Hope Ya’ll had a great weekend. (For you Pittsburgher’s like me, replace “Yunz Guys” with “Ya’ll”) We had family in town since the middle of last week, and while I did do some “work”, some things, like internet activity, took a back seat. (Which would include this blog.)

I started to think about what to post today and honestly didn’t have anything prepared. There are a couple of key people I like to read for inspiration, and many of them you can find to the right as part of my “favorite authors”, but there is one who isn’t on my list who I’ve known via the Internet and message boards who I’ve admired for years. As a success, I have attempted to model in my journey in my own home based business.

I stumbled into one of his articles late last night and can’t tell you how thrilled I was to see someone like Tony with the same belief I have concerning working at home with kids.

To some, this may seem odd, and some who’ve never experienced this may think that people would find this “unprofessional”. Like Tony, I’ve never seen or heard a single person in all the years I’ve been home with my kids that anyone has ever been “put off” by my kids who may interrupt, make extra noise, or need something during a call.

As a matter of fact, I get more compliments and most everyone with children desire what I have more than anything else.

So I’m going to step aside for today and let Tony take it from here with a copy and paste from Articlebase.

How to Succeed in a Home Business Even if you Have Kids

Author: Tony Rush

You’ve seen the ad in the magazines and online. I call her the Perfect Work-At-Home Person. She’s a beautiful lady with perfect makeup and hairstyle. She’s sitting at her computer in her home office and her two-year old is quietly playing with her toys on the floor.

Or perhaps it’s a picture of a man who’s lounged by the pool laughing and talking on his cordless phone while his children are floating around in the pool.

Let’s pause for a reality check.

As I type this, I’m holding an 18-month old who has barged into my office and demanded his favorite past-time: to sit on my lap while listening to iTunes. (Right now, we’re listening to “How Long” by The Eagles and he’s desperately trying to climb onto the keyboard to get my iPhone.)

In fact, less than an hour ago, I had a phone call from a potential business partner who had to hold for a moment as I made sure that my oldest son had his phone charged and knew to be careful crossing the street to go to his friend’s house.

Of course, I could close the door. I could ask my wife to watch him for a bit while I take care of some business.

And sometimes I do that. But, usually, I’m doing business or taking calls throughout the day while I’m enjoying being with my family.

Welcome to the Home Office of the 21st Century Family: Where family is the top priority and we don’t feel the need to pretend that our home office is a picture from a magazine.

It wasn’t always this way, though. I remember not too long ago, if the phone rang, I was shrieking at everyone to be quiet because I was “working”. Or I spent huge swaths of time with the door to my office closed because I was “working”.

What a drag. What’s the point in working at home if you have to pretend you’re in a corporate environment? Or where everyone around you is stressed out because they feel like they’re walking on eggshells.

I suspect that most home-business entrepreneurs are living the same way and doing it for the same reason: fear.

They’re afraid that if someone hears a child in the background, it means they’re not “professional”. But the truth is that most of the people you talk to would love to be able to work from home and be with their loved ones every day. And this is especially true if you’re in a business where showing people how to get out of the corporate environment is what you do.

The truth is that working at home and being connected with your family is cool today. Today’s best “power lunch” is when you’re making money while slicing a peanut-butter and jelly sandwich for your kids. And the best suits to wear when doing business is a swimsuit.

Just this week, I was on the phone with a potential business partner and my son, Pate, came in to get a hug and a kiss before going to bed. I asked my prospect to hang on, laid the phone on the desk and spent the next 45 seconds tickling my son, telling him how much I love him and that I’d see him in the morning.

When I picked up the phone, I said, “There was a time I would have apologized for that but that’s actually the whole reason why I do what I do.”

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone and my prospect said, “That’s the kind of life I want. How do I get started?”

And of course, when the situation requires, you can always close your door. There’s nothing wrong with that, either. It’s all about choice.

So, the message is simple: don’t be too quick to assume that working at home requires you to be “slick” or “professional”.

I earn a multiple six-figure income from home and I’ve been able to do that while enjoying my family; not hiding them. Don’t expect that I’ll always answer the phone if you call my office.

And if I do, you might just hear the sounds of The Eagles or a Nintendo Wii in the background.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/business-articles/how-to-succeed-in-a-home-business-even-if-you-have-kids-297523.html

About the Author:
Here is Easton’s contribution to the article: aaaaaaazzzzzzzzzz3g9]

For more information on Tony Rush, visit http://www.tonyrush.com

Couldn’t have said it better myself Tony.

Thank you.

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“Your Ticket To Paradise” happens to be the largest organization of active RTA’s in YTB, or YourTravelBiz as it’s also known. We are very proud to be part of this organization and prouder still to be recognized as leaders within the organization, just in time for the National Convention in St. Louis, August 15 – 19.

