San Francisco Sea Lion Syndrome 12/31/2009
Where has all of your down line gone? Are you doing what it takes to keep and build your business? Do not let what happened to Pier 39 in San Francisco happen to you. One day in 1990 Sea Lions headed into the Bay because of the herring population, giving them vast quantities of food. Then the day after Thanksgiving 2009 over 900 Sea Lions just disappeared! Where did they go? Why did they go? So after 20 years and building a tourist attraction around the Sea Lions, they just up and left. Did the city of San Francisco, the locals and the tourists just always believe they would have the luxury of seeing these incredible creatures day after day, year after year? I suppose so because why would they even consider leaving. This happened in much the same way when you are building your business and your client base is getting bigger and bigger or your down line is growing by leaps and bounds and you just glide along thinking that they will always be there. Unless you are constantly in front of your client base or keeping in touch with your down line through duplication, then this could very well happen to your business. What do you do to keep your business growing? How are you nurturing your clients and/or downline to come back again and again or continue to grow their downlines? Don't let your business become a Pier 39! IS YOUR EMPLOYER SPYING ON YOU? 12/22/2009
Here is an article I found in Career Builder by Ed Orumthat I am sure will get you thinking and even may get you scrambling a bit. I hope it at least makes you aware of your rights as an employee and the rights of your employer. For those of us home based business owners...well, we don’t even have to worry or think twice about any of this (unless of course we have employees!) So to those of you still in the corporate trenches, trying to make a living while making someone else rich, take note!!!  It's a high tech world out there, and employers have more tools to keep their eyes on you than ever before. You might wonder why your company cares to listen into your phone conversations or check your email accounts - it's not necessarily meant to make your life miserable. Most often, a company is just protecting it's assets. It wants to keep productivity high, corporate secrets from getting out and keep track of anything that can save money or help in a dispute. So how exactly are they keeping tabs on you? 1. PHONE CALLS In most cases your employer can listen in to your phone calls to keep you on your toes while you're talking to customers or clients. If you're allowed to make personal calls from your office phone, your company is supposed to stop listening in if they realize it's not work-related, unless you're specifically prohibited from making personal calls. In that case management can listen in to whatever happen on the line. Many companies also keep records of every phone number dialed and how long the call stayed connected. To protect yourself: It's best to step outside and use your own personal cell phone or a pay phone. (Pay phone....did he say pay phone? Do they still make those things?!!!) 2. COMPUTER Where do we start? Just about anything you do on your work computer can be logged, monitored, sliced, diced and analyzed. There are programs that watch where you're going on the web (and block access to certain sites), programs to monitor how much data you're consuming, how long you're spending on websites and what you're typing into the keyboard. Don't think for a second that using a private browsing mode or clearing your history will wipe your tracks - since data is traveling through your corporate network, there's always a record. To protect yourself: Limit the amount of personal sites you visit and assume everything you do on your computer is being monitored - whether your company tells you it is or not. 3. EMAIL Your employee email address is being watched. Whether anyone is looking at its contents is a moot point. Emails are sent and received through the company network, and that means a record of their contents is kept long after you hit the delete button. Companies can easily install programs that scan email messages for keywords they might be interested in monitoring. Sending email through your personal account might not protect you either - there are ways companies can watch what you say here too, by taking screenshots when you load up a webmail program. To protect yourself: Don't send or receive personal messages with your corporate email account. If you must read that LOL forward while on the job, get a smartphone with an email plan - one that isn't company owned. 