Kristie T’s Home Business Blog Fun, mom-geared work-at-home tips and advice on making money on the net.

Macs ROCK - Laptops SUCK!  In December both of my laptops crashed.  I had to pay a local computer technie guy $500 to fix my babies.  In January my dog ATE the keyboard of my one laptop and the other (fixed) laptop started blackscreening again.  UGH!  I HAD IT!

Best Buy had a great special on Macs with zero percent interest for 18 months.  I decided to switch.  It was the BEST decision I ever made.  Several of my colleagues who had gotten new laptops with Vista were discusted as I was with the sick lack of performance.  Many of them had “switched” to Mac and were happy campers.

Here is a great site Tao of Mac for switchers to help you learn to find your way around a Mac.  It totally helped me survive my first few weeks of “how do I do this” insanity.

Another thing that has been really helpful is the in store Mac tutoring.  For like $99/year you can get a year’s worth of personal training to answer all your Mac questions.

I am DIGGING Mac, loving the culture, performance, and the FUN!!~

Any other switchers out there? Who else is ready to throw their Vista laptop thru the window?

Kristie

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So you cool mamas — Wednesdays, January 14th and 21st… are dates I want you to remember.

Why? Because I’ve arranged for for something very special that will help you boost your market position and increase profits with your internet based business.

I’m not talking about Info-Marketer hype or the promise of “f-r-e-e” training that ends up being a pitch for product. This is something GOOD!

Jane Deuber, one of today’s top online strategists for women entrepreneurs.  Her tele-training entitled Proactive Profits – How to strategize, plan and take auction for a profitable 2009; is $159.  However, I’ve pulled a few strings for my Webmomz peeps to get you a VIP Pass to the two-call course.
>>> Click here to register for Jane’s tele-training. <<<

Why are these calls worth your time?

If you are like me, you get so sick of the hype from most of those big internet marketers who promise you million dollar fixes overnight.  That’s why I really appreciate Jane.  She is is super down to earth and delivers proven business strategies you can put to work right away.

Jane brings something different to the table.  Unlike those self proclaimed experts, Jane has Masters in International Business Administration and “Real-Life Experience” in the trenches.

Jane is tired of the BS running rampant on the Internet and wants to set the bar a lot higher.

Because Jane is genuinely committed to making a difference in your business

By investing time in these two calls I promise that you will be inspired to take the actions that will enable you to thrive in this economy that has so many business owners in a panic.
>>> Reserve your spot before your competition does! <<<

Wondering what she’ll be covering? Here is a sneak peek at Call #1:

1) The single biggest mistake business owners make when the economy slows down

2) How to use the Four Stages of Achievement to identify what’s holding you back

3) The two things you must know to guarantee your success in business

4) Two unbeatable strategies for growing your business in a down economy

5) Two complimentary resources that will inspire you to avoid procrastination and take action
And THAT’S just call #1!

Know this…. your bottom line in 2009 will be determined not by what you KNOW, but what you DO with what you know. Register today and get the help you need to move past overwhelm and frustratration and move into action in your business.

>>> Click here to register for Jane’s tele-training. <<<

See you on the call!

Kristie T
Psst. Even if you can’t dial in live on Wednesday, register anyway! Jane will be sure to get you the call recordings the day after each call.  Enjoy!

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Recession …. so what’s a mom entrepreneur to do when times are tough and you need to BOOST your profits? Join us for a FREE call tomorrow to learn how your business can thrive EVEN in tough times.

My good friend, Jane Deuber, is holding two complimentary training calls entitled “Revenue Rev-up: Proven strategies for creating multiple streams of income.” Knowing Jane, these calls will deliver tons of value and provide specific steps you can take to recession-proof your business in the months ahead.

Send in your questions and Jane will answer them on the call!
Submit your question regarding growing your business here:  http://www.theprofitaccelerator.com/tpa_ask.asp.  I

In exchange you will receive the dial-in details so you can participate on the call at no charge this Wednesday. Even if you can’t be there submit your question so you receive a link to the call recording.

