Building Better Bonds. Employees, Co-Workers, Customers, & Friends

Almost everyone knows the Golden Rule. "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you", meaning you want to treat others the way you would want to be treated. But in the service industry, where you are the owner, employee or even the co-worker; sometimes we need to take it to the next level to maintain a positive relationship and create bonds we can build on to keep customers and a positive work environment. Taking this lesson to the next level is knowing the Platinum Rule. "Do unto others as they want done to them." It's meaning should be clear, treat others the way they want to be treated and you will always have positive results. Not to be confused that by giving everyone what they want this will make them happy. But if you understand behavioral patterns, you can talk the talk to anyone you meet. Satisfying unhappy customers, relating information to co-workers, building bridges between staff members and creating a healthier communications network throughout your family.

The first thing you must do when you want to become that bridge that builds better bonds is to understand the different behavior types and how, no matter the personalities, you can apply the Platinum Rule. The personalities have been split between 4 types represented by birds and we will refer to them as such throughout the Blog. The Dove - Relationship Oriented  The Owl - Detailed Oriented  The Eagle - Results Oriented  and The Peacock - Social Oriented. First you need to understand you can be more than one of these types. How that is dictated is your situation. Are you at home, Are you the boss/leader, Are you the customer, and last Are you the server? Second you must look at how supporting and direct you are to figure out your personality type.  Are you too supporting to others or self reliant? Are you direct or indirect? Depending on the stage and adding it to the situation will determine your personality type, and the personality type of the person you are interacting with. Let's break down the different types so you can see what best fits you and how you can use this knowledge to your advantage to build bonds with others.

The Dove

Doves are not confrontational. They would prefer to settle any issue quietly and do not like to apply blame on anyone. This person will usually submit to stress instead of being involved in any additional problems. Getting this person to open up or to feel more comfortable would be to give personal reassurance. They like a slow pace for comfort and security in anything they do or request.

The Owl

Owls, even if they know they are right, will withdraw from stress.Owls, like Doves prefer a slow pace because they tend to be very detailed oriented. Studying, note taking, and looking at all possibilities are their strong suits. An Owl will deal with facts and charts and when dealing with them it's best to not only supple the answer, but like in math, they want you to show your work.

The Eagle

Eagles want it right and they want it right now. Eagles are take charge and want to be in command and even in control of their own outcome. This person would prefer to dictate their needs and move on to something else, because they know their request will be handled post haste. Once they give an order they do not want to visit the same situation again. Eagles live a fast paced live style and it's best to be prepared to take orders and deliver solutions when dealing with them.

The Peacock

Peacocks will disregard stress, since it's not important and can be revisited at anytime. They will work hard and be the best boss or employee, when they receive the credit they deserve for the work they have done or are working on. They are fast paced and love to show off who they are. Peacocks thrive off of interaction and will pay more attention to a conversation or instructions when you acknowledge them in any positive light first.

So how do you relate this information to building bonds? Well once you realize who you are and who you are dealing with you adjust your personality, not change it but be like a salesman and be who you need to be for that moment, by being the opposite for the person you are interacting with. i.e. If you are dealing with a Dove, it's best to be the Owl, someone who is also slow paced but can be detailed oriented and solve issues using detailed facts. If you are dealing with a Peacock, become the Eagle, just as fast paced, direct and to the point. If your not talking about the Peacock it's best to state your business and be on your way. These combinations can be changed and used in many different ways based on the situation. The best thing to remember is their is no one personality that is better than the others. Sometimes you need to be the aggressor and sometimes you have to learn when to submit.

By understanding different personality types you will be able to converse with others better and build bonds with those you need to interact with.  So which personality type are you most of the time? Leave a comment below. Most of the time I am a Dove, but I have alot of Eagle and Peacock in me too.