4. VOICEMAIL Remember those dirty voicemail messages leaked out over the Internet that Pat O'Brien left for a girlfriend a few years back? They just go to show how easy it is for recordings to make their way out of the receiver and into the real world. Voicemail has gone high tech these days - rarely are messages recorded on tape. Voicemail systems are digital and companies can easily store messages for an indefinite time. There are also programs that can transcribe messages and flag keywords the company is interested in keeping track of. To protect yourself: Ask friends and family members not to leave you voicemails at work, and don't leave anything on a voicemail message you wouldn't want distributed far and wide on the net, or in court, or anywhere else it might bite you back. 5. VIDEO CAMERAS Federal law does not prohibit employers from using video cameras in the workplace. Most of the time, video monitoring is used for security reasons, but cameras are so small and inexpensive these days companies say "why not?" Companies can generally install cameras in most public places, with the exceptions being places like locker rooms or bathrooms. Cameras can be used to monitor security, productivity and more, and employees don't necessarily have to be told or agree to being monitored. Whether audio is being recorded depends on state laws, which vary. To protect yourself: Don't do anything at work you wouldn't want replayed over and over on YouTube. 6. RFID It was so nice of your company to issue you an ID badge that magically opens doors around the office, right? Yes and no. The same little card that makes it simple to enter the office with a swipe is also tracking your comings and goings. RFID stands for Radio Frequency Identification Technology, and companies big and small use some form of it. While you might not be required to punch a timecard, if you're swiping your ID badge near or through a reader, your company knows when you arrive to work, enter the building or any room that requires a swipe. Too many raids on the supply closet could raise a red flag. So can a late night adventure to the office. To protect yourself: Don't let co-workers use your badge, and be sure to report it lost or stolen so you aren't held liable for unauthorized use. 7. TEXT MESSAGES We hardly think twice when we exchange these little blips of information between friends, coworkers and more on our cell phones. While companies have historically been able to read messages sent through company devices, work-issued cell phones are still a bit of a contention, at least when it comes to actual text messages (not emails). There is a case that has gone to the Supreme Court that could change this blurry line. A police officer contends that he was fired after his supervisor read texts he sent without his permission. The employer says it's their right to read anything sent with company owned devices. The officer said he had an expectation of privacy, and was told he could use the work device for personal reasons. To protect yourself: While this issue is hammered out, you're better off sending personal messages using your own device. 8. FACEBOOK, TWITTER, INSTANT MESSAGE, ETC. You might want to think twice before updating your status at work. Your company can easily track what you're saying on these services, and might have a problem with you mouthing off on company time. Companies have software so sophisticated they can instantly generate a list of the "top offenders," a list of employees who spend the most amount of time on these sites. You probably don't want your name on these lists. Also, just because instant messages are seemingly fleeting, that doesn't mean your company can't keep track of what you're saying. In fact, four employees were recently let go from their jobs when a scan of their IM history revealed they were talking about fantasy football in a workplace with strict rules against in-office gambling. To protect yourself:Ask your company what their policy is with regards to social networks and if you must tell your friends "what are you doing" then do it fast and without lingering on the page all day long. 9. GPS Ever take a company car somewhere, or does your company give you a car to use? It could be outfitted with a GPS tracking system that reports back location info and more. Since it's company property, your employer has an interest in knowing what's going on with that vehicle, even if they're not there in person to see it. What kind of information can be reported back to home base? Just about anything you can think of, including how fast you drove, a map of where you went, the distance traveled, where you parked and for how long, and more. There are also programs that can give your boss a live look at exactly where your GPS outfitted vehicle is. To protect yourself: Assume your vehicle has a tracking chip and drive accordingly. 10. PRINTER Ah, the company printer. Such a great way to save money by sparing your ink at home. Such a seemingly innocent way to get a little extra benefit out of your office. Problem is, your printer use might not be so private. Companies use printer activity monitoring software to keep track of the documents printed, which employees print the most, the number of pages printed, the computer that sent the job to the printer and more. While this information is generally used to monitor and reduce printer costs, it can also be used to generate a list of the worst offenders in the printer pool. With more and more companies going green, you don't want to be seen as a resource, hog, do you? To protect yourself, only print when necessary and leave the personal print jobs for home. Thank you Mr. Orum for making us aware of what our employers are doing...and may be doing behind our backs. Now WE MUST all remember that we are (well I am not!) the employees and we really need to be focused on our job while we are there and not using company time for personal activities. However, if I am going to be focused on any job all day, it might as well be my own business where I have control of everything and all of my surroundings. Don’t you think?  SOOOOOOO ARE YOU READY TO “FIRE YOUR BOSS” AND START BEING YOUR OWN? With only a few days before Christmas, I hope you are all into the Spirit. I wish you all a Very Merry Christmas. ON THE ROAD AGAIN....yeee haaaaa! 12/16/2009