Last evening, Tim Dominey, a Second Level Director in YTB awarded both Ronda and I with “Your Ticket To Paradise” team jackets. These jackets not only recognize both Ronda and I as leaders of our own team, but leaders in the company as well.

But we couldn’t have done any of this by ourselves. That’s one of the things we love about this company and this business model, it’s about people helping people. With just a few core people that we have personally found, they have found others that have grown our team to over 200 at this time and we are getting closer every day to becoming Directors ourselves. We see it, we feel it, and it’s so close we can almost touch it.

It’s hard not to be proud right now with all the great news that has come out over the last two months about the company. The summer started out with the announcement of YTB International bringing on KCSA Worldwide as Investor Relations Counsel, with our Annual Investors meeting the following week. The Annual Meeting of Stockholders that took place on June 11, 2007. All six proposals submitted by YTB’s Board of Directors to the Company’s stockholders were approved at the meeting, including a 1-3 split of the company stock.

The beginning of June, we also announced the launch of YTB Cars and sales have already been made. While the pilot program has launched with Chrysler, Dodge, and Nissan at its inception, we recently found out that the largest car rental company worldwide, who also has corporate headquarters in St. Louis, has been in and out of our home office since the launch in order to help us expand our program.

Then came the news we all new was coming, but just didn’t know exactly were we would place. Travel Weekly’s Top 50 Power List for 2007. As part of the Power List, YTB was ranked 35th among all travel agencies and included in the top 11 leisure travel agencies. The ONLY Network Marketing Company to ever make the Top 50! To be ranked with the likes of Travelocity, Orbitz, Expedia, American Express, and AAA is so incredibly HUGE for a small, young company like ours. Travel is our business and we expect to handle 900,000 travel bookings representing 1.4 million individual travelers with a customer cost of approx $1 Billion in 2007. On May 31 of this year 57,000 of our 88,000 travel agents had 157,000 paid for travel bookings pending customer travel and commissioning. 80,000 new bookings for 110,000 individual travel customers were entered into our system in May alone!

All this and the National Convention is yet to come! MAJOR Announcements are announced every year at the convention. Two years ago it was the Medical and Life Insurance and our Bill of Rights, and last year it was our feature in Success From Home and our $6000 Guarantee. (Both of these announcements by the way have made their way into other compensation packages with other companies just to keep pace.)

It’s been a REALLY good summer and it looks like it’s just going to get better!

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I wanted to share something that I’m personally very proud of about this company. In actually perspective, my roll in this was actually very little. It does show just what kind of people I work with and work for. To realize that I’m still in the infant stage of this company and see what is happening…the vendor awards from Carnival, Holland America, Apple Vacations, and the “Success from Home” publication, and now a new company goal for the entire year that was reached a few weeks ago.

YTB reached its Dec 31, 2006 goal of 52,269 Referring Travel Agents (RTA’S) on Oct 19, 2006.

There was celebration at the home office after the announcement was made during a record setting crowd attended Red Carpet Day Orientation where 350 visitors touring the home office witnessed the excitement of the moment as the bonus presentation was kept secret from the 129 employees until the announcement was made on Thursday. Previously, YTB home office employees were given a bonus equal to $50 for every month they have been employed by YTB not to exceed $1500.

In January 2006, when YTB had only 21,000 RTA’s, YTB founders Coach, Scott, and Kim spoke with all the employees in a group setting telling them that YTB’s 2006 goal for RTA’s by December 31, 2006 was 52,269. The whole room went silent right after the announcement was made because the employees did the math and it seemed ridiculous to them that if it took 5 years of hard work really getting with it after becoming a company to reach 21,000 RTA’s, to reach a number 2 ½ times that size in one year was not possible.

However, CEO Scott Tomer told the group that when, not if, we reach our goal each employee would receive a Christmas bonus of 3 times the amount of last year’s bonus. The employees quickly did the math.

All of the sudden the fever caught on. Signs posted on Clocks and everywhere were made with the number 52,269, even in the restrooms. It became a part of the home office culture to focus on that goal. They were saying, “What can I do today to help YTB get there?” Excitement and commitment reigned. Every employee, new and old, knew of the goal and the potential for each of them. Everyone tracked the number every day; everyone. They knew what kind of money was at stake. Instead of receiving a $600 Christmas bonus for being an employee for one year, 3 x $600 = $1800. An employee who maxed out at the $1500 bonus would get a $4500 bonus.

So when the meeting took place at the home office to announce that YTB had reached its 2006 goal of 52,269 something very surprising happened.