The truth is, it is possible to recession proof our businesses with innovative strategies and a fresh perspective of what we offer. Click on the link below to ask your question and join me and Jane for two incredible calls! http://www.theprofitaccelerator.com/tpa_ask.asp

See you on the call!

Kristie T

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I was on a conference call tonight with my good friend Elizabeth Marshall (she is so wise and wonderful - just love her!)

Elizabeth was talking about a book she just read and how that applied to direct selling.

The book is called, “It’s Not About the Coffee: Leadership Principles from a Life at Starbucks” by Howard Behar

Starbucks has truly become a leader in the industry by realizing that they are not in the coffee business at all. It’s not about selling coffee , but about building relationships and working with people.

While there is coffee to be made and lattes to be served, anytime their employees think more about the coffee then the people they are serving, they are pulling away from the mission.

It’s really about….. Making a difference. Building relationships. Making connections.

Here are the key principles the book discusses. Think about how they relate to you in your direct selling business.

1) Wear one hat - know who you are. Clarity and integrity. Where do you want to go. What do you offer. What do you stand for. Find the one hat and be true to it.

2) Know why you are here. Do things because they are right, not because of what others will think. Too often we focus on the tactics and techniques rather then developing relationships with people in business.

3) Importance of thinking independently. How can we help people choose the right way to use their product in a way that will grow their specific business.
Focus on outcomes and the reason’s behind them.

4) Build trust and care like you mean it. People can sense your authenticity. Care about them from the heart first, business second.

5) Listen for the truth. Keep commmunication lines open. Listen in a way that you can uncover real problems and not symptoms

6) Be accountable and practice radical transparency.

7) Think like a person of action and act like a person of thought. Starbucks has had a lot of new drinks. Despite market testing, they found out new drink was good as a sample, but too rich for a full sized drink. Can you listen and take advice to find new innovate ways that better serve the client.

As we face challenges, stick to your principles. As you hit the wall, hold onto what your values are - what you feel is right. That will ground and guide you during the tough times.

9) Importance of leadership and daring to dream. Be bold. Help others be the leaders they were meant to be. Empower others. Lead by example.

I’m definitely going to grab a copy at Amazon. Thanks Liz for the great book recommendation. You rock my dear!

Kristie T

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I’d love to introduce you to someone I really admire and respect…. and that is my friend Jordan Adler. He just turned 50 years old (can you believe it? that’s him in the chair on the beach on the cover — he looks so YOUNG!).

And on Jordan’s birthday he is giving US a gift. Jordan just released a cool book called “Beach Money Creating your Dream Life Through Network Marketing.” In this book, Jordan Adler tells us exactly what he has done to create a million dollar success story in network marketing. And let me tell you, Jordan is awesome at breaking down his system into a blueprint that anyone can follow.

Using the strategies in this book, you’ll learn how to create a cash machine from your direct selling business so you can enjoy the lifestyle you’ve always dreamed of.

Jordan is the real deal. I am 1000% a fan. Using his strategies, I have become one of the top 50 reps nationally for the direct sales company I work with. And I’m going on a Bahama cruise this weekend with Jordan Adler, and my other friends from this awesome organization.

Now here’s the really cool part. Jordan isn’t keeping a single penny of what he is making from the sale of the book. He is donating 100% of the book proceeds to charity. Isn’t that amazing? That’s the kind of guy Jordan is. He is smart, authentic, and a really generous individual — the kind I am proud to call my friend.

Pick up a copy today of Beach Money Creating your Dream Life Through Network Marketing here at www.beachmoney.com/

I hope you’ll enjoy this book as much as I do. I’ll share pictures from my Bahama’s cruise next week on the blog.

Wishing you blessings and outrageous success.

Kristie T

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Just got my brand new Verizon wireless card today for my laptop. It is so AWESOME to know I can pick up my laptop, login to my wireless card service and work any where I please. Man is that cool! Just $59/month for unlimited use. Plus, it’s broadband speed. Sweet!

I want to call out to Carolyn O’Daniels at the new Verizon Wireless store in Gurnee, IL. She gave me excellent service. Even let me bring my laptop and try out the cards for size. She was awesome, answered my questions, and super helpful.

