BIZ Builders: Now Is Always Best Time

"Never ever, ever leave a place of learning
without taking immediate action.

~ Jenny Flintoft

former Director of Association of Work At Home Women

WHAT? You mean right this minute? You mean I can't just add that great new idea to my pile until I find the time to tackle it?

No! No! Not according to Jenny Flintoft, an online businesswoman dedicated to helping women in business.  In a recent tele-seminar, she challenged her listeners to take immediate action when you learn something new.  It's crucial if  you want to change a habit or complete a project. It's especially so, if you are serious about moving forward in your business.

The more I think about it, the more I recognize that far too often I've been a 'hearer of the word and not a doer', not just in business but often in my personal life as well.

Hearing and giving assent to a great idea it is NOT the same as taking action to implement and make it a part of your life.

How often have I heard something new, been totally inspired, and then added the idea in my already bulging mental notebook, somehow thinking that just because I got 'goosebumps' from some amazing piece of information, it would automatically change my life. Maybe I thought it would happen by osmosis (smile).

Jenny closed her seminar by challenging her listeners to choose one thing they had learned and to take immediate action to implement it -- just as soon as we got off the phone.

My first thought You mean right away? Oooooo....I have to admit, it seemed abit too fast for me. But that's exactly what I needed!  A fast start, so I wouldn't lose the momentum and end up putting that idea in the same place where so many others have ended in the past.

When will there be a better moment? I'm reminded of a line I heard from that classic movie, The King and I, with Yul Brynner and Deborah Kerr, where the King says:

"Now is always best time."

Yes, now is always best time.  I'm ready to action that, are you?

Photo source:  Glitter-Graphics.com

Biz Builders...Yes You Can!

SOMETIMES IT'S JUST one small step that a person takes in a new direction that leads to a happier life. Most often this begins in the way we think about things.

Did you ever stop to think that taking just one tiny apostrophe and a single letter of the alphabet from the word CAN’T suddenly changes everything?

Right there in front of you, you’ve got a word that says you CAN!

Do you think thoughts that lift you up (where you think you can) or pull you down (where you lament that you can't)?

 
There's a quote by John C. Maxwell  I often look at pinned to my little bulletin board:

"You will never change your life until you change something you do daily."

What if this is the key that makes your desires and wishes more within reach?  Would you be willing to take a tiny step towards it?

Yes, you can!

Now go live successfully!

BIZ Builders...How's Your Harvest?

IF YOU KNOW anything about gardening and growing things, you will know that there is a definite pattern of sowing and reaping. You can never harvest anything unless a seed has first been planted. In other words, you can't expect strawberries if you haven't first sown a strawberry seed.

This same principle plays an active role in every other area of life. If we want to experience the good things of life, we need to sow seeds of good things. We must first give in order to receive.

Sometimes we need a witty, new idea. I used to teach kids and one thing I enjoyed was creating games and interesting bulletin boards for them. At first I only had a few simple ideas, but as I used them, other new ideas would start to develop. My mind would begin to whirl and I'd say, Oh, I could do that or this. If I worked on it this way, then I could also get that...and that...and that.

I began to realize that creativity begets creativity. The more ideas I dreamed up, the greater the flow of other interesting ideas. Pretty soon I had files of ideas, and everywhere I went something would trigger brand new ones.

Were those possibilities always there? Probably, but until I put something into action -- ie until I planted the seed I already had -- I didn't get a harvest for something larger.

Everyone knows you can't multiply zeros -- 1000 x O still equals O.

What kind of good things are you looking for? Do you need a great new idea? Some encouraging words? Help with a project? New techniques? New friendships? Fresh opportunities?

Start with what you have, plant that seed, and then expect a harvest. Remember, the more seeds you plant, the bigger the harvest.

Now go live successfully!

Biz Builders...Flexible is not instead of

IN MARY KAY, we talk about the awesome privilege we have to be flexible in our business. Not only do we have the flexibility of choosing schedules and hours, but we can decide how far we want to go up the career path, which of course depends on how much or how little we choose to invest in time, energy, and product.

But something NSD Pamela Shaw once wrote, “(To be) flexible does not mean INSTEAD OF. It means you choose the time. But you MUST choose the time AND do the work! Otherwise, you define flexible and procrastination as the same. Or flexible and denial the same!”

She goes on to say that we all want the rewards, but fewer are willing to take the responsibility. Many want the friendships and the support, but few give the positive energy to attract it. Everyone wants success, but how many are willing to take the direction and guidance to receive it?

So the trick to flexibility is to remember that, yes, you can decide the schedule you want, the career level you are willing to achieve, and how much time you want to invest each week, but then you must also commit to this 'flexible' lifestyle and do the work if you want to move ahead and make this business work for you.♥

Perfectly Pink!

