As many of you know, I don’t like to publish any “fluff” on my blog.  When I was trying to find a work at home opportunity more than 3 years ago, I was really disgusted with all the scams online.  It took me a while to learn how to weed out the scams and real opportunities.

Hands down, the best work at home opportunities are the ones where you are in control.  You set your schedule, you provide the services, you set the prices.  And the only way to do that is to start your own business.

I started my virtual assistance business more than 2 years ago after a few months of freelancing and it has been one of the best decisions I have made.  But, there was a lot of trial and error with my decision too.  I’m pretty certain that I wasted a lot of money trying to figure things out on my own.

Taking courses through VAClassroom really turned my business around.  I learned new skills and learned how to apply them in my business to get better at the services I was providing and charge more for my expertise and results.   I learned about Traffic Geyser through VAClassroom and  I can honestly say that the service is amazing.  I have seen clients’ search engine rankings improve within hours.

Mike Koenigs, the owner and one of the masterminds behind Traffic Geyser, is releasing Main Street Marketing Machines Fusion.

This is a proven system to help users with a little or no marketing experience get local small businesses start making a profit right away. What I would like you to do is go watch the video and see what Mike has to offer and get on the early bird list.

And then get ready to purchase Main Street Marketing Machines Fusion through me, and I’m going to hook you up with the following:

FREE 3 months of coaching!

I can tell you that I have been involved with Traffic Geyser for more than a year and know first hand what kind of impact this can have on starting your own business.  They provide the tools you need to succeed, but sometimes you need a little extra help.  That’s where I come in.

I am offering anyone who purchases Main Street Marketing Fusion through my link to

3 months of unlimited coaching which includes:

• Weekly 1:1 Skype or phone call – you get me for 30 minutes each week to answer your questions about how to use the system or how to market your services
• Bi-Weekly Group Coaching Call – one hour group coaching call to brainstorm, celebrate and answer any questions you may have
• Unlimited email help – have questions after the calls?  No worries, you’ll have direct access to me via email

So, go watch the video now and let me know what you think!

WARNING: Extreme rant ahead!

Seriously, I didn’t even know where to start this post.  I am so fed up and frustrated that I can’t even see straight.  This is just completely out of hand.

For those who many not have heard about Bamboopink yet, they are an “upcoming” direct marketing company that will sell fashion jewelry designed by JudeFrances Jewelry.  They are in pre-launch right now and are offering the “business opportunity” FREE.  The mere fact that they have made a free business opportunity brings out the worst in people.

Over the last couple of weeks, I have received emails, blog comments and Facebook requests from Bamboopink “consultants” that want me to join their team and earn lots of money.

A summary of most of the emails and comments I get:

“Get in on the ground floor opportunity!  It’s free to get started and you can earn a ton of money!  This is the perfect way to work from home and raise your kids. ”  blah, blah, blah

There are so many things wrong with this I have to make a list:

1. Any time you send an unsolicited email to someone you don’t know, it’s SPAM.  This is a FEDERAL OFFENSE as outlined on the FCC website.  For details go to http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/consumerfacts/canspam.html.  These “consultants” claim that they didn’t know what they were doing was SPAM and they were just trying to “help” me earn money. Seriously, give me a break. They knew it was wrong and just thought that the offer to join a company on the ground floor would be too good to resist and people wouldn’t mind.
2. There is no product available to buy right now, no one has done a home show and no one is making money.  So how can they “claim” I’ll make a lot of money?  They haven’t made any money yet!
3. This type of communication is what gives those of us in a legitimate direct sales business, a bad name. This is exactly the type of behavior people complain about and make them not want to even buy from a direct sales company much less become a consultant.

I have seen the Bamboopink consultants blast their “opportunity” all over Twitter, social networks, CafeMom, etc.  It’s upsetting to me because they are ruining the Bamboopink name and direct sales profession.

For all I know, Bamboopink could be an absolutely wonderful high fashion jewelry company with fabulous merchandise that I can’t help but want to buy.  However, I have a negative image of the company because they are allowing their future sales force to act in an unprofessional manner.  I find it hard to believe that a company in pre-launch would encourage their sales force to spam the opportunity all over the place.

Plus, this appears to be one of the work at home scams so many people are afraid of because it’s all hype and no substance.  There is no product to buy yet and the website does not detail when they will get started.  How do the consultants even know if there will be a good product to sell (one that they will be proud to represent), good fulfillment and good customer/consultant service?  All these are critical to a consultant’s success and happy customers.

