Eighteen years ago when I began my direct sales industry home computers were non-existent.  I built my business with the telephone and a typewriter!  There was no Internet!  Direct Sales and the Internet are a perfect combination.  Annette Yen shares how direct sales is a relational business and how those relations can be strengthened through the Internet.

I love  using real life lessons to help motivate and inspire my direct sales team.  Direct sales expert, Laurie  Ayers does a great job of learning from the Girl Scouts and applying their successful sales techniques to her direct sales business.

One of the top reasons to get involved in direct sales is the flexibility it gives you.  There is not just one way to do it – one size does not fit all.   Laurie  shares that the traditional home party is not the only way to build a direct sales business.  There are lots of options available for building and growing your direct sales business.

Follow Leigh Anne on Twitter: @homebasedmom

Sherra Humphreys (@SherraLife) is a writer, speaker, homebased business owner and mom of four including three teenagers. She is an expert communicator with a gift for finding the funny. She loves to help women reinvent themselves and fulfill their dreams.

I caught the entrepreneurial bug about 23 years ago when I got a small business loan to buy the first Apple® LaserWriter which was a very extravagant investment way back in the day! I ran a successful desktop publishing business and have not had a traditional 9-5 job since then.

After having 3 children in 2 years (1 + twins), I started a direct sales business that could provide me with a little extra spending money. 15 years later, this “little” side business has paid for housecleaning, private school tuition, extra family vacations and many other perks. The biggest perk though, was and continues to be that I am able to Be Here Now for my kids. The flexible schedule that I can wrap around my family life has been invaluable.
I would have laughed at anyone who suggested I would have an internet business even 10 years ago. I promise I’m not laughing now – I’m learning as fast as I can!

The internet is my favorite way to shop, a place to meet people and a place where I can learn how to run a successful new business all the while helping other moms (and dads) who want to do the same thing.

Right now I’m running my own personal blog SherraLifeLesson.com where I am able to share life lessons – get it? about raising 3 teenagers + a 10 year old. In the past year, I’ve been fortunate to have done consulting and freelance work as a writer, speaker and have even helped several women set up their own blogs as a direct result of my blog.

For a young girl who said she was never going to have kids and never be in sales…four kids and 23 years later, here are some words I had to eat…

Never say never. If you are dreaming about it – you can make it happen. I am a fulltime stay-at-home with a part-time homebased business and I am in sales every single day.

I also run a second website called iLashGirls.com with Leigh Anne Wilkes. We have several new websites and internet business ideas in the works so we are both excited and know this intern opportunity has come at the right time.

I’m eager to learn more from this internship and other internet experts. In turn, I want to be able to reach out and help other people who want to be CEOs of their own business and life – exactly what Sparkplugging.com is all about!

Leigh Anne Wilkes (@homebasedmom) is a mom of four teens and young adults, wife, blogger and homebased business owner.  She loves using her vision, creativity and time management skills to inspire and motivate women to create the life they want.

Over the last 25 years I have run various types of home based businesses and for the past 18 years, a direct sales business.  What started out as a way to earn a few extra hundred dollars a month to feed my shopping addiction turned into a successful business with a full time income.

I am currently a top leader in my direct sales company, have led a team of over 700 women and spoken at many regional and national conventions and earned awards in sales, recruiting and leader development.

I love helping women learn to balance home and business.  I believe strongly that you can be a great mom and run a successful business at the same time! You can have your cake and eat it too! (And I’ve got some great cake recipes if you need them!)

Two years ago I discovered the world of blogging and since one of my talents seems to be knowing a good thing when I see it and jumping in I decided to start a blog. Fortunately, Sparkplugging (then e-moms at home) was one of the first blogs I came across!  How fun that I now have an opportunity to intern here!

I currently maintain two blogs, yourhomebasedmom.com and ilashgirls.com with my friend Sherra, another intern here at Sparkplugging!   I love sharing, mentoring and inspiring women (and a few men too.)

Helping others learn to balance their family/home priorities with a successful business is my passion.

I look forward to the opportunity I have to be a Sparkplugging intern, to improve my blogging skills and knowledge as well as learn more about Internet marketing, affiliate marketing and development which will help me with some other fun projects I have in the works including a network of blogs that supports, inspires and helps women.

I also look forward to sharing and learning right along with all of you!