Do you have wireless service for your laptop? Who do you use? What are the best deals out there? Where’s the coolest place you worked using your wireless service?

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My buddy Ron Lindemann of Lindemann Chimney told me about an awesome cool tool I wanted to share with you.

Have you ever been driving down the road and either got a neat idea, had someone schedule an appointment, or wanted to write a phone number down but couldn’t? Jott let’s you take notes with your mobile phone. With this free service, you just call on your mobile phone. You say what the message is. And Jott uses voice recognition to dictate what you said and turn it into a text message that you get in an email.

Now with Jott, you don’t have to worry about entering it into your blackberry and syncing it up with your laptop or writing it on a paper that gets lost.

Their voice dictation software is like a free personal secretary that takes what you say and sends it right to your email box so you don’t forget.

You could use Jott for reminders, to record information like expenses, phone numbers, dates, appointments as you get them, even if there is a car accident.

In fact, some bloggers are using Jott to post things to their blog as it happens. Imagine being at an internet marketing seminar when a big announcement is made and having the ability to post it within seconds to your blog by having it email a special email address that posts to your blog. Very cool!

Have any of you tried Jott? Do you use Jott is unique ways? Try Jott free here!

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Do you ever see people wearing those fun promotional buttons on their shirts and wonder, “How do they do that?” Here is how to make your own buttons in about 15 minutes using Word, Paint, and CafePress.

Make your own custom “buttons” to wear.

1) Go into Word and made a WordArt graphic - VERY EASY.

2) Take a screen shot of the completed graphic in word and pasted it into Paint.

3) Crop the file so all it shows is the graphic, not the rest of the screen.

4) Upload the file into cafepress.com and tell them you want to make a button.

Initially the image may be too big, so scale it back to about 3/4 size (easily done within cafepress)

Voila. Whole process takes less than 15 minutes.

**edit** My cafepress ID # is webmomz, if you sign up for an account and they ask for who referred you.
Just go to our Webmomz CafePress store,
click on Make your own stuff (the green button at the top) and choose which button size you want.

Thanks Kacy Drouin for telling me how to do this!

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The other day I was at the library doing some research for a project I am working on with my buddy. He has this seriously Ninja display of tech stuff. First he pulls this Batman styled awesome travel retractable computer cord kit out of his bag so we could connect to the Internet. Sweet! I admit I was a little embarrased that there was so much dust on my laptop screen we could hardly see. He says, “No problem” and whips this cool mini laptop screen cleaning kit and made my screen sparkling clean.

Since I am gearing up to speak at the Postie Con Blogging conference in Orlando on June 1 & 2 (I hope to meet some of you there!) , I wanted to get me a cool travel geek kit too. So, last night I was surfing and found these tech toys - the perfect kit for geeks like me.

1) Kensington PocketLink 4-in-1 Cable - Retractable FireWire, USB, Phone, and Ethernet Cord (AKA The Batman Toolkit)
This bad boy let’s you connect to anything anywhere - even while you are on the road. No more tangled cords in your bag. This hub has retractable cords and 4 detachable connectors.

Hook up to:
- Ethernet or phone
- Internet or LAN
- FireWire or USB for camera or other devices

It totally rocks!

2. Memorex Cleaning Kitfor Notebooks (Say goodbye to dusty laptop screens!)
Keep your laptop screen squeaky clean with this awesome cleaning kit!

Get rid of fingerprints and smudges with the micro-brush. The screen cleaning cloth and solution is perfect for cleaning LCD monitors.

What “must have” tech gadgets do you bring when you travel? Share your favorite travel computer gear here.

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Looking for cool tools to make your life easier? Freelance Switch has an awesome list of downloads to track time for projects, invoicing, project management, web design template libraries, stock photos, business tools, legal, job boards, web tools, advertising and marketing, and other cool tools.

Here are 101 essential freelancing resources from Freelance Switch. Enjoy!

Special thanks to Ryan for tipping me off to this one.

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