The First Step in Business Success

Lauren

Mommy's Helper - Mom's Market Ezine
Issue #125
Wednesday, April 12th, 2006

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Editor's Rambling:
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Note from Anita

Boy, I?m having a hard time believing it?s been a week already since our last issue went out ? where oh where does the time go? Between a few visits to the Dr?s (gotta love spring!) helping with a fundraiser, planning another fundraiser, and most importantly FINALLY getting back into my old schedule. After working full-time outside the home and running my own businesses for the past month ? I have a whole new respect for the moms who do this all the time. Pat yourself on the back because you?ve given the name ?Super Mom? a whole new meaning!

Till next week...

~Anita DeFrank
Mommy's Helper

Note from Kara

A week flys by so quickly, and it's amazing how fast Wednesday gets here. There's just over a week left to register for our Online Party Class, so if you are interested and haven't done it yet, please do so at: http://www.directsaleshelpers.com/online-party-class.html
Remember, there are only 50 spots available and it's starting to fill up!

I've been doing some thinking over the past week, and decided I was going to really get involved in web design and programing. I feel as though I'm already half way there, so going the extra mile only makes sense. There's areas such as certain script launguages that I feel would be of benefit to know more of. I'm a "do it yourself" type of person as it is, so to know these things would be for the best.

Aside from work online, we've been working on remodeling the house. Another "do it yourself" side of me, and I'm hoping the time the downstairs is completely finished, we'll be ready to add on a whole new addition to the upstairs with little help. Seems like a huge job right now, but I think we can do it. Sure I could hire someone, but where's the fun in that? *grin* Plus of course, it will be much more cost effective to do it ourself.

See you next week!

~Kara Kelso~
Mom's Market

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Article
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The First Step In Business Success

Marketing is the gasoline that runs any organization's engine. Without a clear-cut marketing plan your endeavor in business will be a failure. Marketing is a huge part of the foundation of any successful business. Overlooked, it can be the reason a business is unsuccessful. The large corporation became successful due to proper marketing and having a product or service that appeals to the public. Marketing consists of two basic rules of thumb. Find a need and then fill that need.

Proper marketing starts with having a product or service that will provide fix for your customers needs. You need to designate your target market that will need what you have to offer. For instance, if you where selling electrical components you would not want to target the plumbing industry. It is also a good idea to incorporate a diverse product line, so anyone who would use your product or service on a minimal basis will be able to purchase from you instead of your competitors. In this case you need to assess what size the need is and how you will be able to best market your product to fill the need.

The goal should be to underestimate your potential and not to overestimate. This consists of two areas. First being, be sure that you can meet the demands of your customers without having too much invested upfront. Second, you should never promise more than you can deliver.

Cash flow gives you the money to market and marketing brings in your cash flow. Important to make sure they are working together. A bad buying decision of too much product reduces working cash flow when that product doesn't' move out the door. Realistically antispate your customer needs and purchase accordingly. Tying up your cash in product can lead to disaster before your business gets the chance to take off.

A fatal flaw many business make in getting the sale, especially eager new business owner, it to give an unrealistic completion time line. This tactic may give you the first time sale but not repeat business. Repeat customers and referrals keep you in business. Allow a cushion of time to finish the job. You never know what problems can happen. Even if you do give a realist timeline and problems still cause the job to run over delivery time, keep in communication with your customer. Most customers understand things happen and if you show a sincerity in solving the issue, you can turn that problem into a lifetime customer.

Always remember, when it comes to marketing, that you can never have enough knowledge of your customers needs.

Tina Valiedi is the President for MP Strategies Firm providing super targeted web traffic to internet businesses. Find more advertising article at http://www.mpstrategiesfirm.com

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Childcare
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Fun Days & Holidays to Share with Your Child

We all know about the main holidays during the year. Mother's Day, Easter, Thanksgiving and the 4th of July, just to name a few. But what about the lesser known days of celebration? There are so many of them! I've done a lot of research and found a lot of fun days! I've included some of the lesser known fun days that I found below.

January
3rd - National Chocolate Covered Cherry Day
14th - Penguin Awareness Day
21st - Squirrel Appreciation Day

February
15th - National Gumdrop Day
23rd - National Chili Day
28th - International Pancake Day

March
1st - Pig Day
14th - National Children's Craft Day
16th - Absolutely Incredible Kid Day

April
2nd - International Children's Book Day
22nd - National Jelly Bean Day
30th - International Walk Day

May
4th - Respect for Children's Day
8th - No Socks Day
16th - National Sea Monkey Day

June
17th - World Juggling Day
24th - Celebration of Senses Day
28th - Handshake Day

July
15th - Cow Appreciation Day
16th - National Ice Cream Day
27th - Take Your Houseplants for a Walk Day

August
6th - National Kids Day
17th - Sandcastle Day
26th - National Dog Day

September
12th - Video Game Day
19th - Talk like a Pirate Day
30th - Family Health & Fitness Day

October
6th - World Smile Day
21st - Reptile Awareness Day
31st - National Knock-Knock Joke Day

November
17th - Home Made Bread Day
21st - World Hello Day
30th - Stay Home because You're Well Day

December
5th - Bathtub Party Day
20th - Mud Day
26th - National Candy Cane Day

These are just a few of the wonderful and sometimes silly holidays that you can celebrate with your children. Maybe you can even make some up of your own! How about celebrating your "Un-Birthdays" on the same day every year? Surprise your children with a day of no chores! You can even do that kind of special holiday once a month. Let your children help you to find and research some of the lesser known holidays. My mommy has a pig rescue so 'Pig Day' is a big holiday at her house!

