Sherry's Home-Based Business Diary

A Perfect Wintery Rainy Day with My Daughter

2010-01-30T18:52:00.000-08:00

One of the best advantage of working at home is the joy and opportunity to have fun with my daughter. A very boring and gloomy day turned out to be fun. My almost 2 1/2 year old Shirin was so happy to pose for mommy for some fun and playful time.

Shirin pretending to call Daddy in the phone.

Named 16th Top Income Earner in the USANA Builder Category Worldwide

2010-01-13T11:09:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year everyone and what a wonderful way to start 2010. I was named 16th Top Income Earner in the USANA Builder Category Worldwide this week. I got so many greetings from my team and so happy that I could make them proud.

Happy Holiday from our Family

2009-12-24T10:40:00.000-08:00

Two Months with USANA

2009-12-09T13:03:00.000-08:00

I am very pleased to say that my USANA experience is been more than extraordinary. I've reached "Builder" level in leadership advancement, which means my organization accumulated 1000 in total Sales Volume Points on each side of the organization.

September 27, 2009 - Signed up as a USANA associate
Oct 22 - achieved "Believer" level, accumulated of 500 in total Sales Volume Points on each side of the organization.
Oct 23 - received my FIRST COMMISSION check. Only after 4 weeks into the business, I made my first paycheck. Very motivating and inspiring for me and my team.

November 10 - Had a great lunch with Jennifer, Rolando, and Carlos. Very fortunate to finally meet my USANA team from San Antonio, Texas. So humbled that they stopped by NYC just to meet me.
November 18 - reached "Builder" level
November 20 - so far I made $500 on commissions, only 7 weeks into the organization.
December 8 - 27 associates joined my organization since I began.

The USANA business opportunity is not my only way to financial freedom, but also for a healthy life. I am now a size 6 after loosing weight consuming only USANA's "Nutrimeal" food supplements. It's been a wonderful blessing to me and my family.

Preparing our Family Holiday Greeting Card Photos

2009-11-01T20:04:00.000-08:00

We had a great day today. My whole family drove upstate New York to Croton Dam and took some photos for our annual holiday greeting cards.

I'm a USANA Associate

2009-10-16T14:06:00.000-07:00

I'm proud to announce that I've joined the USANA family. "USANA Health Sciences is one of America’s leading companies in the field of health and nutrition." My very best friend from elementary school, introduce me to this business opportunity. I was sold immediately when I heard about USANA's product line. Growing up from a very health conscious business-minded family, this idea was not foreign to me. My parents have established a natural and alternative medicine retail chain store empire in my home country of the Philippines. After 24 years, my mother, Rose, is still broadcasting her natural health lectures every morning in Manila, DZRJ AM. We are very fortunate to have found high quality, science-based health products that can be added on my mother's stores' existing successful product line.
Why I became a USANA associate:
On my last blog entry, http://sherryworkathomediary.blogspot.com/2009/10/what-why-and-how.html, I revealed my personal goals and dreams. Not only that I wanted to get HEALTHY, I also want to get WEALTHY. USANA's amazing compensation plan and superior products can help me achieve that. I wanted to be able to enjoy my life with family and friends, and at the same time still generate huge income. I tried the "RESET" diet program last week that I also blogged about and documented my transformation http://sherryworkathomediary.blogspot.com/2009/10/day-5-reset-challenge-last-day.html. I saw immediate result by using the products just for 5 days, and I lost 4 pounds. I wanted to see for myself the quality and potency of the product, and I wasn't disappointed.

