Moms Network

I have seen, to my dismay, many women in business put themselves upon a pedestal and snub peers whom they consider to be of no use to their business. They feel that they are more of a true woman business owner than some other women, basing this all on the type of business the other women own and run. These women in business are making a huge mistake, in my opinion. Not only are they losing potential networking opportunities and a chance to learn valuable lessons, but they are also creating a bad reputation for themselves.

There are some women who feel that their business of choice is more important, or more of a real business than the business that another woman may have chosen. For example; if a woman has chosen a direct sales company to represent for her home based business or if a woman has chosen a business that may be a bit more blue-collar than other businesses, they are sometimes looked down upon by other women business owners. There are certain women in business who will want nothing to do with the woman involved in a business which is unrelated to their field, or a business model that that they don’t fully understand. This way of thinking has always perplexed me.

I have also noticed this business snobbery over the past few years amongst bloggers.  Some feel they have a “rock star” status as they have gained followers, recognition, publicity and have pumped up their self importance.  They feel since they have been blogging longer, that the newer bloggers are of no use to them. It can go as far as blogger cliques, pushing the newest participants of the blogging world to the side as opposed to welcoming them and realizing the potential of growth there could be.  How soon people forget that they too were once new at blogging or business in general.

While you may not share the exact goals or similar arenas in which to obtain those goals, there are certain “business basics” that everyone who runs a business needs. Customer service skills, tax information for a home-based business, balancing career and family life, and marketing resources are common needs for all businesses. Women need to work together for the common goal of success in their businesses. We all should want to share our insight, talents, lessons and ideas with not just a select group of women in business that we deem as suitable for us to network with. Expand your mind and realize that any woman in business has something that you may need and can learn from, to make YOU a better business owner.

If you are of the mindset that you should only associate with certain women in business, I urge you to reconsider your way of thinking. You may miss out on learning some of the most valuable skills in business from the women you may be tossing aside. Humility, people skills, and piggyback networking, among others, are all tools which can lead to your success.

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Cyndi Webb is the Founder and President of Moms Network – an organization dedicated to the promotion and success of Moms in business. Since 1997 she has promoted and worked with thousands of work at home moms in coaching and guiding them in how to help grow their businesses. Over the years Moms Network has evolved to include more than 25+ websites offering free resources to moms from all walks of life, the Connecting @ Home print magazine and the annual Celebrating Moms Expo which attracts thousands of moms in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area. Cyndi makes her home in Minnesota with her husband and two children.

Patience is a virtue. This cliché is the essence of running a work at home business. Impatience can breed failure if you aren’t careful. One of the most important areas in which patience is needed, is realizing that YOUR time schedule and your potential CLIENT’s or RECRUIT’s time schedule may be totally off synch from each other. Whether you are looking at recruiting someone for your business opportunity or attempting to sell your product/service to someone, you need to realize that these contacts and potentials aren’t as anxious about your business as you are. Don’t get caught up in your own time table that you disregard and in essence toss out contacts that could very well be the best people for your business.

A prime example is for those who are promoting a business opportunity and want to recruit new representatives or consultants. While it is exciting to be able to get people signed up right away, you need to realize that these individuals most likely do not have the same urgency that you do. For example, if you work off of leads that either you collect or you purchase, some people may not fill out all the questions, such as their phone number. Don’t write off the people who don’t leave phone numbers. Over the many years of working with moms who are in search of work at home businesses, I have found that sometimes online; people are very leery about giving out too much personal information such as a phone number.

You should still follow up with them via email, sending some information for them to be able to peruse at their leisure, and ask about connecting with them via phone. Keep them in your contact list and reconnect with them. People are at different stages on their quest for working at home. While some are ready to jump in right away, someone may be “just curious” and “just looking” right now. Never rush to judgment on your contacts or leads. If someone is just starting out, they may be collecting info on 10 – 30 companies and don’t want 10 – 30 different people calling them on the phone. They may feel that they might be put on the spot or pressured by being on the phone with someone they don’t know. So, by building even a small relationship via email – that can put the person at ease to then eventually want to speak with you via phone.