 Well my bags are packed and I am ready to go...well it is hard to leave 80 degree weather in Clearwater to go to 19 degrees in Chicago...BUT I would do it any day and ten times over because that is where my family is. When I wake up each day, I feel really blessed to know that I have the control over what happens. I am the CEO of my own company. I am the boss. Sometimes, it’s hard to earn that CEO title and more than a bit scary to know that I have no one to push me but me. BUT having my own business gives me the time freedom and financial means to do what I want, when I want and with whom I want...ESPECIALLY my family. Consider having your own business?...I can help. IF I CAN DO IT, SO CAN YOU.  Bird's eye view at Chicago.....BEAUTIFUL! Dedicated to Mary and Jim 12/12/2009
 Sunset for Mary and Jim I do my best work at the beach. In fact, I have a few favorite "offices" that I frequent to either work on the computer or return my prospect calls. Today I spent the afternoon down at Pass-A-Grille Beach, FL at the Brass Monkey overlooking the Gulf enjoying an early dinner and setting up by broadcasts for Monday. What a wonderful way to work! Before heading in, my husband and I decided to take a stroll along the beach...it was a warm evening for being so late in the year. Absolutely beautiful. About 75 with a light breeze and the cool sand between my toes. As I was walking, (I wish I had brought a flashlight, as I never like to miss an opportunity to pick up any pieces of glass or bottle caps that I may find that the sea has washed up...and of course I am always picking up seashells! I am addicted to picking up seashells!!!) Anyway, I noticed this couple on a small blanket, big bottle of wine and a bit of food laid out. Very nice, very romantic. Unfortunately she (Mary) couldn't light the candle because her matches had gotten wet. She jumped up in front of me and inquired as to my having a lighter. I was heart broken that I didn't. Thankfully for my health's sake I don't smoke, but for the romantic evening for Mary and Jim, I at least wished I would have been better prepared for such an occasion. So reminder to self: bag for bottle caps, glass and washed up cups and stuff, bag for seashells, flashlight and now lighter in case I happen upon a young or young at heart couple who enjoy the beach as much as I do. So Mary and Jim, I hope you found a match or lighter and hopefully one day we will be picnic-ing on the same beach one glorious evening and we will be prepared. Celebrating Romance!  The Will to Win 12/09/2009
As I was sitting here at my computer waiting for my phone broadcast to finish, so I can start returning calls to my new prospects, I was going through documents on my computer. I save things that I think "one day" I am going to read or use or send. Anyway, I came across this and would like to just post it to pass it on.  I believe a quality that’s important for all of us to acquire (if we don't already have it) is a “will to win.” You can’t defeat a will to win. Show me a man or woman who is totally obsessed with being somebody, and I’ll show you a person who can figure out a way to win. It doesn’t really matter how high the odds are stacked against them, and it doesn’t matter how long or how hard they have to work to get there. Show me someone that wants it so bad he can’t sleep at night, and I’ll show you a person who’s going to go out there and become a success. Many people have been so beat up in their lives by the companies they work for and by people they know, that they’ve become cynical about everything. They think that everybody is out to get them, and they lose their ability to trust. Those kinds of people have a lot of difficulty winning. But show me someone who is willing to go out there and take a chance, willing to dream, and willing to pay the price, and I’ll show you a person who can do something great and become a success, in this free enterprise system! Cheers to all of you entrepreneurs. Celebrating your success. Family Ties 12/07/2009
Hi Everyone, as you many of you know I am one of those people who always sees the glass half full and try to find the positive in every situation. In these difficult times for so many people, I know how hard that can be. I met these wonderful people because the were neighbors of mine...unfortunately for way too short of time. But I can tell you that each and every time I spoke to them and watched them with their children, I wished I could go back to when mine were younger. Time goes by much too quickly and with my youngest going to be 24 next month and my oldest at 28 (I have 4...and twins at 26) I can tell you it goes by waaaaaaaaaaaay too fast. So take a moment, and enjoy a little clip from some wonderful friends of mine that exude "family" through and through. (Sorry some of it may not fit on the screen...enjoy!) SO MUCH TO LEARN...SO LITTLE TIME 12/05/2009
