Business and Prayer

What do you say in your prayer time. Do you ask for world peace or health and safety for your family? There is nothing wrong with including your family business. Besides, why are you building your business? It’s not for selfish reasons but for the welfare of your family.

When we look at what is going on around us, we find that we need to incorporate more than just practical means. Things around us that we counted on seem to be failing us or not working quite like we expected. You were sold on the importance of an education and got that degree or two, only to get into a world where you are competing with so many others who have done the same. We see that we can’t depend on the banking system now no matter how great your credit may be. Who would have ever thought that it was possible to run out or water in the U.S. Well Georgia’s water drought proved that it was possible. The price of gas and food are increasing rapidly and unemployment has risen. Large corporations such as Home Depot, Circuit City and Starbucks which generally challenged small businesses are now experiencing financial difficulty. If large corporations are experiencing difficulties then I don’t need to say what small businesses are experiencing during this time.

This all confirms to me how much more than just our degrees, great credit and influence we need during this time. We must incorporate spirituality and prayer. Read this article below that was written by a real estate agent in the Georgia market.

Michele,

I just wanted to share something with you briefly. Michele, I have been in the real estate business for over 5 years. I only work with buyers because I don't have much success with sellers. Buyers have always been more promising to me…. Recently a young lady asked me to list her property and I really didn't want to, but I did. I joined the caravan group and we went and viewed it and prayed on my listing. Today, the bank and buyers agreed and we are officially under contract. It hasn't closed yet, but I am sure it will. I am so glad SS has introduced me to a new listing technique that should have been so obvious. Bring God into it.

Jane

No matter what you are praying for, know that prayer changes things.

The Girl In Charge

Welcome To the ANG Blogzine

This new publication is a fun and exciting new edition to the ANG Network. We wanted to bring something extra to the girls that most other networks do not. We are so much more than just our businesses. We are moms, wives, business owners, professionals and then some. ANG recognizes that the girls need support in more than one area. Here you will find great articles from other female business owners and professionals. Every product, service and website link listed in this site is femaled owned and very useful resources. Most are work at home moms who have achieved what so many of us are striving to do.

The content of the site will change approximately every 30 days.

I hope you enjoy this site.

Velvet
Girl In Charge

The Networks Upcoming Events

ANG has many more things planned for the network. The monthly event for April is scheduled for April 29th from 7-9pm. These events allows women in business to come together with their marketing material and fellowship with other business owners. Ladies can check out the site, http://www.atlantanetworkinggirls.com/ for location and easy payment instructions.

ANG's new online community will be up and running by the end of April. This community will be an ladies only business network allowing business owners and professionals to downloand professional photos, logos, business profiles and contact information. This will allow female business owners and professionals to expand their network possibilities.

We are also putting together an ANG north side to help make it more convenient for ladies around Atlanta to participate. This will be on a trial basis and participation will determine if we keep the location. This new location will be up and running within the next 60-90 days. If anyone have a recommendation of a good location, please let us know.

Work At Home Mom Stress

The trend of moms working from home to be near their children has grown in the last couple of years. Now that they have found jobs or businesses to run, they’re starting to realize that working from home is not as easy as they thought it would be. The work they do is hard to separate form their personal lives, which makes it hard to schedule time for work responsibilities and home duties.

The workspace these moms use to do their jobs at ends up being a part of their household, so that makes dividing work and home life even more difficult to do. Imagine that your office is a part of the dining room, which also happens to be the room where you eat your meals as a family. How easy is it going to be for you to leave your work life to be with your family when the office is 5 feet away from the dinner table?

The realities of dividing work and personal life can get smudged for work at home moms. When that happens, one’s stress level is sure to rise, which could jeopardize one’s sanity. To prevent your sanity from leaving, you should find ways to ensure that separation takes place between your job/business and your family life.

