear.  Once you do that, use a technique developed by one of my favorite gurus, Byron Katie.

This technique is not for the faint of heart.  It requires time and concentration.  But I can promise you this: if you invest in rooting out your fear, the payoff will be a focused, unstoppable energy that can take you anywhere you want to go.  So, let’s roll up our sleeves and get to work, okay?

Write down your underlying belief (i.e. No one wants what I have to offer and I will be a failure.)

Now ask yourself these questions:

Is that belief true?

Can you be absolutely sure it is true (name 5 people who unequivocally agree that it is).

How do you feel when you think this thought?  Where does it live in your body? How do you treat yourself and others when you believe and feel this thought?

What do you get out of believing this thought (This is a tough one.  Sometimes we get to stay right where we are – in safety – when we believe a limiting thought).

Without this thought in your mind, who would you be? How would you feel?  How would you treat others, and yourself, differently?

Now I want you to do what Byron calls “a turnaround”. 

      a. Turn the thought around on yourself like this: “I don’t want what I have to offer and I will be a failure.”  Is this turnaround as true or truer than your original belief?

b. Turn it around on the other like this: “I don’t want what others have to offer and I will be a failure.” Is this as true or truer?

c. Turn it around to the opposite like this: “Lots of people will want what I have to offer and I will be a success.” Is this turnaround as true or truer than your original belief?

If you replace your current belief with one of the “turnaround” beliefs, how do you feel?  How does your body feel? Can you see your fear more realistically?

Many of my clients use their turnaround statements to create powerful affirmations, deeply grounded in what their heart and mind truly believes.  You might find that helpful, too.

Next time you find yourself facing a fear that has you stopped dead in your tracks, pull out this technique and get yourself and your thoughts moving in a different direction.

Love & Success!
Sarah

Reducing eBay and Paypal fees…

This is a big question that has been asked a few times – and seems to be a big concern for sellers. There are a few things you can do to reduce your fees for listing on eBay; however, keep in mind – that even with the fees eBay charges, selling on eBay is a very inexpensive option for making money from home. The start up fees are very low – in fact, you can set up your account for free… you only pay once your item is sold. However, we are all interested in saving as much as possible. Here are some tips for keeping those fees low:

1. Watch your inventory fees: Don’t get caught up thinking that if you buy a product for $10 and sell it for $25 that you have made $15! Be honest about your profit margin… and take that into consideration when buying your inventory. I make a rule to only buy inventory that I know I can make at least a $10 profit on. For me, this is how this translates… I rarely pay more than $1.50-$2 for an item I plan to sell. I purchase it if I KNOW it will sell for $15 or more (I like to keep it closer to $20). Taking eBay and paypal fees into account I am making at least $10 profit for each item – and that is if it only sells for $15.
2. Test and tweak your listings to be sure you are getting maximum bidding. Here are a few ideas to do this:
   1. When I first started selling on eBay, I used an eBay management system that provided a few templates. It wasn’t anything fancy – just had the same color scheme for each of my listings. I knew it was important to build a market presence by staying consistent with my ‘look and feel’… but, I ended up changing to a custom template (you can take a peek here) and immediately the average sale for my auctions DOUBLED! 100% increase!
   2. Be sure your title is good. Use key words that bidders will type in when they are searching for your item… also make sure you don’t have any misspelled words in there!
   3. How is your shipping – are your prices inflated? Bidders tend to shy away from auctions that have inflated shipping rates. In fact, offering a lower shipping rate can often increase your bids!
3. Start your auction LOW. If you know the item is in demand (do your research to find out), then starting your item super low ($.99 or even a penny) can bring in super large profits as well as lower your eBay fees. eBay charges $.20 for auctions starting anywhere from $.01 to $.99… and $.40 from $.99 to $9.99. I can’t tell you how many times I have seen listings starting at $10! That penny higher cost that seller 20 cents!

We are barely touching this topic here – but, I wanted to share a secret that many sellers have a hard time grasping. The absolute best way to lower your eBay fees with your eBay business is to not sell so much… What?!? Yep – you read that right… The key is to think creatively and figure out how to USE eBay to generate traffic for your other websites/business… and if you don’t have another website or business – I highly recommend building one. This is the topic for the next post… using eBay to generate traffic for the highest profits!… until then… :-)

From the Mailbag: Where Can I Find Data Entry or Transcription Work From Home?

