If you’ve been thinking of starting your own home-based business but are scared of the current financial climate, read what Clark Howard has to say.  For those who don’t know, Clark Howard is an author and popular nationally syndicated talk radio host (The Clark Howard Show).  A consumer advocate, he deals mainly in consumer affairs, but covers a wide variety of topics.

Here is an excerpt of an article from clarkhoward.com that is an encouragement to the many who are trying to decide whether or not to get started with a home business.

Clark has a longtime bias in favor of entrepreneurs, calling them the “secret weapon of our prosperity” in America. The consumer champ also has a belief that the best time to launch a new business is when the economy is in the toilet. Everything you need — space, equipment, employees, etc. — all come cheaper at a time like this.

It’s not uncommon for people to start their own business while they’re still working somewhere else. Of course, that means that you’re working your tail off both day and night. But it also lowers the risk should your new business venture fail.

Money magazine has new stats about the percent of people who are employed full-time while starting a new business. It turns out that it’s 70% among men and 50% among women.

With that many already employed people trying to break free of the zombie machine, why wouldn’t you want to start your own business?  Rather than be frozen in place, why not step up and create your own economy? Figure out what you would like to do,  get in some research, and start it now.

If you have no ideas of how to fill a need by creating a unique business, there are plenty of legitimate opportunities available for just about any budget.  Just be sure to do your due diligence before signing on the dotted line.

If you have questions or don’t know where to start, check this out:

MLM QuickStart Pro

I also have two Primary Opportunities I’d love to share with you if you’re interested. (Don’t worry – I don’t hav to chase people down to join!) Just leave a comment, and I’ll be in touch.

I have been an avid reader and word geek for as long as I can remember. My Nanny read to me, got me started on word search puzzles and taught me how to play Scrabble. As a result, any opportunity to utilize my vocabulary excites me like crazy!

I often know how to use a word in it’s correct context, but sometimes I get in trouble, and have to go running for the nearest dictionary or thesaurus to explain it’s meaning.

If you’re anything like me, you often know what word you’re trying to use, but aren’t quite sure of it’s pronunciation. This is where howjsay.com comes in.

Created by Tim Bowyer, this unique site offers a useful service, particularly to those currently immersed in Web 2.0.  As people create videos to post online, they can be certain that they are not only saying the word properly, but can also look up definitions at dictionary.com, find alternate words at thesaurus.com or  facts at reference.com.  No one wants to sound stupid while positioning oneself as an authority!

From “Notes on Using This Dicitonary:

“Enter the word you want and when it appears in pink, mouse over it to hear it spoken as often as you want.  Each word is individually pre-recorded and no form of synthetic speech is used. “

“Profane language and erotica are excluded from the dictionary in the interests of child learners.”

“Howjsay shows the closest cluster of letters that it has to your request – for example “furious” used to return “curious”.  Accents are not recognised, nor are distinctions between upper and lower case.”

My brother, Michael said, “It’s so much more fun to say stuff wrong though!”. It certainly does make for interesting conversations, but as for me, I’d rather say it right.

This article was written by my friend David Haynes, who owns a roofing company. It’s good advice from an honest family man. Top Hat Roofing, Inc. offers free estimates in the Atlanta area.

People don’t realize the amount of damage that occurred last spring.  Several storms in a period of four weeks brought damaging hail from Cumming to Covington and from Gainesville to Lilburn.  These storms caused  damage to roof tops that homeowners are unaware of, and can only be found by close inspection.

Insurance companies have been paying to replace entire roofing systems on residential and commercial buildings.  They know that hail damage may go unnoticed for months or even years, and by then the repairs become much more costly.  This is why they are so willing to pay now, while the cost is relatively inexpensive.

Because I actually meet with insurance adjusters, I am able to negotiate with them to get higher pay-outs on claims. Often times, I am able to get a new roof for a homeowner at literally no cost to them what so ever. Sometimes I actually am able to get a “free” roof and a little extra cash to the owner.

Time may be running out though. Insurance companies only accept claims twelve months from the storm. After that -it is too late. No more free roof. March 15th is the deadline for most of Atlanta. However, the storms on February 18 brought more hail, and another chance to move on this opportunity.

My company, Top Hat Roofing Inc.,was established in 1996 and, unlike the out of town “storm chasers” who will be gone again in 6 – 12 months, we are not going anywhere. We specialize in residential and commercial roofing, including storm damage and insurance claims.

You know and trust me. Call today for a free inspection of your roof. If you have damage, I may be able to get you a freebie! David Haynes 770-294-8619

“It’s my inner world that rocks ‘n rolls!”

Each day, we are presented with things
Beyond our control.
The weather.
A sick child.
Someone else’s bad mood.

But we don’t have to let those things
Bring us down.

It’s all about choices.

