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USANA Health Sciences, Inc. has been received the 2009 Scientific Achievement Award from Nutrition Business Journal (NBJ). The NBJ 2009 award winners represent the nutrition industry’s companies and executives that have prospered during the tough economic environment of the year. The 2009 winners will be honored during an awards dinner to be held at the 2010 NBJ Summit on July 22, 2010.
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Getting a good night’s sleep should be one of the easiest and most natural things to do. But busy lives and hectic schedules make us less apt to eat properly, and bad food habits can prevent us from developing good sleep hygiene.
When we’re busy, we tend to eat less than we should during the day, and then much more than necessary in the evening, which is exactly the opposite of what we should be doing,” says Herbalife’s Luigi Gratton, M.D., and vice president of medical affairs.
Gratton suggests being aware of how certain foods can affect our sleep pattern. Protein-heavy foods stimulate the production of chemicals in the brain that keep us alert, and large meals eaten just before bed can lead to indigestion and heartburn – a perfect pairing to keep you up at night.
Low-fat, high carbohydrate meals are digested more quickly, and stimulate the production of different brain chemicals – ones that help aid relaxation and facilitate sleep. So it’s best to opt for a high protein breakfast and lunch to keep you alert and clear-headed all day, and save the carbohydrates for dinner.
If you’re like most people, caffeine is a stimulant, so a cup of java before you hit the sack is probably unwise. Both caffeine and alcohol can disrupt normal sleep patterns; you might be able to fall asleep, but not for long. This makes it hard to reach the deepest – and most restful – stage of sleep, so that even with a full eight hours, you still feel sluggish in the morning. Chances are you’ll also be roused from sleep by a full bladder, since both caffeine and alcohol act as diuretics.
Whether to snack or not before you go to bed depends on your usual patterns. If your evening meal is small and light (and early), then a light snack is fine if you feel it helps you sleep and you can afford the calories. Calcium-rich foods like milk and yogurt are good choices, since calcium helps muscles to relax.
Logo from Herbalife
A junior/senior level sales class in The Professional Sales Institute of Illinois State University recently donated more than $7,500 of commissions from the sale of Cutco cutlery to Homes of Hope located in Normal, Illinois. The cutlery was sold by Vector Marketing, the sole distributor of Cutco, which trained the students.
The check for $7,634.34 was presented December 8, 2009 by several of the class’s top students who attended the organization’s annual holiday banquet. The announcement was made by Dr. Jill Attaway, professor in Illinois State’s Professional Sales Institute’s Department of Marketing, who teaches this experiential learning program, known as “Selling Smiles.”
Homes of Hope, Inc. is a non-profit corporation that provides quality homes and support services, promoting optimal independence, community inclusion and personal satisfaction to adults with developmental disabilities regardless of social, racial, cultural or religious affiliation. Homes of Hope currently maintains three homes dedicated to providing Christian residential living for those in need.
“On behalf of Homes of Hope, I would like to thank Dr. Jill Attaway and her marketing class students for the sales work that they did and choosing Homes of Hope as their recipient,” said Maureen McIntosh, executive director of Homes of Hope. “The Homes of Hope residents got to meet the students and were a part of ISU activities. We appreciate the donation as well as allowing our residents to be part of their college lives.”
Logo from Vector Marketing
A Minneapolis company is taking the female tradition of sales parties in a new, male-oriented direction with back yard barbecue events.
John Schaffran, a San Jose, Calif., sales representative for Man Cave, said there are a few tricks to a successful sales party with men, including premiums for large purchases and the ever-important free beer, the San Francisco Chronicle reported Friday.
“Free beer is something that will always get a crowd of guys together,” Schaffran said.
Logo from ManCave
Wendy Lee, a stay-at-home mother of three kids in the Dallas area recently launched www.AuthenticCandleWarmers.com to boost her home-based, network marketing candle business.
When her husband lost his job in the spring of 2009, Lee began thinking of ways she could bring in extra income working part-time while still taking care of her three young children. She then came across an opportunity to market and sell Scentsy candles. She knew she loved candles, and the direct selling industry has always intrigued her.
“I’m not a salesperson, but so many of my friends and family love candles, so I knew it would be easy for me to tell people about it,” Lee says. “So far it really has been easy and fun, and launching AuthenticCandleWarmers.com will hopefully take it to the next level.”
While her Scentsy business is still in its early stages, Lee says that it has already taught her a lot about the power of entrepreneurship and networking with other people. It has caused her to get out of her comfort zone and learn new things.
“I never knew I was capable of managing my own business,” she says. “But I get to work at my own pace and be my own boss. I’m also learning a lot about marketing, communications and helping others. Most importantly, I’m learning a lot about my capabilities and skills.”
Logo from Scentsy
Multi-level marketing is a business opportunity with infinite potential – but only if you stay on the path to success and steer clear of the common mistakes made by many rookie network marketer. The most common pitfalls encountered in MLM include:
1. Listening to People Who Have Never Made It
Anyone can call himself an expert and try to teach other people, but many of the so-called authorities haven’t actually achieved success themselves. If you want to make progress with your business, the surest and quickest path is to follow in the footsteps of those who have already done it. Don’t take advice from amateurs or beginners who don’t have experience and proven results.2. Targeting the Wrong Audience
This is a common mistake for network marketers, and it crops up in many forms. Have you been pitching your business for too long to people who aren’t really interested? Scared to go outside your comfort zone and try a new audience? Do you spend too much of your time talking to skeptics, while others snap up the really committed and interested prospects? Networking with new people and in new environments can go a long way toward revitalizing your business.3. Marketing Instead of Connecting
The #1 trait that sets great network marketers apart is their ability to truly connect with people. Customers turn to them for a relationship, not just a product, and every part of their approach reflects this awareness.