Holly submitted a question that I know tons of moms would like an answer to so I thought I’d post it here for you too, in case you’re one of them.

Q: “I’m looking for a company that I can do data entry or transcribing at home. I would ideally like to work 25 – 30 hours a week by Christmas. Is this possible or am I dreaming?”

A: This is a very common question amongst moms who want to work from home. There are many companies online that hire these type of service providers. Here are just a few that you can try:

- All Custom Content
*Note: This is run by myself and Mila, and we are not hiring at the moment, but be sure to check back often for openings.

- Workaholics 4 Hire
Sometimes, however it’s best to get out and assemble your own clientele. The benefits of creating your own service business are many. Just a few that come to mind include, setting your own hours and rates, keeping all the money instead of only get a small amount when you’re the one doing all the work, you’ve got control over how fast or slow your business grows and word of mouth will help your business grow versus someone else’s who you are contracting for.

You can check out the Mom’s Talk Biz Guide to Starting Your Own Transcription Business for more information and guidance to get you up and running in no time.

As for data entry work, you can start your own business providing those services too with the help of Secretarial Business In A Box

No matter which route you choose, remember both take work and won’t happen overnight. Create a plan that works for you and your family and see it through for the best chance of success.

Daily Planners, PDA’s, Calendars.. Oh My!

So many times clients come to me knowing what they want their schedule to look like but they just can’t figure out what tool to use to keep track of their time. This is a very common issue and I always encourage people to find a time management tool that works for them.

It doesn’t matter if you are a paper calendar lover and like to write down your appointments, or if you are a PDA lover and like to punch in letters and type out your schedule - the key is to find what works best for you and to stick with it.

Many times the problem that people have with their time management is tied into the tools in which they use to manage their time. If what you are using now isn’t working, try something else. I am here to offer some advice to you if you need it.

Leave me your comments and let me know what you use to keep track of your time and also let me know if it is working for you.

What Has Podcasting Done For Her Business?

If you’re on the verge of starting your own podcast but doubt you can do it, you’ll enjoy this email interview with Aurelia Williams:

Kelly:  First, congratulations on your podcast, Parenting My Teen, turning a year old in August.

Aurelia:  YAY - Thanks, time sure does fly when you are having fun:)

Kelly:  Where you intimidated by podcasting before you got started?

Aurelia:  Yes, I was very intimidated about podcasting before I got started and it wasn’t until after my 1st show aired that I said to myself “Wow, I can do this.”  I think I had it set in my mind that it was going to be so complicated, too time consuming and that people
wouldn’t like what I had to say.   Boy was I wrong.

Kelly:  How would you describe your experience over this last year?

Aurelia:  Unbelievable!  That is how I would describe it in one word.  I feel blessed to have taken advantage of this medium to talk to parents of teens.  I love passing on great information and helping parents learn more about themselves, their teens and helping them to build a stronger relationship with their teens.  One of the things I really enjoy is the guests that come onto the show. They add such a great new flavor to each show
and it really feels like a family affair!

Kelly:  How has podcasting helped your business?

Aurelia:  Podcasting has helped to skyrocket my business!  I’ve gained more exposure as an expert in the field and that lead to more Parent Coaching clients and it also lead to a series of eBooks that I am developing on the topic of Parenting Teens.  Because of hosting a podcast and being heard my others, I’ve been asked to speak at online conferences for other podcasters as well as be guest on their show.  It really is a great boost to my business.

Kelly:  To what do you credit your success?

Aurelia:  Honestly, You Kelly!!  You really helped me get my feet wet and you showed me that I could do it and be successful at it. And more than that, you served as a coach for me all thought out my podcasting adventure! You took the ‘Fear Factor’ out of it and made it fun and easy to do and you also taught me a lot. The fact that I can ask questions and get assistance was really comforting to me and that is a huge reason for my success.  Another thing that I credit my success to is listening to other podcasters, asking them questions and networking with them. Just being a member of Moms Radio Network has opened many doors for me and also has brought many listeners to the show.   Lastly I
think I credit my ability to just keep at it, keep learning and to step out there and ask questions and follow through :).

Over the last week Aurelia has appeared on FOUR other podcasts as an expert guest on everything from tackling projects to starting kindergarten to planning school lunches.  So she is not only using her own podcast, she’s leveraging other people’s podcasts to build exposure and momentum for her business.

The next Podcasting Intensive starts Thursday.   I only have three spots open so grab one fast! 

