Finding Prospects for your MLM is one of the most important factors in the growth of your business as well as probably the toughest without a proper marketing plan. You can find yourself spending lots of money purchasing obsolete leads and advertisement. However marketing your business is necessary because if no one knows about your business how will they ever become your customer, send your referrals, or become a business partner? Here are 5 simple ways to effectively market your business and find great prospects without coming out too much in your pocket.

1 Carry your company everywhere- When you wear something like a lapel, pin, ball cap, bracelet, T-shirt representing your business, prospects can’t help but to ask “What is it”? Those are great for ice breakers. You essentially become a walking advertisement. If you are in the weight loss business, wear a T-Shirt that says “lose weight in ____ of days, ask me how” or “Get paid when someone uses the phone” if you are in the telecommunication business. There are many more great examples out there such as “Fire your boss, ask me how”. These are very catchy and will spark up curiosity. Also, always carry your products with you if it’s not too much trouble. At least have them somewhere accessible such as in your vehicle. You never know when that moment can be when you’ll need it. If you are in the nutritional juice or water industry it is highly important you carry some with you. Potential business partners and customers want to see, feel, touch, taste, and smell your product rather than just hear about it.

2. Get in the Playing field! You can’t score and win if you’re sitting at home in front of your computer aka the bench. The fact is that network marketing involves people and when you deal with people, you deal with relationships. Your products work the same way you do. People don’t want to just see a picture about your or hear about you, they want the real thing! They want to relate to you and having a relationship is highly critical. You are your best product in this business. Don’t wait for them to come to you, go out and attend mixers, networking events, Chamber of Commerce meetings, malls, stores, church functions, parks, social gatherings, and anywhere where you are positioned to strike a conversation. Anything involving businesses are typically ideal because the professionals that attend are already business minded or have some sort of network they can share. Get online and find some that are free or around your budget. If you can’t find one, then create one by finding like minded people that share your vision about creating a mastermind social networking group.

3. Put on your work shoes. It’s called net-work for a reason so get your best work shoes and go door to door or business to business and share some information. Remember, you’re not necessarily selling your products because soliciting may not be allowed. You are there to share some information about the opportunity or invitation to your guest event! Create a simple but professional looking flyer and start sharing and inviting! Your success relies on the volume! Another method is the increasing popular sizzle cards and along with the 800 number and call capcha. When you drop off or hand sizzle cards, anyone calling the automated number will automatically show up on your email with their information. That filters out who is actually serious about your opportunity minimizing pressure from your family and friends. Drop sizzle cards off where your target market are most likely to be hanging out such as Starbucks, bathrooms of expensive restaurants, ATMs, Barnes & Nobles, Borders, local grocery stores, bulletin boards, etc

4. The internet market- This is the Y generation so get with the trend and harness the power of the worldwide web. Create a simple 5 minute video of you and the business you are representing! A great source is YouTube. Sign up for free blogs such as blogger.com and wordpress.com which can generate heavy traffic your way. A great advantage with blogging is they get to see the personal side of your business as you build followers! You also look like an expert in your field too. Other great sources are social networking sites such as LinkedIn, APsense, ecademy, Facebook, Constantcontact, Squidoo, and Twitter! Post ads on Craigslist and other free advertisement sites. the concept of viral marketing is also very useful but be very careful not to spam. When you send a joke or comment to your family and friends, close it with your business pitch in it because they have the potential to pass it around to their friends and so on, thus advertising your company the whole time, maximizing exposure!

5. If all else fails pick up the phone! That’s right! Call old contacts for leads and referrals! They might not be interested in the business but that doesn’t mean they don’t know people that are! Another benefit to that is it could be a reintroduction to your business and refreshen their memory about that opportunity all over again. Also, call your clients and existing customers and ask if they know anyone that can benefit as well! Asking is absolutely free! You have nothing to lose with asking.

