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Brenda Thiel's daughter loves it when Avon boxes arrive at their Neenah home.

Together, the independent Avon consultant and her children sort out and then deliver the orders.

"My daughter loves to help me put the orders together, stamp the books and bag them," said Thiel, 26, of Neenah, who has been an Avon consultant for a little more than a year.

"She gets excited when we receive boxes at our door and, of course, loves to look through the toy section in the catalog."

Thiel said one of the reasons she became an Avon consultant was to have flexible hours and earn extra income.

"I love the fact that I can do a home-based business instead of getting another job," said Thiel, who is also a part-time support specialist.

"I really have no option right now with a school-aged child and rising day care expenses except to do a home-based business on the side. It is nice to have the option and flexibility to be able to make money a different way because accepting another position with set hours would be impossible for our family."

Home appeal

Working from home, having flexible hours and earning extra income are just some reasons many women get involved in direct-selling businesses they can operate from home such as Avon, Pampered Chef, Creative Memories, Mary Kay and Lia Sophia Jewelry.

"Prior to selling Avon, I had tried other home-based businesses and realized it wasn't a true fit for me, so I was very cautious about investing in another home based business," said Thiel.

But she saw a need for an Avon representative in the Fox Valley.

"Because of the flexibility, I can put my family first," said Thiel.

"Otherwise, I couldn't have seen myself getting involved with another home-based business."

Getting started

Starting the home business usually starts with attending a home show, ordering from a catalogue or having a one-on-one consultation.

Quiana Betchner, 29, of Greenville, has been a Pampered Chef consultant for more than three years. She had no problems joining a friend, who signed up as a consultant and wanted friends to be on her team.

Betchner said she and her husband felt the investment, $90 at the time, was worth it. Also, the stay-at-home mother of two saw the business as an opportunity to get out of the house.

"I started out just as a way to get some adult time," she said.

But she has such a good time doing it that "it didn't feel like a job to me."

"It's a lot more fun," added Betchner.

Sue Broeren, 30, of Appleton had also been to home parties.

"I had been to Lia Sophia Jewelry parties before and often considered getting into it because I didn't want to go back to a regular job someday," said the stay-at-home mother of three children.

"I hosted a party of my own and asked the adviser a lot of questions," she said.

"It was so simple to get started and the potential income and other perks were so great I decided to go for it."

Making albums was a hobby for Christine Cowell, 28, of Neenah.

"I loved doing it so much with the Creative Memories products," she said. "They helped me get things done quickly and easily, which was exactly what I needed with my busy schedule."

Becoming a consultant was the next logical step, even though she has busy family and work schedules.

"I thought it would be fun, but never imagined fitting it in with a full-time job," said Cowell, a mother of two who works full time at Kimberly-Clark Corp.

Many women pursuing home businesses range from stay-at-home mothers to those who balance full, even part-time, careers.

"About 10 percent of the representatives in my district are stay-at-home moms, but there are probably another 20 percent that work part or full time, but their ultimate goal is to be able to quit their job and stay home," said Barb Hoffman, an Avon district sales manager in Oshkosh.

Betchner likes the idea that she may not need to work outside the home again.

"That's my goal; to make it a career," she said of being with Pampered Chef. "I can work as much or as little as I want to."

Costs and training

The start-up cost for home businesses varies with each company. But it often includes supplies, products and training. As the women grow their business, they can earn free products or other incentives, like bonus checks, cruise trips or a car allowance.

Little to no business experience is needed in these kind of home businesses, said Broeren.

"Other people in the business are there to train you and coach you in all parts of the business," she said. "It's your business, but you're not left on your own to figure it out. There is great support and motivation."

Thiel agreed, noting Avon's online training makes it easy to be a sales representative.

"The training will take you through everything from how to have good customer service, how to process orders, how to record your receipts, how to navigate through the Web site, and a lot of information about the products," she said.

