Two Daily Actions Will Help Put Your Business in Motion
“Eighty percent of success is showing up” ~ Woody Allen
While showing up is important, actually functioning as a marketer and as a communicator is VITAL to success in network marketing.
Too often I hear hypey, “All you need is this SYSTEM and the business runs itself” or some version of that nonsense.
People have bought into the lie that they don’t have to do anything. The product just “SELLS ITSELF!” Or, “OUR SYSTEM DOES ALL THE WORK!”
Well, I am sorry to burst some people’s bubble but, NO REAL BUSINESS works that way.
There are a lot of things that we need to be working on to build a business that will create a life of FREEDOM. Two things that are crucial to a successful network marketing business are marketing and communication.
ONLY Pro-Active Action Builds A Lifestyle of FREEDOM!
Plain and simple, you MUST be pro-actively marketing and communicating in your business.
If you have a website, your goal is to get massive amounts of people to your website. The larger the numbers, the larger success you will have.
The degree of success you will have depends on YOU and how much marketing and communicating you do!
To my astonishment, I have had downline members, who say they want a successful business, yet they don’t respond to emails or phone calls. Checking and responding to email is one of the daily tasks that should not be neglected.
The sad thing is that I have had a couple of people respond to an email I sent them a month ago. Really??? It takes a MONTH to respond to my email? Are you taking that long to respond to prospects on your website?
Communication is one of the top priorities in your business. If a prospect is on
your website and sends you an email, you must respond quickly.
Welcome new distributors and customers and communicate with them. It is a good idea to write a newsletter or a blog so you can communicate things they need to know.
Newton’s First Law of Motion states, “An object at rest tends to stay at rest and an object in motion tends to stay in motion.” It’s time to get it in gear. It’s time to make things happen.
Yes, it is challenging to build momentum from a complete standstill. If you want FREEDOM of working from home, it is imperative that you start and keep moving forward.
I speak from experience, I have been working entirely from home for over 10 years. There is not much better feeling than the freedom that that comes from working at home.
Look to the horizon and take the next step – however small – and keep moving forward!
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Tagged with: communicating • daily action • marketing • network marketing success
Filed under: Action • communicating • Success Tips
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This is very true!! The actions that we need to focus on are those that generate and build leads, relationships and profits.
To your success!!
Wendy Hewlett
Wendy Hewlett recently posted..Successful People Are Very Self-Aware
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Melodie Kantner Reply:
July 21st, 2010 at 10:59 pm
Yes. Focus on things that make progress. Thanks for stopping by.
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Melodie,
I agree with you, “suit up, show up” isn’t enough to be successful. It’s necessary, but not sufficient. You really do have to take ACTION. And taking any form of action puts us way ahead of the competition, so keep on keeping on!
Thanks,
Adam
Dr. Adam Sheck recently posted..Love Is Not Enough!
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Melodie Kantner Reply:
July 21st, 2010 at 10:56 pm
Hi Adam,
Yes. Taking action is a must. You don’t have to get it perfect, just have to get it going.
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Melodie,
This is so very true….too many people think they will make it big in network marketing but are not willing to put in the effort that it takes.
It’s important to set goals, figure out what you will have to do to reach those goals, and make a plan – then Follow It!
One of the things I have been doing recently is to devote at least 1 hour a day, 6 days a week, exclusively to prospecting calls. Income producing activities are mandatory – and need to have top priority.
Thanks for your post…great job!
Kathy Jodrey recently posted..How to Attract Abundance…or a Jet Ski – Summer Scenery Series 3
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Hi Melodie,
You touch on some very important points.
Getting back to people/building relationships, taking action, moving forward… all essential to a thriving business.
Thanks for a great post!
Susanna
Susanna Hess recently posted..What Does My Blog Have In Common With The LA & Sydney Airports
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Melodie Kantner Reply:
July 22nd, 2010 at 12:27 pm
Hi Susanna,
Thanks. Yes. It’s all about moving forward.