Utilize these and experience results! Blessings and success to your business

If you are a golfer, then you know that one of the worst problems to deal with on the green is the sun in your eyes when you are attempting the prize shot. The fact of the matter is that golfers deal with this problem everyday. Another fact is that many major business decisions are made not in the boardroom or the office. They are made on the green.

This is where your business comes in. You have the ability to make a statement for your business while creating a professional image that will drive business right to your door. Logo golf caps are a great way to subtly market your business while providing the answer to a golfer/businessman’s problem. The answer to the problem is to provide professional looking logo golf caps. These caps will shield the sun from the golfer’s eyes while providing subtle marketing to all that see it.

Marketing and business are all about mind share. This is when people see and hear the companies name and logo enough to have it imprinted in the mind. Mind share ultimately leads to market share and this will increase the bottom line of your business. In knowing this, you will want to design the logo golf cap to be comfortable and friendly to the eye. You want this cap to be the choice logo golf cap for the golfer. After all, the more that they wear it, the more people will see it and then you will create the impression that you want. You are in business to drive traffic and increase revenue. So why not go right to the main stream of business negotiations? Drive the revenue with logo golf caps and make the statement that you are professional, you are available and you have the product and or service that they need.

Logo golf caps can be distributed in a variety of ways. You can give them at trade shows, as thank you gifts with purchases, giveaways, marketing promotions and to valued clients. The logo golf cap is a terrific and professional way to market your business directly to other businesses as well as to others in which may need your product or service.

In choosing a company that will have the knowledge and commitment to quality to design a logo golf cap that will embrace the image in which you are looking to portray, you will need to choose wisely. There are many companies that can make these logo golf caps, but often, the quality is not there. There are several things in which you will need to decide on such as colors, screen printing or embroidery and even sizes. A professional company in which makes these caps on a daily basis can assist you in these decisions.

One of the essential elements of being in the advertising or marketing business is being up to date with all the newest social media trends. It goes without saying that the mobile web and all the services that come up with it are growing at a fast pace and you should make sure your marketing agency is not left behind. One of the most talked-about mobile video sharing services nowadays is Keek, which actually promises to take video sharing to a whole new level in the near future.

So what is Keek exactly?

To put it briefly, Keek is similar to Twitter, but instead of using a short text, you make a short video with your phone or webcam. This is called a “keek” and it is an excellent way of connecting and keeping in touch with friends or business partners. Whether you are interested in sharing funny videos and get comments for your friends or are looking for a simple way to make new business connections, Keek is something that is truly worth trying.

One of the perks of using Keek is that all videos are fully embeddable, so you can share them instantly on Facebook or Twitter, thus making them available to all your followers, even if they do not use this video sharing service.

Let’s say you want all the existent clients of your advertising agency to see some of the latest developments of your business. All you need to do is create a “keek” and share it via all the social media tools you employ for your business. This kind of visibility is essential for a thriving business.

Getting Started with Keek

Using Keek should not be too difficult for anyone who is accustomed to platforms such as Twitter or YouTube. You can upload your 36-second video via your webcam or by downloading the Keek application for your smartphone. The application is available for both iPhone and Android and it can be downloaded for free.

After signing up for the service, you can visit your personal dashboard, which allows you to manage all your settings, preferences, keeks, comments, and notification. In a similar way to other social media services, you can set up your profile and personalize it to your heart’s content. Just like with Twitter, you can follow people and get followed in return. There is a 36-second cap on all videos, again similar to Twitter’s 140 characters limit.

Connecting with people via Keek

If you sign up with Keek and find out none of your friends are using it (yet), you shouldn’t worry you won’t get any feeds. This is where the Kluster function can be of help. Klusters are all about the latest trends and topics of discussion and Keek uses special algorithms to detect more and more topics of interest according to the specifics of your profile. You can check the real-time activity from the people you follow on “My Stream” and use the filtering systems offered by the service in order to determine what you want to see and what should be hidden.

