I saw the advertisement “Get paid to drive your car, wear t-shirts, and more.” For curiosities sake, I decided to find out what this business opportunity was all about. So I clicked on the advertisement and I find myself at the EyeEarn website (part of a SFI, the world’s largest affiliate network).

The first thing I noticed was that EyeEarn was a member of the Better Business Bureau…okay good…..that made me feel a little better about trusting this as a potential business opportunity.

So I put in my name and email to sign up for the free membership. Of course the confirmation email they send to me goes into my spam folder……hmmmm, does that mean I’ll be looking forward to a lot of junk email from them?

After confirming my registration, I read through the first page and notice they have a disclaimer stating “…due to improperly configured spam filters, many e-mails will not get delivered if you do not put the sender’s e-mail address on your “safelist”.”

Okay, I don’t know if that makes me feel any better or not, but I keep going anyway.

As I read through the information on the Getting Started page, I find that this website is really confusing…..how does it actually work? How will I make money?

Reading further I find out that to actually start making money you have to purchase an Eye Earn kit for $20, the kit includes a bumper sticker, some flyers and a t-shirt.

Okay….so this is not totally FREE, but $20 is a small investment for a part-time business so I go ahead and purchase the kit. I view it more as an educational expense. I want to learn more about this how this SFI marketing business is structured. Everything I learn can help me in my other business ventures.

Basically, I learn that I will become an EyeEarn rep (or affiliate) and I can earn commissions a variety of ways. I discover one way I will make money is I will receive commissions from everyone who signs up as an Executive Affiliate after I did…..no, that’s not from me sending people to the website to sign up…..that’s from anyone and everyone all over the world who signs up starting the minute after I did, no matter where they come from.

I start to receive updates in my email box that tell me how many affiliates are in my powerline…..13 here, 17 there and they just keep coming. Hmmmmm….I’m starting to see that this could have big income potential.

I think I’ll stick with it…..

To find out more for yourself, let me send you to the EyeEarn website.

Or click here to go to the EyeEarn website.

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Lisa, a 23 year old single mom, was making only $13,000 a year selling ad space when she had a great idea.  She always had to keep her hair looking nice because of her high profile job and other women would compliment her on her up-do’s.

She decided to act on her idea for the hair-styling tool “The French Twister” which helps women wear their hair up in the french twist hair style.

She began with absolutely no money.  She started by using things she found around her house and ended up making a prototype out of a wire clothes hanger.  From there she started calling manufacturers to get a plastic prototype made.  It was not an easy job and it took a lot of testing to get her product just right.  She found a local plastics molding shop by going to her library.

When it came time to manufacture her product she sold her used car for $500 and she used the money from her tax return to pay for it.  With 500 units made, she went out on foot to salons to introduce her new invention idea.  Clients loved them!

Lisa used free ways to get exposure for her product ie;media interviews and newspaper articles.  Soon she found there was enough interest in her product so she went ahead and patented her product then proceeded to find a company to license her French Twister to.  She went to the store to find hair-styling products, picked up a box made by Scunci, got their phone number and contacted them.

Because she had done her homework and had sufficient market research to show that her product was a good one, Scunci agreed to sign a licensing deal with her.

Below is an interview with Lisa Lloyd on The Big Idea.

In an interview with Dr. Phil, Lisa mentioned that her biggest mistake was going to a patent attorney first.  She says that a lot of people make this mistake.  They think their idea should be patented right away.  But really the first step should be to find out if your idea is a good one and that it will actually sell by doing market research.

To add to her comment, your idea will develop and may even change based on the feedback you get from people. You may have to try out different models before you get it right.

The French Twister has generated more than $15 million in retail sales.  Lisa didn’t stop there.  She has invented quite a few more hair products and has made over $30 million in retail sales!

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Well, mom entrepreneurs might be interested in the 7 industries that offer the greatest potential for making millions.  Hopefully this will give you food for thought.  Here is a highlight of the best industries to start a business in (featured in Entrepreneur Magazine).

