I have many "WHY's" associated with my decision to start a home business. I want to be here for my kids when they get home from school. I want to be financially free- pay off the house, pay off the car ( a car that I'm not especially fond of but still owe too much on to get rid of ), buy a new SUV, someday buy a houseboat.And a whole bunch of stuff in between.



I was standing in line at Wally-World this morning and heard the comment, " We just got back from Florida yesterday and we're headed to Canada today."

I turned and looked at the commentator, a spritely woman of maybe 65 or 67 yrs. old. And I thought, "Yeah... another WHY......just take off and go wherever, whenever." Which surprised me being that I'm a home-body.



As I was walking toward my car I thought about that woman's statement and my response to it. I guess I did have a bit of the traveler in me. Last February, my mom and I flew to Houston, TX to attend a Freedom at Home Team event. It was only my 2nd time flying (the first being a whole 45 minutes!) I loved it!
Check out the view!

Then, in July, Ron & I were off to Dallas! And I was even more excited! And the good news is, we are going again this July! And I'll get to meet even more AmeriPlan buddies and renew some old friendships. Can't wait.

I have many places in mind to visit and things I want to do when I am financially free. First, an Alaskan cruise. Then, we'll go from there!

Anyway, tomorrow I'm venturing out on a mini vacation- camping with the Girl Scouts. Yippee, skippee! 6th & 7th graders! They are running 3 stations with activities for about 80 other Girl Scouts. I have my doubts....

Please, my dear friend's-say a prayer for me!

And I'll be talking to you when I get back. I'm checking out info on famous woman who were Girl Scouts (Hilary Rodham Clinton for one!) Maybe I'll throw you all a post about that! Later, friends!

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When you have a home business, there is a lot of competition. Everyday more and more business opportunities pop up. More and more people are becoming their own boss. And there are more and more ads on the Internet everyday.

Yesterday, my daughter & I attended the Future Millionaires of CNY class that the girl Scout Council had held. I was planning sharing on that subject, but something else has been bugging me so I want to address that issue first, and will post some cool stuff from that class later.

Before going to the class I had run my ads on a few forums I belong to. One of them has tons of work at home groups. I belong to about 25 or so on that forum, and I've seen more. Anyway, I got done running my ads yesterday morning around noon. Usually I get done with email, ads, and other online stuff by 10 a.m., but with the hour time change & pure procrastination, it was later.

We got home from the class around 3:30 or so. Did a few things around here,yadda, yadda. Around 5:00 or so, I started checking my email accounts. I had TONS of email between the biz, social networking, etc...Finally, I felt I had it pretty well under control, so I started running my ads. I get to like my 2nd group, and there's an ad titled something like Don't overpost each other. Half the time I'm in a rush and don't read the other ads. I mean, I already have a business I'm happy with, so why would I read the ads. But now & then I do a quick scan of the titles. For some reason, I scanned the titles, and thought it looked interesting. I opened the ad and imagine my surprise when I read what the poster had to say.

It was, believe it or not, another AmeriPlan broker. She was pretty much addressing the issue of two AmeriPlan broker's who keep overposting each other. She stated that it is not good team work, and that is not what the Freedom at Home Team stands for. She felt that this shows moms looking to work from home that our team has no unity and that we are just competing against each other.

And the Freedom at Home Team does work together. We have leaders (I am one of them) who conduct training calls that are attended by TONS of people who are not even on the trainers team! The info we provide can help other people prosper and we don't make a dime off the lions share of these people.

This post was like a knife in my heart, because I know I am one of the two brokers mentioned. I felt this person was saying that this other broker and I lurk on this forum just waiting for the other to post an ad so we can rush in and repost, thus being back on top. And it has bugged me since I read that. Because I try so hard to help others, but I am in business just doing my job.

I always try to give others a helping hand, whether they are with my company or some other company. I wouldn't have started a work at home website if I didn't want to help others. Any home business owner can advertise there on the forums and I even have a "featured members" page for anyone that wants to be featured for a month. I have given leads for FREE to AmeriPlan brokers that weren't even on my team!