Assess the current situation. Try to find an area, within your home, to have your office so that it won’t interfere with your family life. The home office needs a room with a door where you can be apart from the rest of the house. A den or a garage can be converted into office space that is exclusive to your business. Some people have resorted to placing their office in the laundry room, just because it has a door! When that is not an option, set up shop in your bedroom to keep it away from the family areas.

Organization is the next step. A messy desk can be a huge distraction when trying to work. Everything needs to have its place. If you worked in an office, your boss would not stand for a messy work space. There’s no difference when your office is at home and not at the worksite.
Use inexpensive organizing items, such as baskets with separate compartments to help organize the odds and ends on your desk. You can keep rubber stamps, letters, invoices, pens, pencils, and the like in here. Organization makes finding things much easier, which results in a more relaxed work day.

Keep your business phone separate from the family phone line. When using the same line, you run the risk of your children answering business calls or picking up the phone during a conference call. This causes your professionalism to fly right out the window and takes your customers or employers along with it.

The same goes for the computer. It’s best to keep your business computer separate from what the other family members use, but budgets don’t always allow for this. In that case, make sure that the business/job files and documents can’t be easily accessed by anyone but you. This will help prevent some of the stress that could be brought on by family members stumbling on a client’s important document and accidentally deleting them.

Be sure to use calendars or planners as they are very helpful when trying to keep track of business appointments or deadlines and family appointments. This will lessen the stress of setting up family appointments when you’ve forgotten about business deadlines you have.

Consider hiring a sitter on days you have a lot of work to do. Being a work at home mom gives you the benefit of controlling your own schedule. Having a sitter keeps the kids away from your office and gives you quiet time to focus on your work and gives your kids a chance to have fun without you feeling too guilty. Mixing business with family in the home setting can be a major source of stress. Keeping the business side of your life organized and separate is crucial to success in keeping your stress levels down and your sanity intact.

Learn How To Balance Work and Family Here

About A Girl

ANG wants to feature women who are business owners and fellow Networking Girls. This Girl shows loyalty like no other networker in the organization. Not only does she attend most of the events but she also does it while traveling from the opposite side of town. This shows that she is truly dedicated to promoting her business and would go the extra mile for her customers. The quality of her work and service speaks for it self. Read her story below.

Name: Tina Brown
Profession: Graphic Designer/Stationer
Company Names: Tina's Design Studio/Stationery by Tina B.
Contact: tinasdesignstudio@yahoo.com 404.933.5994
Web: http://www.tinasdesignstudio.blogspot.com/
www.cafepress.com/tinab1010

Tina has been designing for over 6 years. Originally from the Midwest, she relocated to Atlanta, GA to attend The Art Institute of Atlanta. After obtaining a degree in Graphic Design she began freelancing & started Tina's Design Studio. She later began to work for Lewis Hyman Inc. where assists with designing packaging & labels for Target, Lowe's, & Home Depot.

After working with several freelance clients, she found her niche in designing greeting cards, invitations & social stationery resulting in the birth of Stationery by Tina B.
Currently this line is being shopped to major retailers to become available in stores nation wide. For now an assortment of her cards can be purchased at www.cafepress.com/tinab1010.

ANG Business Review

Not every business model is a good match for everyone. Our needs, lifestyles, budgets, passions and personalities determine the right opportunity. Every month ANG will feature a different business model that may be that perfect fit for someone looking. So if you or someone you know are searching for a work at home business, then you must drop in from time to time.

This online business model is one of the best I have seen. Not only is the site already up and running. Meaning , you do not have to build a site or hire a designer. It also is in a 7 trillion dollar industry, larger than the 4 trillion dollar oil industry. It's also part of a publicly traded company that is growing rapidly. The best part of this is that this company will allow you to have a home based franchise for an unbelievabely low setup fee.

