Don't just hope ...DECIDE!

Don't just hope ...DECIDE!

Author Steven Covey reminds us that we are all in the habit of responding to others.

We live with constant stimulus around us every day. Intentions are always influenced by stimulus. Within each of us, between the stimulus and our response is a space.

In that space lies our choice which is influenced by other people and ourselves.

We often begin with good intentions, but self-doubt and the influence of others cause the results to be much different from the intentions.

Most people are products of their intentions rather than their decisions. In other words, there are more good intentions that never happen than there are great decisions with real results.

Do you want to make a positive change in your life and in the lives of others?

If so you must make some decisions that will take you out of your comfort zone. And you must follow through with those decisions NO MATTER WHAT.

After you begin your change, you will have to re-decide ... again and again and again.

Believe in yourself. "I can persist in spite of inevitable setbacks or negative feedback."

Don't allow others to influence your decisions. You alone must develop your vision, passion, discipline and willpower. It's your life, your goal and your decision. Don't just hope ... DECIDE.

"He who has a real why can live with any how." Steven Covey

Cindy Ashworth is a single, work at home mom. Providing a REAL work at home business with one on one coaching and mentoring. The way it should be! Also the owner of www.asinglewahm.blogspot.com and www.mykidsmywhy.com.

Articles written in this blog by Cindy Ashworth are the sole property of Cindy Ashworth and permission is needed for duplication.

Missing Links

So I have been asked why I removed a couple of the links that I had on here previously. And I chose to do so because they were not relevant to this blog.

As bloggers know, you want to keep the content relevant to what you are doing...So it was a business decision that I made. I don't think it's right to add funny cartoons if I'm discussing how a 57 year old lady just lost her job of 27 years. I'm keeping it relevant.

I mentioned awesome sources that are not even related to my type of work in a previous post "I'm A Twitter". Definitely check them out.

I will keep this blog STRICTLY related to my business and add only content that is related. And other sources of work at home.

I'm sure that other bloggers/business's understand that decision.


Cindy Ashworth is a single, work at home mom. Providing a REAL work at home business with one on one coaching and mentoring. The way it should be! Also the owner of www.asinglewahm.blogspot.com and www.mykidsmywhy.com.

Articles written in this blog by Cindy Ashworth are the sole property of Cindy Ashworth and permission is needed for duplication.

What Is This VALUE Thing We Are Supposed To Be Giving?

Here is a great article written by Deborah Tutnauer. This puts it into perspective:

No matter where you go today, particularly in the online marketing work..."giving value" is the buzz phrase. Those in the know talk about it..those who don't give it are reprimanded on sites like BN and Twitter. My question to you is..do you really know what "Value" is? How can you tell if you are "giving value"? Is there a particular thing that defines "giving value", or can it only be determined in the negative..Such as, "pitching your opportunity is NOT giving value"?

Having been (hopefully) "giving value" online for a few years now, I have some answers..but would love to hear yours as well. Feel free to post comments at the end of this post.

When you give value to others, you are offering services or information that addresses what THEY are needing, wanting or looking for. Your focus is on your audience, not on yourself. You may be an expert in PPC...but if you start blabbering away about PPC and CTR and conversions to someone who wants to know how to write an ezine article..then you are NOT giving value (to that person at that moment).

In conversation it is easier to figure out how to offer value than it is in writing. Why do I say this? Because when you are speaking with someone you have the opportunity to truly listen to what they are saying and to discern their needs. In fact, you may have heard that the best sales skill in the world is Listening. There is no way you can adequately relate to, nor assist someone unless you take the time to really listen to and HEAR their problems and concerns. (The art of good listening can be an entire book...so maybe I'll write it when I'm done here.)

It is harder to offer value when you are writing in forums, blogs, social media, etc...because you have to assume you are addressing topics that your audience is interested in and wants to learn about. This is where it is important to define your target audience. Before you put pen to paper, or fingers to keyboard, take the time to get a clear picture in your mind of who it is you are speaking to. Write it down. Think in terms of categories and try to separate out a number of smaller niches in your broad categories. For instance:

Women Network Marketers..
single women network marketers with kids
retired women network marketers with large social connection
women who want part time income for fun money
Women who need a substantial income in order to quit their job and be a stay at home mom.

You get the idea...Once you have these niches you can then further develop your mindset by listing the potential needs or problems that this group may have. When you write or post or create a video, keep your target niche and their possible issues in mind the entire time. By doing this you will be more likely to be offering value to them in what you create.