1. Children’s Services - Parents want to give their kids the best.  This is true now and will be into the future.  So services that will empower or enrich the lives of children stand a chance at making big money.  Such services would not just include basic tutoring but children’s gyms and fitness/activity centers, programs for science or cooking, music and art programs.  Being a work-at-home mom I value these types of services tremendously.  They provide a place for me to take my toddlers where they can receive a fun and educational experience and it gives me a break from having to provide entertainment for my kids 24/7.

Some children service franchises are:
The Mad Science Group - The world’s leading provider of science enrichment for children
Young Chefs Academy - Cooking school just for kids
JW Tumbles - Offers fun interactive classes that help children develop their physical, social and personal skills
The Little Gym - Offers programs that include movement, music, gymnastics, sports, exercise, games, listening and cooperation
Chyten Educational Services - a premium tutoring and test preparation company with proprietary strategies that have earned it a reputation for excellence
Music Together - Early childhood music programs stressing adult involvement in mixed-age classes involving singing and exploring music
Sylvan Learning Centers - Offers tutoring services

2. The Wine Industry -  I live right in the heart of wine country in California, and I can say from experience that this industry is still going strong….yes I do enjoy a glass of wine or two.  :-)   Not long ago I attended a presentation given by our County’s Economic Development Board Director and he forecasted the wine industry will still be thriving in the coming years.  He noted, we may see a lot of foreign money coming into this industry because of the declining U.S. dollar, but we’ll still see growth in the industry.  Opportunities in the wine industry are not just making and selling wine, but wine bars, tasting parties, wine nick-nacks, wine based foods, wine themed clothing, wine accessories, etc.

Some wine franchise opportunities include:
Borvin Beverage Franchise Corp. - wholesale wine and beverage distributor

Vintner’s Cellar Franchising Int’l - franchisor of unique vint on premise winemaking retail stores

Water 2 Wine - Winery where customers can bottle, cork, and custom label their wine

WineStyles Inc. - Offers a new and easy way for customers to find wines that suits their individual tastes.  The store’s concept demystifies the wine buying experience, making life easier for the customer. Wines are categorized by style; bold, crisp or bubbly.

3. College Planning - According to the National Center for Education Statistics, college enrollment is expected to increase to 19.7 million students by 2013.  Getting into college is becoming more competitive so students are looking for admission counseling services. If you’ve been through the college application and admission process, you may have the expertise to counsel incoming students.  There is a college planning franchise offered through College Assistance Plus LLC which provides the process and resources to develop a plan for families that allows them to obtain a college education at a manageable cost.

4. Staffing - Unfortunately, because of the economic crisis there will be a lot of people out of work and looking for jobs.  The staffing industry will most likely see a surge in  business.  The best way to make it big in this business is to carve your own niche.  If you have specialized experience in a specific industry like medical, accounting, legal, etc. you may already have many contacts who can send you business.

Some staffing franchises are:
AtWork Medical Services - Staffing services for nurses and allied health professionals
Labor Finders - Provides temporary staffing and labor services for commercial, industrial, and construction applications
10 til 2 - staffing service placing college educated professionals into long-term, part time jobs
Spherion Corp. - recruiting service as well as a staffing service and provides quality career information for businesses and individuals

5. Senior Care - As the baby boomers age and the average life expectancy gets longer, the more there will be a demand for quality senior care services.    There is a booming need for in-home care, retirement communities, technologies, processes and conveniences that assist the elderly. There are a lot of niches in this industry that could be very profitable.  You just need to put your thinking cap on.