There are so many companies that have paved the way and set the high standards for ethical direct sales businesses:  Mary Kay, Pampered Chef and Stampin’ Up! just to name a few.  This type of behavior just puts a black mark on our industry and there doesn’t need to be.  Unfortunately, we’re lumped together with all direct marketing businesses whether they are an official member of the Direct Selling Association or not.

The bottom line is that the only way to build a successful business – any kind of business – is to have a great product and deliver it with great customer service.  Those of us that choose to build a direct sales business and sponsor consultants to build a downline need to do it with integrity.  We have to be more interested in the other person’s goals than our own, we need to build relationships and we need to help people achieve their goals.  We need to be good examples so that our team will model our behavior.  We need to have integrity.

If you have been spamming your opportunity all over the internet, please stop.  You’re hurting your reputation and the reputation of the company you’re representing.  You’re giving the direct marketing profession a bad name.  You’re only making it harder for yourselves (and the rest of us) to do business.

Bad seeds exist in every company.  I am sure there are many wonderful future Bamboopink consultants who are starting their business the right way by building relationships and offering the potential opportunity.  But these actions have made it harder to find the diamonds in the rough.

To make it clear, I don’t have a problem with consultants that are sharing the opportunity in a “new” post within the social networks to let others know of the business and allow them to make a decision on their own.  My “complaint” is with those consultants who reply to people who are looking for a work at home opportunity about Bamboopink and make hyped up claims about a company that hasn’t even launched yet.  And of course the consultants who spam blogs, contact form and emails.

I thought it was almost laughable that a direct quote from Bamboopink’s website says, “Since word got out that we were launching Bamboopink, it has become one of the most anticipated and talked about direct market jewelry company in recent times.” Unfortunately, the “word” is negative from my perspective.

I’m not alone.  Many of us have been talking about this epidemic on Twitter and I invite you to read Shelly’s post on her Work At Home Business Options website.  She was more PC than I was with her first post, she didn’t name any names.  But we all knew what company she was talking about.

OK, so I am sure I have ruffled a few feathers.  What do you think?  Have you heard of Bamboopink before this post?  Have you been spammed with the opportunity?  Post your comments below!

I was given the opportunity to review Loretta Oliver’s Transcription Crash Course a few months ago and I’ve finally had a chance to review the whole thing.  I am so upset with myself that I had not done this before!

There are so many things I liked about this transcription course that I am going to list them with a brief explanation – otherwise this might get too long and you’ll stop reading:

1. The Transcription Crash Course is brief yet very comprehensive on how to start a transcription business.  Loretta goes out of her way to show you the bare bones necessities of what you need to start the business without making a huge financial investment. She also provides a prioritized list of things you “need” to get going and things that will help you make your business run more efficiently when you can afford to purchase some of the equipment like noise cancelling headsets down the road.
2. The course is a very easy read and provides FREE resources to get your business up and running.  Loretta even provides ideas on how you can get your business going whether you want to find a job, work or your own clients.  And yes, there is a difference.
3. There is even a detailed section on how to format your document for a client, as well as a discussion of what to charge and how to structure your fees.  I will tell you that this is one of the most difficult things to figure out when you first start your business.  Charge too little and you will attract undesirable clients, charge too much and you will not have as much work as you’d like without the referrals and experience needed to charge those rates.

Overall, the Transcription Crash Course is a good tool for anyone who is interested in starting their own business transcribing.  But the value doesn’t stop there, Loretta provides bonus reports on how to deal with the slow times in your business and what to do about them, time management and optimizing the time you have available to work and 10 tips on how to communicate with your clients.

As if that weren’t enough, once you purchase the Transcription Crash Course, Loretta will send you periodic updates to questions she’s received and helpful tips like how to get your family to take you and your new business seriously.  Honestly, that could be a course all by itself!

Now, for the price…while I really should let you determine the value on your own, I will step in and say that the course is very reasonable for all the content and help you get.  I’ve paid more for online courses and have received less content and follow up than Loretta Provides.

You can follow Loretta on Twitter at www.Twitter.com/retta719 and ask her any questions at any time.  She is available to help whenever she can and I can attest to the fact that she’s on Twitter…a lot.  That’s how we met

Thanks Loretta for the opportunity to review the Transcription Crash Course for my readers!  I hope it helps someone on their work at home journey!