It is called YTB Travel International and the industry is actually recreation. If you love to travel or would like to be part of the industry, this may be right for you. YTB partnered with Travelocity and allows the average person who wants an online business to own a piece of the pie. You get your own personal website(booking engine) powered by Travelocity where you can simply refer others to your site to book travel, rent cars,Limos, have your own ticketmaster, find day spa's around the world, set up golf tee times, reserve hotel rooms, condos, book cruises, order flowers, start a wedding/gift registry and even buy a new or preowned car. You are paid commissions weekly everytime someone makes a purchase on your site. There is no taking orders, collecting money or sitting in an office. Your customers simple go to your site, search and buy themselves.

The very unique thing about this model is that it allows you to offer recreation and make a living doing things that people do everyday. It isn't a new product or concept that you have to sell someone. People are already doing this online. Hartsfield is never empty. It makes a lot of sense. It's even a great additional feature for any other business you have. I can't see how you can go wrong with this model.

If you are interested in this business go to http://www.gotravelrichly.com/

Call 1800-914-2748 for a tour of the site.

What Are The Experts Saying?

The Importance of Family dinner

You've probably heard the saying “The Family That Plays Together – Stays Together”. While that's certainly true, there's another important activity that the whole family should be doing together – eating dinner. With weird work schedules and after-school activities, family schedules are becoming crazy. When it comes time to eat dinner, everyone just grabs something wherever and whenever they get a chance. Unfortunately, this means that you and your family are missing out on some important bonding and more.

Here are a few interesting facts in regards to family dinners.

• “The average parent spends 38.5 minutes per week in meaningful conversation with their children… “(A.C. Nielsen Co.) By simply eating dinner together each night and making an effort to talk to your kids, you can easily more than quadruple that time. You get to know your child better and isn't that the whole point of having a family?


• “Family dinners are more important than play, story time and other family events in the development of vocabulary of younger children.” (Harvard Research, 1996) The dinner table has always been the social center of families, so it is no wonder that that's where our kids learn to talk. It gives them “real live” demonstrations and practice not only in speech but also social interactions.


• “Frequent family meals are associated with a lower risk of smoking, drinking and using marijuana; with a lower incidence of depressive symptoms and suicidal thoughts; and with better grades in 11 to 18 year olds”. (Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, 2004.) By spending more quality time with your kids over dinner, you will quickly be alerted to any changes in your child, but you also develop a better relationship with your kids. Wouldn't you want your child to come to you with his problems instead of turning to drinking, drugs, or considering taking his life?


• “The more often teens have dinner with their parents, the less time they spend with boyfriends or girlfriends, and the less likely they are to have sexually active friends”. (National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University – 2004) Not only do your teens have less time to hang out with boyfriends and girlfriends, having a good relationship with you makes them less likely to search for closeness by becoming sexually active.


• “Adolescent girls who have frequent family meals, and a positive atmosphere during those meals, are less likely to have eating disorders”. (University of Minnesota, 2004) It is up to you to help your children develop a good relationship with food. Not only can you significantly lessen the chances that your daughter will develop a eating disorder, this is also your chance to teach everyone in the family good and healthy eating habits that will last a lifetime.

Isn't that reason enough for you to bring the family dinner back? Sure, it can get a little tricky getting everyone together with our crazy schedules and having a hot meal cooked at the same time. But it is well worth the effort and once you get in the habit of eating dinner together as a family, it gets easier and no none would want to miss it.


Let us help you get dinner on the table with our 12 week Ultimate menu pack. Grab it today at Menu Planning Central.

From Real Estate Boom To Burst

Everyone is wondering what is going on in the real estate market and how does it affect them.The industry has been hit harder than it has ever been and has rippled into the entire economy. Many are surprised at just how much every industry is affected. Remember that after Sept 11, 2001, the strong real estate market was the thing that fueled the economy at that time, so it really is no surprise. Just think how many people are employed one way or another in the industry. Real estate agents, appraisers, loan officers, loan processors, receptionists, office managers, attorneys, pre closers, post closers, property inspectors, contractors, builders, heating and air techs, electricians, roofers, framers, cabinet makers, plumbers and on and on. There are really too many professionals to mention. When these professionals are affected financially and they can't spend money in the open market, everyone is affected. Then also when the mortgage industry is affected, it ripples into so many other credit industries and the people employed there such as auto financing, credit cards and so on. In this credit crunch, it is much tougher for the average consumer to finance things that were once so simple. When money isn't flowing and changing hands because of this, it is devastating to the economy.

