When Opportunity Knocks, Will You Answer?

What will you do when opportunity knocks on your door?  Will you welcome opportunity in to your space or will you reject it outright?   Are you even looking for opportunities or are you content with your life as it is?  These are all questions we sooner or later face.   How we answer those questions will shape our lives going forward.   Opportunity comes in may sizes, shapes and forms, but to keep things simple, I will talk about economic opportunities in this blog.

I don't have to tell you how difficult the economy has been for so many over the past decade or more.   I myself have been battling it for several years, after getting laid off from my fulltime job in early 2010.   I was lucky enough to have my side business, video production, which quickly became my fulltime business once again, after more than a decade as a nice supplement to my salaried position.   But business was and still is, far from booming.   I needed something else to help make ends meet, since the employment world is extremely competitive and elusive.  Thus, my search for opportunities expanded beyond just the typical job search.   I began to look at other ways to make money.
                                                 

 



There are many different types of money making opportunties out there, home based businesses, survey taking gigs, and many different types of multi-level marketing, or network marketing organizations.   I liked the MLM concept, which leverages the organzation you build,  to have many sell a few products and everyone makes money.   It's not easy but the concept is simple.   So, I started looking into MLM opportunities.    I had done Amway before with no real success, so I didn't want to go there, but I know many people do very well with Amway.  So when a friend called me to see the ACN opportunity, I jumped right in.   I loved the idea of offering services that everybody already uses and making residual income from it, month after month, year after year off essential user services like telephone, wireless, internet, TV, home security, and energy.  It made too much sense not to do it.   I am enjoying the people I meet, well most of them anyway, and I am reading and listening to a lot of personal growth material, and the extra income is wonderful. 

ACN has been fun for me, but I have realized, that more people are not interested in hearing about new income opportunities than are open to new ventures.  Why not?   Network, or better yet, Relationship Marketing is really a great concept.  It's people helping other people to grow and to succeed. So why are so many so negative about MLM or network marketing opportunities?  Granted, not everyone succeeds, in fact, the majority doesn't.  It's not easy and many give up or quit before they ever make any money.   But that is usually not the company's fault.   Some make it and some don't, but the companies, at least the ones that have been around a long time, like ACN (20 years) provide its independent business owners every opportunity, training, and the vehicles to succeed.  However, many that don't succeed blame everyone but themselves, and poison the well blaming the company for their failure.  It's really a shame.   There is such great opportunity to grow as a person and succeed in business in many of the network marketing arenas.   If you are in need of a Plan B, want to save for retirement, pay for college tuition, or all of the above, why not at least take a look at one of these great opportunities?   You could change your life and the lives of countless others.  If you are searching, here's a list of the top 25 MLM companies, according to Nexera e-News.   A real eye-opener is the list of the Top 100 MLM earners, as provided by the Home For Business website.  This kind of money changes lives!



To really have great success in network marketing, you have to have a servant's attitude and a mentor's wisdom.   Then you have to find people who want the same thing.   Are you one of those who are willing to listen, learn and be coach-able?   Then I am looking to work with you and help you.  I am involved in ACN and another growing network marketing company called VizConnect.   VizConnect is a brand new network marketing company and it is growing fast.  VizConnect uses QR Code technology to take mobile video marketing to the next level.  When scanned, VizConnect QR Codes take the mobile user directly to a targeted marketing video, followed by a unique Call to Action Page.   Mobile marketing has quickly become the way companies are targeting their audiences and VizConnect is leveraging this in a big way.  Get in on the ground floor in this amazing startup company and see where it takes you in the next year or two!   If you would like to learn more, there is a business presentation at Kowloon's in Saugus, MA on Monday, May 20th at 6:30 pm.  Call me at 978-935-0373 if you would like to attend.

So what are you going to do when opportunity knocks on your door?  Answer the call and join the independent business revolution now.   You will be glad you did!   Mike at 978-935-0373.