==> http://www.podcastingintensive.com

iTunes is for Everybody

Yesterday during the live broadcast of Mom’s Morning Show a listener was surprised to learn that she can use iTunes even though she doesn’t own an iPod.

It’s true!  iTunes is a free download that does several things for you:

• Allows you to search for, buy, download and listen or watch the music, tv shows and movies you want and none that you don’t want.
• Allows you to search for, subscribe to, download and listen or watch the podcasts you want and none that you don’t want.
• Allows you to subscribe to any podcast feed so you can download and listen/watch to whatever you like, even if you don’t find it in the iTunes Music Store.

With iTunes you can listen or watch what you download right on your computer… or:

• You can transfer the content to an iPod
• You can transfer the content to any Mp3 player
• You can burn music to CDs.

I mostly listen right on my computer.  I do transfer a bundle of content over to my little Nano about once a month but that is usually non-podcasted content that I download from membership sites and Audible.com.

Of course there are a variety of ways to consume podcasts, you don’t have to use iTunes.  You can use other feed reader applications.  iTunes just happens to be my favorite since it makes it easy for me to seek out new content.

You can grab iTunes here.

In A Web 2.0 World, You Need Friends

There’s a lot of talk (and hype) about Web 2.0, social media and the likes. If you’re not sure what it’s all about. Basically it’s the practice of using social media - sites like Digg, StumbleUpon, Reddit, Twitter and the likes - to generate traffic.

Like everything else, this can work out well if you do it responsibly without spamming and in general just have fun connecting with your customers. I’m sitting here watching the MomMastermind Twitterers. What suddenly becomes clear is, you need friends to play in social media.

It is friends who will blog about you, talk about you, Digg your blog posts, bookmark you and ultimately, give you the link love - the holy grail we all seek. The more friends you have, the more likely you’ll get Stumbled, blogged about, Digged etc. Writing this, I am reminded of Alice Seba’s advice; Make Friends First Business Will Follow.

So, if you’ve been wondering how to get on this social media train, befriend your newsletter subscribers. Don’t think of them as a dollar sign or even subscribers in the first place. Think of them as friends. Befriend your blog readers, join or organize a Mastermind group. Then support each other, invite them to give you some link love and be prepared to reciprocate.

P/S: By the way, come follow me on Twitter.

Are Your Articles Being Read?

Article marketing is a great way for online business owners to spread the word about their business.  It helps to establish you as an expert, brings you incoming links and general all around publicity for your website… but with so many business owners realizing the many benefits of writing and distributing articles, you may need to work extra hard to get your articles read and published.

A good way to ensure your article makes it onto top websites and publications is to use catchy article titles.  Of course the rest of the article needs to be interesting and informative but the reader needs to get past the title first… so let’s start there.

My top tip for creating article titles that get noticed:

Start with your magazines.  Grab a couple of magazines you have around the house and look at the front cover.  You’ll notice there are quite a few intriguing headlines.  These are catchy and make the reader stop and and do a double take.  Magazine editors work hard to get their mags into the hands of buyers, so you know that time and effort has been put into creating these topics.

This is great news for you because just by looking through a few magazines you’ll pick up plenty of ideas.  Here are a few headlines from a dieting magazine I have in front of me:

(source: Slimming World Magazine UK)

7 Days to a slimmer, sexier you!

15-minute feasts

Revealed! The truth about weight loss and your breasts

Lose weight at work plan: feel great by Friday!

Smart moves - The latest fun ways to get fit 

Magazines can also help you create headlines for sales copy and ads.  Now please keep in mind that you should never plagiarize someone’s work, instead use these publications as a starting point and to get ideas.  You can easily take any of the topics above and customize them to fit your style and topic without copying the wording.

Another good place to get ideas is the newspaper.  Just like magazines you’ll find plenty of catchy headlines and topics that will help get your creative juices flowing.  They’re also a great tool for keeping up with all the latest in your field, find out what type of products they’re selling, get ideas for articles and your own products… I love magazines!

What about you?  Do you have any tips for writing catchy headlines and article titles?

Home: The Center of Life

Hey,

In this age of securing professionals for everything, we have lost sight of one key truth.

God ordained the home to be the center of ministry.

There are tons of examples in the Bible and in history where small things started in homes.
Jeff Bezos started Amazon in his garage.
Pierre Omidyar started Ebay in an apartment.
Sergei Brin and Larry Page started Google in their college dorm room.
And look where they are today!

