Are you ready to own your own business?

It used to be that owning a small business and working fom home is what people did as extra income or because they really liked doing and offering what they did...almost as a hobby. Nowadays, people are having to start a small business to survive because there are no public jobs. I for one love owning my own business because working from home is one of the greatest things in the world. Home is my haven and I may as well eat, sleep, breathe and work there.
If we could only for see the future and know what it holds but we can't, so I am going to concentrate on my home businesses and enjoy working from home. I will put my heart and soul into it because I do not want to have to "look" for a job in a world where there are none.
Good luck to you all and may God bless each and every one of you!

Begin Your Journey!

I am getting hyped up for my son's high school basketball team to play in the Regional Championships. I love seeing these boys succeed and go far. Succeeding is one of the most important things in life. Success is a high for everyone. To me winning it all is what everyone wants, but just being their, win or lose, you still have to realize that you succeeded...you succeeded by being there and knowing that you put forth your best effort. Having others be proud of you is a success in itself. Life is what you make it and you have to pave your own road and start your own journey. It's up to you where you end up...making your way through the ups and especially through the downs. Hold your head up high, smile and keep going...begin your journey and never let it end!

Spring's a comin'

It has been a gorgeous day! I have got Spring Fever! I can't wait until the weather breaks and I can get out and work in my yard and start mowing the grass. Spring is my favorite season. Now is a great time to start thinking about starting your own business. Craft Shows, Festivals, Parties...all great places to work your business and get to know people. I love the fact that I will not have to punch a clock this Spring and Summer. I can work when I want and as much (or little) as I want. I will be having lots of BBQ's this year with all of this free time!

Love for my family

I took my daughter to her friends...again. I guess when they get a certain age, they like to go,go,go. I am so glad that I am at home now so that I can at least be here for her during her teen years. I just tell myself that she needs me as much now as she did when she was little. She helps me so much. She is going to be a wonderful "business" person. She is so outgoing and loves making new friends. I am so glad that I will be able to turn my businesses over to her. She will already know everything there is to know. I love the fact that I own a business that I can will to my family...it eases my mind. My family is so important to me and I want to know that they will always be taken care of.

FREE Sign Ups For Level 1

Creative Scentsations is a great way to earn extra money or shop for yourself at a discount. We have country decor, candles, votives, candle decor, tarts, warmers and more. Below are the levels that you can sign up under. If you want more info, please contact me at tristarobertson@yahoo.com. The sign up special going on now is free sign ups for level 1 until March 20th. Please be sure to put my name, Trista Robertson, in as referring rep & also put in free sign up special. Go to www.countrybarn.info, click on Our Products, then click on Affiliate Sign Up on left, then fill out form and click on Join Now. You wil be emailed all the info you need to finish signing up.


Level 1

$5.00 Signup fee
$10 Month Quota
30% Commission & 5% downline.


Level 2
$20 Signup fee
You will receive a starter pack valued at $25 of various products
35% Commission
5% downline
$25 Quarterly quota


Level 3
$50 Signup fee
Receive $75 in products & samples
40% Commission
10% downline
$20 Quota per month.

Monday

I have had a great day. I got a lot done today. Got the bathroom fixed and did a few things outside. I'm still not quite used to being able to get up and not have to go to "work". I did some networking, talked to some friends and made some scent sample packets. Tomorrow I will go to the post office and mail those, carry my son to the dentist, do some more networking and go to my aunt's house and help her with a few things. Right now I am going to get on my couch. I have a pretty busy day tomorrow, but what I love about is that none of it is "work". Well, 'til tomorrow...Have a beautiful night!

Sunday Morning

Good morning. It's a beautiful, though windy, Sunday morning here in Virginia. I love Sunday mornings. This morning both the kids are with friends, my husband and I just had breakfast and now I get to sit here and relax. The house is clean, thanks to my wonderful hubby, the animals are fed and the race will be on later. At this moment, I have no worries...everything is wonderful. Later I am going to fix Mark his favorite dessert, a chocolate eclair. I love being able to get up and plan my day as I go. We have to do some work to the kid's bathroom and a few other minor things, but that will wait til tomorrow. Today we are just going to enjoy our day and be thankful for what we have and that we were able to watch the sun come up this morning! Have a beautiful day!