How I became a USANA associate:

My friend from Texas and her husband sponsored me to the organization. They taught me the dynamics of the business. Since we've been friends since elementary, our communication as mentor and student was so easy.
I signed up September 27, 2009
The week before I signed up, I called my family and very close friends and shared the USANA business opportunity. Some were skeptical and some were very interested to learn more.
I started reading Don Failla's "45 Second Presentation That Will Change Your Life" Booklet
October 5th, I received my USANA business starter kit and products.
October 6th, I started "RESET" diet program
October 7th, my mother called and checked my progress about the diet and asked how I felt eating the shakes and bar supplements. When I told her how great I felt and the product seems to be working, she immediately decided to join the USANA team too.
October 8th, made more phone calls to my cousin from Texas and very close family friends from New Jersey about my mother's decision to join USANA. They immediately confirmed that they wanted to sign up.
October 10th, my friends from New Jersey signed up in my organization.
October 11, my sponsor's father signed up also in my organization to take advantage of the retail sales that my mother would generate.
October 12, my mother finally signed up in the USANA Philippines office in Makati.
October 13, started promoting the products on her radio program and sold out her starter product kit in 2 days.
October 15, my mother reordered more products for the coming week. This means that I will be getting my first $100 commission next Friday, and weekly compensation will start coming.

As you can see, my organization is really consist ONLY of FAMILY and FRIENDS. My husband, brother and cousin will sign up in the next few days. I love the idea of doing this business with family and friends, but at the same time become an INDEPENDENT business owner. I'm in the process of teaching more members of my family and friends, and hopeful that they would take the advantages and rewards of this business.

If someone in your family or friends have already introduced this to you, please give USANA a deeper look and make an educated decision. Who can you trust but your family and friends, right? Listen to what they have to offer and try the products yourself. You don't have to be a great salesman to create this business. All you need is the ability to be teachable. This is the best home-based business in my opinion. You choose the people you want to work with, and never need to talk to strangers.

I will post updates and progress with my USANA business in this blog, so this could be a helpful information to anyone who would like to try the business. You can see my mistakes and success in this blog and learn from it.

What, Why, and How

2009-10-14T11:17:00.000-07:00

WHAT do I want?
1. Get healthy and lose weight
2. Go to a family vacation
3. Payoff credit cards, mortgage, car loan and school loans
4. Generate more residual income
5. Gain financial freedom
6. Spend quality time with my family
7. Travel the world
8. Grow old and live long
9. Give back and help others

WHY do I want it?
1. I want to get healthy and lose weight, so my husband and I could have another baby. I want to be baby-ready physically and mentally. Living healthy will also help me live long to see my children grow and to see my grandchildren grow.
2. We haven't been in a real relaxing vacation as a family. We need a break from our very busy life living in the city. We need to recharge.
3. Wouldn't it be great not to worry about bills and mortgage anymore? Just be able to wake up in the morning and smell the roses. No more worry about money. I want to see the world and experience different cultures and traditions.
4. Giving back to charities is the most fulfilling act one could do. I want to be able to share real money to help organizations for good cost.

HOW can I get WHAT I WANT?
Now that I know what I want and why I want it, what am I going to do about it? What am I waiting for to start leaving my life? How can I get on the top of the hill if I don't start taking steps now? Where should I start to finally realize my dreams? How can I create "multiple streams of income"? Where should I invest? What should I do with my real state properties? What should I do with my resources?

Day 5: "Reset" Challenge (Last Day)

2009-10-10T22:46:00.000-07:00

Before weight: 150.5 pounds NOW 146.5 lbs------ LOST 4 POUNDS
What an amazing accomplishment!!! I lost 4 pounds in 5 days. I feel so good and I look much much better than a week ago. I feel very proud for finally taking control of my life and weight. This 5 day "Reset" diet challenge was so not a difficult challenge at all, because I felt great the whole time. The shake and bar food supplements were excellent. My favorite was the chocolate flavor shakes. Today was not only the last day of my diet program, this was also the day that I signed two of my dearest friends to join this business with me. I've accomplished so many things this week and tomorrow will be the beginning of another week.

Before

After

To know more about how I did it, please send me an email at cbeadsinc@yahoo.com.

Day 4: "Reset" Challenge

2009-10-09T22:12:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow is my last day of my "Reset" challenge diet. The days just went by so fast. I was so busy working on so many projects, but still had a lot of energy and excitement. My mother, and my bestfriend from New Jersey and her husband just confirmed to team up with me in my new home-based business. My daughter and I stayed in at home today, but we have such a great time. My husband came home early tonight and did some dancing in the living room with our little one. It's one of those priceless moments. I can't wait to see the final result of my weight challenge.