2009 Brenda Leyland

Biz Builders: New Bee-ginnings

A busy bee in a wild rose

HERE WE STAND AT THE START of a brand new year in Mary Kay, and with it comes the chance to start fresh. We all have another 365 days to achieve new goals and see dreams come true.

As you ponder about what you'd like to accomplish this coming year, perhaps these wise words from Mary Kay Ash will inspire you..... somehow they put things in perspective.

"Remember, if you do the things you ought to do when you ought to do them, then someday you can do the things you want to do when you want to do them.... Whatever you do or dream you can do --- begin it. Boldness has genius and power and magic in it." ~ Mary Kay Ash



"Remember that success depends on what we do with each of our 24 hours each day. The President of the United States, the top National Sales Director, and the Sales Director of the number one unit all have exactly the same 1,440 minutes each day that you do. Use them as wisely as they do." ~ Mary Kay Ash

Perfectly Pink! 
(c) 2009 Brenda Leyland

Biz Builders: What's Next?

Have you ever found yourself with the hopeful, almost restless feeling that the perfect answer to whatever you are seeking will be found in the next motivational book you read, the next conference you attend, or the next website you visit?

You keep hunting and striving, hoping that this is the book that's going to help you succeed. This is the speaker that's got the answer you need. This is the seminar that will unfold the mystery and hand you the key.


I used to feel something niggling at the back of my mind, almost unconsciously, that I might miss the key I'd need to complete the next step in my journey.

Until I finally realized that so often the very idea I needed, the person who had the key to my dilemma, the author exploring the same thoughts I was thinking, the website with the right information, all seemed to present themselves exactly when I needed them.

I also realized that, as great and necessary as it is to keep learning and exploring, sometimes when we're so focused on what we're going to get next, we risk missing the gifts we already have right here in the present.


I started to feel more relaxed as I came to understand that it's not always about getting the next new idea, it's about doing something with what I've already got.

Why not listen to the CD's you bought from the last conference. Or read the books already on your shelf. Flip through your files for lost or forgotten ideas, find that perfect idea you once scribbled so enthusiastically in the margin of your diary. Why not use it today!


The key to the next step in your professional or personal life may be closer than you think!



Perfectly Pink!
Brenda Leyland, 2009

Biz Builders...Inventory Tips

Do you ever struggle to keep your Mary Kay inventory organized? Regina Zona once shared some tips on how to help you stay on top of it.


You'll be interested to know that these ideas will also help you in your home life. Do you ever find your pantry cupboards in a mess and you're not sure if you've got the items, because cans and boxes are scattered on different shelves?



Follow these tips for your business, as well as your grocery, laundry and toiletries inventories, and suddenly your life will be simpler and less frustrating.

**********************

1. Keep your inventory together in one area. That way, every time you go to fill an order (and you want lots of those) you won't have to zigzag across the room, or go from closet to closet. This will save you valuable time, energy and steps. Plus, you won't be ordering too much of one thing and not enough of another.


2. Organize the product on your shelves in the same order as it appears on the order sheet. It's easier to track what you have, so when you get ready to place an order, you won't have to flip back and forth to find the right section on your sheet.


3. Keep enough space available for the largest amount you will ever have on hand. For example, if you want to keep seven cleansers on hand, but only have three at the moment, make sure you leave enough empty space for when you do order the other four bottles. Two reasons: (1) it's easier to track when it's all in one place; and (2) when you see empty space, you easily recognize when you're getting low and you need to replace it.



(c) Perfectly Pink!
Brenda Leyland, 2009

Biz Builders...Know Your Craft

EVERY WOMAN WANTS to look and feel beautiful, so it’s important to recognize that, as a ‘consultant of beauty’, you are the key to helping your customer look her best.

If a customer asks you how she can create a certain look that magazines are raving about this spring, are you savvy enough to know how to creat the look she's seen elsewhere using the Mary Kay products?

Perhaps you don’t feel confident in answering that question yet. That’s okay, we all have to learn. But here are a few ideas on how you can become savvier at your craft:

1. Stay on top of the current trends in the glamour and skin care industry overall, not just Mary Kay. When someone says she saw something from another advertising campaign, you’ll be able to confidently say, Oh, I know what you mean, and I know exactly how you can achieve the result with these MK products.




2. Pay close attention to the tips and ideas presented in The Look and Applause magazines. They provide great information on Mary Kay’s current looks.


3. Learn which Mary Kay products will create the look and result your customer is asking about.


4. Remember what fun it was to play beauty parlour with your mom’s lipsticks and powders when you were a young girl? So, play with your products. Find out what they can do.


5. Make use of the Virtual Makeover online (www.maryka.ca). Why not upload photos of yourself, your mom, sisters, girlfriends and ‘play’ with their looks. When you meet women with similar skin tones or facial shapes, you’ll have an idea where to begin.


