Go Green with a Great Organization

Go Green!

You don't have to start with thousands of dollars worth of solar panels. You don't have to reconstruct your home. You don't have to live uncomfortably.

There are simple, easy ways to start. This one simply means you will have to clean out what's under your sink and in your laundry room. Replace the toxic crap with non toxic cleaners. And you get to save money while you're doing it.

Go green and healthy call to action

Are you in a Pyramid?

According to the Census Bureau, you are being paid less but you are also working more.

Would these CEO's who make 364 times more than the average worker allow you to put in more effort and surpass them? Do you, as an employee, have any opportunity to make more than the CEO's are making? Let's be a bit fair here, do you have any opportunity to make more than your manager is making?

Don't worry! You're just in a pyramid. The Census Bureau has just described the pyramid that all employees are being stuck in. You're getting paid less and less, while working more and more. The head of your company shovels all the profits into his personal bank account, while you've missed watching your children grow up.

There is a way out. There is an opportunity to surpass those who came first. There is an opportunity to make more than the leader in your organization. There is an opportunity to get out of the pyramid and watch your children grow up.

Consider getting out of the pyramid

Census Bureau Report

"Census Bureau releases labor report
9/3/2007 9:34 AM
By: Web Staff

U.S. -- Hopefully you have today off, but whether or not you're working, chances are several people in your household are laboring for some extra income.

According to the Census Bureau, the median household income rose last year, but that's only because more people had to work to bring in that extra cash.

On the flip slide, a majority of both men and women took home less pay for the third year in a row.

The Census Bureau also found the average CEO makes about 364 times that of an average worker."


Get out of the rat race

Nashville

The national convention in Nashville was fantastic. There are some new incentives for the year. Get 300 points by next July and go to Hawaii for a week. There's a smaller incentive called Team Up 2007. You can win hats, t-shirts, cameras and money. The point of Team Up is to practice skills that will be necessary to become Master Coodinator.

Other fun stuff. The Opryland hotel is spectacular. It is a city unto itself. Several of the attendees had a hard time finding their rooms! Part of our celebration was in the famous Wild Horse Saloon. We took up 2 of the 3 floors... and I'm pretty sure we stole the entire dance floor.

Next years convention will be in New Orleans. We hope to see you there!

Brick and Mortar Blues

I met a gentleman the other day who used to own an industrial equipment and supply company. About a year ago he decided to sell the place and took a $20K loss in the process. That $20K had to come out of his personal funds. He is now back to work as an employee of someone else and is beginning to get that old feeling of restlessness back. He works for someone he would never hire. I've worked for a few supervisors and managers that fit in that same category. I have a feeling we all have.

Since, it seems, I only know people who want to start a business, be free from the shackles of a "job", do their own thing, set their own hours... I was very curious as to why he would get out of owning his business.

No matter how sick he was, he had to come into work. He could never take a true vacation. He worked 60 to 80 hour weeks. He had to deal with payroll, payroll taxes, business taxes of every color and type, customers who would pay 60-90-120 days late, vendors who demanded cash up front, employees who didn't want to work....

The list went on.

I told him that I have no employees. All purchases are paid for before they ship so there's no possibility of a late payment. I handle no sales tax, no use tax, no business license renewals, no employee tax, no inventory tax. I only have one vendor. And once in awhile I don't feel like working, so I don't. I'm taking a week off for the 4th of July. I'm taking a week off in August to go to Nashville. I'm taking a week off in November for family Thanksgiving. Lucky thing I haven't been sick lately, so I don't care about sick days right now. If I get sick, I'll stay in bed.

It sounds to me like this guy owned a job instead of business. It also sounds like I'd be doing even better if I put a little more effort into my business. It sounds like I need to teach this guy how to relax. It also sounds like he could teach me a thing or two... what do you think?

Maybe we can help each other out and meet in the middle.

Are you thinking of a brick and mortar business? I wish you all the luck in the world!

Paper Company via Temp Agency

I heard a conversation today that was all about jobs. What was your favorite job? What was your worst job? Who was your best boss and why? So I started thinking back. This might be a great way for me to get back to this blog!

Once upon a time.... or maybe this one should begin with - One stormy night....

I worked for a pulp and paper manufacturer back in the very early 90's through a temp agency. This job was fun. It wasn't high stress, but it wasn't boring either. My boss was a toupee-wearing middle-life-crises-after-anything-in-a-skirt sort of guy, I actually thought he was good at his job. The girl I was replacing was on 6 month maternity leave. She had the option to extend to 8 months but no longer.

She decided to extend to the full 8 months (who can blame her?) and I was happy with it. It was a fun job after all! Once the 8 months was over she decided to quit and stay home with her new baby (it was a girl! And it was her first baby!). The HR dept of the paper mill decided to let me know that I would be getting the job permanently once they got the paperwork in order. This was very nice to hear since I was getting paid $12/hr for a $16/hr starting pay job. Another very nice thing to hear was that I would be getting a little more than $16/hr because they would backdate my start date.

How nice is that!!!!

So, three months later, I go into HR to see how they're doing on paperwork. I couldn't understand why it would take that long, but I gave them an opportunity to ask me anything I may have left off the paperwork. It will take a little longer.

Six months later, I approach my boss and ask what I can do to speed up the process. Oh, just be patient.

Another three months (a year after being told such nice news, and after many people telling me "you'll get the job, just wait till the paperwork is finished") I ask again. No one is willing to let me know what's going on.