After you have decided on what holidays you're going to add to the calendar, come up with fun and exciting ways to celebrate them! For 'World Hello Day' you and your children could make sure to say hello to everyone! What a wonderful world this would be if everyone took a few minutes to stop and say hello. 'Talk like a Pirate Day' is one of our absolute favorites! We talk in the pirate tone with "Aargh" after everything! It's so much fun and can even be a bit hilarious if you're out in public.

Have fun with these holidays and have even more fun coming up with some of your own special holidays to add to the calendar! Your children will always remember how much fun you made the days of year. Hopefully this is something they can pass down to their children too. For more great days, check out the site of Official Holidays at http://www.brownielocks.com/month2.html - there are even links there to prove these days do really exist. So many of them, you and your child will find many wonderful days to celebrate!

Until next time, smile a lot and hug your precious little one...

*Hugs*

~Kim

FourPoint Moms - Helping Moms Stay Home!
http://kimie.fourpointmoms.com

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Coffee Break
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Easter Surprises

?Lisa Barker

I can't believe that Easter is here already! How fast has it arrived?! I'll tell you how fast. There's not an egg in the house and the kids are all expecting to paint eggs tomorrow.

"Mom, this is an apple."

"And it's a GOOD apple, let me tell you. Here just peel it. The food dye will stick to it better that way."

"I don't want to paint an apple!"

Meanwhile, the four-year-old is happily munching her blue Easter Apple.

"Ew, Mommmm! Becca's lips and tongue are all blue."

"Well, who put the dye straight on the egg--I mean apple? You're supposed to mix it with water and vinegar first."

"Can't we just dip them in caramel?" one of the ten-year-olds ask.

"That's for Halloween, dummy."

"Mom, John Daniel called me a dummy!"

And so it begins. Another holiday hits us faster than a train can wreck a port-a-potty on the back of a bus. And somehow I feel like I'm in that port-a-potty and not quite ready to face the world.

Where did all the time go? They just started their Spring break and before I know it the whole vacation is sprung. It doesn't help that half the kids are home this week and the other half are home the next week. Why aren't schools in sync?

I'll tell you why. The home-schooling moms are giving them some real competition, so the schools are getting even by changing the dates all around. If they confuse enough moms, those moms will never believe they have what it takes to teach their kids at home.

I know I don't. Today was one of those days that I prayed the two youngest, still years away from starting school fulltime, would suddenly speak in complete sentences and demand to start kindergarten.

But that time will come too quickly and I'll be tearfully reminiscing over the years I will never have back. Years where I cuddled and snuggled with my little ones...in my dreams.

Every try to type in a hailstorm of pastel colored apples? "All right, who painted the cat's tail?"

Easter - a time of renewal. A time of renewing the vow to never again fall for the sexy way my husband wiggles his eyebrows. When I'm neck deep in newspaper soaked in vinegar and I'm frantically sopping up the bowl of egg dye that was spilled I'm absolutely certain that I will never offer more than a firm handshake to my better half.

I mean look at what a few little hugs created. They stand there all in a row, sorry little faces all of them, cheeks speckled like robin's eggs. What do you know, Becca's tongue IS blue and a pretty darn deep shade at that! "What did she do, swallow the bottle of blue food coloring?"

The older children crowd around the smallest and encourage him to approach me. He grins and holds out a folded piece of construction paper, mottled with egg dye. What's this?

"Dere Mom, We love you verry much. XXXXX OOOOO"

Does it matter if the basket is full of painted apples? You bet it doesn't.

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Jelly Mom? is written by Lisa Barker, author of "Just Because Your Kids Drive You Insane...Doesn't Mean You Are A Bad Parent!" and syndicated through Martin-Ola Press/Parent To Parent. To publish Jelly Mom, buy the book or leave comments, please visit http://www.jellymom.com.

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Recipes
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CROCKPOT CHICKEN CASSEROLE

4 lg. chicken breasts
1 sm. can cream of chicken soup
1 sm. can cream of celery soup
1 sm. can cream of mushroom soup
1/2 c. diced celery
1 c. Minute Rice

Mix in crockpot the soups and rice. Place chicken on top of mixture, then sprinkle diced celery over chicken. Cook on low for 4 hours. Makes 4 servings.

Do you have a favorite recipe to share?
Post them at Mommy's Helper Community (www.MommysHelperOnline.com/phpBB2)!
Note: Recipes must be quick, easy, healthy, and original. Nothing from a cookbook or a box please.

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