My children were not only born almost two decades apart, but in different centuries. Being a mom over such a time span, I think I’ve seen every kid’s collectible trend. However it’s still fun when yet another trend bounces onto the scene. I’ve survived comic book hero trading cards, Pogs (aka milk caps), and Webkins®. This year the trend is bracelets, rubber bands in a myriad of unusual shapes and colors.

All these childhood fads wouldn’t have become the hottest trends if they were merely trinkets. Trinkets get stored on a shelf or in a drawer. Trinkets don’t illicit conversation (mostly because out of sight, out of mind). Trinkets sit quietly or spread by word of mouth and they don’t catch on by enthralled children recommending them to each other.

Seeing what’s “social” in these children’s collectible trends reveals insight into the buzz about Social Media. From Pogs to bracelets, they involve an exchange. Yes, trading is what makes these collectibles so darned social. For trading cards (see, it’s right there in the name) the game is to collect the whole set.

With Social media, this same behavior is called “sharing” which stimulates conversation, encourages relationships, and spreads the word. If you aren’t participating in the sharing, you’re missing out on what makes Social Media so very social. Sharing is when you interact and participate on line. For example, you can share blog articles and web links with your contacts on networking accounts such as LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter. You can give the gift of feedback by recommending businesses on Linked, Merchant Circle, Yahoo, Yelp and other similar websites. Sharing means you support ideas and businesses you value, as well as promoting your own ventures and both make you more visible.

Start using social media today, even if you don’t have your own Social Media accounts. Start by posting a comment on a blog! It’s easy and you can increase your participation in Social Media– Here are 5 extra sharp ideas to help you share and stay top-of-mind through Social Media:

1) Bookmark a blog article or a web page on Digg.com
2) Share a video on Facebook
3) Comment on a YouTube video
4) ReTweet a follower’s tweet
5) Recommend someone on LinkedIn

Remember, the fun of trading and sharing? Let’s take a lesson out the children’s playbook and start sharing.

Natural Remedies for Fibromyalgia

According to WebMD, “fibromyalgia is the most common musculoskeletal condition after osteoarthritis.”

Symptoms include widespread muscle and joint pain and fatigue. It can lead to depression and social isolation and is often misdiagnosed and misunderstood.

Because there is no remedy and the cause is not understood, some people find that natural remedies for fibromyalgia help. Keep in mind that because there are few studies on these treatments, the best way to find out if they work is to try them. Talk to your doctor first, though-this article is not intended to replace his or her advice.

Suggested Essential Oil Protocols

1. For pain, use wintergreen, helichrysum, lavender, rosemary, and thyme. Massage 1-2 drops of each, diluted, on the location. Apply as a warm compress over the affected area.
2. Nutritional Balance: Make sure you take vitamins. Take supplements that have potent levels of essential nutrients and metabolic factors for optimal health.
3. Make sure you get plenty of both vitamin D and magnesium. These have both been found to be low in people with fibromyalgia. Vitamin D does have some effects on nerve and muscle function, however, some studies have shown that low levels of this vitamin may be associated with chronic pain.
4. Cellular Support and Healing: 8 drops of DDR prime 2 times per day. This essential oil blend is formulated to support healthy cellular response, repair, and regeneration. It provides antioxidant protection and a healthy response to cellular stressors. You can also try 2-4 drops of frankincense under the tongue or internally with a spoonful of honey.
5. Strengthen the Immune System: PB Assist to support healthy digestive functions and immunities. PB Assist is a blend of pre-biotic fiber along with 6 strains of probiotic microorganisms in a veggie cap that encourages culture adhesion and growth.
6. Gastrointestinal Support: It is thought that one root cause of autoimmune disorders is Candida. According to WebMD, “Candida is a species of fungus that can live the mouth and digestive tract of both men and women”. To fight candida naturally, use 3-5 drops each of cinnamon, melaleuca, lemon, and oregano essential oils in a veggie cap and take it internally. You can also rub these oils on the bottoms of your feet or diluted on your abdomen.
7. Emotional Support: Emotional support is important when you have fibromyalgia. There are many essential oils that will alleviate the symptoms of depression. Among them are: lemon, frankincense, lavender, bergamot, Elevation, and Balance.

