| Summer can be a dangerous time for direct sales | | | | knowing your averages. If you know that you |
| consultants. With school letting out and families | | | | spend $1000 a month on average, you know that |
| travelling, many consultants hang up their | | | | you have to bring earn at least $1000 each |
| consultant hat for the summer and look to "start | | | | month to keep your nose above water. |
| over" in the Fall. The excuses are plenty, and the | | | | 3. Save a portion of your income during good |
| reality is that when consultants do this, they've | | | | times. Set aside a portion of your income during |
| paralyzed their business growth and their cash | | | | the good months so that you won't have to |
| flow. | | | | suffer during the lean months. Later in my aunt's |
| In a family full of teachers, I learned first hand the | | | | teaching career, the school district gave her an |
| importance of balancing cash flow. Most teachers | | | | option to take less money each month during the |
| earn an income nine months of the year, and | | | | year so that she'd have a summer paycheck. The |
| then have zero income during the summer - the | | | | automatic nature of the "deduction" made it |
| time when they're most likely to be able to enjoy | | | | easier for her to adjust her budget to |
| it! It becomes important to balance cash flow | | | | accommodate living on less. |
| throughout the year, in order to maintain your | | | | 4. Live on less. Decide where you can cut |
| sanity during the seasonal income slumps. | | | | expenses, save money, and tighten the belt for |
| Here are a few tips to help you even out your | | | | the summer. This is the hardest solution, because |
| cash flow this summer: | | | | we are a nation of spenders, and once we find a |
| | | | "comfort level", it becomes difficult to live on less. |
| 1. Keep working your business. This is probably | | | | 5. Eliminate debt. Debt is a claim on your income. |
| the most important factor. Yes, people are | | | | Lower your debt, and you'll need less to live on |
| travelling, but many are not, and it's a good time | | | | each month. |
| to schedule one-on-one appointments or hosting | | | | Running a real business is about building something |
| recruiting interviews with teachers who are | | | | that will withstand financial hardships - including |
| looking for some extra income. Your show sales | | | | times of lean cash flow. These simple ideas will |
| averages may not be as high, but some income is | | | | help you move through the summer with your |
| better than no income. | | | | sanity in tact. |
| 2. Find your annual averages. I'm a big fan of | | | | © 2010 Lisa Robbin Young. |