Random Thoughts

Today I got up, started the coffee, sit on the couch, logged on my laptop and started networking. That's the beauty of working from home...I can do it from my couch. I checked my emails, drank coffee and relaxed. The kids were at friends' houses and I took advantage of the time. I spent about an hour on the computer and then I helped my husband do some things outside. I am so ready for Spring. I can't wait to get outside and start planting flowers and working in my yard. I won't have to worry about finding the time anymore...I will be at home everyday to work outside...all day if I want to. I used to neglect my yard and flowers because I was always working, but not anymore! I will have the prettiest yard around...well I'll think so anyway. My days of neglecting what is important to me are over. I have taken control of my life and I will keep it. Everyone have a great night!

Do you love Country Decor?

My house is so full of candles and country decor because i love it. My theme is well...country! If you love it too, you can decorate your home and guests will think that they just walked into a picture in a magazine. Creative Scentsations has candles and decor to get you started or to add to what you already have. It is very reasonably priced. You can even sign up to be a consultant and get the products for up to 50% off. You can sell to others that love it! Take a look at our products and see what you think. If you want to purchase something, go ahead, you won't be dissapointed. If you want to become a consultant, click on become an affiliate and fill out the form. Don't forget to my name, Trista Robertson, in the rep who referred you section. We have yahoo groups, links to business tools and lots of info for you to be successful. I am a country decor freak and I love being able to help others, that love it too, find products that they will be happy with. If you want more info about buying the products or becoming a consultant, email me at tristarobertson@yahoo.com.

Business Start Up Costs

Most businesses require start up costs. You have to purchase kits and supplies and whatever it takes to get started. Some business start up costs are higher than others...it really just depends what all you get when you start. You also have to pay monthly fees for most businesses... to have a website and business tools, etc. But that is the best way and really the only way that you will have a successful online business. Think about what some people have to pay to keep their business going...construction workers, mechanics, restaurant owners, etc. You only get out of your business what you put into it. If you work your business and build it you will not have to worry about paying the monthly fees, the money will be there for you to pay them out of your income. There is so much that you can claim on your taxes. All of the money that is spent on your business will be a tax write off, so you want to make sure that you keep up with everything that you pay out. I know that sometimes start up fees can be hard to come up with, but trust me, if you want something bad enough you can make it happen...where there's a will, there's a way! You have to have supplies and kits or whatever your business entails and maybe someone could lend you the money if you don't have it and pay them back when you are doing good with your business. That may help you get more motivated with your business...tell yourself that you want to prove to whoever gave you the money that you can do this and their money was not a waste. If you want to own your own home based business, you have to spend some money to make money. You have to decide if you want to make a limited income in a public job or if you want to make unlimited income at home. A home business will pay off, you just have to work it and whatever your start up cost was or your monthly fees are will not even be noticed. You can run such a successful business that you won't be able to wait to spend even more money to keep it going and to know that you are doing what you wanted to do..."Working From Home." So, don't let start up costs and monthly fees scare you...what better way to spend the money than on yourself? A home based job does not require a start up fee, but most of the time you will work it just like a public job...set hours, being in one place, doing it like someone else wants you to do it. The freedom is not there like it is with a home based business. If there is any way for you to come up with the start up fee to start your home based business, it will be so worth it. Good luck to everyone and I hope that everything will work out for all of you! There are some things you can do without paying up front, but having some product on hand is always a good idea. There are also some businesses that cost very little to start.