"Each session you complete, you will take an assessment test to test your knowledge on the lesson. You can print out a copy of the certificate to show completion of the course. From there you are all trained to become an independent sales representative."

It is also important to keep track of things like mileage and business expenses. And taxes must be filed, although many companies offer user-friendly forms or software to help the business owners out.

The businesswomen also find support and encouragement from family, friends, fellow consultants and others involved in their company.

"The district holds monthly meetings," said Thiel. "This is a very helpful group."

Cowell said the most important support has been from her family.

"My husband is extremely supportive despite how my business complicates our schedule and lives in general," she said. "Most of my family aren't actually customers, but they think it is neat that I am doing something I enjoy."

Finding balance

Running a home business requires a lot of juggling, said Cowell. To maintain a balance, Cowell sets limits, like holding one or two workshops a month and scheduling family activities first.

"As far as balancing with my full-time job, all the work is done in the evening for this business or on the weekends; when I have the time," she said.

Thiel has learned that to maintain a regular schedule, she needs to be disciplined and organized.

"Life is going to pull you in all kinds of directions, but you need to be disciplined on how you strategize your weekly routines and what is important," she said.

While it may take some work in the beginning of the home business, the time and effort are worth it in the end, said Cowell.

"Set goals for yourself, but realize that it will take work to achieve them," she said.

"It is a business, so work is required; although it is a lot of fun."

Broeren agreed.

"It's fun, it's rewarding and it's mine," she said. "It has boosted my self-confidence. I can be here for my kids. I have an excuse to get out. It's a wonderful opportunity any way you look at it."

[via thenorthwestern.com]

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http://www.litterworks.com/

Brian Turkalo quit a stable, well-paying job as a corporate salesman to deal with his cat’s poop full time — and he couldn’t be happier.

He is the inventor of LitterWorks, an automated system for getting rid of your feline’s feces without needing to scoop them up every other day. Manufactured in Matthews, LitterWorks is celebrating its second anniversary this month, having sold more than 1,000 units online.

The product works as a supplement to the popular LitterMaid (made by another company), which automatically rakes the litterbox after each use. But the LitterMaid must be emptied several times a week.

The LitterMaid sits on top of the LitterWorks, which holds up to two months of used litter and can also include a hood intended to reduce odor. Customers who already have a LitterMaid can purchase Turkalo’s invention separately. He also sells the two products bundled together.

“With our system, the waste passes to a new bag underneath the LitterMaid, so it could fill up for two months and not overflow,” Turkalo said.

[Via - Dane Carlson's Blog]

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Is Nature a Marketing Guru?

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Technology rules. Yeah, for about five minutes--then natural instincts take over. Are you stupid enough to fight Mamma Nature? Well go ahead and rewrite the rules if you can, cause the Big Mamma knows one thing. She’s tried and tested it all. And if you want to play by her kooky rules, she is willing to teach you a thing or two.

The question is, are you willing to learn?

Do You Pay in Advance?
Have you noticed how big a brand Red Bull is today? Or how insignificant their advertising is? Red Bull shuns print advertising and has never done a triple back flip on a web campaign. Yet, it has found roots in over 50 countries. And has cemented its loyalty in the fickle land of teenagers.

So what’s Red Bull’s big secret?

It’s called GIVING.

Their marketing strategy was simple. They enticed students with free cases of Red Bull, if they threw a party. Guess how many students need an excuse to have a party? With a simple act of giving away free cases to the right target audience in the right universities, Red Bull became a very rich Red Bull.

Yet Where Are Most Marketing Plans Aimed?
Too often marketing is aimed solely at GETTING. Look at all those marketing plans, those many advertisements blaring away on the radio and TV. It’s get, get -- all the time!

Yet, nature pooh poohs the stuff. Putting a carrot (not cart) before the horse, nature works on the giving part first. In its own little marketing and advertising way, a flower works contrary to most marketers. Using the bait of colour and nectar, it draws the bees, knowing full well that its very existence depends on giving bees what they want first, so the bees will carry their pollen.