Day 3: "Reset" Challenge

2009-10-08T20:00:00.000-07:00

Had a another great day in the city. Walked around New York City after dropping off my daughter at day care. Half way through this program and I'm feeling really good. I can't wait to fit in my old Diesel jeans again. I'm so tempted to check how I weigh, but I feel that my tummy is getting smaller. I love this new energy. I still can't stay away from my peanuts. I don't know why but my cravings are for salty food and not for chocolates. For a chocoholic like me, this is really something new. I normally have a bar of chocolate in my purse that I eat when I'm feeling a little light headed..... also I give them to my daughter as a bribe sometimes. My mother wants to join me in this business and a family friend from New Jersey. Now, I already can feel the growth of my business.

Day 2: "Reset" Challenge

2009-10-07T15:23:00.000-07:00

Wow, I'm on my second day and I still feel great. Yesterday my weight was 150 pounds and here was the picture. I don't really want to check my weight again until the last day.
Yesterday was the first time I had a walking exercise without my daughter and the stroller. I was able to enjoy a walk in New York City alone for a change and did a little shopping too. I felt so free roaming around the shops without worrying about the stroller. My daughter was at day care, which was really wonderful because I can have a little bit of free time for myself twice a week. I tried to stay with the diet but the only temptation I had was to eat some salty peanuts. It is also a good thing that I'm very busy with cbeads.etsy.com, so I wasn't thinking too much that I'm on a diet. I didn't like the taste of the vanilla flavor shake too much, so I'm trying to drink those batch first (I have my own reasons). However, I discovered that if I blend the vanilla shake with banana the taste just goes to another level--it was actually tasty.

Day 1: "Reset" Challenge

2009-10-06T10:58:00.000-07:00

Weight: 150.5 pounds
Emotion: Excited

I'm testing the product of the new business venture I started with one of my long time friend. One of my personal goal this year is to lose 10-25 pounds. I've been watching my diet and walking for the last 5 weeks. I've lost 5 pounds in 5 weeks just by doing my normal routine. When I came across this new business, I was sold right away on their diet supplements, just one of many consumable products that the company offers. The "Reset" program is a 5-day high-fiber diet program that can help me lose 5 pounds. Wow, lose 5 pounds in 5 days! That was really promising, especially when I have to work 5 weeks to lose 5 pounds (basically 1 pound a week). This "Reset" program would definitely give me a big boost and start taking control of my weight problems. The "Reset" kit consist of nutritional shakes and bars, supplements, simple guide and a DVD. The packaging was nicely done and I can easily place them on top of my fridge. I tried not to buy so many deserts and unhealthy food this weekend, so I could eliminate some temptations. My husband, who's also a surgeon, is very skeptical but very supportive. My hubby took some pictures of myself this morning, so I could document this transformation.

October 5, 2009: Multi-Tasking Again

2009-10-05T19:22:00.000-07:00

Just like what happened last week, I've been working on many existing projects. I had a wonderful relaxing weekend with my family and I feel recharged to start another week. Here are the updates:

Cbeads.etsy.com

Took pictures of some new crystals from my friend. I will be selling these wonderful crystals soon both on my etsy shop and my own online shop. I should be able to start posting them before the end of this week.

www.cbeadsinc.com
Working with Rakel and John from Ingero to finish my website. I went over the content and items that would be available in my store: Czech Glass Beads, Pearls, Crystal, Gemstones, Handmade Beaded Chains, Wholesale Shop, Jewelry, and Findings. I also had to write down introduction, policies, and other customer service related issues.

Mother-Daughter Project

My Mom sent me some fabric swatches that she wanted to sell online. I picked up some styles for my mom, so she could purchase some sample yardage today. I will receive those samples by next week, then I could photograph the fabrics. I have to help my mom figure out a name, setup a paypal account, setup her etsy shop, and more. This is our first major collaboration together that's why this is really special to me. I'm glad to be able to do this with my mother even we are miles apart.

New Home-Based Business Venture

I got my business starting kit today. I will start using the products tomorrow and will document it on my blog.