Putting my heart and soul into my business

I have always worked outside of my home as a waitress. I finally decided that I was ready to work for myself, not for someone else. If you put your heart and soul into what you want to do, you can make it happen. I missed out on a lot of my children's childhoods because I was working and someone else was taking care of them. I can't change that now, but I can make up for it by being there now. If you have dreams and you don't try to make them come true, why have them? You are the only person that can play out those dreams. You control your own destiny. I used to go to bed at night dreading to get up the next morning and going to work. I made decent money and played a big role in helping to support my family, but I also helped to support someone else. I asked myself "Why are you working so hard for someone else when you could be working this hard just for yourself?" It was then that I realized that I could do this. It takes commitment and determination, but I had that with my public job. I already know how to be commited and determined, the difference being, I will now be commited to myself and determined to make myself successful, not someone else. Your life is what you make it and if really want to succeed, put your all into it. I will be the first to admit that it is scary to venture out own your own. That is one thing that is so great about the companies that I am representatives for. You are never by yourself. You work for yourself, but not by yourself. There is so much support and terrific leadership. I for one will be there to help you along the way. I believe in helping people. You have to help others if you want to help yourself. I know that a lot of people think that they have secure jobs, but in this day and time, no "job" is secure. Places are downsizing everyday, and most have no consideration for the employees...the ones that have put their time and effort into making the "top dogs" be at the top. With your own business you can't get fired and you will not get laid off. It is your business to work it how you want, when you want. If you are happy in your "job", you can always run a work from home business part time...extra income, discounts on products, meeting new people, making friends, the list goes on and on. And just incase something does happen with your job, you are already established in your own business. You do not have to jump into it full force at first. Give it a try and see how it goes. You may find your calling and not even realize you were looking for it. It is just so nice to be able to get up in the mornings and know that I am not on a time schedule. I can sit down, have a cup of coffee, check my email and plan my day without having to worry about getting to work on time. I set my own hours and know that I can change them if I have to. That is the beauty of doing what I do...having control over my life. I control my work, my work doesn't control me. With all of this being said, please take the time to think about it and decide if you want to be your own boss or not. So many people have lost their job and now is the perfect time to take advantage of starting your own home business. You are in control of how many hours you work and how much money you make. No one else can decide those things for you. You will be the one making all the decisions. It's up to you.

It's Your Life

There are so many obstacles that life throws at us and we have to jump them and keep going. You are in control of your life and you and only you can figure out what you want to make of it. I often wonder how many people expect to succeed without trying. I started my businesses because I want to stay at home and work and to have fun while doing it. All of my businesses require determination...if you have that, you are set. You have to be determined to succeed. You have to work your business and you will prosper. I don't know of to many people that can say that they are making money without working. You have to be in it for the long haul...Do Not Give Up! Success does not happen over night. If you join any of my teams, you will enjoy yourself and meet new people and make new friends. You won't have to get up in the morning and rush. You work your own hours and make your own schedule. Like me right now, what am I doing?...I am on the computer, I am not in some office or plant or fast food restaurant. Believe me, I have been there and done that and I am thankful for all of the jobs that I have had, I just decided that they were not for me anymore. Living paycheck to paycheck is hard. That's one of the reasons I wanted to have my own businesses so that I determine how much money I bring in and when I bring it in. If I want to work overtime I do, if I don't want to, I don't. I don't worry about what tomorrow will bring...I live for today! I hold my head up high and I rejoice in knowing that I have come a long way and I will go a lot further. There have been many ups and downs in my life and I have overcome the downs by focusing on the ups. You only live once, why not make your life the best life in the world? Since I have been able to stay at home I am a better person...I don't have a bad attitude anymore and I don't blame other people for something that doesn't go my way... I am able to work my businesses the way that I want to and I don't have to clean up someone else's mess or do things the way someone else wants it done. I go to bed at night with peace of mind knowing that when I wake up in the morning I will be working for ME! There will always be choices to be made and feelings to fight, but I can honestly say that my choice was easy and the feeling that the freedom from working at home gives you is one feeling that you don't want to fight!

Does the internet really work?

Are you wondering if the internet really works? Well, I would say it does. How many people do you think use the internet daily? Hourly? I have no idea. I'm wondering myself. The key is to get on it. You have to invest time in it. It takes some serious networking to get your name out there. You can't just get online for an hour a day and say o.k., I'm done. You have to figure out a system. You have to keep up with all your social sites, forums, blogs, emails...it's never ending. If you join a group, stick with it. Check those emails ten times a day. Get on your forums and ask and answer questions. Let your presence be known. You can't just sign up on a site and never go back and update it and see who's browsing. You have to be a permanent fixture on the internet or it won't work for you. If you only have certain times that you can be online, stick to those times so that others will know when to expect you. If you work the internet, it will work for you.
Tomorrow...more on working the internet by socializing and making friends.