My family has personally experienced that on a much smaller scale with the conference we just hosted two weeks ago.

Entrepreneur Days, which served over 300 guests from 30 states including Alaska, California, Washington, and Florida, started in my living room just a few years ago.
We even had guests from Saudi Arabia and Canada.

This past weekend, I wanted to host a double baby shower for my daughter and my daughter-in-law and so my old friends could meet my son-in-law and my daughter-in-law.

But since I have been a bit busy with the conference lately, my house isn’t in “show shape.”
In fact, parts of it are trashed.

I considered renting the hall at the volunteer fire station down the road so I wouldn’t have to clean the house.

But I started thinking about my purpose, as I always do.

Home is supposed to be the center of ministry. It always has been.

So I rounded up the kids and we focused on cleaning the public spaces.
We just shut the doors to the rooms we didn’t get to.
Ever done that?
(I know you have!)

So yesterday, we had a glorious event! The boys all stayed.
My son, Drew, even stayed and played our silly baby games.
He didn’t win the diapering competition but his energy efficient house stories and his $66 power bill during a month when temperatures averaged over 100 degrees was popular with the ladies.
(He’s building super energy efficient houses these days.)

After the event when all the guests had left, the kids were in such a great mood that I didn’t want to leave them to go to bed.
That’s what home is supposed to be like.

If life at your house isn’t what you’d like it to be, pray that the Lord gives you wisdom to change what needs to be changed.

Learn how to balance all the people and activities so you always keep the main thing the main thing.

(That’s why women are multi-taskers!)

When we keep our priorities right by honoring our spouse and children and focusing on establishing home as a place of ministry, God is pleased.
And everybody else is happy too!

So many books, so little time…
Rhea!

who wants to help you make your home the center of your business as well!
Learn how with eBay this Wednesday night in Raleigh, NC:

http://www.RheaPerry.com/ncebay

Not Everybody is Working for the Weekend

One of the 7 Habits of Highly Successful People is to think backwards. Stephen Covey
said so, not me.

In fact, I say, “Go read his book.”

When people my age were growing up, we graduated from high school, then looked at
each other and said, “Now what?”

A few went to college, a few got good jobs, but most of us did what everyone in high
school is thinking about.
We got married.

In high school, the most important thing was to have somebody to go steady with.
After high school, the next best thing was to get married.

So those of us who followed this SMART philosophy, found ourselves married with little
education, no money, rent to pay, a car payment to finance and usually… a baby on the way.
So we found an apartment to rent, and got a job.

Then we spent the next 40 years stuck in a rut.
Get up in the morning and eat.
Go to work.
Come home at night and eat.
Watch TV.
Go to bed.
Get up in the morning and eat.
Go to work.
Come home at night and eat.
Watch TV.
Go to bed.
What a life.

Maybe if you’re lucky, you can retire at 59 instead of at 65.
That is, unless you get laid off.

So if that doesn’t sound appealing to you, try thinking backwards.

Instead of just going along with the flow, ask yourself what you want to do with your life.
Make a list of all the things you want to do and make another list of all the things you
don’t want to do.
Keep it in a notebook or tape it to the wall above your bed so you don’t forget.

Then decide now to start working on doing the stuff on the “Want To” list.
Figure out what you want to be when you grow up and make that an ongoing unit study.
When you figure out what cranks your tractor, write it on the bottom of the page. Circle it.
Then let that steer your education.

Don’t get distracted along the way by all the pretty little things that can drag you off on
rabbit trails. Don’t think about girls, what color pick-up you want to drive or where you
want to live. Focus on what you need to learn so that you can make a good living.

Start with the end goal in mind and work backwards.

Then, once you’re truly smartly on your way, buy a house.
Take a course or read a book on how to buy a house, by a real estate
investor. You don’t have to have money to buy a house, but you do have to have
knowledge.

Once you have chosen your career path and are on your way, THEN look around you for
the woman of your dreams.
You might be surprised to find she is already right there doing something insignificant in
your life.

You never noticed her before because you were focused on what you needed to be doing.
You were busy getting ready for your life journey.
But now that you are on your way, she is already on the same path. And amazingly she is
headed in the same direction that you are!

How marvelous!
So now the two of you can continue on your merry way together!
While everyone else is aiming for the weekend, you aim for 20 years from now.

THEN you’ll have the real advantage!

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