Some senior care franchises are:
ComForcare Senior Services, Inc. - Premier provider of non medical private duty home care services
Comfort Keepers - Provides individual in-home non-medical senior care, companionship and recreation
Home Care Assistance - provide round-the-clock home care for seniors in their homes
Homewatch CareGivers - premier provider of senior care franchises and in-home care services for people of ALL ages
Visiting Angels - Network of non-medical, private duty home care agencies providing senior care, elder care, personal care, respite care and companion care to help the elderly and adults continue to live in their homes

6. Green - The environmental movement has taken off in a big way.  More and more people are becoming environmentally conscious and spending more on green products and services.  In 2008 Consumers are expected to double their spending on green products and services totaling an estimated $500 billion annually or $43 billion per month, according to a survey done by Cohn & Wolfe, Landor Associates and Penn, Schoen & Berland Associates

Some green franchises are:
Clean Air Lawn Care - Uses clean energy to power electric lawn equipment
The Hygienic Home - Provides green cleaning services
Oxxo Care Cleaners - Environmentally friendly dry cleaning service
Pizza Fusion - Pizza restaurants that use all-natural and organic ingredients and are committed to protecting the environment through its business practices
7. Pets - People love to baby their pets and will buy their pets almost anything and everything.  So it’s no suprise that The American Pet Products Association estimates that Americans will spend $43.4 billion on their pets this year alone! With the help of celebrity pets, like Paris Hilton’s chihuahua Tinkerbell, Jessica Simpson’s dog Daisy, and Hilary Duff’s chihuahua Lola to fuel the pet craze, there is a goldmine to be made in pet services and products, especially boutique pet clothing and accessories.  People will also pay big money for services like pet-walking, pet-training, pet-waste removal, pet-sitting, pet hotels and spas, and pet gyms.  More potential money makers are pet foods, snacks and nutritional supplements.

Some available pet franchises include:
Bark Busters Home Dog Training - World’s largest in-home all-natural dog training services
Fetch! Pet Care Inc. - Professional pet sitting and dog walking services
Just Dogs! Gourmet - A bakery franchise that specializes in hand-cut, all-natural dog treats
Petland - Pet adoption services

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The most stressful part of my day comes around 4:00pm when I have to start thinking about what to make for dinner.  I’m usually at a loss and end up making scrambled eggs and toast for dinner or pulling a frozen Stouffer’s Lasagna out of the freezer.

I belong to an online forum for moms and they recommended a great website called Menus4Moms that has made it so much easier for me to plan easy dinners.  Menus4Moms has an email newsletter that provides easy dinner recipes for the week.  They provide you with a shopping list you can print out and all your meals for the week are planned for you.   All the Menus4Moms meals are super quick and simple.

My favorite quick meal is actually making chuck roast in the crockpot.  I got the recipe from my mother who is the queen of the kitchen, every meal she makes is fantastically delicious.

I love this one because it’s just 1 ingredient: Chuck roast.

All you do is put a little olive oil on both sides of a defrosted bone-in chuck roast.  Season both sides with salt and pepper, or whatever seasonings you like.  Put it in the crockpot and cook for 4-6 hours.  It comes out tender, juicy and oh sooo flavorful.

You can serve with a simple salad and baked potato or rice, and your done!  That’s it!

But that just takes care of one meal, maybe two if you like leftovers so I recommend checking out Menus4moms too!

If you have any easy dinner recipes you’d like to share, please feel free to leave a comment below.
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We haven’t seen the full affects of this crisis yet.  All the financial gurus and even the President are reporting this as a MAJOR crisis.

“The current financial crisis in the US is likely to be judged in retrospect as the most wrenching since the end of the second world war.” Alan Greenspan wrote.

This is serious.  “This is more serious than it has ever been.” Suze Orman, Personal Finance Expert says on Oprah.

How Will This Crisis Affect You?