You Have To Be Totally Committed

You will not get rich quick when you start your own home based business, there is no such thing. You will see all kinds of ads stating that you will, but trust me, you won't. You have to work your business and build it up...how soon and how much is up to you. If you want to own your own business, it takes time to be successful. Yes, you can start on the road to success the minute you start your business, but how soon you make it to the end is all in how you work your business.
I firmly believe that the secret to your success is YOU! You have to make things happen, you have to be the leader, you have to avoid the pitfalls, you have to be totally 100% involved in your business. If you are representing a company and the company is making it and you're not, don't blame the company, your success is in your hands. The reason the company is making it is because of all the other reps that are making it and you can do it too.
Why do think there are so many people that can say "Look what I've accomplished?" It's because they put their heart and soul into making it happen. You have to have the desire and the determination to make it happen. Success will not happen overnight...you have to put an effort into it. You have to network and get your name out there. Don't be afraid to approach people. Nine times out of ten they will need or want what you are offering. If someone rejects you the first time, that's o.k., more than likely they will come looking for you later wanting what you offered them. Don't get discouraged if you face "No's"...that's part of the game. If a person says no, ask them do they know anyone that might want what you're offering. Always try to build off of no's.
I feel that the most important part of making your business successful is NEVER giving up. If there is only one thing that you do every single day, let it be to work on building your confidence more and more. If you have confidence in yourself, others will have confidence in you.

Work At Home Scams

Please be very Careful on your search for Work at Home... Here is some Information on a Typical WAH SCAM...

Assembly Work at Home: Typical Ad -- "Assembly work at home! Easy money assembling craft items. No experience necessary." This scheme requires you to invest hundreds of dollars in instructions and materials and many hours of your time to produce items such as baby booties, toy clowns, and plastic signs for a company that has promised to buy them. Once you have purchased the supplies and have done the work, the company often decides not to pay you because your work does not meet certain "standards." You are then left with merchandise that is difficult or impossible to sell.


Envelope Stuffing: Typical Ad -- "$350 Weekly Guaran- teed! Work two hours daily at home stuffing envelopes." When answering such ads, you may not receive the expected envelopes for stuffing, but instead get promotional material asking for cash just for details on money-,making plans. The details usually turn out to be instructions on how to go into the business of placing the same kind of ad the advertiser ran in the first place. Pursuing the envelope ad plan may require spending several hundred dollars more for advertising, postage, envelopes, and printing. This system feeds on continuous recruitment of people to offer the same plan. There are several variations on this type of scheme, all of which require the customer to spend money on advertising and materials. According to the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, "In practically all businesses, envelope stuffing has become a highly mechanized operation using sophisticated mass mailing techniques and equipment which eliminates any profit potential for an individual doing this type of work-at-home. The Inspection Service knows of no work-at-home promotion that ever produces income as alleged."


Chain letter: Typical Ad -- "Make copies of this letter and send them to people whose names we will provide. All you have to do is send us ten dollars for our mailing list and labels. Look at the chart below and see how you will automatically receive thousands in cash return!!!" The only people who benefit from chain letters are the mysterious few at the top of the chain who constantly change names, addresses, and post office boxes. They may attempt to intimidate you by threatening bad luck, or try to impress you by describing themselves as successful professionals who know all about non-existent sections of alleged legal codes.


Home Typist (also order taker/application taker): There are lots of home typist positions that are perfectly legitimate, but these never ask you for a fee and they are also rarely advertised online. Don't get suckered by ads that promise home typing work that require a fee. They are all variations on the email processing scam.



Appointment setter: Similar to the scam above. You are cold calling and telemarketing to set up appointments for reps to make home visits. You get paid if and only if the appointment you set up "qualifies". Guess what??? They usually don't "qualify".