I call the temp agency to see if they're holding it up. Maybe I need to buy out of a contract? Maybe I'm not allowed to take this job? Oh no, after working for this particular temp agency for a continuous 2 year period there is nothing holding me back from taking any job, there is no payoff, there are no valid non-compete clauses. Well that was nice to know!!!! I had worked for them continuously for 3 years and a couple months! I could even go back to a former assignment and take a job!

On a hunch, I decided to try to apply for open jobs with the same rank in other departments within the paper company. I knew other department heads and knew which ones liked me, so I targeted the ones I thought would hire me in a second flat.

After another 6 months.... I've applied for a couple jobs and got turned down while people outside the company got hired. I've gone back to HR and heard the same old promises but the paperwork isn't done yet.

What's wrong with me????

My boss pulled me aside a couple months later (we're now 1 year and 8 months into this carrot being dangled in front of my face) and he tells me, "do you really think HR will hire you at approximately $19/hr at this point, when you're doing so well at $12/hr?" He advised me to quit and then apply for the job when it comes up. (I'm assuming the temp agency didn't have a markup on my $12/hr all the way to $19/hr)

I struggled for another couple months with this and decided he was right. I quit. Then I waited to hear about this job coming available. I had several co-workers who were going to tell me as soon as it was posted, and my boss said he would as well.

A month later, someone else got the job. My boss had found a better job with another company and wasn't in a position to let me know (this is completely understandable). My co-workers were all shocked when the new department manager was hired and decided not to post my old job, but instead hired his wife.

I guess HR didn't have a problem with her paperwork.

Fact of Life Becomes a Fact of Life

Disparity pay? So now our court system will enforce a fact of life. I can't remember having a job where I got paid equal to my male counterparts. A fact of life! Or at least, my life. It's nice to know our court system has no problem with the obvious.

How many single parent homes are headed by a woman? Just pondering here...

So how will women make up for the disparity in pay and still get the lifestyle we want? That's the $1,000,000 question. Here's one idea

Promotion!

I've been away for awhile. But the good news is the time spent away was well worth it. Curt and I got promoted!

We will be in Nashville for the convention this August. Hope to see some of you there as well.

While I was away, I kept a list of different ideas for this blog... so not all was lost! I'll get busy in here again and have some fun.

Network Marketing Products

Consumable Vs. Non-Consumable

Do you enjoy sales, or does that word make your skin crawl?

If you enjoy sales, then non-consumable products are a consideration for you. Some network marketing companies offer products that are only purchased once by a customer. These are called non-consumable products. A refrigerator is considered non-consumable. You may end up buying a few in your life-time, however it isn't an item you buy with regularity. If you decide to become affiliated with a network marketing company who offers non-consumable products, then you need to realize that you will have to be good at sales, or at least be willing to develop good sales skills. Your customer list will have to be constantly changing and growing.

If the word "sales" makes you cringe, you better consider a consumable product to offer. A consumable product is something that is purchased repeatedly on a semi-predictable basis. Food is a consumable product. You can predict with some accuracy how often a customer will go to the grocery store. Many network marketing companies offer products that are consumable. You do not necessarily need to be good at sales with these sorts of products. Once you have a customer list, who buy your products regularly, you can sit back and relax if you want to.

Sales Vs. Sharing

So you've chosen a consumable product to "Sell". How on earth do you get it "Sold" without selling? Maybe I'm just off my rocker.

Bob: I need to get off the phone and do some yard work with my new widget, the wife is getting antsy. We'll see you this weekend at the barbecue?

You: Hey, Bob, I have this great widget-helping-device that's really incredible! We offer a free trial, a 100% money back guarantee and I'm available to show you how it works! Don't move a muscle I'll drive right over with it! (You need to be wearing some plaid golf pants and a really tacky polyester jacket when you say this! It gives it the full effect I'm trying to achieve here.)

That's my best try at outright selling. Did I do well? Selling really doesn't have to be like this, but humor me.

Let's try some sharing and hopefully you'll see the difference. (take off your plaid pants please.)

Bob: I need to get off the phone and do some yard work with my new widget, the wife is getting antsy. We'll see you this weekend at the barbecue?

You: We'll be at the barbecue, ready to let our hair down for the weekend. And oh, by the way, remind me to tell you about this widget-helping-device my wife and I found. It may help you do your yard in half the time.

Bob: Half the time? What is it?

You: It's something I found a few days/weeks/months ago. It's helped me out with that widget. My hands don't get as sore, maybe that's why it takes half the time.

Bob: Oh boy, do I know what you mean. I get cramps in my hands after just 10 minutes.

You: Let me know when you have time and I'll show you how it works.

Bob: Do you have time now? The wife would be thrilled if I did it in half the time, she'd be able to crack that whip and get me on another honey-do for the day.

Okay, do you see the difference? If you don't see a difference, then. . . well. . . I am crazy.

The second one allows Bob to decide the when and where. It also allows him to decide if he even wants more information. It has informed him of a personal experience that he may end up experiencing. It is simply sharing your experiences, sharing your excitement, sharing your knowledge with people. But it allows them to decide whether they will accept your information.

This is a form of selling. But maybe this type of selling won't make your skin crawl. You can save the money for plaid pants and use it for a bottle of champagne to celebrate your first successful sale!


Cherlyn Garrett
http://www.shaklee.net/cgx2/distSuccess
Helping you to own your future