 HBSU REFERRALS

   Stephen Connell, CPA                             Simeia Bento
   Accounting and Bookkeeping                  Betty's Cleaning Services
   Taxes, Quickbook Pro                              Home & Business Cleaning
   Walpole, MA 02081                                   Lowell, MA 01852
   508-783-6152                                              978-938-3284
   steveconnell4@verizon.net                          betty08.sb@gmail.com
                                                      simeia.comcast@gmail.com

   Quincy Vale, Attorney                                Dawn Bronson
   Vale Law for Energy & Environment          Edward Jones
   Energy and Environmental Law                 Financial Services
   978-327-5990                                                781-935-0787
   617-694-5181                                                781-835-6219
   qvale@aqvlaw.com                                       dawn.bronson@edwardjones.com
     

   Your Company Goes Here!                       Your Company Goes Here!

      "Your Success Is Our Success!"

Accuracy in News and Other Peeves

Before I say anything, I have to congratulate and thank all the first responders who so magnficently and thanklessly went about their jobs during the Boston Marathon Bombing and its aftermath.  The Governor, the Mayor, the Massachusetts State Police, the Boston Police, the Watertown Police, the MBTA Police, and all the EMTs, firefighters, and hospital medical staffs, and the countless others who spent their time keeping us all safe and informed all deserve our admiration and our prayers of thanks.  Finding and eliminating the direct threat to our city in such a short time was simply miraculous.   The remaining captured scumbag needs to be dealt with quickly, severely, and publicly.  No punishment is too harsh for this guy.                                                                                                  

 

With all that said, I wanted to ask you all.  Did all the inaccurate reporting during this epic saga drive you as nuts as it did me?   I would hear a story, get excited, angry or both, only to find out shortly after that it wasn't true.   Isn't this unacceptable?   I majored in broadcast journalism, and it was creed that you verified a story before running with it.   Now the news outlets just want to be first... which is driven by the thirst for advertising dollars.  It may be good business, but it doesn't make it right.  This happens more and more in this age of tweeting and blogging, so the line between fact and fiction keeps getting blurrier.  I heard one Boston radio personality say that despite occasional inaccurate reports, CNN was going a great job!   How do you feel about it?  Do you want the truth or do you want to hear the news first and figure out if its true later?  Email me at michael@kcvisualsunlimited.com and let me know.

 

 



We need more Heroes like these guys!

 



On the to the next topic.  LinkedIn Discussion forums.  They are great for sharing information and commenting, but only if you get your comments published!   I can't tell you how many times I've posted event notices, comments, and discussions, but they never get posted.   You could argue some may or may not be spam, but its no different than dozens upon dozens of other posts that are clearly spam or sales pitches.   However, I have one pending submission on a discussion that asks youto describe your business in one work.  I said "Diverse", yet it waits hopelessly.  What do you have to do to get your comments posted?  I would love to know.

 

 

NBA officiating... what's up with that?   Basketball has to be the hardest game to officiate, because the refereeing in the NBA is atrocious.   The only question is, is it on purpose or is it just so hard it can't be officiated competently and consistently.   Don't get me wrong, I still love watching NBA hoops.   The talent is so far superior to college ball, its not even an argument.  It just drives me crazy to see guys get away with travel, palming, back court violations, bogus fouls called and obvious fouls not called.   The list could go on and on.   All I ask is they make guys play by the rules, and call fouls fairly and consistently.   Is that too much to ask Commissioner Stern?

 

 

 

And my final peeve for today, networkers that don't really want to network.  I can't tell you how many people give me their business card, with telephone and email information on it, yet complain when I contact them.   "Why are you calling me?", "How do I know you?", "Take me of your email list", and the negativity goes on and on.   My question is, why are you attending networking events and handing out cards if you don't want to be contacted?   Some would argue you need to build up relationships first before calling people.   My answer to that is, how do you build relationships if you don't make contact?   The obvious answer is that everyone is a seller not a buyer, which is fine, but be courteous about rejecting your fellow networkers.   Take the call, listen and then politely decline if you are not interested.   Thank them for calling!   If you get an unsolicited email, delete it.  How hard is that?  If you truly need to be taken off the emailer's list, thank them for thinking of you and politely request  you be removed from the list.  It's really not a big deal!  Does anybody play nice anymore?