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Melodie,
Taking action, any kind of productive action will continue to keep your business moving. It may be moving a little slow but the continued action will start to create momentum and results will surely follow.
Lori
Lori Robertson recently posted..Response cached until Thu 22 @ 15:51 GMT (Refreshes in 60 Minutes)
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Melodie Kantner Reply:
July 22nd, 2010 at 11:46 am
So true. Even a little progress is better than none.
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Hi Melodie,
I enjoyed your post. To answer your question about what I do to keep moving forward, I am constantly reading other blogs that have the same objective as mine. It is important to keep up with other leaders in our business. My goal is to come away with at least 1 new idea to help me in my efforts.
Thanks for your post!
Rusty
Rusty Naile recently posted..This Is Critical To Your Success – Be Honest With Yourself And Your Readers
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Melodie Kantner Reply:
July 22nd, 2010 at 11:42 am
Hi Rusty,
That’s a good way to approach it. Getting at least one idea. I find that doing a little leads to a lot more. Plus, it keeps us making progress.
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You nailed it Melodie. These companies that portray that you do not have to make contact with your potential customers is just a lie plan and simple. This is still a people business and it takes massive action to become truly successful.
Thanks for the terrific article.
Michael
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Melodie Kantner Reply:
July 22nd, 2010 at 11:52 pm
Yes, and those companies make a bad name for our industry.
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Hey Melodie! This is a great post. I am surprised by how many people do not get that network marketing takes a lot of work. I think they are sold on the dream that they can make riches without a lot of effort. I agree with you 100% that you need to take action and communicate to be successful.
Angela recently posted..A Cool Free Seo Tool For Your Blog Posts and Articles
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Melodie Kantner Reply:
July 22nd, 2010 at 11:51 pm
Hi Angela,
Yea. That is something that surprises me too. It’s like any other business. You have to work at it.
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Keep moving Melodie you are doing a great job
Peter Fuller MBA recently posted..How has my business grown since I started my blog
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Two great points stand out for me there…the party line of easy peasy…just let the system do it all… does such a disservice to both the business builder and the prospect or the builder of tomorrow. People have to be part of the system and do more than just show up.
Communication and accessibility are important in any business and more so today with social media. People expect instant responses so forgetting or ignoring to reply or acknowledge an email or a tweet can perhaps lose someone.
Don’t make yourself accessible via different lines of communication if you are never there. Pick the modes you want to use and remain faithful to them…that too is part of the system that works.
rebeccahappy recently posted..Moving The FREE Line
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I agree with you Melodie. Responding to someone email should be done asap.I do feel some tools are very useful for my business. I love video so I am using Talk Fusion.It is really awesome.In Network Marketing it takes a personal touch and I feel video responses are one of the best.
Beverly Monical recently posted..Four Powerful Strategies for Becoming The “Go To” Person In Your Business
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Because every now and then we all get a little lazy, learning ways how to overcome procrastination is always a good topic!
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Hi Melody,
I love your article, quotes and the cute pictures.
Your sentence: “Look to the horizon and take the next step – however small – and keep moving forward!” is a great way of putting it.
Keep on keeping on!
Thank you!
Love and Light
from
Yorinda
Yorinda recently posted..Joy is the Goal
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Melodie Kantner Reply:
July 27th, 2010 at 10:12 pm
Hi Yorinda,
Thanks. Even small steps forward are progress.
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oooh melodie, i love how you used Newton’s Law in your blog post… i dare say i’m gonna plagiarize that, cool?
thanks for the great post
Melissa McCloud recently posted..Snooki’s Advice For All Bloggers
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Melodie,
I agree with you. I respond to emails every day, without letting them pile up. If I agree to do something by a certain date, I make e every effort to complete it on time – even if that means staying up really late. I have also been amazed at people who claim they want to succeed and then they are careless, don’t follow up, and don’t want to spend too much time on this social networking stuff. They believe that it “should’ just be easy. Well, the gurus don’t often reveal just how hard they have actually worked. Just a simple thing like doing a free one hour teleseminar takes hours of preparation, sending out emails, tweets, blog posts, etc. But there is a certain amount of fun and satisfaction from getting into and completing the process.