We make daily choices that benefit us
That exhibit our character
That validate who we are

Our wardrobe
Our attitude
Our spouse
Our job performance
To name but a few

We can dress up in nice clothes
Smile at strangers
Do nice things for our spouse “just because”
And work like it’s OUR money being spent on our time

OR

We can walk around looking like a slob
Complaining about everything
Acting like everyone is the enemy
And taking advantage of our employers
By surfing the net & making personal calls on their dime.

Which one exhibits better character?
Which one is a demonstration of good choices?

I am learning every day to make better choices.
I want to be a positive person.
I want to be happy.
I want to be wise.
I want people to see the person I am becoming,
Not the person I once was.

Martin J. Allsop has the right idea. Today he said, “What a beautiful day it is! No, not today’s weather, the English February weather is dull and grey. It’s my inner world that rocks ‘n rolls!”

So what’s your take on the weather today?
A. I wish it was sunny instead of overcast & rainy all day.
B. I love when I get a free carwash!

Play the song while you read. It enhances the experience.

“Perhaps the most valuable result of all education is the ability to make yourself do the thing you have to do, when it ought to be done, whether you like it or not.”
- Thomas Huxley
1825-1895, Biologist and Educator

I’m smart.
Book smart.
Street smart.
Common sense smart.

I was a good student in school.
I watched people make mistakes
I learned from ALL resources made available to me.

I can gather
All the information in the world,
Filling the empty spaces in my brain
With a wealth of knowledge.

But if I do nothing with it,
What value does it have?

I joined several programs
And learned some valuable lessons.

I got some materials
(Book, Manuals, CDs)
And I started listening, and reading

I was a bit overwhelmed
(A bit – HA!)
And second-guessed myself at every turn.
I let self-doubt get in my way.
For many long months.

Oh, I’d get all excited
Strategically placed my “bait”
Even got a few nibbles
But because the nibblers weren’t BIG FISH
I let myself get discouraged

One day I got inspired
“God can only do to you what He can do through you”
It makes perfect sense!

How can I expect Him to bless me
When I am doing NOTHING to be blessed FOR?

You have to get up off your rear-end
And DO something before anything can happen.

Those nibblers . . . they were the first
But most definitely NOT the last

The first thing I really learned is
“You don’t have to get it right,
You just have to get it going”

I got it going.
It may not be perfect
But I am doing something

I’m on a roll now, baby!
Ideas come to me in the most unlikely ways
I’m in tune with everything (and everyONE) around me

So get out of my way
Because I’m coming through
And there “Ain’t no stoppin’ me now!”

MLM QuickStart Pro

“Life is like topography, Hobbes. There are summits of happiness and success, flat stretches of boring routine, and valleys of frustration and failure.” – Calvin

Calvin, in his 5-year-old wisdom, has it right!

We are “UP,” euphoric & riding the wave of prosperity

We are “STATUS QUO”, stuck in the dull patterns of life as we know it

We are “DOWN,” mired in pity & self-doubt when things don’t go our way

It’s a cycle repeated over & over
Handed down from one generation to the next

But it doesn’t have to be that way

You can stay down when life throws you a curve
Or you can pick yourself up
Dust yourself off
And say “NO MORE!”

That’s why I decided to take massive action.

I got tired of the humdrum routine
The endless struggle
The glimmer of hope that was just a mirage

I just KNEW there was more.

I have learned how to use my “failures”
And those moments when things aren’t going my way
And turn them into stepping stones to success

I have learned how to think beyond what I’ve been taught
By my parents
By school teachers
By former employers
By the world at large

I have put into action what I have learned
To think outside the box
To dare to be different
To venture down the road less traveled

To simply TAKE ACTION.

Thank you to all who contribute so much to this community
Who give of themselves each day
Who have helped me
Start becoming the person I am meant to be

And realize what SUCCESS really means.

Yours Truly,

~B~

FREE Enrollment February!

Just over one week left to get free enrollment. That’s right! Corporate is waiving the $39 enrollment fee, but only until the 28th!

Click on the link above to read the story, the link below to find out more.

mymonavie.com/abcteam

The site is up and running.

So are you ready to catch the green wave?

Helping people rid their homes of toxins

And replacing chemical laden household cleaners

With non-toxic products

For about the same cost as their regular cleaners.

Contact me for more info.

http://safegreenclean.com

bcooper@time2earn.com

A cool tool.

Points build up quickly.

Especially if you get friends to use it too!

Scour

On February 7, 2008, there was an explosion at the Dixie Crystals plant in Savannah, GA.  Dozens were injured, and some died.  Among those was the son of my friend, Sarah. Her son Kelly suffered burns over 70% of his body, and the doctors tried to save him, but on Feb. 14th, God called him home.