  



 

 

Check Out HBSU and its new Customer Rewards!

 

 

 

 

WELCOME OUR NEWEST PARTNER!

 



Howie Snyder from LocalAdProNE has joined the HBSU team as our newest VizConnect partner.  Howie brings a wealth of experience, over 20 years of product management, product marketing, sales and business development experience - Internet, software, hardware, network communication and protocols.   Welcome to HBSU and thanks for VizConnecting Howie!

 

                     HBSU REFERRALS

   Stephen Connell, CPA                             Simeia Bento
   Accounting and Bookkeeping                  Betty's Cleaning Services
   Taxes, Quickbook Pro                              Home & Business Cleaning
   Walpole, MA 02081                                   Lowell, MA 01852
   508-783-6152                                              978-938-3284
   steveconnell4@verizon.net                          betty08.sb@gmail.com
                                                      simeia.comcast@gmail.com

   Quincy Vale, Attorney                                Dawn Bronson
   Vale Law for Energy & Environment          Edward Jones
   Energy and Environmental Law                 Financial Services
   978-327-5990                                                781-935-0787
   617-694-5181                                                781-835-6219
   qvale@aqvlaw.com                                       dawn.bronson@edwardjones.com
     

   Your Company Goes Here!                       Your Company Goes Here!

      "Your Success Is Our Success!"

 

 

HBSU: HOW DO YOU NETWORK?

 

HOW DO YOU NETWORK?

 

We all know networking is important for our business and our own personal growth. Meeting and establishing relationships is vital to our business and personal health. So, how do you network? What do you do? Are you using social media outlets like Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn? Do you go to networking meetings? How often? Do you pay for these events? Is it worth the time and money? These are all valid questions and the answers are probably varied for everyone.  

 

 

I live and work north of Boston, so I usually attend networking events in the greater Boston area, and since I work during the day, these events fall in the evening.  I attend Chamber of Commerce events, and several different business association and LinkedIn groups, and most require a payment to enter, with a discount usually offered for purchasing tickets ahead of time.   This can get costly if I attend alot of events, so I occasionally skip some gatherings for financial reasons.  Ofcourse, calendar also plays a part in being able to attend all events too.  Sometimes there are schedule conflicts and I miss a great event, which I am sure happens to all of us.

 

 

What is your approach to networking?  Everyone is different in the way they network and in the way they accept other peoples networking methods.  I am an agressive networker and not everybody agrees with the way I do things, but it's my philosophy we need to make as many contacts as possible and find the ones that will agree to build a working relationship.  I use Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter, and contact as many people as I can.  These are networking tools and I use them as often as possible.   Not everyone accepts connection requests, and that is okay with me, but many more do, so it's worth the agressive efforts.   Once connected, I also try to build relationships.   I send emails, newsletters and blogs.  I join the maximum number of groups and I post as often as I can.   Not all posts get published, but that is okay too.   When my posts are published they can be very effective.

 

 

Networking events can be fun, and I set out to meet as many people as I can shake hands with and swap business cards.   Listening is probably my biggest challenge, as I tend to talk alot, but I am working on listening and hope it creates better relationships.  Follow-up is also something I do regularly.   After an event I will send emails telling people I enjoyed meeting them and hope we can get together again at some point soon.   I believe if people hand out their cards, they should expect contact to be made.  Isn't that why we give out our cards in the first place?   And this includes phone calls.   The cards have our phone numbers for a reason, so we should expect the occasional "luke warm market" call we get from people we meet at networking events.

 

 

So in summary, here are my key points to networking:

 

1.   Attend as many networking events that you can afford and your calendar allows.

2.   Have fun, but be agressive and meet as many people as you can, listen to what
      they say, and follow up.

3.   Utilize networking tools like Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter to make as many
      connections as you can.

4.   Send out emails, newsletters, blogs, and post often in group discussions.

5.   Make "luke warm market" calls and establish relations with willing partners.

 

What do you think?   Let me know how you network, and maybe we can discuss it over coffee!