6. Study the application tips from makeup artists such as Robert Jones. He has a website and some great how-to books. (www.robertjonesbeauty.com).

Today’s discerning woman is looking for a consultant who knows what she is talking about, who can guide her to the right product, as well as help her create the look she desires.

Why not work on your skills this month and give yourself the edge!

Perfectly Pink!

(c) Brenda Leyland, 2009

Biz Builders... Adding Value

ARE YOU FAMILIAR with the Japanese word "kaizen"? I understand it is a term that, when translated in English, means 'continuous improvement'. According to Wikipedia, the concept of kaizen aims to eliminate waste -- waste being defined as 'activities that add cost but do not add value'.

This is not about looking for the cheapest way to do business, but it is about ensuring that what you are doing actually adds value to your business.

Marva Ruot, President of Success is in Order, has identified several ways individuals in direct sales sometime add costs to their business that, in the end, do not add value. The following tips are from her book entitled, Success Is In Order:

1. You buy prizes and incentive gifts you never use. They look good at Seminar, but you have not made a clear plan on how to use them. You've spent money on a drawerful of items that are now taking up valuable space.

2. You buy too many prizes. Also with no clear idea on how you will use them.

3. You plan prizes too late. Which means you order and pay rush shipping.

4. You don't file often enough. So you make tons of copies of the same thing, because you can't find the originals when you need them.

5. You overstock on items that change quickly. e.g. literature from your company that gets updated regularly. (Maybe it's better to be more realistic here, and order fewer.)

6. You make up too many hand-out packets at one time with material that dates quickly. (So you end up having to throw them out, unused.)

This is only a short list, but perhaps it will give you the incentive to take a look at the things you are doing in your business.  Or your home life....Hmmm.... I notice this tip would work in my food pantry or craft cupboard too!

Think about what you are spending your money on, and where you are spending your time. Ensure that the money and effort you put into your business are giving you a good return, that they add value.

Biz Builders...Keep To The Schedule

HAVE YOU EVER FELT, even though you’re busy all day with your business, sometimes you can’t seem to get anything done? Does it feel like you’re off track and you can’t get back on?

Perhaps what your business needs is some structure – just like a train timetable. Trains get to where they’re going because they run on a track, and because there’s a set schedule. You know when the train will leave, which direction it will head, and when it will arrive. Once the schedule is made, the train just has to stay on track, and it will reach its destination, and on time!

How do you plan your weekly ‘train’ schedule for your business? First, you decide what you need to accomplish (that’s your destination). For example, you need to book classes, order inventory, do paperwork, deliveries, attend the unit meeting, meet with your director, make phone calls and be part of the conference call, as well as make time to read or listen to motivational material.

Once you decide the destination, you set up your schedule – when will you actually work on each activity? What day? What time? For how long? Trains would run amok if they didn’t follow a set timetable of the days and times they come and go. No one would ever know when to book a ticket.

We probably all enjoy spontaneity, but when it comes to running our business, it is much better to keep to a schedule if we want to stay on track. Our minds tend to work best when there’s an order to things and when we know what comes next.

Mary Kay Ash once said, Plan your work and then work your plan. Are you ready to climb aboard?

Now go live successfully...

Biz Building...Overwhelmed?

 

 

DO YOU EVER go merrily along, enjoying all the good stuff that's happening in your life? Only to wake up one morning and realize somewhere along the way you've, once again, bitten off more than you can chew? Now you feel overwhelmed, weary, maybe even a little resentful that you're overloaded?


That's when it's a good idea to step back and re-evaluate what you've been adding to the mix of your days. You've probably heard the advice before: in order to simplify your life, when you buy something new for your house or wardrobe, you should also get rid of something.

It's the same thing when you're adding a new task, role, or job. Carving out time for your new project or business is a little like carving a jack-o-lantern.

First, you have to remove the inside of the pumpkin to make room for the candle to shine through. If you don't remove any of the flesh, if you don't carve out any holes, you'll have a funny looking jack-o-lantern with its light sticking out the top, instead of being nestled inside.

To layer a new venture on top of an already busy life is a quick recipe for burnout and discouragement. That's why it's important to create space in your life so your business (new hobby, new volunteer job, whatever) can flourish.

I learned this hard way... you cannot pile your candles on the outside of the pumpkin. You have to carve out space for them to function properly. Otherwise you might end up burning the house down...or something equally devastating, like experiencing a physical or emotional burnout.

Which means we need to come to terms with the fact that there will be trade-offs. And...we need to learn to be comfortable with it. It's recognizing that you need to decide what you'd rather have more -- do you want to stick with the present situation or do you want to move towards a new and desirable benefit? What do you want more?

Once you decide, you'll need to make at least one or two changes in your lifestyle and habits.  How will you carve out time for it? What changes will you begin to implement this week....this month...this year?

Now go live successfully!