It seem to all have started with bad, high risk loans given out in abundance by the lending industry. In both haste and greed to create more loans and money, these loans were given out like free government cheese. Most were subprime and arms that were scheduled to adjust after a fixed period. You hear a lot of people blaming the consumer for accepting these financial terms. What everyone should be asking is "Why would banking executives who know the financial industry better than your average middle and lower class consumer agree to take such risky avenues with investor's money?" Sure maybe some of the consumers should have known better but so many of these loans were given out fraudulently, with little to no education to the consumer and in haste to make a buck. There were definitely some buyers who used it to buy more than what they could afford but so many were told one thing and got another. Simply stating "They should have done their research online and avoided this mess" is not fair to say in all situations. The elderly woman on a fixed income who simply wanted to pull a small amount of cash out of the home she has owned for 40 years, should not have been given an arm. It should have never been suggested by the loan officer or approved by underwriting. The low income, low credit score family that just wanted to own and was sold the dream of ownership with a risky loan, should not have been given an arm. They should have been further advised in how to improve their credit score in order to qualify for a better loan and fixed rate. This to should not have been suggested by the loan officer or approved by underwriting. Did they really think that this low income family or elderly woman could really afford the adjustment? What if a major food manufacturer put a small amount of poison in food products to enhance the taste. This manufacturer never thought this small amount would cause any harm but it did and many people died from this poison. Should it then be said that these people should have looked at every ingredient on the label, did some research on the internet to find out exactly what it was and how it affected the human body? Well we all know that is not reality. We buy food with the confidence that the manufacturer has our best interest at heart and not just their bottom line. The poison should have never been put into the products. This to is what that average consumer felt when they were getting loans from a reputable lender.

So many people now are still wondering what they should do in this market. Well the answer for everyone is Buy, Buy, Buy!!!! If you are in the position to purchase, you're in the driver's seat. It has never been more of a buyer's market than now. It is not a good time to be a seller in most areas. Foreclosures and few buyers have driven prices down and days on market can be 12 months or longer. ABC news recently reported that the plunging home values are reminiscent of the depression. Banks desperately trying to unload inventory are offering short sales allowing properties to be sold at less than the loan amount. This is actually a great time to buy for primary resident or investment. Purchasing primary residents now is a great deal but also building wealth with investment properties. If you are in the position to buy as an investor and hold, this is a great time to do so. But warning to all this is not a good time for the flipper. Flipping simply means that a person intends to buy low, do some improvements and immediately sell for higher. Since this is a buyer's market (meaning much fewer buyers) a flipper would have a much harder time getting rid of the property quickly. As stated before it can take 12 months or longer to sell, depending on location and price. No real estate flipper wants to sit on a vacant house for that amount of time. This is a great time to build wealth now by buying investment properties low, holding and selling high later. Because many people are finding it more difficult to get mortgages at this time, they may be more likely to rent. So if you can grab those great deals now, do so.

Wealth very often is built during down times. When markets are down and the average consumer is shying away from investments such as real estate and stocks, investors swoop in for the low prices. When the market comes back around (and it always do) they have accumulated much wealth. But don't fret. If you can't buy right now, you may have a little time. Many advisors anticipate 2-3 years recovery time in the real estate market. So if you can't by this year, there may still be time next year.


