Yes, Moms Can Build a Successful Direct Sales Business

 

Today, I want to share some tips with all of the moms out there.  Some of you have started your business and you are struggling with how to balance it all how. Can you really make this work?

 

YES, you can and I have done it. I have gone from zero to hero, both in my business and with my family, and you can, too. It wasn’t always easy, but what is? It was SO worth it, though. I’m proud of how the last 19 years have gone and what we accomplished and still accomplish today.

 

By the way, this is for the DADs too, not just the moms and anyone building a team, because a large percentage of the people who will come into your business will be moms and they will find this helpful, I assure you!

 

I’m proud of the legacy of entrepreneurism that I have instilled in my children, whatever they choose to do with it. They are both goal oriented and well on their own paths.

I struggled a lot in the beginning and made my kids an excuse much of the time instead of making them my WHY. Jan Ruhe called me out and I made a decision and got into action.

 

Make your kids your POWERFUL WHY. What does that mean? Pain/Gain. What do you want MORE?

 

Here are some ideas for you:

 

Have a family meeting and explain what you are doing, what your business plan is and what you intend to accomplish for the family. Use language appropriate for their age range. Ask for their help and support.

 

Set up a business plan and schedule it on the calendar as best you can and stick to it. Then, you can show it as a reference point to the family and they know when you are working and when you are available.

 

Tips To a Terrific Home Business for the Busy Mom

 

1) Teach your children early on to respect your business and your time.
Set up your office in a separate room

 

2) Get a babysitter several hours a day (a couple of days a week or every day if
possible) so you can concentrate on your business without distraction.

 

3) Spend quality time with your children first in the day, then tell them that
you will be working in your office for a set amount of time and they will need
to play quietly together, watch a movie, read books, rest. Do this first and you’ll
train them. It will pay off for you.)

 

4) Have a box of toys that they can only play with while you are working on
your business, online or on the phone.  This will keep the “novelty” of the toys
around longer.  Trade the toys out at regular intervals.

 

5) Involve the children in your business wherever possible.  Whether it’s lickin’ and
stickin’ stamps and envelopes, putting up fliers, passing out business cards to parents
of playmates, or whatever else you can afterwards.  Sometimes my kids would beg to help!
Get them involved in age appropriate tasks.

 

6) Start a babysitting coop with other moms in your area where you can do trade-outs for babysitting time.  Use this time ONLY for business building time. Then, when it’s
your turn, shut the door to your business and be Supermom (or dad!)

 

7) Realize that there will be times of frustration and guilt.  Guilt when you are working
on your business and be working on your business!  Children get sick, sometimes
misbehave and can cause moments of embarrassment.

 

8) Grab small pockets of time while you are running errands, make a few phone calls
during nap time, or during their favorite cartoon. Realize that “Starting and Stopping”
a project numerous times is part of the “joy” of working at home!

 

9) If possible, hire as much outside help as you possibly can.  A cleaning service
for the house, someone to do the yard and wash the windows, etc.  This frees up
more of your time for your business and your family!

 

10)Be proud that you are setting a great example as they grow!

 

Balance is a myth.

 

You will be in balance in some areas and out of balance in others and this is an ongoing thing. It would be this way of you were working outside of the home, sick, etc.

 

If you are a mom with a full time job, try to schedule an extra few minutes each day to make some calls AWAY from the house. This is tough, but necessary. Even if it’s making calls on your phone in your car. 2 calls a day will begin to create the business you want.

 

Set reasonable goals for yourself and DON’T compare yourself to others. This is dangerous. No two people have the same life situation.

 

Be the best that you can be and commit to those income producing activities first, and avoid email except for specific times during the day.

 

Develop a story that encourages other moms and keep taking those baby steps forward.

 

Here are some more ideas on what worked for me.

 

1. Give up your need for perfection or to control the task too heavily.

 

2. Have conversations daily with them about your business and what it means to the entire family.

 

3. Use the reward system.

 

4. Recognize “where” you are in your life sequence and set your expectations around that.

 

5. DECIDE that you will give up all other “clutter” in your own life in order to work your business at every possible moment you can when the kids allow.

 

6. Make phone calls in the car during practices. Not games.

 

7. NEVER use quiet time to do housework. my preschool/kindergarten story with the kids, zooming home to work.

 

8. Get your kids involved in household chores. Do this after school time, when you have been working your business. Make it fun.

 

Get very clear on your reason why. This will sustain you when someone tells you no, or things get slow. Make sure your why is very powerful to you and that it means more to you than what anyone else might say or think. For me, the ability to create a fabulous lifestyle for my family and to never have my kids in day care meant more to me than anyone else’s opinion.

 

Realize that as a mom with small children, you will have to balance and prioritize in a different way. Communicate with your sponsor and your team about your commitment, your priorities and how you will balance the two. Never feel the need to compromise your values in building your Direct Sales business. I didn’t and you don’t have to either.

 

You can do it!

 

EXPECT Success!

Jackie Ulmer