 OK, so how can we get more time out of our 24 hour days? Please someone tell me why time goes by so fast since I started doing my business on the computer. There are days that I sit and ponder, how in the world I was a "stay-at-home...24 hour on demand...mom" for 25 years and I did everything I needed and had to to raise and take care of my family. As I look back at the end of my days now with all of this computer time, I just can't help but wonder where time is going. I have been told that it goes even faster as we grow older...YIKES, at 51 it is already going at the speed of light! A friend sent me this information, so that I can read, learn and do more!!!! It is so valuable that I would like to pass it on to you. I am not sure where it came from or who wrote it, as I would like to give credit where credit is due. Although I am sure it was meant as info to be passed along. I did check out the sites and they all look very interesting and I believe can be of vlaue to your business or if you are in need of researching for a project for school. At any rate, make sure you take a look yourself. If you have any marketing materials like brochures, presentations, a special report or white paper that you give to prospects, then you must check out the following three websites – they could very well be a goldmine of quality traffic for your business! The 3 sites are: - scribd.com - docstoc.com - slideshare.com So what’s so exciting about these sites you ask? #1. They’re free to use. Which is great for those who have a tight marketing budget. #2. Hardly any networkers know or use these sites – so that gives you a huge leg up on your competition. #3. You can upload just about any document you want and it will be automatically converted into a PDF file and instantly available for viewing and downloading. This is VERY EXCITING because not only will people read your article, they’ll also download your documents and share them with their friends – thereby helping you spread the word about your business, and before you know it, you’ll start getting people who have never heard of you or seen any of your ads start visiting your site in droves! In case you still don’t “get it” – these sites give you the ability to create a viral marketing monster and explode your business practically overnight! And finally … #4. All of these sites allow you to track the downloads and see which documents are the most popular! Now do you see why I’m so excited to share these sites with you? But before you go off and start posting just anything, let me share with you two simple tips to help you get the maximum value from these sites: Tip #1. Don’t post rehashed or poor quality content. People go to these sites for quality information. So post quality information. Remember, whatever you put online is a direct reflection of you and your business philosophies whether you realize it or not. Do you want to project a successful and professional image or a sloppy and unprofessional image? Post accordingly to your answer. Tip #2. Keep it short, sweet, simple and to the point. Your post and “freebie” shouldn’t be the next War and Peace. You want to give people the meat and potatoes quickly. But you also want to tease them a little in order to get them to visit your website. It’s a fine line to walk because on one hand, you want to give away great information, but on the other, you want to hold back a little in order to encourage and entice them to visit your website and opt-in. A great “trick” is to offer an extra bonus secret or gift at the end of the report, all they have to do to get it is visit your website and opt-in. Hope this helps. SOOOO how are you building your business? 12/04/2009
 If you are a network marketing veteran or are new to the industry, there is no away around always having to talk to people, recruit and sponsor. It is the nature of the business and of the beast! When I first was introduced to network marketing, I was a bit reluctant, but thought “oh what a concept…work and build and sustain and reap the benefits of residual income.” Since I was putting anywhere between 60 - 80 hours a week into my brick and mortar businesses, the idea of working even a normal 40 hours a week and building a network for residual income became quite appealing. However, the hard facts hit me when I was told that at around the age of 25 I should know between 2000 – 3000 people! Well since I am 51, I was thinking that I should probably know about as many people as The Yellow pages, and the kicker is that my upline wanted me to remember them all, label them and call them. WHAT?!!! Well, I did see the bigger plan and knew that the industry was an ethical and warranted one, so I thought I would give “their way” a try. I made my list, contacted the ones I could and tried to talk to the ones that would listen. I did the 3 way calls, the cold calls, the searching out prospects (you know, hang around the local coffee house, or deli, join the local chambers, and even casually work my way into a conversation with the “not so happy” looking food server or retails sales person. Ok not so bad, right? Thankfully I am a friendly person and I can easily chat with anyone, but trying to push my business on someone who