If you sell a product, there WILL be many people that impulse buy or know specifically what they want while shopping around, but there are also a large percentage of people who need to see your name and product over and over to let it sink in with them and let them gain trust in your name and business. It is one thing to have friends and family and people from networking circles you are involved in becoming your customers, but the real key to your success is when you are able to turn virtual strangers into customers, and hopefully into repeat customers for years to come. Again, don’t discount the people who make initial contact with you, whether it be seeing your products in a store, at a trade show, or sending you an email with a question. These are all potential customers who may just need to be kept in the loop and feel like they are learning more about you and your products before making a decision. Not everyone will be in need of what your business has to offer at this moment in time. They may be ready to make a purchasing decision 3 months from now, but as stated above with business opportunities, they may be simply searching, browsing and collecting information on their options prior to making a final decision.

Don’t shoot your business in the foot by discounting people because they are not where YOU want them to be right now in their decision process. You may even find that the people, who take their time and research thoroughly before coming to a decision, will end up being the best customers or hardest workers on your team.

Cyndi Webb is the Founder and President of Moms Network – an organization dedicated to the promotion and success of Moms in business. Since 1997 she has promoted and worked with thousands of work at home moms in coaching and guiding them in how to help grow their businesses. Over the years Moms Network has evolved to include more than 15 websites offering free resources to moms from all walks of life, the Connecting @ Home print magazine and the annual Celebrating Moms Expo which attracts thousands of moms in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area. Cyndi makes her home in Minnesota with her husband and two children.

Beware, this is a tad controversial.
And I’m sure many readers may not like what I am going to say. It may even upset
some, but I am guessing the people that get upset, are most likely the ones that
are guilty of what I am writing about. It is about an issue that I feel needs to
be addressed based on the conversations over the last few years with many work
at home moms. These moms in business have become frustrated by how other work at
home moms can seem to indirectly affect their business.

Unfortunately, many work at home moms seem to fail to realize that they are
business owners, and thus should be acting like business owners. Those who do
not, have continued to give the term "Work at Home Mom" a bad rap.

Let’s admit it… the label of being a "Woman Entrepreneur" who works out of her
home gets allot more respect than the label "Work at Home Mom". Sad, but true.
Part of the reason is that a stereotype for "moms" who run a business already
exists, but much of this train of thought is largely due to what others have
seen or experienced from a work at home mom. I cannot tell you how many people
over the years have commented on how "work at home moms" are not "real" business
owners. This being based on what they have personally witnessed or experienced
in their interaction with work at home moms.

When you own a business, no matter how big or small, there are rules, behavior
AND ethics that you need to adhere to. I have been dumbfounded at times with the
behavior, dishonesty, lack of responsibility and lack of character displayed by
some work at home moms. Being a work at home mom doesn’t give you the right to
take short cuts, shun a responsibility or commitment and doesn’t give you the
right to receive special treatment or freebies just because you are a mom in
business. Then there are the basic "do’s and don’ts" that should be incorporated
into the way you conduct yourselves with others in business.

Yes, we all have made mistakes, honest mistakes in fact. As long as those
mistakes are addressed honestly and upfront, there can typically be a workable
remedy to these. There is a big difference between an honest mistake and an act
of what you know to be wrong. Take an honest look at yourself and ask if you
have done any of the following, knowing full well you are doing it.

* not taking responsibility for your actions or choices
* operating your business and responding to situations with emotions
* not paying money due to individuals or companies
* blaming others for your lack of success or knowledge
* claiming ignorance in situations to try to get out of them
* dressing inappropriately for meetings or events
* being rude and unprofessional in email or phone correspondence
* bringing your personal life into your business
* not delivering product that someone has ordered
* creating lies to cover your mistakes or lack of following through on your word
* participating in gossip about other business owners
* embellishing the facts about your products or business to gain more business
* expecting free services, products, discounts or not having to pay a bill
because you are a "work at home mom"

If you are going to be a mom in business, even if it may just be part time or a
hobby for you, you have to act like a business owner. It’s time to buck up, grow
up, suck it in, and decide that you will do YOUR best to do what you KNOW is
right.