The Business of Multi-Tasking

2009-10-02T19:30:00.001-07:00

I'm doing so many things these days that has been very rewarding and exciting. Many business decisions to make and reevaluate the success of my home business.

Here are my current projects:

Finally working on launching my own website: www.cbeadsinc.com. I will be selling more varieties of beads like czech beads, pearl, crystals and semi precious stones. Creating your own website is very difficult but I got some help from Ingero, who designed and will host my site. A lot of work is involve, but I am definitely ready to branch out on my own website.
Starting a business venture with my mother from the Philippines. We will be selling apparel fabrics at etsy in the next 3 or 4 weeks. My mother, a very successful business women, is my hero and inspiration. Since leaving my country 11 years ago to pursue my studies in fashion marketing and design, my mother and I been brainstorming how we could start and mother-daughter business. We decided to collaborate on this so we could do something together. We might even start a clothing line in the future.
A very close friend --who happens to be a bead supplier-- and I will partner up to help sell her inventories in my etsy shop and in my new upcoming online shop. I got some samples today, so I could photograph them and start listing them at cbeads.etsy.com. I will also sell her pearls in my new online shop very soon.
My best friend Jas and I will temporarily stop taking custom orders on our clothing shop at topsycurvydesigns.etsy.com. Jas is expecting her first child this month.
Started a home-based business with my friend since grade school. I've been reading and studying more about this new business venture. My instinct tells me that this will be very successful. I will try the products next week and experiment if they are effective. I've shares this business opportunity to many of my family and friends, and many are interested to start this business with me too. Made a lot of phone calls, emails and text messages.

As you can see a lot of my projects involve either my family or friends. I am fortunate to be surrounded by many successful, motivated, adventurous, and exciting people. They are very influential and supportive on everything I want to accomplish.

Stay at Home Moms: We are not alone

2009-10-01T06:51:00.000-07:00

I came across an interesting discussion in the etsy forum the other day and I would like to share them with you. It's really wonderful to know that a lot of individuals out there are having the same experiences like me. I don't feel so alone. Juggling everything from housework, children and my small home-based business is really difficult but very rewarding.

Here is the link to the forum
http://www.etsy.com/forums_thread.php?thread_id=6301883&page=1

My Inventory: How I pick beads

2009-09-24T13:11:00.000-07:00

My idea on picking the right items in my shop is simple:

Offering quality products and finding the best reliable suppliers are very important.
I primarily sell firepolished Czech beads. I like to set up my shop as a collection. It's a good idea to have a specialized collection on the inventory instead of selling too many things.
I only have four major types of beads: Lentils, Donuts, 4mm firepolished beads, and Teardrops. Also, I sell handmade beaded chains.
Having fewer types of beads help me organize my inventory and helps a lot when shipping many orders. Less containers and bins when organizing.
I have at least 20 colors per types of beads. Lentil beads are my bestseller, so I have more than 50 colors in stock.
I recently moved my ring and earring collection from my jewelry shop to my supply shop, because managing more than one shop became difficult. I also manage my clothing line at topsycurvydesigns.etsy.com.
It is really important for me not to have too many different types of beads. I like to specialize on only four types of beads then load up on the number of colors. This way, my shop is more organize and buyers wont get overwhelmed browsing.
Bestsellers category helps my customer get a quick look on items that's very popular in my shop.

Wholesale lot gives my customer greater discounts when buying in bulk.
I wanted to offer unique items that is not offered at etsy, so I came up with selling Handmade Beaded Chains. Perfect for designers, jewelry makers and crafters. These ready-to-use linked beads are perfect for their beautiful pendants, necklaces and bracelets. The sections can easily be taken apart.
It's very important to stock up on classic and basic plain colors like black, clear crystal, bronze (brown), amethyst, green, and blue.
I find it very successful to have multi-colored strand beads instead of having too many plain colors. Example is my picasso mix donut beads.
Keeping my shop fresh is important. To do this, I introduce many new colors every month. If an item did not sell quickly, I usually restocks them after three months; however, I immediately restock on hot items.

