I think it's going to work after all!

I've begun re-organizing the way I do things, and while it's only freed up a little bit of time, I definitely feel less stressed out! That's part of it right?

I've closed down the decor and gift shop...it just doesn't make sense for me to keep it going anymore. You may notice the widgets I had up linking to the products are gone. I've also decided to postpone the fall launch I was hoping for with the new business. I will need the extra time to figure out my exact formulas and give them proper testing time...I want to offer a superior product with lots of room for customizing for different skin/hair types, etc.

I have finals next week and cannot wait to be done with this session! I'm working on filing a formal complaint against one of my instructors...he has hindered my progress in this class from the outset and I'm sick of dealing with him. The benefit of the doubt only goes so far with me and when he told me he would not help me with some trouble I've been having with one of the schools sites because 'you're the only student that is having trouble with this site', I saw red! I refuse to fail this class because the site isn't showing the quizzes I need to take and the 'teacher' refuses to do his job and help...I'm so frustrated with him I could scream! Everything else with school is great...I wish this could be too!

On a more positive note, my boys are both getting teeth! I know how cheesy it sounds, lol...my 10 month old is cutting a few all at once and my 6 1/2 year old (who had to have dental surgery at age 2) is growing in his permanents. His front teeth had been missing since his surgery, so we're all glad to see them coming in!

I did not realize how strange that post for the pre-market survey came out. It was copied and pasted from my myspace bulletin and, being half asleep, it didn't occur to me to customize it for my blogspot readers. I apologize!

Maybe this will be my lesson for spending 15-18 hours each day on my to-do list and help me get my timing on track. I'm getting better, guys, I promise! I've been working hard at it and at the rate I'm going, I'll be back to dropping EC's and checking in on your blogs more regularly very soon! Not being able to all this time has been a buzzkill for me...I really enjoy reading your blogs!

Winning t-shirts and school assignments

I got an email that I won an oDesk t-shirt for May's buzz, thanking me for the first post I put up about it. I should receive it in a few days. I absolutely love this company!

On another note, one of my assignments was about customer lists that businesses keep. A few of us in the class discussion commented about how we hate getting swamped with emails, phone calls and letters from companies we have no interest in because we did business with a company they are affiliated with.

It led me to ask why a company would shoot themselves in the foot, as it were, by 1.) selling their customer lists to the highest bidder (usually a competitor) and 2.) annoying consumers enough to stop being your customer when they trace it back to when you made them give their personal info just to get a detailed product description of something they probably never bought anyway. It seriously begs the question.

I understand the need for customers to market to, but a company should ask their permission first, not coerce them or put it in the middle of 'legal jargon fine print' that they'd never see. In my opinion, customer lists should go under the catagory of a trade secret and not given out at all. If a company wants customers, they can work for them like everybody else and not take the lazy way about it.

Sorry for the rant...as much as I love it, there are just certain aspects about business and marketing that bug the crap out of me.

Hey everyone!

I'm gone for a month and have gained a few new blog followers in my absence. Welcome to the blog, I hope you enjoy it! I will try my best to check in more often and do more than just rant about how busy I am :)

I really didn't mean to stay away so long. I got HIT with school work this session and had my hours expanded on oDesk. I've had zero time to market my websites. I did put some visual links up for them here and create a MySpace profile to promote my Avon business. I post special deals in my blog there each campaign (bi-weekly) for local and long-distance customers, so if you're so inclined, check it out and subscribe.

I pretty much gave up on building my website from scratch and my host's sitebuilder is too limiting. For now, I have put some catagories up on ecrater and will be expanding as my time allows. I'd like to build and publish the official site, but time is simply too limited right now.

I need to take some time today to market these sites and put together my next Avon blogs. Tomorrow starts a whole new round of 'race the clock', so I can't put it off. My goal is to run my ass off to have everything done by Friday and have the weekend to market and catch up my blogs. *fingers crossed on this working as planned*

I'm thinking my next post should be 'You might be a workaholic if...', LOL

Thank you guys so much for sticking with me through this! You totally rock!

oDesk update!

I've been meaning to update for about a week or so, but have been working, managing the domestics and preparing for school to start back up. For now, I'm in between the planning and beginning phases of product development, so I can take a breather on that for now. The home decor website will be worked on in what free time I'll have for it. Also, following an Avon meeting set for tonight, I'll most likely be an active Rep. again.