FTC Disclosure:   Loretta contacted me and offered me a free copy of her Transcription Crash Course because she thought it would be a good thing for my work at home mom and aspiring work at home mom audience.  Even though I did not pay for this item, the opinions are all mine and I was not compensated by Loretta in any way for this review.  However, if you find this review helpful and click the links to purchase the course, then I will receive an affiliate commission for referring you to the product.

Some of you have sent me personal messages about what you’d like to see on this blog.  THANK YOU!  This blog is for you, to help you find a work at home opportunity.  I want to provide you the information you need!

So, what did they ask for?

More information on direct sales.  But not the usual companies like Mary Kay, Tupperware, Pampered Chef, Avon, etc.  Everyone mentioned they already know great consultants in their area that are with these companies.  They want to see NEW direct sales companies to explore the possibilities and see the new products.

While some of you are just getting used to the idea of a direct sales career, others have tried some and liked what they had.  They like the flexibility of the business, the products, and the income potential.  Now, it’s just a matter of finding the right company for them. I have an update for you:  I’ve contact a couple of new companies for information.  Hopefully I will have some new products and companies to highlight for you soon!

But don’t worry if you don’t want to do direct sales.  I will still be providing you with information on other work at home opportunities.

THANKS again for letting me know what you want to see.  As always, I look forward to your feedback.  YOU CAN FIND A LEGITIMATE WORK AT HOME BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY!

Being a work at home mom is a wonderful thing.  I get to be here for my girls every single day, watch them grow and develop.  However, there are challenges that cannot be ignored…

Your kids won’t sleep when you need them to. I work hard to schedule meetings, webinars and training while my kids take a nap or before they wake up in the morning.  They are usually like clock work except when I have something scheduled.  For example, this morning I scheduled a meeting at 6 a.m. my time (8 a.m. EST) with a prospective customer. I woke up at 5:30 a.m. to get going so I wouldn’t sound like I just woke up. And, wouldn’t you know it, my oldest daughter woke up crying at 6:20 a.m.  I couldn’t get her back to sleep so I had to reschedule the call.

One of the things I firmly believe in, is telling the truth to all prospective clients and customers.  Everyone I work with knows I have two babies and they come first.  Most are very understanding, and have no problem with rescheduling, or hearing them in the background.  Thankfully, my girls are good and don’t make too much noise.

While life is full of hiccups and challenges, you have a few extra to manage when you work from home.  However, you need to be flexible and calm with your work plans.  Remember, you work from home to take care of your kids so they should stay the priority!

This is a great article about the benefits of starting a home-based business in direct sales!  Ivette

by Shelly Hill

When it comes to working from home, often times you will find people looking into a business with a Direct Sales Company. If you are like me, you have tried working out in the corporate and/or retail world…but found that it doesn’t suit you or your family’s needs.

Lets take a look at all of the benefits of joining a Direct Sales Company.

1. Be Your Own Boss – As a consultant, you are basically your own boss. You determine how much or how little you want to work. With that being said, you do represent a particular company and will still have to follow their rules and guidelines.

2. Save Money On Childcare – If you are a parent, a lot of times when you work outside your home, 50-75% of your paycheck is spent on daycare expenses.

3. Flexible Working Schedule – You can set up a flexible working schedule to suit your family’s needs. When you need off work for vacation, sick or family time, it’s much easier to do when you work from home.

4. Business Expenses – By joining a Direct Sales company, you will have manageable business expenses such as: adding new products to your demonstration kits and paper business supplies. If you worked outside your home, you would have transportation, clothing, food and other miscellaneous expenses. In my experience, working from home is a lot cheaper than working in the corporate or retail world.

5. Product Inventory – These days, the majority of companies do not require that you stock products in your own home. You can place your customer’s order and have it shipped directly from the company, to your customer’s front door.

6. Business Training – You will find that most companies offer free or very low cost training to their consultants. This training is a valuable business education that you can certainly afford.

7. Company Rewards – Every company has a different way of rewarding it’s sales force members. You are usually rewarded with free products and/or money bonuses when you meet certain sales or team building goals. When doing my research, I saw such things as: trips to tropical destinations, diamond jewelry, electronics and yes…even cars!

8. Little to No Stress – In my personal experience, I find it a lot less stressful to work from home in Direct Sales compared to working out in the corporate world. I don’t have to commute, deal with gossip in the workplace, nor have to meet crunch time deadlines.