This research is based on +Dr.Tony Alessandra's work in Relationship Strategies How to identify and communicate with different behavioral styles. Thanks for reading another post by +Latisha McDougal of +May We Help You

At Home Mom's are making $50,000 or More at Home

There are 10.1 million women-owned businesses in the United States, not all of these business are work from home opportunities, but more and more of them are either changing the options available for moms and dads to be able to make a choice in Telecommuting or they started as a work at home business and have grown into large companies with multiple locations. These smart game changers are becoming professional Bloggers or Journalist, opening Research Companies, becoming full time Mystery Shoppers, providing Virtual Call Center Opportunities or doing some of the Virtual work themselves, and even Selling Online Products or making products to sell. What is their secret to successful work at home choices? Happiness, Demand, and Flexibility. If you can have a peaceful work environment,  choose when and how you work and for who you work for; would you not change your lifestyle to become the parent you always wanted to and the spouse your relationship needs. We are not saying that you can not do this from a corporate office, factory, or on location jobs. But if you could take either what you do now, or what you have always wanted to do and become your own boss why wouldn't you. Millions of parents are making this choice everyday. Some not of their own accord but due to cut backs or changes at the company they currently work for. Some because they have more and more reason to be at home. In the past, granted we are going back sometime ago, children were raised by neighbors, family members, and their surrounding communities when their parents demands at work would not always allow them to be there. More companies have now switched to longer hours and the inability to allow workers to take time off for family needs. I remember a company I once worked for paid us $34 an hour and said we need a plan A-Z for those occasions when our children or family may need us, because we were unavailable during work hours. To the parents, moms especially, we stood up and have answered that enough is enough. Creating our own paths and foundations for our children to grow upon. Selecting options that give us more control and even leaders in our fields and helping others seek and start this path of their own. So how are we doing this? Let's explore some options that can and have changed the lives of millions of business owners to date.

Professional Bloggers/At-Home Journalist

In 1983 with the boom of the Internet the bloggers started as a forum of online sessions ran by groups and communities as a way to communicate and allow their customers or members to communicate with other members. It later evolved into what we know today by 2001, where people started using blogs to log their online dairies or to help individuals looking for like services, or explanations for services or a process they were trying to complete. The more blogs one does and the higher their viewer listing climbed, the more sponsors and money they could start making for interesting content. Since 2005 more and more people started blogging for cash and making enough money to support themselves as well as their household. Some of the blogs that people were contributing online started to become so popular that they have been asked to contribute to online news papers or even the journals that are delivered. Opinions and Fact finding have become tools that most of us live for here on the Internet more so than news reports, if you have the flare for great articles or can create interesting topics together, a few hours a day is all you need and you can jump in on this ever increasing system of blogging. Take +Clarissa Silva for example, she keeps winning awards for her blog and she is gaining more and more fans of her work.

Research and Documenting are no longer just for interns

Most moms have time during their kids naps, school time, or after hours to help others who might not be able to hire a full time employee. Even interns are not as reliable. Once they have enough credits, or are hired full time they may not offer the company they were interning for any additional assistance and even leave a job before it is completed. More firms, reporters, inmates, collages, and detectives; are hiring off site researchers to assist them  with projects or assignments for lump sum pay. Before considering this line of work, you want to make sure you not only have a computer to do the job, but a well functioning printer and maybe a fax machine. Assignments are generally faxed to you and once completed you can email or fax the completed work back and the more efficient and timely you are the more jobs and higher pay you will receive. Skip tracing is among the best for new comers. It is a fast paced world but it will allow you to work with detectives, repo agencies, and law firms. The pay can be between $65-$110 per job and most firms pay weekly. You can start your own business in doing this and even qualify for tax right off's for equipment and office services,(i.e. phone line, internet, a % of your monthly rent/mortgage, and stamps).