really doesn’t want a business, was just not cutting it. Heck, I think my family and friends are considering joining the witness protection program. Funny thing is, is that I had only mentioned my business to them once! Hey, I was told that that was the nature of the business too. Ya know, I don’t think that we should be even taught to contact people we know and love at first. I think we should be trained and guided to build our business through marketing through other avenues to prospects that really want to take a look at a business. Then, once we are making a little money and have the confidence and know everything (at least feel comfortable enough) about the business, only then can we be allowed to let our family and friends know about our business. After all, it would be much easier when I am taking those vacations all of the time, driving that new car or supporting my favorite charity more often to bring my family and friends into the business. Let’s just say I have had enough of that way of promoting my business. After all, I want to talk to people who want to talk to me, who want to listen about having their own business, who are open minded and are seeking me to know more about what I am doing to have the time freedom and financial security that network marketing can provide. I have found a way that will help increase your income in a primary program you may be working or are you are possibly will looking for something to promote that could earn you substantial money fast. Whichever it may be, the system that I have found and I am using, has the perfect marketing tool to skyrocket your income and do it in record time. I have found this to be the tool that six figure earners are using to make their fortune. Phone broadcasting is the hottest marketing method on the net today. In a few minutes this system is ready to go. You then press the magic button and the system takes over from there. You are then free to enjoy yourself; go to the beach, go to the movies with your family or just plain relax. Then like magic when you get back you will have more leads than you can handle. You see, with phone broadcasting, it's so easy and inexpensive to send out a voice broadcast to a few thousand phone contacts and then have an avalanche of highly motivated and interested people calling you back wanting to find out about your business. How would you like to never have to cold call again? How would you like to never have to chase a prospect, but having them call you asking to join your business? How about doing this as easy as clicking a button? How about it costing only pennies compared to any other marketing technique at any price! Broadcasting has been a secret of the world's top earners for years, but not any longer. You can send your message to thousands of people for less than two cents a call, but wait it gets even better. This system even has professionally recorded calls that are free for members to use that take all of the guesswork out of doing a broadcast. My system also includes free access to millions of genealogies, biz ops and b-2-b leads as well as many other included bonuses to just plug in and you're off and running and with our print video and webinar training nothing could be easier. You can rise to the top in your primary program’s pay plan in record time and simultaneously earn an extra few thousand dollars a week by sharing this tool with the other 14 million home-based business people who desperately need this product. The best part of the system is that it funnels the people for me, allowing me to spend my time with people who want to know more about my business and how it can suit their needs. OK, really the best part is that I don’t have to cold call or chase anyone…EVER, and you won’t have to either. Check out the systems I use and you will be well on your way to building your downline faster than you thought possible.  Oprah Winfrey featured The Secret twice on her show. Oprah said she'd been using The Secret's principles all her life without knowing it, sometimes seeing her dreams come true almost effortlessly. Jack Canfield, co-creator of the Chicken Soup for the Soul series and teacher, life coach and motivational speaker, says he arrived at his enviable position in life because he knew and used the principles of The Secret. John Demartini, a former surfer/panhandler who dropped out of school at age 14 because of disabling dyslexia, later learned the philosophy behind The Secret and graduated magna cum laude with a doctoral degree. Others who devoted show time to The Secret include Larry King, Ellen DeGeneres, The Today Show, and Nightline. All over the world, standing-room-only seminars are teaching the principles of The Secret and showing people how to change their lives. The Secret is literally a life-altering phenomenon that is changing the lives of people who live not just in the United States, but all over the world. The book and DVD have made the top of every best seller list, and have sold over a million copies. In an interview with USA Today, author Rhonda Byrne explained that she discovered the ancient secret to getting everything you want through her study of religious and philosophical texts. As the tagline for the DVD says, The Secret "has traveled through centuries