Deborah Tutnauer, LCSW

I am a professional in the network marketing industry, providing support, coaching and consultation to home-based business owners who are seeking to become clearer about their goals, better organized, more efficient and better able to stay focused on their chosen path. I teach others how to be successful in the network marketing business by listening to and understanding people's needs and connecting them with systems and services that fulfill those needs. I also offer consultation on choosing the company with the best fit. My consulting/mentoring services are offered free of charge. I have multiple income streams and share opportunities and products with those who ask. I am always thrilled to spend time helping another person get a good handle on this industry. For me, it is not whether or not they join my opportunity, it is whether or not they find the success and level of achievement that they are desiring.

Cindy Ashworth is a single, work at home mom. Providing a REAL work at home business with one on one coaching and mentoring. The way it should be! Also the owner of www.asinglewahm.blogspot.com and www.mykidsmywhy.com.

Articles written in this blog by Cindy Ashworth are the sole property of Cindy Ashworth and permission is needed for duplication.

Self Confidence Formula

I fully realize that no wealth or position can long endure unless built upon truth and justice; therefore, I will engage in no transaction that does not benefit all whom it affects. I will succeed by attracting to myself the forces I wish to use and the cooperation of other people.

I will allow others to serve me because of my willingness to serve others. I will eliminate hatred, envy, jealousy, selfishness and cynicism by developing love for all humanity because I know that a negative attitude towards others can never bring me success.

I will cause others to believe in me because I will believe in them and in myself.


Cindy Ashworth is a single, work at home mom. Providing a REAL work at home business with one on one coaching and mentoring. The way it should be! Also the owner of www.asinglewahm.blogspot.com and www.mykidsmywhy.com.

Articles written in this blog by Cindy Ashworth are the sole property of Cindy Ashworth and permission is needed for duplication.

I'm A Twitter

It's official... I'm a twitter. I did not think it would happen to me, but it did. I started out shy, willingly taking a backseat to everyone else.... Just looking at conversations, seeing if there were any that I could identify with.

So then I would just reply to a conversation with a "LOL" if I thought something was funny. Maybe adding a couple words here and there. And before I could blink my eye, I was tweeting my own messages without even having someone ask me a question.

I now jump in conversations on my own....I create my own close network of individuals that I am interested in. Or that have similar backgrounds as myself. Or that just plain got to me... LOL.
You really do establish relationships here. There are those that can and will help you as well as being able to help someone else out that needs it. And isn't that what relationships are based on?

Sure, I believe you can sign up for twitter and start following every single person you see. And end up with 10,000 followers in a few days. But I chose not to do that. I wanted to keep those with similar interests in my circle. Plus, it's hard to manage all those followers.. No matter how good at multitasking I am... LOL.

So I am going to name a few other members of twitter that have touched me in one way or another. People I choose to follow because they made a difference with me. And when you sign up, you definitely will want to follow them as well.

@realandrews - for all the positive he gives out....I'm sure he's tired of hearing this, but he was on General Hospital. Check him out, you will know who he is. (let me clarify this) I was following him before I knew who he was.

@itsallsuccess - what a wonderful lady. It was her taking time with me that made me realize that this was someone I could become friends with.

@barefoot_exec - this lady is amazing. If I did not have my own business, I would follow her. She is what I already am and what I want to be.

@Steveweber - this is the man that took time with me as well to go over things I don't know about.. He holds a great call and really explains things.

@unmarketing - What can I say? I know all the ladies would say the same... He is the Jedi of Viral Marketing. But that's not what got me to follow him. It was his confidence, sense of humor and even when I thought he did not get what I was saying, he took time and DM'd me back.

@DaivRawks - the first person that got me to read what he wrote and take the time to reply to some of his posts....Very smart, interesting and funny. I'm a follower for life.

@Mike_Wesely - this guy seems to know everything about twitter and so much more. I have been in on a couple shows he holds and walked away with alot more know-how re: twitter. He's the man to see.

@DaveMalby - my favorite online DJ..... He keeps me going through the music he plays and the sense of humor he has.

There are more to mention, however, I am making a post... Not a book... LOL....I just hope the folks on twitter do realize that they can touch a person in any way.. And I am one of them touched by your tweets.

Word to the wise: No matter how slow you enter twitterverse, no matter how long it takes you to jump into a conversation and no matter how hard you resist... You will be sucked into twitterville. Go ahead and try to fight it.