Mystery Shopping is not a Myth

I was just as surprised as you to see that the mystery shopping world not only exist but is a thriving business for individuals as well as forming your own business to take on such work. People are making hundreds and thousands of dollars a month doing what they normally would do and sometimes thinking outside the box just by stopping in a few stores a week. This is awesome because you can take your kids with you, or perform these task while they are at school. Some jobs may have you pretend to be interested in products or services then come home and fill out a report about your experiences. Others may have you go and get your car's maintenance completed and supply the receipt for reimbursement. I have even seen some that would have you wear a camera and do a apartment or house hunt and submit the footage without filling out any additional reports. Here is a list of actual companies that pay monthly for their task and we can confirm that they are not scams and are available throughout most states:  Sassy Shoppers    Person to Person 
Satisfaction Services   BestMark   Ace Mystery Shoppers

These companies do not charge a membership fee to become apart of their program and usually make payments to you through paypal, pay quicker, or check. You can sign up as an individual but some will allow you to sign up as a business. Tell them +Latisha McDougal  sent you and get jobs quicker and paid faster.

Virtual Call Center Reps  

As some of you may or may not know, I am the owner of a company who partners with reps to take calls from their home for fortune 500 companies. +May We Help You? is contracted with Arise Virtual Solutions to bring you these at home opportunities and you can sign up with May We Help You as a business or individual. If you want to partner with Arise directly you must be an LLC or Corp in order to do so but thousands of businesses are doing this because its a way for us to take the jobs they have been out sourcing and re-in-sourcing these jobs. People who are working as reps make anywhere from $9-$19 hourly and can schedule themselves for any hours, with any company of their choice. Arise is not the only company that is offering these awesome opportunities. Other companies like this is Alpine Access, Convergys and West Corporation. All are rated high amongst the BBB and are A-A+ accredited businesses. This is a great way to get a business started and growing a down line that starts managing itself. 

Selling and Making Products to Sell 

If you are a craftsmen, then you want to explore making your products and using social media, trade shows, and websites to sell and profit from no to low overhead. But if you are looking for companies to sign up with and becoming an at home agent, the oldies but goodies are always the best to follow. +Avon , Mary Kay, and Arboun are great places to start. They are well known and are becoming more and more easy to sell since they can offer you a website and you can just direct people their anytime they want to place or refill an order. They offer incentives and gifts, and Arboun also offers a Mercedes. Another alternative is to become a at home agent for life insurance health insurance or IRA plans. The great folks at Heroes Academy can teach you how to make an save money. They offer training online to learn how to help others with services they may already have by offering a less expensive alternative and most of the time with greater coverage. This line of work for each person you help can generate, $500 - $50,000 monthly. 

To all the great moms out there who have decided to make a living while being able to be at home and enjoying your kids being the awesome mom or dad that you are just remember, to do something that will keep you happy. A "happy you", ensures a happy household. Check for the demands, you don't want to involve yourself in a service that demands weekly meetings, this is the reason you left the work place in the first place. And flexibility is everything when working from home. If what you are considering doesn't offer the flexibility you need to continue being the parent you want to be, then look for an opportunity that will.

Do you have other suggestions or know of other companies that can help with work from home opportunities, well comment and share. Learning is growing and earning.

Why Networking is Powerful, Even for At Home Agents

When you work from home you'll often hear talk about how important it is to join a group or community activity to interact with like minded individuals to help with the work at home blues. But it's time to explore the option of networking, which is different then groups or community activities. Networking events or functions, meet ups or gatherings; whichever fancy title it's given is usually with Business to Business connections looking for how they can help you and how they can utilize your services to help themselves. As a home agent, from the owner to a contractor and every position in between  you can use networking as a way to expand your service, increase your social media reach, and develop new business to business relationships.

There are several different types of networking groups and organizations. There is the membership groups, Barter Groups, Local - National - Global, and Online Meeting Groups. These groups can be divided by large to small business, race, age, sex, types of businesses, and social standings. When you consider what group or groups you want to start networking with you must first analyze the difference in these groups and what you are looking to gain and share to the group that will benefit you and the members in attendance.