Here’s a rundown of what is actually happening and how it will affect you given by Suze Orman on the Oprah Show:

• When the economy starts to collapse, you have high unemployment, when you have high unemployment, more people can’t pay their mortgage so they have to foreclose on their homes.
• People foreclosing on homes means less property taxes being paid to local governments.  Less property taxes for the local governments means less money to pay for service jobs such as firefighters and police force.
• Cuts will be made on state and local jobs, more people will loose their jobs, meaning more people will lose their homes, meaning less property taxes will be paid.
• Also, property taxes will be raised for those who still own their homes, making it harder for even more people to keep their homes, and more people will go into foreclosure.  And the cycle will continue to go, and the economy will get worse and worse.
• Soaring gas and food prices will only make it harder for people.
• Credit is going to be nearly impossible to get.  It will get harder and harder to borrow money for cars, homes, small businesses, etc.  Credit card limits will go down.
• It’s going to take years for your money in the stock market to recover the major losses that are happening now.
• 401K’s are being cut in half, people won’t be able to retire.

Wow…..this is scary!  Really scary if you have a lot of debt or are unprepared to deal with it.

How To Protect Yourself and Your Family:
1. Pay cash for everything – If you can’t afford it, don’t buy it or just wait till you have the money to pay for it up front.

2. Keep your car for up to 10 years – Stop upgrading your cars to the newest model every 3 years.  Make sure you have regular maintenance done on your vehicle so you don’t have a major breakdown that costs you thousands of dollars to repair.

3. Downsize – Move to a smaller more affordable home or apartment.  Get rid of extra possessions you still owe money for or that cost you to keep; boats, jet skis, motorhomes, etc.

4. Live off one salary and bank the other. Make sure you put it in a bank account that is FDIC insured!

5. Pay off your debt.  As the credit card companies lower the amount of credit they will give you, your FICO score may be negatively affected without you knowing it.  So make sure you keep an eye on your credit limits and check your credit report regularly.

6. Make sure your money is in FDIC insured accounts.
Cash should be in FDIC insured bank accounts, treasury bills and bonds or treasury money market accounts. If they aren’t MOVE YOUR MONEY TODAY to a safe FDIC insured account!

7. Think about renting.  The housing values are predicted to continue to fall for the next several years.  If you are able to sell your house now for a profit its much cheaper still to rent than it is to own.  You can put the money from the sale of your home into FDIC insured accounts, sit tight, and when the market starts to go back up, buy again.

8. Have an emergency fund! You should have enough money in the bank to keep yourself afloat if you or your spouse lose your jobs.

9. Look into a second income stream. Something with very low startup costs, but with the potential to make good money.

10. Make sure you have good health insurance, life insurance, and disability insurance.  Focus on prevention (eat right and exercise) so you don’t have to pay for expensive medical bills if something major happens to you or a family member.

11. If your young, sit tight on your retirement account – if you have 10-25 years before you’ll need your retirement nest egg, you should be fine as long as your invested in good quality mutual funds and diversified. 

12. If you need to retire in the next year, your money should NOT be in stocks.  They should be in CD’s and treasuries.
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She saw a void in the marketplace for chic looking maternity clothes and thought she could design better fashions than the styles currently on the market.

In 1997, Liz Lange started her company Liz Lange Maternity by borrowing $50,000 from her family and friends.  She began designing her clothing line in a rented office in New York first offering custom designed clothing that retailed at around $150 - $400 for each piece.

The word about her fabulous maternity line spread and soon she had orders coming in from other countries. She opened high end boutiques on Madison Avenue, in Beverly Hills and on Long Island. Celebrities also started to take notice and Liz Lange Maternity became the pregnant mother’s must-have clothing line.

Liz Lange was the first maternity designer to be invited to New York’s Fashion Week in 2001.
In 2002, Liz Lange made a deal with Target to offer a less expensive line of her clothing and sales took off. According to Business Week, business has grown 20% in each of the past three years, to an estimated $10 million.

In 2003, Lange wrote Liz Lange’s Maternity Style: How to Look Fabulous During the Most Fashion-Challenged Time. A book that provides fashion advice for women who want to look and feel beautiful during pregnancy.

In November 2007, Liz Lange sold part of her $200 million business to a private equity firm Bluestar Alliance for an estimated $50 to $60 million.