  

I do go to as many networking events as I can, but it does get costly. Thus the reason for HBSU's new networking group on LinkedIn, "Instant Networking Org". This is an open group with an open forum. Share whatever is on your mind and offer some networking tips. We also will be meeting in person once a month, a FREE NETWORKING EVENT open to all. We are going to hold it at my home at 29 Fiske St. in Tewksbury, MA to start things off. HBSU will provide free water, soft drinks, and munchies, and you are welcome to bring your own beer or wine. There won't be any agendas, just simple networking.... refreshments, good conversations, and establishing and building new contacts and business relationships. Sound good? Please, go to the LinkedIn Group, "Instant Network Org" and join today. The first meeting will be in April, with the date and time to be determined.    Stay tuned!
 

 

 

Check Out HBSU and its new Customer Rewards!

 

                                   HBSU REFERRALS

     Stephen Connell, CPA                                              Simeia Bento
       Accounting and Bookkeeping                                Betty's Cleaning Services
       Taxes, Quickbook Pro                                              Home & Business Cleaning
       Walpole, MA 02081                                                    Lowell, MA 01852
       508-783-6152                                           978-938-3284
       steveconnell4@verizon.net                                           betty08.sb@gmail.com
                                                                     simeia.comcast@gmail.com

       Quincy Vale, Attorney                                               Dawn Bronson
       Vale Law for Energy & Environment                      Edward Jones
       Energy and Environmental Law                              Financial Services
       978-327-5990                                           781-935-0787
       617-694-5181                                           781-835-6219
       qvale@aqvlaw.com                                              dawn.bronson@edwardjones.com
       aqvale@aquvee.com

      Your Company Goes Here!                                  Your Company Goes Here!

             "Your Success Is Our Success!"

 



HBSU: You Gotta Start Somewhere

You Gotta Start Somewhere

What do you say in your very first blog?  And you have no followers yet, so who are you saying it to?   I want to create an audience and believe strongly I will, but I have to be realistic too.   So, I figured I'd start with the Top 10 Reasons Why Home & Business Services Unlimited Can Benefit Your Business.  So here's to the few becoming many!

10.   Are you tired of paying fees to go to networking events?   All our networking
        meetings are, and always will be, FREE!

 9.    How many companies actually help your business generate new revenue
        streams?   Our ACN and VizConnect business systems can and will help
        you make money!

 8.    You already pay essential service bills like phone, wireless, internet, and
        TV.   See how HBSU can give you a Return on Investment everytime you
        pay those bills.

 7.    If it's Free it's Me!   Want some free advertising on our newsletters, blog,
        and website?  Become our customer and see how you can get all these
        free ads and more.

 6.    HBSU can make you look great.   I have been producing video for more
        than 30 years.  I can write, shoot, edit, and post your next web video and
        enhance your online presence immediately.

 5.    Mobile Marketing is where it's at.  All the latest studies show you have to
        have a mobile marketing presence.  See how our VizConnect service can
        literally put your message right in to palms of your customers hands.

 4.    Call your customers to action.   VizConnect will call your customers to
        immediate action, be it a call to your phone, a visit to your website, a
        share of your content, or a visit to your store.  Let us show you how can
        start using and benefitting from VizConnect mobile marketing today.

 3.    Want new business referrals?   Partner with us and get on our exclusive
        referral list.  Get featured on this blog, with video interviews to reinforce
        your message.  Contact us and find out how we can help each others
        business grow stronger and faster.

 2.    Look at all our services... Video Production, Video Mobile Marketing,
        IT Support, Telecom and Energy Services, Networking, Partnering and
        Referrals.   And the number one Reason?

 1.    Free Stuff!  Come to our Grand Opening Reception on Thurs. evening,
        March 14th, at the VFW Hall on 4 Highwood Dr., Tewksbury, MA, get
        free stuff, network with your peers, and learn all about HBSU.  Go to
        Eventbrite and register now!   http://hbsu-tewksbury.eventbrite.com/#

                   HBSU:  "Your Success Is Our Success!"

             Visit our website to see more about HBSU: 
                   http://www.kcvisualsunlimited.com
                               Check out our Press Release Here:
                                http://bit.ly/13p6rjn
                                           Call Mike at 978-935-0373