Membership Groups look for individuals who offer specific services. They are chartered throughout different states and usually only allow one type of company per club to be represented in each chapter (i.e. if you are a Realtor  you will be the only Realtor allowed in that chapter). Membership dues play a big part of their program because they advertise for you throughout their members and add you to their website and other media for exposure creating an instant business catalog for members to use when they require services. The pro to this type of Networking is there is a likeness that members will contact you if they need your service instead of going outside the group to help keep the relationship in the group strong and worth the money spent in dues.

BN Groups are a way for you to save your cash, and use your products or services as a trade for products or service you will need from another member. Members can purchase needed goods and services with incremental sales of their own products and services. Barter Network's allow your business to say how much your service is worth and you use that amount in exchange of cash, so if your service is worth $500 and you need website development services from another member and they charge $800 for what you need you would only have to pay $300 to complete the transaction. Most BN groups allow you to trade one service but you do not need to trade the service with the same company, Example, if I bartered website services from AB Company, but AB Company didn't need my services in ad campaign design, that's ok they can still barter their $800 for travel services from I Travel International. The benefit to BN groups speaks for itself. It's an awesome way for you to get the products or services your business needs without coming out of pocket with upfront cost. You can also create long term business relations with someone who barters with you if they need to reuse your service or reorder your products.

Local Networking functions usually appeals to the local businesses who want to get to know their neighbors more, rub elbows, and find ways to benefit from a Business to Business relationship. Local Networking can take place monthly, met at different locations, and tend to have the same businesses attend.


National Networking is much different from local. This usually will include large businesses looking to expand their reach and want to get to know the direct members of other large businesses. Most events are held for them to pitch merge ideas, new product launching, or even openings these companies may want to replace. 


Global Networking is similar to National in every way. The main focus is to strengthen bonds, make new connections to large businesses from across the waters, and/or introduce new employees, or products available for them to consider to try.

Online Networking is the free and clear way to make quick connections from any walk of life available online at that time. You can be in the same event as a large company or international one. It's a great way to met with people in specialty groups that you may not be invited to met in person other wise. These meetings can go from free to paid, group specific to general, and video chat live to chat room style. As stated it is a way to met with people quick and get what you need right away, but can be impersonal and if you don't met with the same group often, you could be lost in the minds of those who won't remember you the next day. 

Networking is very important these days and can lead to tons of referrals and new business relationships if you have the finesse to wow people the first time you met them. Be prepared to give a 30 second speech about what you do. Also bring enough business cards with updated information on how to contact you. Bring your own professional business ID badge, it shows you take your meeting serious. Last but not least, remember to be polite and listen to what other people do and even if you can not help with a request they may be looking for, if you know someone who can, refer them to your connection. This will always work in your favor because this person will always remember what you did and may refer people to you because you've built that foundation of trust.

Know of any networking trends or tips for networking skills, add it in the comments below.

Time Management, What are You Using Your 24Hrs. For?

While attending a class last year, the instructor asked us what prevents us from doing new things or expanding more services to our customers or employees. Besides money, most people answered they don't have enough time to do all the things they want to do without leaving out some of the things they need to do.

He was one of those guys who has an answer for all, he told everyone to write down how many hours they sleep at night, then how many hours they do what they want (i.e. watch tv, gym, sports), how many hours are for work, how many hours for family/spouse/friends time. In the end no one was busy for 24hrs., even if you add in grooming and travel time it just wasn't there. People who are making money hand over fist are using every hour of the day, I think even in there sleep, to dedicate to maximizing what ever it is they do and putting themselves in front of whoever they need to help them do it. Time Management is just as important as Money Management and Health Management. As a matter of fact if you are managing your time, your money and health are covered. If you work from home or still report to an office Time Management is an important beast to conquer and most people who make tons of money will tell you, time is money and they will not waste a second not being productive if they can help it. 