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Melodie Kantner Reply:
July 27th, 2010 at 10:11 pm
Yea. I’m a bit obsessive compulsive about email and working on training and other business. I hate to think how many times a day I check email. It is always coming in on my computer and when I am in the other room I can hear it. It’s all I can do to resist running in to see what’s new. I guess it is because, even though I work hard, I really do love it.
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Hey Melody,
The way I keep myself moving forward in my business is to plan what I want to achieve each week, as far as possible.
Obviously this doesn’t work perfectly every week; its easy to be disturbed working from home, but I try to be flexible!
And I also use motivation! That’s why working with a tribe is so great, because I get so much motivation from reading great posts like this one!
Thanks, Sue
Sue Collier recently posted..Email Marketing – The Money Is NOT In The List!!
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Hi Melodie,
Thank you so much for keeping it real! If we continue to live in a fantasy, we will never be successful. Often that success requires lots of work that we would rather not do! It is those who are willing to put in the time and make the sacrifices who will reap the rewards!
Mentor Mama
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Melodie Kantner Reply:
July 27th, 2010 at 9:59 pm
Hi Nancy,
Yes. Living in a fantasy doesn’t make for success.
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Hey Melodie,
Everything you mentioned is vital to move a business forward. Without marketing and communication the business will be hidden from everyone and frustration will kick in.
Chat with you later…
Josh
Josh Garcia recently posted..How to Tell if the Blog You Are Visiting is a DoFollow or NoFollow Blog
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Nice post Melodie!
Commitment and Consistency of Action is one of the most powerful forms of influence.
One thing that is counter intuitive is the more stuck you are the smaller the step it takes to get unstuck.
Thanks!
Eiji
Eiji Morishita recently posted..How to Be Productive in 2 Hours a Day
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Melodie Kantner Reply:
July 30th, 2010 at 7:46 pm
Very true.
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Lol, you mean I can’t buy a business in a box and make millions next week! But I saw it on T.V. at 2am last night…
It is amazing how many people fall into this misconception of “Hey I’ve been in construction for 25 years so I can just send a bunch of email out, tell some people what I have going on, and money will just start rolling in.”
The lack of experience and the naivety in the business world is what ends up giving MLM and bad name. Yes it is easy, anything you can do is easy, but do you have the focus and philosophy necessary to succeed? That is the question.
Have a great day!
Joe
Joe Malinowski recently posted..The Jonny Carson Method
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Melodie Kantner Reply:
July 30th, 2010 at 7:45 pm
Yea. It’s crazy what people fall for. It does give the industry a bad name.
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This is so true! You can’t win if you’re not in the game. Unfortunately there are a ton of people that simply want something for nothing and are not willing to put in the required effort.
~Angel
Angel Taylor recently posted..Article Spinning Made Easy
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Hello Melanie,
You are absolutely correct on keeping in contact. While many ‘Marketers’ tout the use of Autoresponders to do this, there is nothing as powerful as a brief ‘Personal’ thank you.
Sure, you can create some nice ‘tagged’ AR emails that might look like they are personal, but it is easy to tell if they are or not.
One of the biggest parts of my day is going through emails. I usually block out two or three one hour slots of time and devote that time specifically to emails. Answering Support questions, providing help, responding to queries from visitors to my sites and looking at what everyone is promoting to keep up with the competition.
The only way I could do this and still manage over 240 domains is through the use of Centralization Services like the one I have at http://2GSM.Biz I am able to post content to my various blogs (Joomla, Drupal and WordPress) Manage my membership sites (On 2GSM.Biz and even ones on other servers and domains) and provide content to my affiliates for promotions from one single website.
Am I saying that the ‘System’ does it all for you? Not at all, it just provides me with ALL the tools I need in one place. I STILL have to go to work and generate the traffic and sales.