If you have fibromyalgia, have you ever tried essential oils to relieve your symptoms?

Acupuncture

Acupuncture is one of the oldest forms of treatment for chronic pain and is based on ancient Chinese medical practices. Several studies support the use of acupuncture for fibromyalgia pain. The treatment is combined with a pulsed electric current (electroacupuncture), however, the results of this treatment do not seem to be long-lasting.

SAMe

SAMe is naturally occurring through the body. It has been shown to relieve depression and the chronic pain associated with osteoarthritis. Some studies show that taking SAMe may reduce fibromyalgia symptoms of pain, fatigue, and stiffness. The studies are small, however, and not all participants found relief.

Massage Therapy

The benefits of massage therapy for fibromyalgia are difficult to demonstrate in a study, but it does seem to help for many kinds of muscle pain including fibromyalgia.

Melatonin

Melatonin is a natural hormone found in the body and is thought to promote sleep. There does not seem to be enough evidence to support its use for chronic pain but you never know until you try it.

If you have ever tried a natural remedy for chronic pain, please leave a comment and let me know what it was and how it worked for you. I would like to help other people by sharing it.

Many people get help from natural remedies for fibromyalgia despite the lack of research support. If you want to try one of these, always check with your doctor first and leave a comment about whether or not they worked for you.

For those seeking income from their savings and investments, it may appear that there are a few sensible options left standing to increase income during this time of low interest rates. The Federal Reserve is keeping rates low; economic progress is muted at best, and stock prices hit an air pocket, falling about 2% in May and off to a shaky start here in June so far.

I am not an all or nothing advisor, in that if you are, you are making a bet by placing much of your money to work at any one time. You may not think of it this way, but you are making a specific bet on the markets and interest rates, especially important if you cannot access your money and are forced to wait upon a maturity date in the future.

Also, most income investments such as CD’s, bonds and annuities are highly sensitive to current interest rates, so the rate you are offered (and your income) will vary until you lock it in. Outliving your retirement savings is the numero uno consideration in polls to seniors – it could also affect you financially and emotionally when your savings can’t provide enough income to pay your living expenses, forcing you to either do without or make substitutions within your monthly budget. Worry and stress should not be part of this endeavor.

However, if you opt for no planning and just wait for the perfect time – interest rates are high and stable; inflation low; after-tax returns favorable; then no plan gets enacted, and current spendable income doesn’t start and you are no better off than yesterday. You have to find a starting point and have a strategy. Also, the perfect time rarely presents itself in the checklist just presented. That’s why I advise clients to make some assumptions today, then stage your money into various income investments over time, so as to likely hedge your money bet if your assumptions are inaccurate or partially wrong.

This requires you to engage in some homework, tabulating your income needs vs. the marketplace offers, and what it can deliver to you today and into the near future. Also, you will need to “think outside the box”. We learn by asking questions, so ask lots of them just like you’re in a classroom. I come across new investments and products about every month or so that have some investment merit, and I’ll share two of them with you below in brief snapshots. There is more to what meets the eye at first glance in the world of income planning. “This is not your grandfather’s defined benefit retirement plan” so to speak.

Whether you are a do it yourself investor (DIY), or a seasoned pro with scads of money and advisors, we can all learn a new trick or two with our money. On the income front, what you have to ask yourself is…”Can my current income-based investments generate enough income to provide for my living expenses and comfortable lifestyle?” “How long do I need my income to last?” “What is my threshold for losses?” “Can I sustain a 5-10% or more loss with my money if interest rates rise and my savings and investments fall in value?” The dialog might unfold as follows. “No I can’t do this,”, or the “Maybe I can, but it’s too much work to accomplish it; I haven’t the time to follow all this”, or “Yes I can today, but when interest rates rise, I’m not sure how that will affect my bonds, CD’s and mutual fund prices”. “Could I end up losing some of my principal and still not achieve a decent income-based return on my investments?” “Do I have a doable and actionable strategy for selling when things start to turn ugly?”