Anyway, the poster went on to say that she will not post there anymore to avoid confusion. That moms don't like it when you just post an ad and give no real value. That they want to be able to trust you and build a friendship, and just posting ads doesn't do that (how do they know about me if they don't read my ad?) . She asked that next time a person posts an ad (no matter what company you are with) make sure that another rep from the same company has not posted there.

I am confused- that is what the group is for. Advertising! And frankly, I was posting there BEFORE this person and the other broker who posts frequently. So, should they have not put an ad there? Or do we set a time when each person can post?

I responded with this:

I am with AmeriPlan and have been for 2 years- with the Freedom at Home Team also. We do work together as much as possible, but we are responsible for our own business, and getting our own leads.

BUT, my feeling is, some people post once a day or once a week and feel they will be noticed and get loads of responses.

If someone doesn't want to take the time to repost often, then sorry you get stuck at the bottom.

I am not going to "not post" because someone posted an hour ago or even a day ago, whatever. Occasionally, if I have the time, I may go through all my ads and post and go back & do it again- that is typically an hour or so in between. By the same standard, some days I can't post at all.

I would be more worried about people that post the same ad 3 times in a row in every group. Everyone forgets to delete one now & then, but c'mon. 3 and 4 in a row!

If you only want one rep from each company, let me know! I will graciously bow out!

It is not my intention to step on anyones toes. I rarely even look at the other ads. I just post mine & move on.

I have also told new AmeriPlan reps on the site (some not even on my team) that I have met (and those I have enrolled onto my team) that if they want to advertise on any groups, let me know and I will back off on advertising. No one has said a word until now!

In fact, I'm surprised how little A.P. brokers take advantage of online advertising. Many social networks I'm with have none but me!

Anyway, enough said....

Now what I want everyone to understand is, this other broker & I do both advertise on this site. When I noticed this ad , I started paying attention when I was posting. This other broker (who is accused of overposting) was on a lot of the same groups I was. I was posting 2 hours after she did yesterday. Sometimes I don't even see a post from her it has been so many hours. I am usually done with my last posting of ads around 10 p.m. ( sometimes 11:00 depending on life) So, from 10 p.m.- 8 (or 9:00,10:00 depending on life) I'm not posting. Most days, I don't post again until I'm making dinner ( 5:00,6:00,7:00 p.m. depending on life).

So I certainly don't sit here all,day, checking my ads and posting,posting,posting. If I did that, I wouldn't have a biz ! You do have to return calls to people, too! And anyone that reads this knows I spend a good part of my life sitting in doctors, dentists and chiropractor offices - in fact my daughter is sick today. Guess where I'll be from around 2:30-4:30 or so? At the doctors, then on to the grocery store. Being that I have calls to return this morning, as well as my website to update I probably won't get to repost until around 5-6:00.

My question to those who work at home and may be familiar with posting ads, what is the etiquette for posting ads? The last thing I want to do is give people the impression that I am not a team player and that the Freedom at Home Team is anything but supportive of each other.

But my job is to enroll people into benefits plans & recruit others to work from home doing the same. That means advertising. With the number of people who give up on their dreams & quit their business, how do I know that a person that advertised a day or two ago on that site is even still with the company? I had a new broker from this very site that started, advertised for about a day, and quit!

So, my friends, tell me how you feel. Should you wait a certain amount of time to post if someone else from your company has already advertised there? Should you NEVER advertise there if there is an ad from someone else?

I really want to know- I do feel bad that a broker has that opinion of me (and the other accused broker)

There is another event coming up that we decided to participate in. It is a much larger event, and we are planning on having even more prizes.

I met a couple of ladies at the event Saturday- one sells Lia Sophia jewelry and one sells Tastefully Simple gourmet foods. I was telling them my idea for a home business expo. Maybe have it in January, and have all the home business companies represented. People who want to start the new year out with a new opportunity can come and see all the opportunities available to them. Vendors can also have their wares for sale. They really liked that idea, so I'm going to check into that. I would also like to start a Woman in Home Business networking group. We'll have to see.