Great Blog you have here too!
Mark ‘MKWeb’ Hultgren
Mark ‘MKWeb’ Hultgren recently posted..Keys to Goal Setting Success goal settings
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Melodie Kantner Reply:
August 2nd, 2010 at 11:30 am
Wow! 240 domains? I thought I had a lot with 35.
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Oops,
Melodie, not Melanie.
I do appologize for that one
Mark ‘MKWeb’ Hultgren recently posted..Keys to Goal Setting Success goal settings
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Consistent action daily – no matter how small will blow the lid off you business before you know it – never give up, never surrender!
Tim Somers recently posted..Neglected Customers Will Burn Away Like An Unwatered Lawn
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Melodie Kantner Reply:
August 3rd, 2010 at 10:44 pm
Yes. I agree. Never give up.
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Many network marketers tend to be taking one comfortable side to them, either networking or marketing.
I’ve met some who just market and don’t want to pick up the phone as well as those who rely only on their phone book and have no clue of marketing.
Thanks for reminding that we absolutely need to do both!
Steven Winata recently posted..Enounce MySpeed Review- Watch More Videos In Less Time
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Melodie,
Isn’t this the truth? From where we stand, we’ve never seen anything that allows you to run a successful business while doing nothing.
Not saying one cannot work at setting up their own system and have a lot of the work done automatically… but that again takes time and effort to put in place. No one should think that someone else is going to do this for them… or that business success is “automatic”.
Thanks so much for pointing out how much marketing and communication are key to our business.
~ Pat and Lorna
http://TheCoolestCouple.com
Pat and Lorna Shanks recently posted..Your Message… An Attention Grabbing Headline… Or Standing the Test of Time
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Melodie Kantner Reply:
August 9th, 2010 at 11:07 pm
Hi Pat and Lorna,
Thanks for stopping by. Yes, time, effort and communication are needed. I do like a little automation too.
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“An object at rest tends to stay at rest and an object in motion tends to stay in motion.”
I love that quote from Newton. It is so true! Great points raised in this post!
Kevin M. recently posted..What Martina Mcbride taught me about moving forward in life- Do it anyway!
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Melodie Kantner Reply:
August 11th, 2010 at 9:04 pm
Yea. I love that one too.
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Melodie. Achieving success takes commitment and a consistent level of effort doing the right things. There is no easy way to achieve wealth – unless of course you were born into I suppose. For the rest of us, it takes hard work and smart work. Thanks for sharing!
Scott Pollov recently posted..Leverage Your Technology IP to Raise Capital
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Melodie Kantner Reply:
August 17th, 2010 at 4:21 pm
Hi Scott,
Consistent effort is a major key.
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Hi Melodie,
So very true! You have to show up and put up to get ahead. btw I really enjoy the illustrations that you are using in your posts. They add a nice little touch. Thank you for this post. ~ Linnea
Linnea recently posted..Do You Have a Social Media Strategy
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Melodie Kantner Reply:
August 20th, 2010 at 4:43 am
Hi Linnea,
Thanks. I love quotes. There are lots of good ones.
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It is my first visit to your blog Melodie but I can see myself returning. Yes anyone believing any business can be started and left to look after itself is sadly mistaken. The number of people who join marketing systems that provide a website interface grows daily. Yet they don’t seem to understand that simply opening an account with Twitter and automating their Tweets does not guarantee success.
One has to stick to the reality that any business requires hard work in the beginning and it’s about building relationships. No relationships means no business. If you don’t maintain those relationships you don’t survive. I don’t tell anyone this industry is easy even though I am only new myself. If you mislead people you don’t benefit in what they can bring to your business.
Thanks for your story and I shared it with my connections to reinforce that there is no easy way in the beginning.