If you are looking to work from home, I think you should consider joining a Direct Sales Company. For those of you who have families, this might be your smartest career move as the benefits can make life much easier for you and your family.

Shelly Hill has been successfully working from home in Direct Sales since 1989 and is a manager with Tupperware. Shelly worked in the corporate world for several years before moving into Direct Sales. You can visit Shelly online at  www.workathomebusinessoptions.com for additional Direct Sales articles and home business tips.

Article Source: www.wahm-articles.com

In this last post of Work at Home Moms Really Exist series, I wanted to mention the the growing niche of Virtual Assistance is taking the online business by storm! Virtual Assistants, or VAs for short, are helping business owners take care of the “tasks” to allow them to get back to their business.  There are many definitions of a virtual assistant, but in a nutshell, a VA is a business professional  that works remotely from their home by using their computer, phone and fax to communicate with their clients.  VA’s are self employed (independent contractors) who provide high quality support to business owners in need.

The skills needed to be a virtual assistant are only limited by your talents.  For example, there are some VA’s who offer traditional office support such as word processing, presentation formatting, customer service and gift purchasing.  But, in today’s fast paced virtual world, there are so many unique niches that provide other opportunities to become a VA.

Examples include:
•    Bookkeeping
•     Blogging
•     Medical transcription
•     Real estate
•     Internet marketing
•     Social media
•    Website maintenance
•    Graphic design
•    Online event coordination

These are just a few of the unique virtual assistance opportunities available.  Some of the most successful VAs are the ones who specialize in a few key services.  This allows them to be more proficient in delivering their services, as well as increase their expertise in the field they’ve chosen.

If you think that virtual assisting might be a career option for you, there are several resources available to help get you started:

•    http://www.vaclassroom.com Offers virtual training in 4 popular niches:  internet marketing, social media marketing, blogging and Facebook Fan Page Creation.  They also offer a virtual assistant forum where you can ask questions, network with other VAs and get answers to questions about everything needed to get started to client relations.
•    http://vanetworking.com One of the best business building resources on the internet and even offer a FREE version of their forum!  They have an interactive forum, weekly seminars and tons of resources to help you build your business.
•    http://www.ivaa.org The best definition of this organization comes directly from their website:     “The International Virtual Assistants Association (IVAA) is a non-profit organization dedicated to the professional education and development of members of the Virtual Assistance profession, and to educating the public on the role and function of the Virtual Assistant.”
Hopefully, this 3 part series on being a Work at Home Mom has given you some ideas and resources to beginning a new career. Please leave a comment about this series and if it has been helpful to you.  I would also welcome feedback on any additional resources in the work at home field.

Note:  Article originally written by me and appeared on http://www.busy-mommy.com.  Minor changes have been made to include updated information and links.

Now that the holidays are just around the corner, you might be thinking about earning some extra money.   Here is Part 2 of “Do Work at Home Moms Really Exist?  Yes, it can be a reality!”

This  WAH opportunity is relatively new to me, but one that I have found success with in a short amount of time.   I have found many legitimate work at home opportunities on the website HireMyMom.com.  When you become a member of this website, you will have access to many WAH job opportunities that are not published on other job posting websites.  Typically, other WAHM post job opportunities available because they want to hire someone just like them!  I have been hired for temporary jobs and permanent jobs through this site.  The team at HireMyMom.com does a great job of marketing quality applicants and potential employers.

While there is a fee for the website, I have found that it is quite reasonable compared to other WAH websites.  First of all, there is a lot of quality postings with a wide range of job descriptions.  I’ve seen everything from WAH telemarketers to magazine editors.  Most recently, there are weekly postings for people with experience in internet marketing, social media networking and marketing, and article writing.

If you are not sure about starting a home-based career,  there are a lot of FREE resources out there to help you get started:

• Home Based Working Moms, http://www.hbwm.com , is part of HBWM.com, Inc. Network and was started by Lesley Pyle.  Her network of helping people run a successful home-based business includes several other websites that offer free tips  and business opportunities to get started.

• The National Association of Home- Based  Business Moms, http://www.nahbm.com, is a great resource to find help on getting a home-based business started, as well as seminars, newsletters and blogs from experts who have built their business from the ground up.