Tonight, I was co-hosting our training call for a class we have called FastTrack2RSD. RSD is the first level of management with AmeriPlan. When a person promotes to RSD, their $2,500 accidental death and dismemberment insurance is doubled, and they receive a vested contract making this THEIR business, and is both willable and sellable. This business can be left to loved ones when we are gone. God forbid if anything should happen, those who have achieved RSD or above can rest assured knowing they are leaving a legacy to their family.

The FastTrack2RSD class helps new brokers achieve that goal as quickly as possible. I talked about flyers, events and how to talk to prospects when they call to inquire about the benefits. I really enjoy doing these calls- it is so cool to help others succeed. I've never had a J-O-B where I could be successful and help others be successful at the same time.

And like the title of this blog states, I can do a good share of it in my jammies!

Michael & Janie Jones and I at the Journey to Freedom event in February

I just ran into the above pic while looking for another one. The amazing Janie Jones is the leader of the Freedom at Home Team. This woman leads one of the fastest growing teams in AmeriPlan. I was definately blessed the day God placed that home business magazine in my hands and showed me Janie and Michael's story. There was no doubt in my mind that AmeriPlan was onto something.

Check out the following article that was in The Syracuse Post Standard on August 18th. This just reaffirmed in my mind that AmeriPlan is a needed service! See if you don't agree!

Some skimp on health in hard times
Monday, August 18, 2008
By James T. Mulder Staff writer

The economic downturn has some Central New Yorkers skimping on their health care.
Allen Krassenbaum, a pharmacist at Kmart in DeWitt, said he's seeing more and more customers forgoing prescription drugs because of the cost. "They come in, they get a price and they say, 'Forget it,' " he said.
Some people are putting off doctor visits, especially those with high-deductible insurance plans that don't provide coverage until the patient has spent as much as $2,000 out of pocket on medical bills, according to Fred LeTourneau, CEO of CNY Family Care, an East Syracuse medical group.
"I feel bad for patients who are getting whacked from all sides now," LeTourneau said.
A national survey released this week revealed many Americans are cutting back on medical care to save money. The survey, by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, found 22 percent of 686 U.S. consumers polled in July said they curtailed doctor visits because of economic conditions. Eleven percent also said they had reduced the number of prescriptions or the dosage of those medications to make the drugs last longer. About 90 percent of those surveyed said they had health insurance.
Some area doctors and pharmacists said they see evidence of that.
Dr. Rose Wolbrink, who is part of a family medicine practice associated with SUNY Upstate Medical University, said one of her elderly patients recently ended up in a hospital emergency room in the middle of the night because she had stopped taking her blood pressure medicine.
"She couldn't afford the co-payment, so she was taking them every other day and she ran out," Wolbrink said.
Gerry Levy, owner of Leader Kress Drugs, said patients should not stop taking prescription medications without talking first to their doctor or a pharmacist. "It could lead to dangerous swings in blood pressure or blood glucose levels," he said.
Patient affordability issues are not new, but they are being aggravated by the economic downturn, said Dr. Andrea Manyon, chairperson of family medicine at Upstate.
Patients have been seeing out-of-pocket medical costs rise for several years as insurers have gradually increased co-payments for some medications and more employers have shifted workers into high-deductible insurance plans. Now consumers are also grappling with rising prices for gas, food and other items.
The economic pressure is expected to get worse this winter when consumers see sharp increases in home heating bills. "There will be a tug of war for people's personal finances," said Joanne Spoto Decker, director of community service programs at the Onondaga County Department of Aging and Youth.
At particularly high risk are seniors who land in the Medicare prescription drug "doughnut hole." This is the gap in coverage that begins for some seniors after their annual drug costs reach $2,510. The patient then must pay the next $3,216 in drug costs out of pocket before coverage resumes.
Her department advises people in the doughnut hole to consider buying low-cost generics, ask doctors for samples and obtain prescription drug discount cards.
Krassenbaum, of Kmart, said he had customers, a husband and wife, who alternated taking medicine on odd and even days to save money.
"It's a sad state in this country that things have gone to this level," Krassenbaum said.
James T. Mulder can be reached at 470-2245 or jmulder@syracuse.com.
© 2008 The Post-Standard. Used with permission.
Copyright 2008 syracuse.com. All Rights Reserved.
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