10 Tips for Balancing Work & Motherhood

10 Tips for Balancing Work and Motherhood

I found this article that may help you balance work and motherhood . . . especially if you are a WAHM.

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There's no magic formula for making sure you have enough time for both, but these 10 smart tactics can help.   By Lisa Druxman

Although there's no secret recipe to balancing work and motherhood, there are thousands of women out there who have learned to do it successfully, women who've taken on this challenge before us and have come out on top.

I've been fortunate to have the opportunity to interview many, many entrepreneurial moms. And without fail, at some point during our conversation, they all say the same thing: "When I'm working, I feel like I should be with my kids. But when I'm with my kids, I feel like I should be working." But that guilt doesn't stop us from striving for success in both work and as a mother--we want to be able to do them both and do them both well. And if you ask any mom entrepreneur, they'll probably tell you what they're doing now is the most rewarding thing they've ever done. It's certainly not easy, but it's worth it.

I know for a fact that any one solution won't work for everyone. But I've found some common themes among the successful working moms that I know, and here are their 10 tips for being both a terrific mom and business owner.

Create a Schedule and Stick to it

Top Avon Representatives will tell you that they work when they want to, and fill their work calendar around their life calendar. One calendar with everything on it, that you can carry with you at all times. This is a critical component for any successful Representative. You need to know WHEN you want to (and are able) to work. Mark it on your calendar. By scheduling and utilizing time that is set aside to work, you'll be way ahead.

When you know your next two or three available work dates at a moment's notice, people take you and your business more seriously.

Schedule time on your calendar to practice your demo, take a course or two on Avon’s Beauty of Knowledge training site, download a DSWA tele-class to your mp3, read up on product knowledge or network. Do SOMETHING to G-r-o-w your business.

Grow your business means doing any of the following:

Ways to Advertise your Business

As a direct sales rep. there are many ways to advertise your direct sales business besides online and one of them is to advertise a business on your car! Read more tips for offline advertising below:

Importance of Offline Marketing
by Kara Kelso
http://www.directsaleshelpers.com/

The internet is a wonderful source of information and millions of people that could be your customer. Although we need to keep in mind that there are millions of others just like you fighting for that business. This is why it's important to tap into the offline world - people that you would never meet online. Starting with your local community, let's talk about a few things that you could do to market offline.

Make Good Money with Avon by . . .

Increasing Your Sales, Setting Goals and Planning.

by Theresa Austin Paul on Wednesday, September 28, 2011 at 10:44pm

How much would you like to make each campaign? We all would love an extra $100-$300-$500 or so every 2 weeks right? Can you go get another job? Leave the kids? Hire a sitter? Is your boss going to give you that raise? well then...

GIVE YOURSELF A RAISE!!

Does $300 a month sound good to start? How can you do that with AVON? Break it down. That's $150 every 2 weeks. You can earn $150 a campaign easy!!!

Sell $425 at 40% earnings and you can profit up to $170. This varies of course because of fixed earnings items, and business tools, But you CAN profit $150 and more every 2 weeks.

Now, you're asking "How will I sell $425-$500 a campaign?"

Revenue Producing Activities

Do you have trouble getting things done? Each night, before you go to bed, write down 10 things that you need to do to move your business forward. Put this where you'll see it first thing in the morning. Then, do those things BEFORE you do anything else. (Except, get your coffee of course, LOL!) These are your Revenue Producing Activities - RPAs - You'll soon be having much greater success as you focus on what matters most!

#15 - How to Approach a New Customer

Day #15 - How To Approach a New Customer
By Bob Oros


"I forgot they were coming!"

"I wonder how long this is going to take."

"My production supervisor is on vacation."

"My office manager called in sick this morning!"

"YIKES! Look at all the stuff they have with them!"

"There are two of them - they will probably never stop talking."

"This is going to take forever - I've got to do something - fast."

"I see they have a price book - good - I know how to get rid of them."

"I'll get a price quote on something and tell them they are way too high."

If you are having the door slammed in your face before you even have a chance to say hello - you may be doing it wrong.

Let me explain.

What is an E-Representative with Avon?

What is an E-Representative?

An E-representative is an Avon representative that has their own website or webstore where customers can place their orders and have them shipped directly to their homes. You have the ability sell to anyone in the United States from your website. If they live in your town, they have two delivery options - 1) they can have you deliver and collect for the order or 2) they can pay for the order with their credit/debit card and have it shipped directly to their house. If they place a $30.00+ order the shipping is FREE otherwise, it's only $3.00. If they do not live in your town, they have one option - See option #2 above.

What are the advantages?

#10 - How to Be Different

How can you be different in your Avon or direct sales business?  I am trying to be one of the "different" ones by learning how to be a better sales person and not just an order taker.  It is a work in progress but reading these articles is helping me do just that.

Happy Selling!