Wander down the supermarket aisle and you’ll see what I mean. Fifty thousand brands stare at you, screaming at you to buy them. Then a little ol’ lady offers you a sample of a product. Fifteen seconds into your tasting session, she gives you another sample. Then, for no apparent reason, a bottle or two of the product finds itself in your cart. Were you sold? You betcha!

Giving works for a simple reason. Nature hates imbalance. If the deer get faster, so do the cheetahs. It’s a classic system to keep things in balance. Which effectively means that to create an imbalance in marketing in your favor, you’ve got to give first.

Are You Ready To Do the 1-2-3 and Cha-Cha-Cha?
Do you play the dating game? Or do you rush in to conquer most of the time? Mamma Nature knows that haste makes waste. Yet marketers think nothing of blowing squillions of dollars on various hare-brained, get-rich-quick schemes that achieve far less than their potential.

Here's an example. Harley Davidson has been to hog hell and back. Just in time to save its bacon, it decided to work on the cha-cha-cha instead of the wham, bam method. The reward has manifested itself in thousands of die-hard Harley fans that would go all the way on their Harleys. Even today, despite being in an enviable position, Harley still finds time to wine and dine its customers while thumbing its nose at traditional media.

Another good example of cha-cha-cha marketing is how the British operated in the 19th century. Instead of slamming their way into conquering new lands, they went as traders. Whether history likes it or not, they maximized their potential in a systematic and natural marketing manner.

What Happens When Nature Goofs Up
Even nature loses out when it fails to obey its own rules. As long as it sticks to its spring, summer, autumn, winter routine, we go along with the "relationship." Yet every time it does the 60-second prime time TV spot on us, we absolutely hate it. Oh sure, there’s great colour, drama and pizzazz in a whirling tornado, but there’s zero empathy and a whole lot of defiance.

Turn on the music, move those feet. This isn’t some behemoth CRM program we’re talking about. Diamonds are a girl’s best friend, but flowers arouse less suspicion. Do the cha-cha-cha and the getting to know your customer. It’s cheaper, it follows steps, and it works.

Is Your Target Audience "Everyone?"
Nature would laugh at you and laugh heartily. Are you setting yourself up for disaster or what? Even a pimple-ridden 13 year old knows exactly who her knight in shining armor is. While the concept of being in the company of 20 gorgeous men would set her eyes alight, her brain knows better.

Yet most businesses horrify the heck out of Nature. In an apparent suicidal move, they go after a general audience in order to maximize their returns. Some of the biggest brands today are built on single-minded focus. Mercedes, Volvo, Rolex, McDonalds, Red Bull and Playboy all have a clearly defined target audience.

If you doubt it, take a look at a wild dog attack on a National Geographic broadcast. Have you noticed the focus and strategy of their attack? They single out the prey and go after it in a pre-defined relay system. It gets results, and isn’t that what you want?

Gotta Keep on Dancing
When was the last time your heart stopped beating? And isn’t that good, because if it did, you’d be taking harp lessons in a big hurry. Nature doesn’t stop its marketing campaign and neither should you. The first thing businesses do when the economy takes a downturn is pull the plug on marketing. Fat good that’s going to do you! That’s like telling your heart to work at half the heart beats when things aren’t good.

The planet doesn’t stop rotating, the trees don’t stop growing and the fish don’t stop swimming. Yet in an absolute violation of the most basic law of nature, we stop and start like some trainee driver.

There Ain’t No One Like Me!
Nature doesn’t brand-extend. It creates something and then it throws away the mould. When it creates a product, it makes sure that product thrives, grows and multiplies. It adds colour, shape and size for a bountiful variety, but brand extension is a no-no.

Yet look at some of the biggies out there. They put out their brands and then put their names on everything from computers to soap. Dove still stands for soap with 1/4th moisturising cream. Yet, in the supermarket, Dove tries to take on the full force of nature by brand-extending.