Cindy Ashworth is a single, work at home mom. Providing a REAL work at home business with one on one coaching and mentoring. The way it should be! Also the owner of www.asinglewahm.blogspot.com and www.mykidsmywhy.com.

Articles written in this blog by Cindy Ashworth are the sole property of Cindy Ashworth and permission is needed for duplication.

Keys To Being A Great Leader

Develop a service attitude

Service is the lifeblood of any organization

It's not a department--It's an attitude

Love what you do

Many things will catch your eye, but few will catch your heart

Focus on Priorities

Focus on the critical few not the insignificant many.



Understand the soft touch

Care

There are few things more powerful than money or sex

"Praise and Recognition"

Embrace Humor and Optimism

Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement

Excellence is not an act-- It's a Habit

Take Risks and don't be afraid to fail go out on a limb

That's where the fruit is.

You'll always miss 100% of the shots you don't' take

Reinforce Core Values

Things that matter most must NEVER be at the mercy of things that matter least.

Earn Trust

Trust, not technology, is the issue of the decade.

Take Action

You cannot discover new oceans if you don't lose site of the shore

Take Action

Lose sight of the shore

Aim for the Heart Because

They don't care how much you know until they know how much you care.



Cindy Ashworth is a single mom, working her way to become a full time work at home mom. Cindy is the owner of www.asinglewahm.blogspot.com and www.mykidsmywhy.com.

Articles written in this blog by Cindy Ashworth are the sole property of Cindy Ashworth and permission is needed for duplication.

The power that signals success is the power of your mind.


Cindy Ashworth is a single mom, working her way to become a full time work at home mom. Cindy is the owner of www.asinglewahm.blogspot.com and www.mykidsmywhy.com.

Articles written in this blog by Cindy Ashworth are the sole property of Cindy Ashworth and permission is needed for duplication.

Are You Thinking About Giving Up?

Cindy Ashworth is a single mom, working her way to become a full time work at home mom. Cindy is the owner of www.asinglewahm.blogspot.com and www.mykidsmywhy.com.

Articles written in this blog by Cindy Ashworth are the sole property of Cindy Ashworth and permission is needed for duplication.

10 Secrets to Using Twitter to Attract More Followers and Get More Clients

I do wonder at times if some Twitter users have any time to get any work done. Several of the more prolific ones that I follow swear they spend no more than 30 minutes a day on Twitter, but I really find that hard to believe. Many times it seems they are twittering just to say something, like "Good morning Twitterverse" when they begin their day, give more details than I want to know about what they had for lunch, what their children said to them, or when they take a nap.

I realize that this is part of the "like, know, and trust" process that enables people to get to know each other, but sometimes it's simply too much information..LOL. I'm Twittering primarily to market my business. Consequently, I try and limit my personal twitters to no more than 2 per day. My clients, who create Twitter accounts for marketing, as well, tell me, "I'm signed up. Now what in the world do I Twitter about? How do I market my business with this tool?"

Here are 10 strategies that I use regularly to marketing my business and my expertise via Twitter. Remember, you have only 140 characters for your tweet (Twitter post).

1. How you're helping clients. Talk about specific ways that your business helps clients and use their Twitter ID if you have their permission, i.e. "Just finished @clientname brainstorm great Internet marketing plan for 2009" or "Finally finished setting up Quickbooks for local hardware store -- now they can invoice their clients"

2. What you're doing in your own business. This is a perfect time to tell others when you're blogging, writing an article, creating your weekly ezine, recording your podcast, i.e. "Had great interview with Jane Smith today on speaking to grow your biz. Great ideas! Subscribe to podcast & listen here "

3. Useful tool or resource you've found. I run across these all the time in my daily activities, and Twitter is a perfect place to share,. i.e. "Found great new Firefox plug-in to monitor & check multiple Gmail accounts at same time at " or "Read great blog post on working at home with kids under 5 at (URL here)"

4. Ask a question. Need some ideas or some quick brainstorming? Twitter is an ideal place to gather opinions, i.e. "Help! Desperately seeking new laser printer. Recommendations?" or "How do I find training organizations online?"

5. Conduct a survey. What do your Tweeps think about a particular issue? Ask them via Twitter, i.e. "Quick poll: Do you get more clients from Facebook or Twitter? Respond at (URL here)"

6. Report on live events. The latest Twitter trend seems to be tweeting what's happening at conferences or workshops. In order for Twitter users to follow a particular event, it's usually referred to by a name preceded by a # sign, as in #JVAlert, for example, to make it simpler for people who want to follow those posts. So, if you were at an event, you might tweet "#JVAlert John Smith speaking on affiliate programs. Just got great idea on training affiliate managers!" Just don't get so wrapped up in tweeting that you ignore the content delivered in the conference!