New Arrivals: September 15th, 2009

2009-09-22T02:04:00.000-07:00

Had yet another wonderful and successful bead shopping trip today with my toddler. I bought mostly beads to restock and some new ones. I came equipped with my ipod and mini speakers to watch her favorite show "Curious George." I was so happy to be able to shop in peace, although my daughter still got destructed with the beautiful beads, so she had to grab one of them that I ended up buying too (she has great taste like mommy...hehehehe). On our way out, Perry (my favorite guy) gave my daughter cute bear beads which she could not stop playing with now.

My Typical Day at Work and Home

2009-09-21T13:25:00.000-07:00

As you read along, like many stay at home moms out there can definitely relate with my chaotic life:
7 AM - Wake up time. Try to post 4-5 items at etsy by renewing them
7-8      - Breakfast then get my daughter ready for the day, chores
9-10    Walking exercise to Central Park w/ my daughter
11-1 PM - Lunch (including all preparations)
1-2    Get my daughter ready for her afternoon nap
2-4    Work on etsy. Renewing about 10-15 items.
             At the same time cook dinner
4-6        Play with my daughter
7           Dinner then give my daughter a bath
8-9        Daughter's bedtime ( really varies from how we start the day)
9-12      Work on Etsy, more chores, bath, and just a little free time with my husband

Does this sound familiar? There's really not enough room left for myself. I'm in desperate need of a "ME TIME" someday. I haven't had my hair done for more than a year. I just actually started my daughter in day care twice a week for 2 1/2 hours a day.   Hopefully, I could leave my daughter alone in day care next week, so I could get a little break.

Cbeads.etsy.com: My Full Time Home-Based Business

2009-09-19T19:03:00.000-07:00

Some of you may have already heard about ETSY. Etsy is a "place to buy and sell all things handmade." I learned about this internet phenomena from one of the vendors in a church charity event. The women told me that I can sell my handmade jewelries at etsy and I should give it a try. I signed up to sell a week after that day. The business started very slow then gradually got better.

Here's what happened:
November 7, 2006 - I signed up at etsy
November 10, 2006 - Got my FIRST SALE - http://www.etsy.com/view_transaction.php?transaction_id=209797
December 12, 2006 - Got my 2nd & 3rd sales - http://www.etsy.com/view_transaction.php?transaction_id=5064725 & http://www.etsy.com/view_transaction.php?transaction_id=5064724
December 31, 2006 - I only generated 10 sales since I started less than 2 months ago

Year of 2007 - Generated 295 sales
February 23, 2007 - I posted a question in Etsy forum saying "how can I make $100 a day?"
http://www.etsy.com/forums_thread.php?thread_id=5042484
I got many responses and helpful tips to make more sales.
August 17, 2007 - I gave birth to my daughter

Year of 2008 - Generated 1111 sales (mostly from November & December 2008 sales only)
November 6, 2008 - Second year anniversary at etsy. I went back selling at etsy full time (working during my daughter's daily naps and after she goes to bed at night.
December 2008 - Had an "End of the Year" clearance sale that helped cleared up my inventory to start fresh for the new year.

January 2009 to the present (Sept 19, 2009) - I already generated 1362 sales to date
http://www.etsy.com/shop_sold.php?user_id=110502

February 20, 2009 - Opened a clothing line with my best friend
TopsyCurvyDesigns.etsy.com

To visit my bead supply shop, please go to
cbeads.etsy.com

To know more about Etsy, go to www.etsy.com

My First Diary Entry

2009-09-19T17:35:00.000-07:00

I want to tell a little bit about myself. I'm a stay at home mother of a two-year-old girl. My family just recently moved to New York City because of my husband's work. I've been involved in a home based business a year before I had my daughter. It's been really hard to juggle my time between taking care of my baby, house, and managing my small home business. I initially started selling handmade beaded jewelries, then ended up selling bead supplies after giving birth. Like many mothers out there, time is always an issue. It is really hard to juggle everything and have a balance life at the same time. Few months ago, I ended up getting burned-out and depressed. I had to evaluate my life and figure out a way to live my life to the fullest.

My goal is to find a successful home-based business where I can still have more time for myself, family and friends. What does it take to pursue real happiness, good health, and freedom? I hope to find these answers someday.