The top 3 RTA’s of YTB who are either at the level 4 or 5 director position were in attendance at the presentation. Each of these directors stepped up to the plate and said they wanted to contribute an amount equal to one more bonus for each of the employees, making it 4 times their regular Christmas bonus. YTB founders, Coach, Scott, and Kim agreed and all of a sudden there lots of tears and kisses, expressions of gratitude.

Over $300,000 was given out that afternoon. Throughout the afternoon people were talking, telling stories, emails and smiles among all of the 129 employees at YTB home office in Edwardsville, IL about the generosity of the leaders and sales people of YTB. All employees’ lifestyles were improved that day. Some will use their Christmas Bonus to pay off bills, fix a car, a down payment on a new house, and some of the money will go for college expenses, parents to be comforted, weddings to be planned, vacation dreams to come true. You would have to have been there to see the tears on Coach’s face. He was experiencing the joy of giving. YTB employees experienced the hearts of all who made this bonus possible by their extreme generosity.

That bonus turned 129 employees into loyal marketers, supporters, and defenders of YTB to the death. They know that YTB is the best of the best places of anywhere in the world to work.

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I found this in my “in box” this morning from a woman who came to a company presentation Monday night. I have asked her permission to publish her e-mail in order to alert the public.

“I am so excited! I have a trip that I have to go to in June. I already called the resort in Mexico and could get a great agent rate! I also checked Spirit airlines and see we can get a flat rate for a little over a hundred dollars. Have you used the Spirit airlines discount before? Ok I’m going back to bed. It’s 4am and I can’t stop looking at the site, thinking and dreaming YTB, thinking of some different marketing ideas, dreaming of luxury vacations, going on my first cruise—-
Oh well you get the picture.
Good night-I mean Good morning!
Dominique”

Unfortunately, I DO know what she means. It’s a syndrome that both Scientists and Physicians don’t really know that much about called “YTBitis”.

Key symptoms Include:

• Daydreaming about Exotic Destinations
• Sleepless Nights Surfing for “Deals”
• Racing Mind of “Who to Talk To!”
• Talking to pure strangers, people they don’t even know
• Spending more time with family
• Excessive traveling and vacationing, up to several times per year
• Decreased tax burden
  

The worst symptom of all…most whom are infected with YTBitis experience increased bank accounts of Tens, sometime Hundreds of Thousand of Dollars.

Currently there have only been 52,000 cases found here in the US, but YTBitis has shown to be gaining momentum with up to 200 to 300 new cases found per day. Current statistics show that YTBitis is rapidly taking over the entire country and it is feared, soon the WORLD starting in January of 2007! Experts have worked diligently to trace this growing outbreak back to just three man…J. Lloyd Tomer also know as Coach, his son Scott Tomer, and J. Kim Sorensen. All three have been linked back to a Travel Company known as YourTravelBiz.com, or YTB for short. While based just outside of St. Louis, Missouri, these three Gentlemen continue to travel across the country, spreading YTBitis which has only shown to increase the momentum!

The good news is that individuals can learn to live with this over time. Some cases have actually been quoted as saying, “I’ll let you in on a little secret. This is sooo easy, fun too!” Nevertheless, there will soon be a National Publication out in Bookstores and New Stands in January of 2007 concerning this syndrome from the editors of “Success From Home”. A growing number of cases have also been found to already have this publication in hand; in order to alert the public of this growing trend. Support groups have been organized all over the country, even full day trainings in most major cities which continue to grow in order to learn how to cope with these indicators.

Yet, no one really knows if a cure will ever be found.

While “YTBitis” will have most suspected infections with bags under their eyes due to sleepless nights, obviously the worst part about this ailment, the rest is very “manageable”. Experts all agree this is certainly not life threatening, some occurrences have actually been considered to be “life enhancing”.

If you feel you need to learn more about YTBitis and how it could affect you or your family, please contact your nearest YTB Representative to get the full story on this sweeping epidemic.

Thank you.

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We just got back from a wonderful and relaxing Seminar at Sea with Carnival and YTB, followed by the Funshine Trade Show in Orlando. We hope you will join us next time. It was so inspiring to meet fellow YTB’ers and hear their success stories. We also learned so much from our Vendors at the trade show, we now have an even better idea of how to increase our travel bookings. We are planning to invite each of you to a Team Seminar at Sea sometime in 2007. We will be working on the details and getting the information out to you soon. 

We learned at the trade show, that YTB has a Directors Challenge for anyone who becomes a director by 12/31/06, YTB will DOUBLE the Director bonuses for life. For example if you have 2000 RTA’s in your downline as a Director you receive $100,000 instead of $50,000 and so on. This has inspired Doug and me to work even harder to reach director by the end of the year. If your goal is to be a Director, you can reach it too. We are here to help you build your business, whether you are interested in booking a lot of travel, building a team and becoming a Director, or just enjoying earning money off your personal travel and the tax advantages of a home based business. There is simply no way you can loose money with YTB.