to reach you." Byrne gleaned ideas from great thinkers and creators, scientists and philosophers, artists and writers. It is very likely that many famous people from the past knew this universal law-for example Beethoven, Albert Einstein, Sir Isaac Newton, Leonardo DaVinci, and Abraham Lincoln.. You do not have to belong to any particular religious group to learn, use and benefit from The Secret. It's for everyone, regardless of their spiritual beliefs, IQ, education, current circumstances or station in life. In fact, the author discovered and mastered The Secret when she herself was going through a very difficult time. It helped her turn her life around, and she is eager to share what she learned with as many people as possible. Will you be one of them? Many people who are convinced The Secret works have watched the DVD and read the book again and again. Why? Because they say that each time they discover another secret, something new. Many who were skeptical decided it couldn't hurt to try anyway, and were simply amazed at the growth in their businesses and in the improvement in their relationships and health. Yes, it's true. It really can happen, and it can happen to you. This is the time. This is the opportunity. Take the first step, and I'll tell you how you can begin to tap into the great universal laws to reach your full potential. What can The Secret mean for you? That simply depends on what you want. Let's start with getting on the path to rapid prosperity, with multiple income streams that take you from a just-getting-by frame of mind to thinking like a millionaire. It can all be yours when you learn how to attract wealth and success and surround yourself with others who have learned to use the powerful principles of The Secret to find unlimited wealth, vibrant health, fulfilling relationships, and abundant success in every area of your life. With the combination of action and intention, you can accomplish anything you want to, no matter who or where you are or what you believe to be true about how the universe works at the present time. When you adjust how you think, your life will correct itself. Will you make the choice to use your own free will and determination to change your life, realizing dreams you never thought possible before? Are you concerned that you cannot let go of old ways of thinking? That old habits will pull you back into the same old rut? The Secret's teachers and others who have used it to win financial, emotional, and physical freedom have tips, tools, and strategies that will help you learn how to use the philosophy of The Secret to change your thinking and change your life! Whatever your financial, emotional, and physical realities are now, you can improve them immensely using the principles of The Secret. Are you willing to truly explore personal and business possibilities and goals that you previously thought were unattainable-not only abundant wealth, but true happiness, inner peace, and joy. One of the Principals of The Secret is that you have to be open to new opportunities. Perhaps that is why you have read this far. This is your opportunity. You, like millions of others, can quickly learn to apply the principles of The Secret to build financial success and security by starting your own home-based business. Through personal empowerment, you can accomplish anything you want to. You will learn all about how The Secret can help you build unlimited wealth. Before long, you'll find that you'll replace negativity and resentment about your life with gratitude that you have found a different path, a different way of thinking and behaving. You'll look back and wonder who that "other" person was! You can start out small if you feel you need to keep your regular job. You probably already have the only tools you need: a computer, an Internet connection, and a phone. As you practice the philosophy of The Secret, your business will begin to grow with such unparalleled speed that you will very likely be able to quit your regular job and devote your energies to accumulating wealth, all the time spending long stretches of time with your family and building strong relationships with other successful, positive people like yourself. Take a moment and give me a call. Let me share my business concept with you, so that you can create the financial freedom and security you so desire. |  Hi, my name is Andrea Pekarik Welch. Welcome to my blog and website.
I LOVE small business entrepreneurs! They keep our country alive and well and my respect for their time, attention and devotion is only second to the people who guard and protect our country, our military. Without the small business person, our economy would be even more devastated. I, myself, learned the ins and outs of the typical "brick and mortar" business and know without a doubt that I never want that kind J.O.B. (the one you "buy") rule my life ever again. I found a better way to help people, create a fabulous income and stimulate the economy. You can be in complete control of your financial future with very little overhead, no paperwork, no inventory and no employees. Be well and God Bless. Andrea  ArchivesFebruary 2010 GOD BLESS AMERICA IS THIS YOUR OFFICE? EIGHT REASONS
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