I was happy to see the comments on my last post, one was even from oDesk's CEO Gary Swart! I realized after I commented back that I forgot to thank him for manning the helm of such a great company. My friend Duni commented and asked if oDesk is just here in the U.S., which reminded me that I also completely forgot to mention that they span the globe...I've seen Buyers and Providers from all over, and translation seems to be very much in demand!

After I posted, I was informed that I had scored another job on oDesk, this time without even an interview! I was pleasantly surprised to say the least. This position is an ongoing one, processing customer surveys for a travel company. I'm happy that both jobs are beneficial to my marketing degree, since sales copy and surveys are generally tools of the trade. In fact, both Buyers have upped my hours, and I'm now at approx. full-time, depending on the week's work.

Processing so many surveys can be time consuming and even tiring, but I'm a nomad at heart (a gypsy, if you will) and hearing first hand accounts of the experiences others have in so many places really brings out the wanderlust in me. I went to their website and located what would be a perfect trip for my best friend and I to take one day (hopefully soon)...eastern Europe! We couldn't leave just yet though, with her about to have a baby anytime and me being so busy, but for future reference...

I better get going and get this week's surveys finished up...I've got another batch coming and I better get an early start so I can get ready for that meeting this evening. Take care, all!

Working From Home With oDesk!

I'm not sure if I mentioned it here or not, but I had put my Avon business on hold due to low sales (they are impossibly down district-wide). I had to do something to get a little cashflow going, but there really aren't any jobs in my area at the moment...this is a bad area for jobs even when there's not a recession.

I was checking out the Work From Home Mother blog - fortuitous since I'd hardly been on any blogs for a while - and found a post about oDesk. It sounded great, so I signed up and I'm so glad I did! Thank you so much, Work From Home Mother!!

oDesk is basically a virtual staffing agency that has a rating system, sort of like eBay does, where you can set up a profile as your resume (you become a "Provider") and apply for jobs. Thousands of jobs are available in web design, programming, various writing, sales & marketing, customer service, etc! You can even take tests on various skills to make yourself more marketable to potential employers, known as "Buyers". In fact, I'd like to take a few more. You set your available hours and pay rate.

After a few days and about 6 applications, which are sent as a customized cover letter, I got an interview with a gentleman with a marketing firm in Canada looking for someone familiar with work from home businesses to write some sales copy. How fortuitous that it matched me so well - my profile has me as a marketing student and WAHM who writes...perfect! I'm almost finished with my first weekly bit...just have to edit my work and send it in!

I'm still figuring out how the odesk Team system works, because I need to delete about 20 minutes where I was logged in, but had to jump up to take care of the baby.

If ANY of you reading this are interested in working from home, definitely give oDesk a try! It's legit, payment for hourly gigs are guaranteed (as long as the Buyer's payment method has been verified) and there are jobs there! I'm not the most skilled person by ANY means, but I found an assignment even competing against some heavy hitters...what can I say, I write a snazzy cover letter!

Best of all, it's FREE! Here's the link, what are you waiting for?

The On Demand Global Workforce - oDesk

Passionate Blogger Award!!

My blog was given this award quite some time ago, and I promised that as soon as I was able, I would pass it along to some worthy blogs. In between prep work for product development, gearing up to start at a new school, domestic/mom duties, setting up a website for my home decor products and working an assignment at oDesk (more on that later), I finally found that time. I didn't mean to take so long...life's kind of been having it's way with me lately.

First, I want to thank Duni at Lovely Purses for nominating me for this award. I highly recommend checking out her blog...she's awesome!



Here's my list of blogs to nominate...check 'em out!

*Shawn at The Shark Tank - this blog is either seriously humorous or humorously serious...you can decide which, lol

*My friend at Shopping Kharma - this blog tells of the personal struggles and triumphs of a strong young woman

*Bonnie at Thrifty Momma Ramblings - this blog is always full of great advice to be resourceful by

*Dianne at WAHMs United - this blog is a great resource for WAHMs and is full of articles...I also love her eco-friendly WAHM blog!

That's it for now...I could think of many others that are worthy, but I can't seem to find the list I had...definitely check these out, they are great!