What’s really admirable is that Liz Lange did all of this while battling cervical cancer, something that she has only recently decided to share with the public. You can see more about her cancer survival story at The Big Idea with Donny Deutsch.

Truly an amazing women!

Her business philosphy was all about protecting the environment and fighting for ethical causes….”why throw away a container when you can refill it?”
One of the many causes The Body Shop was instrumental in was rainforest conservation.  When thousands of acres of rainforest in South America where threatened, they set up community trade initiatives with Amazon tribes who gathered brazil nuts from the rain forests.  Brazil nuts have natural moisturizers that The Body Shop uses in their skin care lines. The Amazon tribes were able to keep the forest land they lived on and make a sustainable living for themselves.

The Body Shop’s mission statement is ‘To dedicate our business to the pursuit of social and environmental change.’  Voting rights, anti-sexism, banning animal-testing and debt relief for third world countries are more of the many causes that The Body Shop dedicated itself to.

Unfortunately Anita passed away in 2007 from a brain hemorage but her legacy will live on and inspire millions.

I believe one of the keys to her success was using her business success for a good cause. Anita had a good product but more importantly a business philosphy people wanted to support.

I have to laugh at this quote from Anita Roddick that The New York Times posted.  “I have never felt that beauty products are the body and blood of Jesus Christ,” she once said. “Nothing the Body Shop sells pretends to do anything other than it says. Moisturizers moisturize, fresheners freshen and cleansers cleanse. End of story.”  It just goes to show that what sets her business apart from all the other skin care companies and what made it so successful was her unique and passionate business philosphy.

Anita was able to launch her business into a multi-million dollar company by offering franchises.  Now it has over 2,000 stores worldwide.  The Body Shop was sold to L’Oreal for $1.14 billion in 2006.

I was recently interviewed by the founder of A Mom in Red High Heels, a website that features articles on celebrity moms, fashion advice, beauty product reviews, and more.

You can view my interview at the link below. Scroll down the page, first you’ll see Victoria Beckham, then ME, then Britney Spears.

Interview at A Mom In Red High Heels

What is Licensing?

Licensing is an agreement between and retailer and a product developer/inventor (YOU). The agreement states that the retailer will manufacture and sell the product for the developer/inventor.

Basically, its having other people spend their money to produce and sell your idea and you getting royalties in return. You don’t have to build your own business this way!

You don’t have to put any upfront money into creating your invention, you can just sell your idea!

You have a couple options;

(1) You can sell your idea outright for one lump sum (the idea is no longer yours to profit from)

Or

(2) You can choose to receive royalty payments based on each sale. The royalty payments are a lot less than if you were to create your product yourself and sell it, BUT you don’t have to spend a ton of your own money or try to find funding to build your product…all at the risk of it possibly not selling in the marketplace.

Companies are now looking more and more to find outside inventors (people like you with great ideas!).

They want to outsource their product development because it brings down the costs associated with having an in-house product and development team.

Also they see outside inventors as better product developers because they tend to be someone who has experienced a problem and is inventing a product to solve that problem.

One company that is seeking outside inventors is Proctor & Gamble with their Connect and Develop program. You can read more about this program in my article Submit Your New Invention Ideas to Proctor & Gamble.

a. Search through catalogs – Catalogs are a great place to look at all the companies that sell products similar to the one you are inventing

b. Magazines – There are thousands of magazines on just about every subject you can think of. By looking through magazines where you think your product might be sold, you can get a list of companies that might be potential licensees.

c. Stores that might sell your product – Think about what stores you would like to see your product sold in. Think Target, Walmart, Longs Drugs, etc.

d. Searching internet stores – Everyday, more and more internet stores are popping up. Approaching online stores about your product is a great way to go.

e. ThomasNet – This is a guide that lists thousands of companies that produce products

f. Industry Trade Shows – There are trade shows for just about anything and everything you can think of. This is a perfect place to find companies that are searching for new products…yours just might be the next one they choose to stock!