In addition: YTB now GUARANTEES that you will make money with our feature in “Success from Home” magazine. All you have to do is hand out one magazine per day and log a name, phone number and e-mail address into your back office. If you don’t make at least $6000 in commissions, YTB will make up the difference. Can you use an extra $500 per month for handing someone a magazine?

With that said, we have come up with a Team Challenge for the remainder of the year. This contest is effective 10/1/06-12/31/06. Prizes will be awarded for the following:

● Most personal RTA’s recruited

● Most 3 way calls (more info below)

● 30 total 3 way calls (more info below)

● If you are currently signed up as a Rep and sign up as a RTA for the 1^st time

● If you are currently inactive and reactivate your site by 10/31/06 and keep it active.

We have found 3 way calls to be one of the most powerful tools to building this business. Therefore you can qualify to win prizes by using this tool to build your business.

Here’s how it works:

When you have someone who is interested in the business call Doug and give him a warm introduction, then stop talking and let Doug take it from there. Many of you know this works first hand, because you or someone on your team joined after being on a 3 way call. The team member who gets Doug on the most 3 way calls will win a prize. Also, you can win a prize by participating in thirty 3 way calls between now and 12/31. We have 12 weeks left, so that’s just an average of 2.5 calls per week.

We are looking forward to working with each of you in the coming months. In addition to this monthly newsletter, we are planning to have a monthly conference call and a monthly team meeting beginning in 07. We will have training on topics like “Understanding the benefits of being an RTA” and “Everything you wanted to know about booking travel, but were afraid to ask”. Please feel free to call us if you have any questions or need any help.

To your success!

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Success from Home Magazine to feature YourTravelBiz.com. YTB National Convention announces “Guaranteed Income” for Home Based Business.

Atlanta, GA (PRWEB) August 15, 2006 – YTB Travel Network announced at the National Convention in St. Louis this past weekend that the company will be featured in “Success from Home“ magazine. More than 40,000 representatives are now poised to take advantage of the credibility and momentum this publication will create. The morning of the convention, YTB announced that it would guarantee commissions of $6000 by using this dynamic magazine.

Home Based Business Owners and Referring Travel Agents in YTB like Doug Bauknight, founder of Just Picture It Now, knows from experience just how important this announcement is for anyone looking for success in Network Marketing. “It’s never been done before,” states Doug “Last year it was The Bill of Rights, Group Life and Health Insurance Benefits, and Stock Options. This year it’s “Guaranteed Income”. People who think YTB is some sort of Pyramid or Scam need to get their hands on this issue.” He continues “Don’t take my word for it, take theirs. I’ll get you a copy and let you read for yourself what type of leadership and company this really is.” Representatives have already placed hundreds of orders with the company to get this National publication into the hands of everyone they can.

Mr. Bauknight continues, “People always ask me, “How do you market your business?” Now we have the answer, simply hand them this magazine and let it do the selling and marketing for you.” After Representatives give the magazine to prospects, they simply log the name, phone number and e-mail address into the system. With little effort, just 5 magazines a week, the company will guarantee that the representative will produce at least $6000 in commissionable sales, or the company will cover the difference.

The founders of this company such as J. Lloyd Tomer also know as Coach, his son Scott Tomer, and J. Kim Sorensen have always come up with innovative solutions for those that have failed before in Network Marketing or those new to the industry, who desire success. They are rapidly changing the way Network Marketing or MLM is run. “These are written contracts” Doug states. “They know it’s Representatives in the field that drive this business, and they want to change what this industry is all about. These documents were written and signed by the founders and can never be changed or altered.”

From what others have experienced in MLM type companies, Mr. Bauknight appears to be correct. Never before in Network Marketing has a company based commissions based on efforts, rather than results. So confident are the founders and leaders of the company, they are willing to pay “Guaranteed Income” because of the momentum phase the company has recently reached and the credibility of YTB that “Success from Home” brings to light.

YTB International, Inc. is a five year old, publicly traded, debt free; internet based Travel Company based in Edwardsville, Illinois. Research has shown in past business models these companies experience exceptional growth from the solid foundation YTB has created. The founders are confident Your Travel Biz is in position right now to hit unprecedented growth and momentum and ensure representatives that this leverage will achieve both personal success in their own Home Based Business, and company success in Network Marketing.

“We spent the last 5 years getting ready for this moment. We’ve taken the guess work out of it.” Mr. Bauknight adds. “We have cities and towns who have just 5 or 10 Representatives in them, and we need hundreds. Ever wish you could have gotten in on the ground floor with Microsoft or Home Depot? Now you can.”

For more information about this dynamic program and magazine, visit www.justpictureitnow.com to get your free copy.

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