I write this for two reasons – for comfort and awareness.  First, I ask you  (if you’re a praying person) to pray for Sarah and her family, that they are able to get through this sad anniversary and emerge strong. Parents don’t expect to bury their children, and a newlywed wife doesn’t expect be a widow two months after the wedding! The grief of his passing and the horror of seeing him in the hospital are lingering still. This family is in need of healing.

Secondly, I want each of you to acknowledge everyone you love this Valentine’s Day, not just your significant other. We are not guaranteed another minute on this earth, and a moment lost can never be regained.  I urge you to make the most of every moment you have with your spouse, parents, children and friends.  Don’t let pettiness steal your joy; put others before yourself.  Remember that the last time you see someone is what they will remember should they never get to see you again.

Calvin: I won’t eat any cereal that doesn’t turn the milk purple.

The Authoritative Calvin and Hobbes p86

This quote made me think of my brilliant idea earlier this evening.

Now I don’t usually eat sugary cereal, but I was in a mood, and wanted S-W-E-E-T! I got out my nephew’s box of Lucky Charms. Since they no longer make Marshmallow Alpha-Bits (or at least I can’t find them), I settled for the little green leprechaun and his box of multi-colored, dehydrated marshmallows.   My favorite part of the cereal is the marshmallows, and if they chose to put as many marshmallows as they do oat shapes, and vice-versa, I’d be tickled pink (and purple, and green, and yellow, and blue . . .)

So here’s my idea: Have General Mills package up ONLY the marshmallows, and sell only the “CHARMS“! What do you think?

Everything old is new again – with a twist. The advent of the Internet changed the marketing world, especially as computers became more affordable and Internet access became readily available. Sellers could now reach exponentially more potential customers than they could via regular (print, radio, and TV) advertising. Not only was the potential consumer base expanded, but consumers could now search out the specific items they were looking for.

I like the Internet very much. It allows me to reach out to people all over the world, something I couldn’t easily do without it. However, I am returning to some “old-school” techniques and combining them with new technology and am seeing positive results.

Classified advertising, postcard mailings and 800-numbers have gained a resurgence of sorts in popularity recently. “Why go backward?” you ask? Because it’s getting results! I do print ads, postcards and flyers as well as online classifieds (think “Craigslist”), videos and blogs. I get calls and e-mails from folks who see my classified ads Or they see a video or blog I posted and get my number or e-mail address or web site address from that format. Any which way, I win!

As I said in another post, those who are not very Internet savvy are likely better candidates than you might think. They haven’t been polluted with too many systems. They’re not disillusioned by broken promises of getting rich overnight. They’ve been working their day (or night) jobs, socking aaway money into 401Ks and savings accounts. They are virtually clean slates with the resources to invest in something that can help them better achieve their dreams.

People will often surprise you! Those not quite comfortable with technology might just do very well with more conventional efforts. My point is this – don’t discount someone simply because YOU think they won’t be worth the time or effort. You don’t want to “recruit” everyone, but use good judgment when selecting people to work with.

So you’ve taken care of the first aspect of running your home business – lead generation – and you’re getting responses. So WHO exactly are you looking for?

Naturally, you want people who are going to WORK & make you money, right? Here’s where finding people with great personalities comes into play. You don’t want people who can’t talk to other people! They have to be interesting enough so others WANT to give them information about themselves. (You can’t get the free book, tape, CD, or sample in their hand unless they trust you enough to take it.)

While people who have Internet business experience seem to be the most likely candidates, think on this: People who toil at 40 hour/week jobs are less likely to be spending a lot of time online. They usually are contributing to their pension plans and savings accounts. This is good for two reasons. One, they will have the money to invest in a program or system, and two, they are probably more coachable. They haven’t been ruined by jumping from program to program, listening to guru after guru.

Keep a small notepad handy so you can take notes when you talk to people. You’ll get a feel for who they are and how they handle themselves, which will help you to help them in whatever demographic they will be reaching out to. You can also track their progress as they work their way up in whichever program or system of yours they choose to join.

I hope you like my book report.
The Traveler, by Daren Simkin

The story is of a boy named Charlie.
Charlie’s life is not perfect.

He spends his life searching
For the PERFECT thing
To spend his time on.

Many opportunities he passes by
For one reason or another

(FEAR?)

Until one day
All his time has been spent
And he has nothing
To show for it.

(UH-OH!)

We all do this without realizing it.
Be AWARE of opportunities
So you don’t miss out
On the ONE that will change your life

Is it worth YOUR time
(And a mere $1)
To see if this
Is what you’ve been searching for?

For less than the price of a plain cup of coffee
You can find out!

Others have done it
Are doing it
Will have fond memories of it in their old age
As they sit and bask in the reward
Of their courage to simply TRY

Will you?

I did!

MLM QuickStart Pro

P.S.
And if you try it and don’t like it,
Just hit one little button to cancel.

You don’t even waste your TIME
Because you WILL learn something from it!

~Peace~