7. Product or service launch. If you're about to launch a new product or introduce a new product, let your Twitter followers know, i.e. "Pre-launch pricing for new DVD set about how baby boomers can start an online biz. Get $100 early bird discount at (URL here)"

8. Responding to others with advice or answers. The way to build professional relationships on Twitter is to help your tweeps. So, if someone asks a question, comments about something to which you have a response or an idea, or you want to ask a followup question, this is the perfect place to do so.

9. Acknowledging new followers. I've noticed a recent trend of acknowledging people who've decided to follow a Twitter user in the past day or so. I initially thought that others were doing this as a measure of popularity, but what I've come to realize that it's actually helping out the new followers because it exposes their Twitter profiles to others who may have never heard of them and who might like to follow them. So, to thank your followers, you'd tweet, "Welcome new followers @twittername, @twittername, etc."

10. Automate your tweets. Many of my tweets have been automated and connected to other things I do. TwitterFeed turns all of my blog posts into tweets. aWeber turns each ezine issue into a tweet. EzineArticles.com tweets my followers every time I publish an article through their service. Typically all that's involved here is connecting the particular service to my Twitter account. Once all the services are connected, I get free and automated Twitter posts with no additional effort on my part.

Twitter can be a great time-waster or a wonderful way to market your business and leverage your expertise online. Follow these 10 strategies and you'll begin to attract more followers and get more clients through social networking.

Copyright (c) 2008 OnlineBizU.com
Online Business Manager and Online Business Coach Donna Gunter helps independent service professionals learn how to automate their businesses, leverage their expertise on the Internet, and get more clients online. To claim your FREE gift, TurboCharge Your Online Marketing Toolkit, visit her site at OnlineBizU.com. Follow Donna on Twitter.



Cindy Ashworth is a single mom, working her way to become a full time work at home mom. Cindy is the owner of www.asinglewahm.blogspot.com and www.mykidsmywhy.com.

Articles written in this blog by Cindy Ashworth are the sole property of Cindy Ashworth and permission is needed for duplication.

What If There Really Is A Way?

Well it's official.. The economy is very scary right now. So many people losing their jobs and too many to count with no health insurance. Do you find yourself wondering if you will be next? Are you secure with your job?

If you are considering working from home, know this:

Yes, there are a lot of scams out there. But, there are also a lot of real, legit at home jobs as well. It is up to you to do your job and check the business out. Run it through the Better Business Bureau.

With that said, If I could tell you that there is a REAL, Legit, work at home business, that you really get paid for and is flexible to your schedule. Would that peak your interest? What if you could TEST DRIVE this at home business for 3 months, just to see if it's what you are looking for? You have nothing to lose!

Click Here



Cindy Ashworth is a single mom, working her way to become a full time work at home mom. Cindy is the owner of www.asinglewahm.blogspot.com and www.mykidsmywhy.com.

Articles written in this blog by Cindy Ashworth are the sole property of Cindy Ashworth and permission is needed for duplication.

Working With A Team

Are you working with a team? Do you have people that rely on you? Depend on you? Did you introduce your business to your prospects, wrap it up all shiny and cute with a little bow on the top, only to find that you no longer have time to work with your business partners? Or you drop an occasional (hello) email to let them know you still exist?

This is a touchy situation.....I have heard this scenario from countless individuals over and over again.... I have experienced it myself...And I have to say something about this.

First, people look to work at home all the time...For so many different reasons. I deal alot with single moms that just want to find a way to make ends meet. And when you are considering cleaning in the evenings, and then calculate the cost of a babysitter and the gas to get to the job, you realize that for $7.00 an hour, you may walk away with $1.50 afterwards. Is $1.50 an hour worth the time of being away from your kids? (There has to be a better way).
Then you have the stay at home mom who feels guilty that she's not contributing enough to her household... As if taking care of the kids, cooking and cleaning was not enough. So she has alot of guilt and wants to help in a financial way.... Then you have the couple that scrape to get by, and still don't have enough at the end of the month to pay their bills, so they need to find something that seems reasonable.

This is what I say about introducing your business to new prospects!!!


First... Make sure it's a business that YOU are COMMITTED to. Don't FAKE IT.... If you come across as someone that cares in the beginning, and then all of a sudden you stop calling and checking in on your business partners, they WILL see right through it. (no degree needed here). All you have created was a mess... Someone will now drop out of your business, talk bad about you and the business and leave you with poor rating and a bad name.