Lists of companies that hire home workers: Many people get scammed into buying lists that promise hundreds of “sure bet” companies that are just waiting to hire you to work from home. The simple reality is that these lists are often just compiled from the telephone book and many of the companies on them, if the companies exist at all, don't know they're on such a list. And, the real kicker: Most of these companies don't even hire home-based workers. There are legitimate lists online, but they are totally free for you to review.


Online Business: Typical Ad -- "Turn your Home Computer into a Cash Machine! Get computer diskette FREE! Huge Selection of Jobs! No experience needed! Start earning money in days! Many companies want to expand, but don’t want to pay for office space. You save them money by working in the comfort of your home." This is typical of advertisements showing up uninvited in your e-mail—an old scheme advertised in a new way. You pay for a useless guide to work-at-home jobs—a mixture of computer-related work such as word processing or data entry and the same old envelope-stuffing and home crafts scams. The computer disk is as worthless as the guidebook. It may only list free government web sites and/or business opportunities which require more money.


Processing Medical Insurance Claims: Typical Ad -- "You can earn from $800 to $1000 weekly processing insurance claims on your home computer for health care professionals such as doctors, dentists chiropractors, and podiatrists. Over 80% of providers need your services. Learn how in one day!"


Generally, the promoter of this scheme attracts you by advertising on cable television and, perhaps, by inviting you to a business opportunity trade show at a hotel or convention center. You may be:


Urged to buy software programs and even computers at exorbitant prices; a program selling at a software store for $69 might cost you several thousands of dollars. Told that your work will be coordinated with insurance companies by a central computer. Required to pay for expensive training sessions available at a "current special rate" that will be higher in the future, and Pressured to make a decision immediately. Most likely, the expensive training sessions are superficial, and the market for your services is very small or nonexistent. The promoter may delay the processing of your job, citing a backlog or mistakes in your work. There may also be no central computer as advertised. You may be left with no way to deliver what you have promised to your clients or customers—if you found any—and with no way to earn any money on you own.


$6 Chain letter: If you’ve ever seen the $6 Chain Letter in your Inbox, you’ve experienced a pyramid scheme up close and personal. For only $6, you can make thousands or so promises the letter. A simple rule of thumb: Avoid all chain letters, especially when money is being requested. This is one letter you’ll want to avoid like the plague because not only is it totally illegal and it doesn't work


Reading books for pay: A variation on the job’s list is the Make Money Reading Books” list. This list names publishers who pay to have individuals review their manuscripts. As with the lists in #5, you can find this information for free on the Web yourself. And, while it is true that some publishing companies pay people to review manuscripts, they will advertise these positions carefully. They are not typically happy about receiving unsolicited resumes.


Email processors: Email processing is the e-version of envelope stuffing. Typically, you pay person 1 a fee of between $5-30 and then person 1 sends you your 'information kit'. This typically tells you how to take the exact same ad you replied to and send it out by email or on newsletters to convince others to send you the same fee you sent Person 1.


Written by Jennifer May
AmeriPlan® Health / Dental Plans

My Dreams

Ever wonder why you were put on this earth? I used to sit and think about what my purpose in life is. I came to the conclusion that I have to figure this out on my on and that is exactly what I did. I knew that no one else could make that decision for me. I worked for others for so long and I finally got tired of helping make other people rich. I decided that I wanted to live for myself and be successful through my own resources, not someone else's. I didn't want to be labeled as someone who helped someone else get recognized. I was tired of being the one that stood up and got introduced as being the one that "helped" with the project, but not being the one that the project belonged to, not the one that gets the credit and the success because of the project. Don't get me wrong, I love helping others and that's just what I do, but I wanted to help others that need me, not someone that "used" me. I lost my public job and I am a true believer in everything happening for a reason. It was my time to put all my options on the table and figure out what I wanted to do with my life and that's when I decided to work for me...and for my family. I feel good about myself and I feel good about being able to offer others the same freedom that I have found.
If you aren't sure what your purpose in life is, do what I did and decide now what it is so that you can start building on that decision. Everyone was put on this earth for a reason, you just have to be the one to come up with that reason. I dream big and one thing that I plan on doing is making those dreams become realities. If not me, who? If not now, when?

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