Dennis O’Brien recently posted..Who Else Suffers Information Overload
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Melodie Kantner Reply:
August 21st, 2010 at 2:30 pm
Hi Dennis,
Thanks for stopping by my blog and sharing. It’s true. Working consistently and building relationships are so important. Even during times where you move slower, forward motion gets you there.
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Melodie,
When anyone is told, “The product just “SELLS ITSELF!” Or, “OUR SYSTEM DOES ALL THE WORK!”” It amazes me that anyone would believe it. And yet they do.
Unfortunate but people are looking for the easy way to build this business. To date I have not found it.
I like a statement that a former sales trainer pounded into our heads, while I have long forgotten his name the statement remains “You have to work hard Before you can work smart.”
The good news is that if anyone does want to work, that they can create a lifestyle beyond their dreams. It is not for everyone, it is only for the deserving.
Great reminders, No free lunch, but always lunch for the go-getters.
Bruce
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Hi Melodie,
Excellent post! Whenever I have someone contact me, I always get back to them ASAP, and like you noted, wondering why it can take so long for some to respond back, and then still wonder why they are not growing their network marketing business. Gee…like that’s a tough one to figure out
Christine
Christine Casey recently posted..How do you use Facebook
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Melodie Kantner Reply:
September 2nd, 2010 at 12:04 pm
Hi Christine,
Thanks. I am a bit compulsive about quick response, although I’m having problem keeping up with comments on blog posts while I am on vacation and no internet access.
Oh well.
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Hey Melodie,
This is a really great article and solid piece of advice. Unfortunately some people expect success to just fall out of the sky. The sad thing is, networking is really enjoyable if not for all the wonderful people we meet.
Even if someone doesn’t join up to your primary business, doesn’t mean that they aren’t worth there gold in some other area.
Yes systems makes things easier but, building solid relationships, helping others and taking the time to care, will do wonders for your business in the long run.
Thanks for sharing,
Beth
Beth Hewitt recently posted..Sponsored Tweets – Make Money with Twitter
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Melodie Kantner Reply:
October 6th, 2010 at 4:32 pm
Hi Beth,
Thanks. It is true. Too many people think success will fall from the sky.
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Melodie, if the product just “SELLS ITSELF!” Or, “OUR SYSTEM DOES ALL THE WORK!”, what is the need for us as marketers? Effective marketing and communication takes much more than a cookie cutter system or a special product.
Perry A Davis Jr
Music City USA
Perry A Davis Jr recently posted..5 thoughts as to why not want to call your friends- family and people you know as – your “Warm Market
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Melodie Kantner Reply:
December 1st, 2010 at 2:30 pm
Yes Perry. That is so true.
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Hi Melodie – You are so right – action and communication are a must in building a business! Responding to an email a month later is absurd in the business world:) Thanks for this great post!
Glyna Humm recently posted..Take The “Scary” Out Of Home Business Prospecting!
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Thanks for sharing this post with us. It’s true building a lucrative business from home takes work. It’s interesting when I talk to people some don’t want to put in the work to be successful. It’s sad when people don’t want to build skill set to be able to training other in their business. I like the fact I had passion in regards to learn more about marketing and all the in’s/out’s. I like when I meet people who really want to learn about building their business from home.
Charles Allen II recently posted..FDIVOICE- Thank You!
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Melodie Kantner Reply:
January 9th, 2011 at 5:02 pm
I agree Charles. Some don’t want to put in the work. It’s not really difficult but it something that some just never get around to doing.
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You are right about this. I think part of this has to be related to the popularity of the internet.
Sheena Prailleau@prospecting recently posted..10 simple tips to encourage blog readers to comment
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Melodie Kantner Reply:
February 19th, 2011 at 11:24 am
Hi Sheena,
Yes, and even if you are marketing offline, you should always have a web site address on anything you give to people. Most people these days are online and will do research on whatever they are interested in.
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Hi Melodie,
Great post. It is so important to have good work habits to respond to emails social media inquires etc. I agree with you even though I am working from home for several years, I still really appreciate the time I do not lose on going and coming from work. All the best Rosemary
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