Time Management is not about dictating every second of everyday of your life. It's about a balanced day where you are scheduling your time efficiently  not losing focus on the task at hand, and knowing when to call it quits on a project so that it doesn't run into your other time frames. Examine your old habits and search for ways to change or eliminate things that are serving a negative impact. Set your priorities no later than the night before and be prepared to follow through or re-schedule what you know will not be possible to achieve.  Always schedule the time you need for yourself, it's not about being selfish it's about rejuvenating yourself  to keep you efficient in what you do. Get yourself a copy of #EatThatFrog or ask me to send you an e-file. This book will get you to do the things you don't want to do, first. The author states for you to eat the biggest ugliest frog first thing and then everything else in your day will seem easy compared to it. The biggest downfall in most peoples time management plans is procrastination.

So You've Decided to Take Time Management Serious, You Get a Gold Star for Effort!

The first rule of thumb is in order to improve yourself, you first need to admit you have a problem. In this case your problem is not writing your schedule or basic needs down and/or following through with them. Why do people write a grocery list? Most for two reasons, so that they don't over spend on items they don't need, and to ensure that they don't waste time trying to remember why they are there and forget the necessities they came for. Writing down a daily schedule can be hard, at first. The more you do it the better at it you will become. The hardest part is staying on track and focused on your list long enough to see it through. Remember that practice makes perfect. Start with only including your most important task to complete for the week. As you get use to setting goals and completing them, add daily task. Once you become a pro, try micromanaging your day. If you have a smart phone set alarms and calendar reminders. I find that with Google+ I am able to micromanage as much as I want and set a task list with appointments that have started auto generating.

Eat That Frog, Not Just Any Frog, the Biggest and Ugliest One You've Got!

There are just some task no matter how many times we schedule it we are doomed never to complete it. Sometimes this task, if not completed can throw off your whole day. Guess what, that's your frog. It starts to become the one thing you do not, will not, can not do. Why? Well because you tell yourself that it's impossible or you make it seem bigger than what it is. Or maybe it's just something you do not like to do. This theory has been tested and found to be successful, if you do the one thing you don't want to do; could be your largest task or just one that isn't your most enjoyable; and do it first, all your other to-do-list items will pale in comparison and be completed in a timely fashion. Ask people who exercise first thing in the morning vs people who wait until the evening. Sales reps who have to do cold calls will tell you, going through their list is not always the most pleasant thing but when they tackle it head first with full steam everything else they do is simple as pie. When you create a to-do-list and start crossing things off, you get a feeling of satisfaction, the more you cross off the better. Nothing beats crossing of the one thing that you hate doing or find the most challenging. Try to "Eat That Frog", everyday for 5 days straight and see if the rest of your day will feel like one big win after win once you do.

Why Do Today, When I Can Do Tomorrow. Stop Feeding the Procrastination Beast!

There is one thing that we can not do, and that's lie to ourselves. We can say I will do this tomorrow, but the truth is the little voice in your head will say, mmm maybe not then either but we'll see. What is the point in rescheduling a task if you really have no plans in completing it on time. Start making yourself accountable for your decisions and actions. Start putting yourself on punishment if something isn't finished by the end of a certain time frame. People will have to reschedule task, or push back meetings, and even skip an item or to on their to-do-list because of some reason or another. But if you set a larger goal and it is not completed let's say by the end of the week, then take away your personal time. No TV until it's done, you wanted to see the new movie that came out, well that's to bad you didn't finish your weekly goals. When we have something to loss our procrastination beast can no longer hold dominion over us.

Included is a link to assist you in getting your planning up to date and learning tips on (click the term) Time Management.
For the best solutions follow the links:  How Well Do You Plan Creating a Master Schedule Time Management Tips Making A Personal Schedule Weekly Planner 10-week Planner all submited and written by #dartmouth.edu 

One line that was said in an earlier blog, when you work from home you have to mark your territory, let your friends and family know what your work hours are and that you are not to be disturbed during that time, from

Being a Parent & Working from Home, Is there a balance? 
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