 Karen Whitney

BUY/SELL AVON
www.youravon.com/karenwhitney


Day # 10 - How To Be Different

by Bob Oros

Give me one good reason why I should buy from you!
I get sales people calling me all the time. You all look alike - sound alike - make the same promises, what makes you any different?

You have to separate yourself from the competition. You have to be different. You have to be better.

One of the best ways to separate yourself from the competition is to know everything there is to know about your products and services. If you know what you are talking about, the customer feels it and starts trusting what you say.

#8 - How to Guarantee Your Success

I think Mr Oros is a mind reader! 

In the article below he says "The toughest door to open is the one that gets us out of the house early . . .".

That IS my toughest door to open!!  However, once I DO open that door . . . I get so much accomplished! Go figure!!  Not only in my business but in my home life too.  For some reason, if I stay inside, glued to the computer, I get nothing else done all day long. 

#7 - Why Motivation Programs Fail . . .

Okay . . . time for me to be honest!  What Bob Oros says in this next article is SO TRUE!!!  Because I do spend hours and hours and hours reading others blogs or websites, search the internet for what I think will bring me my success and give me more motivation, I read what others post on FB and Twitter just to see if somebody has the "next best tip" for me. 

Has that earned me the success that I'm looking for?  NO! 

Taxes and Avon

Well, here we are another year gone!  Here is an article I wrote in 2010 about Avon and Taxes.  I thought now was a good time to re-post it for the upcoming tax season.
What do taxes have to do with selling Avon?
by Karen Whitney

Before I start, I need to mention that I am by no means an expert on taxes so please take what I have to say as a guideline and talk to your local IRS office or tax expert for the current rules and regulations.  However, this will give you a head start on what kind of records you need keep to make tax reporting time go more smoothly.

Unfortunately, when you own a business, you must deal with the Tax Man.  Your Avon business is no different.  Having said that, each individual's circumstances will vary.  So it is very important that you speak with your local IRS office, a tax expert. 

Because you are considered an indepedent contractor, Avon does not withhold taxes from your earnings, and tax reporting is solely your responsibility.  But don't let taxes scare you away from selling Avon.  In fact, it will give you a lot of tax deductions to use on your personal tax return.

Recordkeeping for your business doesn't have to be difficult and if you keep good records, you can ensure that you will receive the benefit of every tax deduction you have coming your way.  Here is a short list of some of the items to keep:

#6 - Are you worried about sales?

WOW!!  As I read "Day #6 - Are you worried about sales?"  a couple of things came to my mind.  The first thought was about my husband, who has been a salesman for most of our 34 years together. 

About a year after we got married, he got a job as a salesman for a large coffee company earning a teeny-tiny base salary plus commission to start.  After about a year they would "step down" the base salary and he would be paid by "commission only".  I thought our lives had ended that day!!  You see my husband was (and still is) a very quite, reserved, shy, not an "in your face" kind of person.  What was he thinking, taking a position as a salesman on a commission basis?  Had he gone crazy?  We are doomed!!

#5 - All Talk No Action . . .

Day #5 of Bob Oros "Dominate your Market" . . .

Are you an ATNA kind of person?  I am too!  However, that is going to change!

Happy Selling!

Karen Whitney

All Talk No Action
by Bob Oros

You know the type. They tell you about all the big plans they have, all the great things they are going to do and end up doing nothing!  Being an ATNA is kind of like buying on credit. They get the "high" of showing off what they bought, but they don't pay their bill.

#4 - Could it be this simple?

Day #4 of Bob Oros "Dominate your Market" . . .

As you will see in this next installment of Bob's eBook, sales is sales is sales.  It doesn't really matter if you are selling food, books, makeup or tools.  If you don't get out there and see people on a regular, perferably daily, basis, you are probably not going to succeed.

As an Avon Representative it is suggested that you make a point to talk to three new people every day and to get their contact information. 

Setting up a route . . .

In 2010 we bought a Ford Flex that had MS Sync installed in it.  That meant that I, for the first time EVER, had GPS at the tip of my fingers!!!  WOW!!!  What a great feature!

My husband on the otherhand didn't think that we really needed it.  I have to admit, I didn't think we did either.  Then I remembered my Avon business and how it would be of great use to me when making my Avon deliveries.  You see I meet people at places I frequent during the course of my day and they don't necessarily live in my area.  So this GPS is a WONDERFUL way to find the addresses that I don't know when making my deliveries.

#1 - Swear in for 30 Days . . .

My husband has been in the food sales business for over 15 years.  His boss sends him various articles thruought the year on how to be a better salesman.  What's funny is my husand just missed $4,000,000.00 in sales for this company, even after losing a VERY big account last year. 

Here is a portion of an E-book my husband received written by Bob Oros, who is a sales trainer for food service distributors, wholesalers and manufacturers, called "Dominating your Market".  It includes a "30 day plan of attack" that I think can be helpful to us in our businesses.