Too many network marketers believe that all it takes is pitching their product again and again, to anyone and everyone, to create a thriving business. In reality, it takes sensitivity and excellent listening skills. Don’t just market your product – engage with people. Get to know them and their motivations, so you’re better equipped to help them. Make sure every part of your business interactions, from the initial conversation to the follow-up call, reflects your commitment to relationships and value. People will notice the difference and customers will flock to you.4. Focusing on Last Year
It’s easy to get caught up in the same mentality as last year and assume that your strategies, language, and pitches will yield the same results as they did in the past. But time marches on, and it’s important to spruce up your MLM business by trying new locations, talking to new people, and – most importantly – by providing your long-time customers and associates with new and exciting opportunities that will keep them coming back for more – and keep you moving forward into a prosperous future.5. Thinking of Your MLM Business as Part Time
If you truly intend to succeed in this business, it’s important to take the long view. Don’t think of yourself as a part-time rep or distributor; think about where you’d like your business to be in one year, two years, five years… and then visualize yourself on that path. Although you may be working part-time for now, this could soon become your primary income if you have the drive and enthusiasm.When you make it your intention to succeed, that awareness will permeate every nuance of the way you talk to distributors, customers, and prospects. They’ll notice the difference and respond to it in positive ways. It really is all about you and what you put into your business – your mind, your heart, and your purpose.
Photo by Robert Couse-Baker
There is a new liquid “nutritional” product out on the marketplace that caught my attention. Now, it didn’t catch my attention because of a revolutionary compensation plan (it’s a copy of a couple of other companies). What caught my attention is the product.
How do I put this? It’s Salt Water!
This company wants you to buy a case of Salt Water for $150.
Seriously, I took a screen capture of the label:
Ingredients: Distilled Water and Sodium Chloride. Uhhhh, that’s Salt Water!
The site has a whole bunch of mumbo jumbo simulated science, but the label is pretty clear.
Most students find part-time jobs working in downtown restaurants, clothing stores or on campus. Although these places are common for student employment, there has been a rising trend in the number of students getting paid to party.
This growing part-time job is a Passion Parties consultant.
Carly Anderson, a sophomore nursing major, recently decided to become a consultant after hearing about Passion Parties from a friend, she said. After one week of starting her business, Anderson had scheduled six parties.
“I choose my own hours, I’m my own boss and I get to meet all sorts of people,” Anderson said. “I basically get to party for a living, which is really awesome.”
Passion Parties is a professional company established in 1994 and sells a variety of sensual products, she said. The party-planning company currently has 15,000 consultants in the United States and 2,500 consultants in Canada.
Passion Parties products are designed to promote intimacy and communication between couples, according to the company’s Web site.
Most women do not want to go into a sex store because they feel self-conscious and worried about who they might see while shopping for their sexual fantasies, Anderson said. With Passion Parties, women can order their products in their own home with the help of a consultant.
Amy Gordon, a team manager for Passion Parties in Chico and Gridley, has been in the Passion Parties business for almost two years.
“This job is one of the best jobs for college students, really for anybody,” Gordon said. “I would most definitely recommend it.”
The biggest advantage for college students is the scheduling process, Gordon said.
Logo from Passion Parties
The government will amend the Direct Sales Act 1993 to protect consumers from becoming victims of pyramid scheme scams, said Minister of Domestic Trade, Cooperative and Consumerism, Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob.
He said the new Act will enable action to be taken against unlicensed companies.
“We are now finalising this Act as it is not very clear from the aspect of defining a pyramid scheme and also the action or punishment against unlicensed companies,” he told reporters after officiating the opening of the new Amyway (Malaysia) Holdings Bhd headquarters here on Friday.
The amended Act will be tabled for its first reading in Parliament at its next session in March.
The issuance of new licences will continue for companies wanting to enter the direct sales field.The period of the licences has however been reduced to a year only, compared to five previously.
A total of 32 new annual licences were issued in 2009 with the overall total to date being 491.
“The issuance of the licence has to be done carefully, with the business plan being carefuly scrutinised first.We will not issue a licence for a plan that is suspect,” he said.
Photo by Visions of Domino
Lia sophia recently awarded top honors for its Excellent Beginnings Program Achievers to Krystal Ruiz of Jackson.
Ruiz earned this award in her first 15 weeks by attaining certain sales levels and sharing lia sophia with other new advisers.
Lia sophia is a direct-selling company, offering fashion jewelry through personalized, in-home demonstrations.
Logo from Lia Sophia
The essence of entrepreneurship is the ability to spot an opportunity and the willingness to go after it despite the risks. Browse our 3402 different opportunities and ideas -- you're sure to find something here to inspire you!
By Ty Tribble and Dane Carlson.
This weblog is part of network of blogs for entrepreneurs called the Business Opportunities Weblog Network. Here are some other recent headlines from around the network:
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