If you emphasize how you are a team and that they will not be on their own, then you BETTER make sure you stick to that. Don't extend your hand out by offering things that you will not stick with.... These people are DEPENDING on you.....For whatever reason, they found trust in you and considered the possibility that maybe, just maybe, you really could give them light at the end of the tunnel. Hope!

Picture this: You come into a business, you love what you hear.... You won't be on your own... You will have people you can go to that are willing and wanting to help you succeed and will be there for you.... Then, after a few weeks, months, you have questions, need help, and who can you go to? All of s sudden you are on your own. You reach out a few times but there is no reply. No help. Nobody. You start to think to yourself, that no one cares... You are on your own and you were brought in just as their quick fix.... So you leave the business.....And all the bad words that follow about it.

We are dealing with people.... Real dreams, desires and hope...Some are so desperate that they NEED to find a way and want to work at home.... So don't fill them up with a bunch of BS if you are not as committed as your new prospect is.... The desire and need that they have may be much stronger than what you can give. And if that is the case, then you need to ask yourself how deeply you really believe in the business that you are working?

If you are really looking to work at home, and really need the assurance that you will not be on your own, then visit: www.moms4netprofit.com/now . There is enough of me to go around and I strive to make goals and dreams come true everyday.


Cindy Ashworth is a single mom, working her way to become a full time work at home mom. Cindy is the owner of www.asinglewahm.blogspot.com and www.mykidsmywhy.com.

Articles written in this blog by Cindy Ashworth are the sole property of Cindy Ashworth and permission is needed for duplication.

How to Write Your First Ebook

One of the best ways to build your online income is by writing & distributing ebooks. Ebooks can be a very effective tool for marketing your business and they can also be big money makers. Ebooks are also a useful resource for whatever information you are looking for.

There are a few things you should remember if you are going to write an ebook.

1. Just as your ezine should not be a giant ad, nor should your ebook. Be sure to fill it full of useful and valuable information.

2. Your ebook should be compiled in a simple, yet professional design. Make your ebook look good, but do not overdo. Make sure people can maneuver around the book with ease.

3. Take the time to do the research and write an effective and informative ebook. Your ebook will be circulating around the web and will say a great deal about you and your business.

4. Ebooks are a great giveaway for your visitors and/or subscribers. Everyone is looking for useful information which can be found in ebooks.

5. You might want to use your first ebook as a giveaway. This will entice more people to read your ebook, which in turn will get more people to see how good it is. When you do write your first ebook to sell, you will have already established your reputation for writing a useful and informative ebook.

6. You do not have to be a writer to write an ebook. Just as with articles, all you need to do is gather, organize and outline your information. Always add resources and links when applicable. A good ebook for giveaway can be as simple as a collection of your articles or the articles of other authors.

7. You do not need any expensive software to make your ebook. Simply write your ebook in Word or similar program and then convert the file to pdf. PDF can be read on all computers as opposed to exe. You can find more info on this in our free tutorial on making money with ebooks.

8. After you finish your ebook, you want to start promoting it. Add it to your website, put it in your email sigtag, submit it to as many websites and directories that you can find, add it to your article resource box, announce it on message boards and email discussion lists where allowed, make a separate web page for it and submit the page to search engines, add it to your ezine welcome letter as a free bonus. The possibilities are endless if you use your imagination and let as many people know about your ebook as possible. Be sure to encourage people to also give it to their subscribers/visitors as a free gift.

9. Make sure you have contact links listed in your ebook so people can easily contact you or visit your website. Also, be sure to have your ezine and subscribe address listed.

10. Everyone can find ebooks useful not only for finding the information they seek, but for promoting their business and website as well as establishing a solid reputation. They are also big moneymakers and just about anyone can write and profit from a carefully and effectively done ebook.

Make it fun, interesting and believe in yourself and you will produce a very successful ebook!

Terri Seymour has several years online experience and has helped many people start their own business. Visit her site at www.seymourproducts.com for help, resources & more. Seymour Products also offers resell ebooks for just $1 each and a free weekly ezine.

subscribe@seymourproducts.com


Cindy Ashworth is a single mom, working her way to become a full time work at home mom. Cindy is the owner of www.asinglewahm.blogspot.com and www.mykidsmywhy.com.

Articles written in this blog by Cindy Ashworth are the sole property of Cindy Ashworth and permission is needed for duplication.