For many savers who are risk-averse and don’t wish to lose their “nest eggs”, a popular option for consideration is to ”lay the risk” of the unknown and uncertainty off on a third party, such as an insurance company. Then your job is essentially done, and they will provide you with a guaranteed monthly income for life or a set period of years. The income generated can often be higher than what you can achieve in the marketplace left on your own. Tax savings can also result from the way it is structured. And if less money is needed to generate income this way, then more funds can be left in other investments for longer term or emergencies, or funding other non-retirement needs. You will need some liquid funds because, as I stated above, you should move money into various income buckets over time, not all at once. This is called “laddering”, like a step ladder whose steps represent different points in time. As you age, your income will normally rise also, as you are older and your income is based on your age at the time of investment. Interest rates could be higher also, adding to your monthly payout. The investment vehicle I’ve been describing is an immediate income annuity. **see some popular income options with this vehicle at the end of this article.

A Certificate of Deposit on Steroids Another safe-money income option gaining favor to ‘beef up” your retirement money is a Market Linked CD (MLCD). This is an F.D.I.C. insured CD issued by a bank, which protects your principal if held to maturity. The different twist here is that your annual interest is not guaranteed, but is based on the performance of a ‘basket’ of stocks. A cap rate is set on the upside of roughly 7-9% per year for the CD term (that’s the maximum per year you can earn). The bet here is that the stocks will perform positively up to that cap and that the final value will outperform the traditional CD’s fixed interest. The floor is zero percent if the stock basket declines in value. You cannot lose principal with a MLCD. Five and 6 year CD’s are offered each month, and the June offerings out this week include the stocks: Bristol Myers, General Mills, Campbell Soup, Newmont Mining, Sprint-Nextel, and Cablevision. With 5 year traditional CD’s paying around 2.4% today, I would make the market-linked CD bet with a portion of my safe money. See me for details.

Bank CD ALERT: If you have rolled over or bought a CD in the past couple months, beware of the newer penalties that the banks are imposing and including in their disclosures. Apparently, from recent reports I have read, major banks are now assessing a percentage fee if you redeem or “bust” your Certificate of Deposit before maturity. The former rules charged you a period of interest, such as 90 days, if you broke the CD early. One such fee charge would be two tiered; a $25 flat fee, and then a 1-3% charge against the amount withdrawn, depending on the maturity of the CD. What this means with today’s low interest rates? You could lose PRINCIPAL as the fee may eat into your original deposit. Not good. Check with your bank to see if they charge these fees; if so, walk, er – run away. By the way, Market-Linked CD’s can be sold prior to maturity without any penalties. Your principal is not guaranteed if sold prior to maturity, so you may lose or gain on the sale depending upon where current interest rates are, similar to how a bond is priced when you sell it.

** Immediate Income Annuity Options (from the footnoted text above) LIFE INCOME: pays you every month until your death. LIFE with period certain: pays the longer of your life, or a set number of years, say 10,15 or 20 years; if you die in year 7, let’s say, your heirs will be paid income for 3 more years under the 10 year certain feature. PERIOD CERTAIN: Pays a set number of years; not based on the life of the owner. The above three annuities are termed IMMEDIATE annuities, in that they start to pay income right away, and you are making a single payment to the company and do not have access to your principal.

Brief Market Update – Precious Metals A good friend and blog reader asks me “How did your silver investments pan out; silver prices collapsed about 30% right after your last blog post in late April”. Glad you asked Bill. My reply: “We sold our entire silver investments in the first few days of May at prices equivalent to a $44 silver bullion price. We did not sell at the top of $49.50 or so, but did protect most of our gains that we accumulated since last August”. Currently, silver has a lot of work to do on the charts, and at $36 today, is neither a buy nor sell. Commodities overall had a terrible May, and we see no need to “catch a falling knife” in re-entering most of these markets. That will change, and when money flows back into this area, we’ll consider our stance.