Velvet Woodly,

Real Estate Professional

Solid Source Realty

email: velvet at atlantanetworkinggirls dot com

Free Hot Mama Make Over

As moms, we tend to put everyone and everything first. Often we are the last one we think about. After kids, work, house work, husbands and and other activities, it is time to go to bed and start the next day all over again. Many moms begin to see things that she once took pride in put to the side such as healthy eating, exercise, personal appearance and any other kinds of self improvement/preservation pushed aside. In our quest to be super women and moms, there is often guilt associated with doing things for ourselves. It can be so difficult to have a healthy balance in our lives and moms need to know that it is okay that they can't do it all. The first thing a mom can do is to pamper herself with a makeover. Not only does this help in your self confidence but others such as spouses can really appreciate it. Improved self confidence helps to improve your roles at work and home. There are many ways a mom with a hectic schedule and limited budget can refresh her look. Get your free Make Over Guide here. Get affordable and easy ways to achieve that Mommy Make Over.

How Often Do Any One Offer You Something For Free. That is whay I am letting as many moms as I can know about this. Get your Hot Mama Makeover Today.

Why You Should Network To Grow Your Business

Networking may be one of the oldest forms of advertising. Traditionally, business people would attend designated “networking meetings” where they would meet other people and exchange business cards in the hope that one of the people they talked to would send some clients their way.

Other business people have realized that networking can be done anywhere, not just at designated meetings. These people often carry business cards with them at all times and may strike up a conversation with the person in front of them in line at the grocery store or sitting next to them at the Little League game.

The internet has given networking a new life and people are now turning to social networking sites in order to meet new potential business partners and clients.

It doesn’t matter which form it takes place in, networking is essentially a way of marketing your business through building relationships with other people. Some of these people may turn into your clients, some may be a source of clients, and others may actually become future business partners.

Networking has many benefits. Generally speaking, it is a free activity. It can take up some of a person’s time, but other than that, there really is no cost to it. It is important to note that some networking groups do require a membership fee, but it is very easy to find many free networking opportunities.

In many circumstances, a networking situation will lead to word of mouth advertising, which is extremely valuable. For example, if a web designer meets someone through a networking group or through a social networking website and establishes a connection, that person may recommend them to several people they know on a personal level.

As you know, when someone sees an ad they take it with a grain of salt. They know it is advertising. But when someone receives a recommendation from a person they know and trust, they often follow that person’s recommendation and buy the services or products that have been recommended to them.

Whether done face to face or over the internet, it does take time to build relationships with other people. Some easy ways to get things started may be to spark up a conversation about something you have in common with the other person, or to offer help or advice to them.

The effects of networking may not be seen overnight, but over time a person will start to receive calls or emails from potential customers saying that they were referred by so-and-so. This lets the person know that their networking has paid off.

Talk to you soon,
Crissy Herron Gipson
http://www.indiebizchicks.com/
info@indiebizchicks.com

Remembering Your Girls

In business our customers, clients and business partners come and go. These relationships may only be for a season. In a day of an abundance of options, loyalty gets more and more difficult to find. Unlike our grandparents who stuck to the same brand of cars their entire life, this generation tend to lack the same loyalty. If someone is offering the same thing for a dollar less or an inch larger, your season very well maybe over in the eyes of some. Don't get me wrong. I understand the the statement "It's business and not personal". It just makes those special relationships in your life so valuable. When you have that person who don't see you as so easily replaceable, you have a jewel. That person who wouldn't dare pick up the yellow pages and find someone else in 5 minutes. That person in my life is my sister. The beginning of 2008 was a difficult time for me. I learned alot about faith, business, friendships and most importantly about myself. My sister always had my back and I have such a greater appreciation for her.

I want to incorporate this into ANG. It is not just a ladies, business network but also one where bonds are formed. I have been to other networks where the mention of spirituality and faith is not allowed. Well ANG is built around the principles of faith and spirituality will always be encouraged. I want to wish you all many blessings in your business.


Love Always

From
The Girl In Charge

Advertisement Opportunities At the Network

Looking for additional ways to promote your business? You can start here at ANG. We have several affordable ways that business owners can place her ads within the blogzine, newsletter and very soon the online community. There are several hundred ladies registered and this would be a great opportunity to get some extra exposure. If any business owner wants more info, please contact the Girl In Charge, velvet at atlantanetworkinggirls dot com