Does it work? Yes and no. People have too much clutter in their heads already. To add to that clutter is asking for trouble. Our brains identify with one object when we are given a name.

From Nokia to Chimpanzee
When I say Nokia, you say mobile phone. Yet Nokia sold everything from gumboots to computers -- even TV sets. Then one day it dawned on them that they could conquer the world with a brand name that stood for one thing and one thing alone.

Sure a chimpanzee and a baboon are both monkeys, but they’re essentially different products. You won’t find a chimpanzee light or a chimpanzee diet in the species. They’re either chimps or they’re baboons! Besides, their unique brand name allows you to identify them with zero confusion every time! Uniqueness is your brand’s birthright. Use it well.

Here are some "Au Naturel" guidelines to business and marketing strategy:

1) Pay in Advance: First you shall sow, and then you shall reap. And you must sow in fertile ground not on rocky soil. Give, and you shall receive. Does this all sound familiar? Are you giving away anything worthwhile on your website, through your advertising, in your brochures?

2) Do the dance one step at a time: You’ll just make a fool of yourself if you don’t build up your reputation with your customers. Give them the best you possibly can. When nature puts on a beautiful butterfly, it starts with a worm.

3) Put on the glasses: Get focus in your life because Nature will make sure you pay big time if you don’t. Sure you can get business, but think of what’s possible if you focus. A little focus right now reaps long-term rewards. It’s your choice.

4) She’s only happy when she’s dancing: Is that a Bryan Adams song? Or is Nature telling us what we should be doing? She’s on the floor. Go on and boogie.

5) And then there was one: Is your fingerprint different? Is your iris different? Do you have a clone? Nature doesn’t think it works in real life. Why do you think differently?

6) And finally: Take off your headphones and look at what nature is saying.

It’s showing you the colour of money!

By Sean D'Souza, http://www.psychotactics.com/

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Internet Tools for New Ventures

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There are a variety of tools readily available on the Internet that aspiring entrepreneurs can use in developing new business ideas. Here are a couple of ideas:

Want to find some cool technology gathering dust on a shelf at a university somewhere? Try out the iBridge site developed by the Kauffman Foundation.

University researchers, industry representatives, and entrepreneurs can use the iBridge website to search for innovations that, until now, have been lost and untapped behind university walls. With more than 700 research projects listed, the iBridge website is fast becoming a place for researchers and technology transfer officers to post research from their universities, as well as the place to go to find research occurring at other institutions. The website is designed to ease the transaction burden on university technology transfer offices, and encourage more open and efficient access to innovations of interest to entrepreneurs and industry representatives alike.

Have an idea for an Internet business, but finding it hard to know what your potential customer is thinking about? Try using one of the tools set up to optimize keyword searches. I heard about this creative use of a free tool on this morning's Wall Street Journal radio show. These tools are set up to help in Internet marketing by showing what key words are being used most often. (Here and here are a couple of examples).

Assume I was setting up an Internet golf equipment store. By typing in keywords like "putter" or "golf balls", I can find out what brands are getting the most searches on the Internet. Or assume I am thinking about selling laptop cases on the Internet. I see that in the month of December 1724 searched for laptop cases with the word "pink" in their search, while only 77 included the word purple. That gives me a clue on what color to carry in my inventory.

These tools can help me see the potential size of the market, what brands and related products are most popular in searches, and even what colors and features I should carry. It is a great tool to first get a feel for how much Internet traffic is possible and to learn more specifically what these potential customers are thinking about.

These tools are set up for web search optimization, but they can also be used to get the pulse of the market. For simple searches like this, most of these sites are free to use. While active web marketers are very familiar with these tools, they can be very helpful for any entrepreneur wanting to get more data about their potential market. If I can figure out how to use them with my limited technical skills and general fear of technology, anyone can!

Jeffrey Cornwall is the Director of Belmont University.
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Sesame Street...never heard of it. An unlikely response but almost a reality when Sesame Street was launched back in late 1960's. The show's pre-launch was unsuccessful and a change was needed or Sesame Street was history before it even aired.

