By Christina Tseng
One of my greatest pleasures these days is the luxury of going to the gym at any time I choose to join in my favorite fitness classes just because I can. Unlike many other women with children, I have opted to run a network marketing business from home and this opportunity has given me the flexibility to schedule my life around my kids’ activities, my social and spiritual life and my business. It has given me the work life balance that I could not get as a corporate executive in my former career as a marketing professional in a Fortune 500 company.
So how have I been able to do this?
1. Clarity of vision
Having a vision and an absolutely clear understanding of why you are doing what you are doing is the very first step towards building a strong and sustainable business. The reason for this is simple. Without knowing why you are putting your efforts into building your business, you can easily get distracted and Lind excuses for not putting in the hours needed to grow your business. As mums, we will have a million excuses for not doing the things we know we need to get done. There will always be housework which is never ending and children demand our attention 24 by seven if we allow them. Knowing and writing down your why helps you commit to putting aside a few hours each day so you can build that residual income to fulfill your dream – be it to travel the world, provide your kids with private education, or to build that dream home. I have a clear why. I have known since I started this business that I want the ability to start a charity for street children in Third World countries. In order to do that I need huge investments and that can only be achieved if I can generate it from this business. And like many other people, I also want this business to clear all of my debts and pay all my bills! So I am committed and I am prepared to do what it takes to succeed. This business is also tough. In fact, it is one of the toughest things I have ever taken on! But it is also one of the most rewarding.
2. Setting Goals
This is crucial for anyone in business. And especially so for the stay at home mum who has not worked for a long time or has never been exposed to a business environment where employees are asked to set goals. It is a new skill and a really important one that has to be instilled and taught right at the outset. Goals have to be SMART – specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and time-‐sensitive. They also have to be constantly reviewed so that they are “living” goals. And once a goal has been attained, new ones have to be set so that there is a new destination to strive for all the time. There should also be longer term – one to Live year goals and shorter, monthly, weekly or even daily goals. Without goals in place, it is too easy to drift from one day to the next and to have achieved nothing. Especially for busy mums, it is essential to have goals put in place and for the mum to be accountable to someone – whether it is the mentor, coach or upline in the team.
3. Accountability
Having someone to hold you accountable to your goals is a really important success factor in a stay at home mum’s network marketing business. When there is someone actually monitoring your progress, there will be additional impetus to live up to expectations! Better still join a group of like-‐minded individuals who share your passion and are also faced with similar challenges. This gives you the opportunity to be accountable to a group that will challenge and support you in your journey.
I hold weekly meetings with my group of stay-‐at-‐home mums. Like all individuals, mums also enjoy being part of a group -‐-‐ these meetings also provide the platform for a support group, fellowship and we have plenty of fun as well.
4. Learn to Manage your Time
Mums are probably the best multi-‐taskers in the world. But we can also be the most distracted and that can pave the way for disaster for your business. I know I have often in the past, been totally inefficient because kids are always asking for things they need done immediately. And while catering to them, I would end up forgetting to do the thing I wanted to get done in the first place!
I have always put my family’s needs first before my business but I discovered that I could actually do both if I was a better time manager.
One of the most productive time management habits I have today is to focus on one task at a time and do it quickly and efficiently before I move onto the next. But since many tasks we perform in the home are pretty mechanical, we can also be using those “dead” hours for self-‐ development.
With my time-‐productive strategies I have found that chores I used to dread like the ironing and grocery shopping are now tasks I actually enjoy. I plug my headphones on and I learn while on the go! I actually feel sad when the pile of laundry is done because that is the end of my self-‐development time!
Once I even tried making prospecting calls when washing the toilets but that didn’t work very well because I accidentally pulled the flush while I was on one call! Not a very professional way to end the conversation!
My timer and the alarm on my phone are also my best friends. When working on a task, like writing this article, I put a time limit on myself. It makes the task more fun as well because it becomes a personal challenge to see if I can actually finish it in even less time than I had put aside. And when I can do that, I reward myself with something fun – like a walk in the park with my dog!
Delegation is another key to better productivity in all areas of our lives. As a mum you are the boss and as the kids grow, we can certainly teach and give them roles and responsibilities in the home so that they can help lighten our loads. It also provides our kids with the skills to better manage and run a home. In my home, everyone has duties they are assigned with and when they cooperate, we all win!
5. Creating opportunities while on the go
Most of the ladies in my gym classes are stay at home mums as well and it is easy for me to engage them in conversation because we have so much in common. We usually end up in a café after our work out to network and get to know each other better. As we build on the relationship, it is easy for me to then invite them to take a look at what I am doing because, invariably they also want what I have – a business that they can work with flexibility around their kids’ schedules.
I started my business with friends I made while dropping the kids off at school or at pick up time. We would always gather at the playground with the younger kids and while they played, mums would stay behind to chat. That’s how I got my first few customers and my first invitations to my home meetings.
After school activities are also great opportunities for networking with other mums. While waiting for the kids who were at swimming lessons, riding lessons, art classes or kids gym, these were great times for more socializing and again these mums have become my customers and business partners.
The important thing to bear in mind is that you can create opportunities for marketing yourself and having the confidence to invite the right people to a meeting to find out more. Avoid being a pushy salesperson but instead focus on the value that you can provide to your friends and they will be attracted to you and want what you have. Never ever be desperate for them to buy from you! That is the surest way to have no friends left.
Having someone to hold you accountable to your goals is a really important success factor in a stay at home mum’s network marketing business. When there is someone actually monitoring your progress, there will be additional impetus to live up to expectations! Better still join a group of like-‐minded individuals who share your passion and are also faced with similar challenges. This gives you the opportunity to be accountable to a group that will challenge and support you in your journey.
I hold weekly meetings with my group of stay-‐at-‐home mums. Like all individuals, mums also enjoy being part of a group -‐-‐ these meetings also provide the platform for a support group, fellowship and we have plenty of fun as well.
6. Personal Development
Some stay-‐at-‐home mums may be looking for new challenges in their lives which is otherwise always focused on child-‐care and household duties. Our business provides them with the means to grow as individuals and learn new skills that range from communication skills to leadership and mentoring. I have seen shy and diffident mums metamorphose after a few months or years of training and development, into confident and out-‐going individuals. For me personally, that is the most rewarding aspect of this business. The learning comes in all forms – from self-‐development through reading and listening to audios, to engaging in coaching sessions and attending corporate events and business events. There is so much to learn in running a business that will extend a person and provide them with skills not just to run a network marketing business but any business or venture that they decide to pursue later on in their lives. I have personally benefitted and learnt more from this business in the last 8 years than all the 20-‐odd years I have spent in corporate life. The big impetus is because this is my business, I want to make sure I am equipping myself with the skills necessary to be super successful. Also as the leader of a global business, I know that I need to be constantly learning and improving so that I can continue to inspire my team.
7. Fellowship and Having Fun!
Mums, just like everyone else, will appreciate recognition and praise. Especially when they sometimes feel that they lack self-‐esteem as they are often taken for granted in the home. This is where having team celebrations to recognize small or large victories are so, so important. Besides, it gives everyone the opportunity to socialize and just let their hair down and have fun! It also builds team spirit and the feeling of being part of a community. This sense of belonging is what binds people to the network. It is harder to quit from a community. It also provides the support network so necessary for solo entrepreneurs.
These then are the 7 Steps to Building your Global Network Marketing Business. Whether you have been in business for just a short time or even if you are a veteran, these simple steps when implemented will give you the success you desire in your network marketing business. If you want to learn more, do connect with me at www.christinatseng.com