I would love to hear about any other WAHM social networks you know about.  I am always looking to join new forums to get ideas and make new friends.  One thing about working at home is that it can get lonely.  Sometimes, I miss the day-to-day interaction with adults.  But then, one of my girls gives me a beautiful smile or a kiss, and I know this is right where I am supposed to be.

Note:  Article originally written by me and appeared on http://www.busy-mommy.com.  Minor changes have been made to include updated information and links.

I never thought I would be a Work at Home Mom.  WAHM, for short,  is a possibility for all moms in today’s world.  Whether you want to work part-time or full-time, you are no longer bound by corporate rules and hours.  You can earn money working from home.

Being a WAHM is not easy.  There are no get rich quick schemes that really pay off.  If you want to work from home, you must know from the beginning that you need to work hard, be organized and be flexible.   Now I don’t want to scare you off — I just don’t want anyone to have unrealistic expectations like I did.

There are many different ways to earn money as a WAHM.  This is part one of a three part series, of some WAH opportunities that I have tried.   I’ve done a lot of research over the last few years trying to earn extra money, and I’d like to be able to share some of it with you.  Hey, we’re all busy moms…I am just trying to save you a little time!

Direct Sales – this is a great opportunity for people who love products!  In the past, I  have been an independent consultant for  Stampin’ Up!, Mary Kay, Tupperware, Home Interiors and Lia Sophia.  I was drawn to the fact that I could “earn” money while selling products I already loved.  The start-up costs are usually reasonable, and you typically get a lot of product and marketing tools to start your business on the right foot.

Now, it is possible to make good money as an independent consultant or distributor of these and many other companies.   I personally was not successful in these ventures because I am the type of person who loves the products, and the social interaction of the party plan structure.  I loved that part so much, that I didn’t grow the business like I could (or should) have to really earn money.  But there is a lot of business building help available if you are ready to grow your business.  One that I tried, with success, was The Lemonade Lady, Christie Northrup. She has some wonderful books, and now CD’s, that can help you grow your business. I love the way she puts a new “twist” on an old idea.  (If you sign up for her newsletter or visit her website, you’ll know what I mean.)   Christie has many years of direct selling experience to help you succeed in the party plan business.

I have met a lot of wonderful people as an independent consultant – many of whom I still call a friend today.  But here are a few more things I’ve learned along the way:

1. Do your research! If you love a product, and are interested in selling it, find out all you can about becoming an independent consultant before you tell a potential recruiter that you are interested.  Their websites usually have a lot of information on the benefits of owning your own business.  Specifically, look at the compensation plan.  How much money do you make on your sales?  Your downline sales?  How far does that downline earning potential go?  Multi-Level Marketing, MLM, offers wonderful ways to earn residual income on your teams’ sales.  I know of women who earn six figure incomes doing what they love!  By doing your research ahead of time, it will somewhat prepare you for the information you get from your recruiter.  Having some understanding of the compensation structure will make it a little easier for you to digest all the details.
2.    Be careful when a potential recruiter says, “Sign up with me today, it’s easy to make money!” People who are trying to grow their business work hard to recruit others to join them.  MLM offers great opportunities to make money on team sales.  But, take a look at your potential recruiter’s success, and what she has to offer you as a business partner.  Some of the most successful people in this business have mentors to help them along the way.  I personally would recommend Jackie Ulmer .  She has many years of experience growing her own business online and is now helping other WAHM to do the same.  Regardless of what MLM company you decide to join, she can help coach you to success to build your business online.
3.    Love the product! If you love the product, it shows.  You will have a passion that cannot be faked or learned, and that will come through in everything you do.  Plus, you really do need to love the product because you will have a lot of it!  From your starter kit, to samples and prizes, you will have the product to show for your hard work and commitment.
4.    Be able to take rejection! Not everyone you meet will be as enthusiastic as you are about your product.  But that’s OK!  When you get a “no”, you are on your way to a “yes”.  In many ways, sales is a numbers game.  The more people you present the product and the opportunity to, the more chances you’ll have to find people who are genuinely interested!

These are just some of the biggest lessons I’ve learned with a direct sales business.  It really is a great opportunity to earn some money and products if you are willing to work at it! I have taken the next step after learning so much and have found success with my new direct sales business, Send Out Cards.

I would love to hear about your great experience with direct sales.  There are so many great opportunities out there…the potential is endless!

Note:  Article originally written by me and appeared on http://www.busy-mommy.com.  Minor changes have been made to include updated information and links.