It's hard to believe the show almost never made it given the incredible 37-year history of the program. Sesame Street has always been dedicated to enriching the educational lives of children through programming and other media avenues. As stated by the organization's website, their mission is "to create innovative, engaging content that maximizes the educational power of all media to help children reach their highest potential." This inspiring mission was almost unattainable back in the sixties.

Pre-Screening Disaster

In the beginning, the folks at the Sesame Workshop saw the potential of how T.V. could help educate kids. They had a firm belief on utilizing research to best determine how the television could benefit children. Working with scientists, the show was conceived with a research foundation to produce educational shows that would hold the attention span of a young child and aid in the retention of learned materials.

Several 30-minute shows were produced and shown to a select audience of children before the actual airing. The research results return from the pre-screening revealed that the program didn't hold children's attention. This was a disaster. What was wrong?

Startup Success...The Muppets

Originally, psychologists believed that the program shouldn't mix fantasy with reality so all scenes were of the Muppets alone or human characters interacting among themselves. The people of Sesame Street weren't interesting to children and they tuned out many of these adult scenes. The Muppets were the draw. To hold the show's format, the change was made to include the Muppets interacting with the humans on Sesame Street. This one vital change made the difference between a flop and the successful first airing of Sesame Street.

Many successful business and products were like Sesame Street during their introduction, just requiring the right changes for success. The key moral for all business start-ups is to listen to the marketplace and make the necessary changes to succeed.

[via about.com]
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Internet users can now get paid for dispensing advice to strangers on virtually any subject -- from computers to calories.

But some of the new services from Web sites like Jyve.com, Bitwine.com and Ether.com are tricky to set up and a bit of a hassle to operate -- most require that you be logged on to your computer to land any business. For those looking for advice, the sites are easier to operate but the quality of answers varies widely.

Users connect with customers over instant-message chat, Internet-phone call or by calling real telephone number. Advice-seekers pay a fee (often a set charge or a per-minute price) via credit card or an electronic payment account like PayPal. The site takes a commission, often around 10% or 15%.

Sites, which ban adult content, vary widely in their quality. Although some require a user to post their credentials to advise on specialized topics like professional coaching or nutrition, most were open to anyone. While some "experts" gave us useful advice, other answers to our queries were silly. When we asked Jyve.com, "How do I hang a painting?" the first response we got was "On the wall."

Web site: Bitwine.com
How it works: Users register with username and email, price per minute and areas of expertise like digital photography or fashion. Skype, an Internet phone service, is required for both parties.
Comment: Payment system was more sophisticated than on other sites. The adviser and client can talk free of charge until they agree upon the terms of the call. The customer is charged only for the amount of time they actually spend on the call.

Web site: Ether.com
How it works: Users enter a description of their expertise, like computer support or editing, and how they want to charge. The site then generates a phone number that a user can post to a blog or Web site or that can be included on the Ether adviser blog.
Comment: The unique landline phone number for each adviser was simpler to use than connecting over an Internet phone service.

Web site: Jyve.com
How it works: The site notifies advisers when someone is asking a question relevant to their expertise -- like science or education -- through software they download to their desktop. Jyve connects them via a text-based chat.
Comments: It was a bit inconvenient to keep the software application running. Jyve says it plans to allow users to be notified through their toolbar when they are logged in to their browser.

[Via - StartupJournal.com]

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http://www.bagborroworsteal.com/

Got rich friends and need to look the part? Those that can't afford to buy the latest Fendi purse can still sport it thanks to Bag Borrow or Steal, a designer handbag rental firm that allows customers to pay a monthly fee, pick and order handbags online, and borrow them for as long as they like.

The company added fine jewelry to the mix after its 2004 founding. The service allows style-conscious customers access to the ultra-luxe and high-end products that they otherwise couldn't get their hands on. Monthly memberships range from $20 to $175 a month.

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